Description[]
The Return of Young William is the first scenario of English Campaign.
Briefing[]
The Return of Young William: 1040
William started through the thick of the trees, squinting his eyes in the early morning light to detect the enemies he knew were nearby. Motioning for his small band of men to follow, he slipped silently through the trees, moving forward, always listening, always watching.
Torn from his rightful place as heir to the Dukedom of Normandy, William had been forced to remain in secret for years, outcast and rejected. But now the time had come to return, to make his presence known throughout all of Normandy. William was ready to seek revenge for the injustice done to him by Lord Toustain, Governor of Falaise. He would have Normandy... and perhaps even more.
Objectives[]
- Travel the countryside and gain allies until you are strong enough to defeat the bridge guards.
- William must survive.
- Defeat the guards of Falaise and gain access to the city.
- Talk to the mayor of Falaise
- Build up an army and attack Toustain's stronghold when you think you are ready.
- Destroy Toustain's castle.
Losing Condition[]
- William is killed.
History[]
William was born in 1027, the illegitimate son of Robert I, Duke of Normandy. Robert perished from a fever during a trip to the Holy Land when William was only eight years of age. Following the Duke's death, the struggle for who would gain the title Duke of Normandy was fierce. William's early years were marked by close calls and assassinations of those whom he held dear, including his own guardians as they were asleep in bed. Somehow, William survived it all, and grew into a strong young man.
Near the middle of the 11th Century, the issue of who was to be Duke was still not fully resolved. Sensing the instability, King Henry of France decided that it was a good time to intervene in Normandy, overlooking a promise he had made to William's father regarding William's status. He sent troops into Normandy, capturing the border fortress of Tillieres. Another, more serious strike was then made on Wiliam's territory. Henry entered the county of Hiesmes, burning and pillaging as he went. He then sacked the town of Argentan before retreating. Lord Toustain, the Norman Governor of Falaise and sworn protector of the region did nothing to oppose Henry's incursions. If anything, it seems that Toustain used the invasion to further his own personal gains, taking the opportunity to fortify the castle at Falaise. For William, this was something that could not be ignored.
Hints[]
- Your first stop should be the village to the east of your starting location.
- You begin the scenario with a small supply of resources. Use them to purchase improvements for your units, as you will be sure to need them once combat begins.
- Don't forget you can use William's Battle Cry in combat when things are going badly.
- The map is divided into two sections, with a river separating them and one bridge across the river. Make sure you gain all the allies you can before attempting to cross over the bridge.
- When you arrive in Falaise, if your troops are beleaguered, you might find resources nearby with which to rebuild your army. Try following local footpaths.
Starting Conditions[]
- Starting Epoch: Middle Age
- Starting Resources: 400 food, 300 wood, 400 gold, 200 iron
- Starting Units:
Player[]
- William: William starts in south-west of the map with William and his small army
Friendlies[]
- Normandy
- Siege Workshop
Hostiles[]
- Lord Toustain
- Bandits
Storyline[]
William travels with his small army down a road south-west of Normandy.
William: My father's old friend is master of a village, east of here. Perhaps he can help us!
William spots some enemy Archers up ahead.
William: Enemy archers lie ahead. The path to the Dukedom shall start here!
William arrives in Moulin.
Knight 1: What be your business in our fair town?
William: I am William, the rightful Duke of Normandy. During King Henry's invasion, Lord Toustain sought to take what is mine by birthright. I come to you to make a plea for assistance. If you consent to help, I shall reward you handsomely when I am Duke.
Knight 2: Very well, young William. You shall have our help. And may God be with us!
Monte St. Michel is revealed.
William: We are growing stronger! I know of another town, far to the Northwest of here, that may also pledge their support.
William arrives in Monte St. Michel, which is being raided by bandits.
Villager: Help us! We are beset by bandits!
The bandits are soon dealt with.
Villager: Thank you, young lord, for saving our town! We have little to offer in return for your gallant rescue, but please accept this sword, painstakingly forged by our blacksmith. It is the finest blade in all of Normandy and I'm sure you'll have use for it. Take whatever else you need - our town is yours.
William then meets the mayor, further up the road.
Mayor: You are the one they call William? We have heard of your plight and pledge our support to you - the future Duke!
William: Now we are strong enough to cross the river and enter the city of Falaise!
William and his army cross the bridge to Falaise.
Knight: This is the road to Falaise! We are nearly there.
William and his army are confronted by some of Toustain's army.
Enemy Knight: Away with you! Outsiders are not to be allowed access to the city. Now be gone or prepare to fight!
The enemies are defeated, and William and his army make their way into Falaise.
William: Now that we have entered Falaise, we must secure the Mayor's help. Come! We shall speak with him!
William then proceeds to speak with the Mayor.
Mayor: Young William! Such a... surprise to see you in Falaise! Of course, I shall be glad to place my town at your disposal.
Scout: We know that Toustain has retreated to his Castle stronghold, directly north of here. He has a large army and many defenses. To breach the fortifications, we will need siege weapons and an army of our own. To raise a large enough army, we will need additional resources. We will have to scour the countryside for them.
Another Knight rides into town.
Knight: My lord, a skilled Engineer reportedly lives in the South. He is experienced in the construction of siege engines and may be able to supply us with some.
William and his army find a Stone mine.
Villager: Greetings to you! So it be resources you are needing, eh? Well, we will give you all that we have.
William and his army find a Siege Workshop.
Siege Engineer: In need of siege weapons, eh? Well, I have many available, only 500 Stone a piece. Make your selection, good sir.
A siege weapon has been purchased.
Siege Engineer: Thank you for your business. Would you care to purchase another?
William then gets his army to breach the defenses of Toustain's Castle, by defeating his army, and destroying his Towers.
William: There is the keep! Onward! Victory is close at hand!
Toustain's Castle is destroyed.
William: The keep is in ruins! Toustain has been defeated!
Walkthrough[]
William starts with 2 Long Swords and 4 Long Bows. The first encounter is an easy battle due to Williams healing. In the village in the southeast he gets reinforcements (7 units). Upgrade Knights (attack, armor) and Long Bows (attack, range).
On the way to the northern village there is an encounter at a tiny village who is attacked by the enemy. When you go north, advance in tiny steps to maintain formation. Save the game. When the alarm sounds, pause with F3 and send all units with the move/attack order to a point a bit north of the village. So it is possible to win with zero losses and get the full reward: 5 civ points, a hefty attack bonus for William and the surviving 3 Crossbows.
--> Do not use your civilisation points other than for Knights (attack, armor, hitpoints) and after that for Long Bows. That will help considerably in the next scenario of this campaign.
At the norther village await more reinforcements (9 units).
Go to the bridge of Falaise but dont cross it. Position your army in good formation and wait for a patrol that comes from the north. After killing the first, send one of your units on the bridge to trigger the rest of the patrol. After that kill the guards at the city gates of Falaise and enter the city. You get 5 civ points, 1 Knight and 9 Citizen.
Build a Granary in the middle of the city and a settlement in the woods south of the city.
Go with your army to the village northeast of Falaise, the road is guarded by a little enemy troup. The village gives you 1500 stone.
Go to the merchant camp a bit south of Falaise and buy 3 Trebuchets.
Go to the bandit mining camp (some enemy units on the way) and let the Trebuchets do their work. After destroying all buildings (5 civ points) build a settlement there and one in the stone village. 6 citizen mine gold, 6 iron, 6 stone.
With enough resources, upgrade your existing units to maximum.
Buy one more Trebuchet and some Long Bows until you reach the pop cap. Kill some citizens if you have to.
Go to the last refuge of your enemy in the north. Position your units in a good distance and in a good formation. All non-ranged units in stand-ground mode. The Trebuchets go and kill some of the towers. Observe the city gate - as soon as the enemy attacks, order your Trebuchets back behind your lines. The enemy will stand distant enough to not see and attack you. Kill as much of their Long Bows with the Trebuchets (as long as an unit is killed with one shot, it dont trigger the others). When they finaly attack, go all in but beware the remaining towers.
After that the rest is easy done with slow advancement mainly of the Trebuchets (10 civ points).
