History forged an incredible legend around the man who ruled Wallachia in the mid-15th century. Holding his ground against the vast armies of the expanding Ottoman Empire, his cruel tactics made him the most feared man in all of Eastern Europe. Shall his thirst for blood and the loyalty of his soldiers hold the Turks back for good?
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—In-game campaign description
“
History forged an incredible legend around the man who held 15th century Wallachia against the vast armies of the Ottoman Empire. His cruel tactics and sharp mind made him the most feared man in all of Eastern Europe—but will they be enough to parry the Turkish onslaught?
”
—In-game campaign description in Definitive Edition
The Vlad Dracula campaign was named Dracula before the Definitive Edition. The campaign consists of 5 scenarios. Since there is no civilization that Dracula perfectly fits in, the player plays with three different civilizations: Turks, Magyars, and Slavs; and the player color is red.
In the Definitive Edition, some scenarios have been slightly reworked. For example, The Breath of the Dragon scenario involves a more direct assault to the Turkish stronghold in the captured Wallachian city rather than a stealth mission. Another subtle change is that the campaign name was changed from simply "Dracula" to "Vlad Dracula", although the in-game campaign description still refers to it as "Dracula".
The campaign is narrated by an unnamed traveler whose companions take shelter in Poenari Castle (Dracula's former home) during a storm, where an old veteran from Dracula's wars against the Ottomans relates the story to them.
Unit[]
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The wolf is cornered, but not yet dead. It is time to take fight to the den!
Vlad Dracula is a cavalryhero. He is always a must-survive unit. Prior to the Definitive Edition, he used to be represented by a Boyar, in the Definitive Edition he has a unique appearance. As a hero, he cannot be converted and can regenerate health.
In the third scenario in The Forgotten, Dracula nabs a Trade Cart on the way to Giurgiu. He then disguises himself as a King (named Disguised Vlad Dracula) and freely enters the city as a trader to later capture the city and defeat the Ottoman guards. After that, Dracula is reverted to his original form.
History[]
Vlad III, commonly known as Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș) or Vlad Dracula (Vlad Drăculea) (1428/31 – 1476/77), was Voivode of Wallachia three times: first in 1448, then in 1456 to 1462, and once more in 1476/77. Coming from the House of Drăculești (a branch of the House of Basarab), he was a three-time, He first came into power by fighting Vladislav II the usurper from the House of Dănești (another branch of the Basarab), later frequently fighting the Ottoman Empire. Due to his reputation of impaling his enemies, he is also known as "Vlad the Impaler" or Vlad Țepeș in Romanian. He is often considered one of the most important rulers in Wallachian history and a national hero of Romania.
Vlad was held hostage in the Ottoman Empire in 1442 to secure their father's loyalty. With Ottoman support, he launched campaigns against his second cousin who was installed as the new Voivode by John Hunyadi of Hungary. After gaining power with Hungarian support, he came into conflict with the Transylvanian Saxons who supported his opponents. Vlad plundered the Saxon villages, taking the captured people to Wallachia where he had them impaled (which inspired his cognomen "Vlad the Impaler").
Anecdotes about his cruelty spread in Germany and Italy. Books describing Vlad's cruel acts were among the first bestsellers in the German-speaking territories. In Russia, popular stories suggested that Vlad was able to strengthen his central government only through applying brutal punishments, and a similar view was adopted by most Romanian historians in the 19th century. Vlad's patronymic inspired the name of Bram Stoker's literary vampire, Count Dracula.
Trivia[]
The campaign icon in the Definitive Edition consists of a shield depicting the coat of arms of the House of Drăculești, a Turkish Kilij sword, and an insignia of the Order of the Dragon that all members were compelled to wear, of which Vlad Tepes was a member.
Gallery[]
Views of the unit
Vlad Dracula the Impaler as he appears in The Forgotten
Vlad Dracula the Impaler as he appears in the Definitive Edition
Dracula's Sword
Ambras Castle portrait of Vlad III (c. 1560), reputedly a copy of an original made during his lifetime
Equestrian statue of Vlad Dracula at Bran, Romania
Arms of the House of Draculesti
Reconstructed insigna of the Order in Trakai Island Castle museum, Lithuania
