Barbarossa 2: “Henry the Lion”

Article written by Socvazius
Published on 08-17-2000
Tags: ,


Scenario Objectives: Defeat Poland

Civilizations: You(Teuton), Poland-Enemy(Goths), Bavaria-Ally(Teutons), Saxony-Ally(Teutons), Henry the Lion-Ally(Teutons)

Starting Units: 1 Light Cavalry, 6 Crossbowmen, 6 Knights, 10 Pikemen

Starting Buildings: 2 Barracks, 2 Stables, 2 Archery Ranges, 1 Dock, 1 Castle, 1 Seige Workshop, 1 University, 1 Blacksmith, 1 Market, 6 Houses, 6 Outposts

Starting Resources: 1000 Wood, 1000 Food, 1000 Gold, 0 Stone

Starting Age: Castle Age

Gaia Units: None

Style of Gameplay: Live off feeder(feeder= tributing) civilizations for the 1st 1/2 of scenario.

Heroes: None

Important Note: In the 1st 1/2 of the scenario, you will have to live off Bavaria’s and Saxony’s tributes, so you must protect them against attacks.

Most Useful Units:

Long Swordsman: When you are defending Bavaria and Saxony, it is important that you defend with these at “entry points”. Since they are cheap, you can create a “human wall”, intercepting any enemy unit that attempts to enter your allies’ cities. Before you can produce long swordsmen, you first must research them. A single huskarl can kill a single longswordsman, but because they will be produced in larger numbers than huskarls, you will win the battles. Another reason why you may have problems killing huskarls is because the large numbers of troops will get “jumbled up”, and slow down. This is where knights will come into play, as they can catch up to them quickly, and should be in smaller numbers.

Knight: If any troops get past your long swordsmen, you can use your knights to intercept the enemy. It probably is best to spread them out in your allies’ cities. Because they are quick, they can group together quickly and destroy an army that has gone past your 1st defenses. Along with defending, their speed also allows them to be an offensive military unit, used as shock troops.

Teutonic Knight: In the last 1/2 of the scenario, teutonic knights are very useful in destroying Henry the Lion, because the majority of Henry’s troops are infantry, and teutonic knights are very efficient in killing them. You can also use teutonic knights to destroy buildings(towers especially), because they can take quite a bit of damage from arrows. Their slow speed means that they can’t be used offencively very much, unless the enemy troops is around the same speed at they are.

Monk: This unit can also be used to convert your enemy. Henry the Lion is teuton, so they will produce teutonic knights. Because of their slow speed, teutonic knights can easily be converted by your holy men. Guarded by teutonic knights, they will be able to enter enemy territory without fear of being killed very easily. During battles, their 8 healing range is incredibly useful in keeping your troops alive, while keeping your monks a safe distance from enemy units.

Most Useful Technologies:

Blacksmith Technologies: You must research technologies to improve your troops, and blacksmith technologies will give your troops a chance to kill enemy troops 1 vs. 1. It is best to research melee attack upgrades first, because they will improve your cavalry and infantry at the same time. These technologies can be researched a the blacksmith.

Squires: So that your infantry can catch up with enemy troops that get past them, you can resesarch squires. Squires also allows your teutonic knights to be more offensive, because they can move faster. To be exact, squires increases infantry speed by %10. Although it is not very much, it will still improve your troops. This 200 food technology can be researched at the barracks.

Chapter 1: Defend Bavaria and Saxony

When you start the scenario, send 1/2 of your knights to Bavaria and the other 1/2 to Saxony. Train men at arms at one of your barracks and research long swordsman at the other. Every time a new infantry unit is trained, move him to the Westernmost shallows in Bavaria and the 2 gaps in the trees near Saxony. Those are the easiest ways for Poland to enter your allies’ cities, and if you seal the route, your allies will be relatively safe. Keep your pikemen and crossbowmen in your city, you will need it later. Do not forget to build at least 2 fire ships, you will be attacked by sea, and that may hinder your defenses. Build a couple fishing ships, because that is your only way of getting resources(without tributes from your allies). The ships will not gather very quickly, because the majority of the fish in the river is shore fish. Shore fish is gathered slower than deep sea fish, so if you find any deep sea fish, fish at those schools(school=group of fish) first. Guard the fishing ships with one of your fire ships, so they aren’t destroyed by Poland.

Research iron casting at the blacksmith, and train knights. Spread your knights out in your 2 allies’ cities, as before. By now, you should have been attacked by Poland, in Saxony. Use the tactic I described in the “most important units” section, and you will be victorious in the battles. Be sure to replenish your armies, and add more to them time to time. Bavaria will not be as active(militarily) as Saxony, so do not send as many troops to guard that city. Research armor technologies, as well as squires.

Chapter 2: Attack Poland

Now that you have a foothold in Bavaria and Saxony, you should start to invade Poland. But first, train teutonic knights and knights, as well as battering rams. Raising this army will take a while, because you first have to get enough resources from tributes from your feeder allies. Slowly build the army up, and move 1/2 of it into the territory of Henry the Lion. Order your teutonic knights to follow Henry’s teutonic knights, your knights to follow the men at arms, crossbowmen, and seige engines, and your battering rams to stay beside houses. Your reserve troops of pikemen and crossbowmen will be “used” now, by ordering your pikemen to follow any weak unit, and your crossbowmen to stay on the outskirts of the city, away from any towers/castles.

Meanwhile with your other army, be sure to have at least 2 battering rams, you will need them to demolish buildings. Group your army, and move them to the outside of Saxony, right beside it’s market. From there, march directly north, into a gap in the forest. Soon you will find a Polish castle, which is surrounded by 2 watch towers. Attack the castle with your army, and if any unit attacks your battering rams, defend with your teutonic knights or knights. Do not worry about the 2 towers, your are out of their range. When the castle is razed, Henry the Lion will change his diplomacy toward you to enemy, and you will get a new objective. The objective will be to defeat Henry the Lion.

Chapter 3: Defeat Henry the Lion

Your diplomacy toward Henry the Lion will automatically change to enemy, and your troops inside will attack. This 1st attack will weaken Henry. A couple minutes later, you will be told that there are villagers being held by Henry, and you should get them. The place where the villagers are being held is indicated with a flag that will appear in the West. Run one of your cavalry to the flag, and you will possess the 9 villagers that are being held inside walls. Each of your villagers will have 25 hit points, so they are very weak. Be sure to build a monastery and train a monk, so the monk can garrison the relic(which was inside the walls that once held your villagers) in your monastery, so that it can generate gold for you. There are Henry’s troops in your allies’ cities, so kill them with your troops that are guarding the city. You have to kill them quickly, because they may destroy the cities. Although you can gather resources yourself, you still could use an extra boost in resources from time to time.

Train more knights, and march them to your villagers. When they arrive, break through the wall, and build a stable and castle(you can trade gold for stone at the market, if you don’t have enough). Train teutonic knights and knights, and order your teutonic knights to clear the way for your villagers, while your knights escort all but 1 villager to your city. (The villager left in your base will be used to repair your buildings when they are damaged.) When you reach your city, gather the resources which are close to your city, mainly trees. Build a town center in your city, and advance to the Imperial Age as soon as you have enough resources.

When you have advanced to the Imperial Age, upgrade your knights to cavalier. Along with researching cavalier, research Imperial Age blacksmith technologies. Train teutonic knights and cavaliers in the city, and use them to defend against Henry’s attacks. Now that your city is secure, train cavaliers, monks, and teutonic knights in your base to the West(in Henry the Lion’s territory. Along with training those troops, build 1 trebuchet at your castle. Gather your army together, and destroy the buildings closest to you(mainly houses), with your trebuchet. A counter-attack will happen, so get your troops in a defensive formation, and get ready for attacks from powerful teutonic knights.

When the counter-attack occurs, use your teutonic knights and monks to kill/convert enemy teutonic knights, and your cavaliers to destroy the battering rams, crossbowmen, and infantry(other than teutonic knights and pikemen). Along with converting, use your monks to heal your troops. When you have survived the counter-attack and have destroyed the Nearby buildings, move your army East, to the castle. Unpack your trebuchet, and attack the castle. There will be another counter-attack, this time with more battering rams. You need to protect your trebuchet from the battering rams, because they have a bonus attack vs. seige engines. This allows them to destriy seige engines quickly. Use the same strategy that you used in the 1st counter-attack.

Move further West(when the castle is destroyed), and destroy the final buildings owned by Henry the Lion. There is a tower in the outskirts of the city, so destroy it with your teutonic knights or trebuchets. When the final buildings are destroyed, Henry the Lion should be defeated. If not, there is some of his troops scattered around the map. Most likely, it is near the territory of Poland, because you should have already killed the troops in your allies’ cities. Scan the map with your cavalry, and if you find any of Henry’s troops, kill them. When all of the troops are killed, Henry the Lion will be defeated.

Chapter 4: Defeat Poland

Bring what is left of your army to your city, and heal it. Along with healing your army, add more troops to it. Build another trebuchet, and march your troops to the cliff North-East of Saxony. From there, move West if you didn’t destroy the 2 watch towers when you were destroying the castle, and move North-East to the shallows if you already have.

Right across the river, there is a watch tower. Destroy it with your trebuchet/s, and cross the river. Move South, and you will soon encounter a dock. Attack it with your trebuchets. Because you might get attacked by Polish war galleys, position 2 of your fire ships near the dock(attack the dock along with protecting the land army). When the dock is destroyed, march your army North-East to shallows that link 2 areas of land. Cross the shallows, and unpack your trebuchet when there are 2 houses, 1 seige workshop, and 4 watch towers in it’s range(if you are unable to do that without putting your troops in the line of fire, get as many buildings in your range a possible). Destroy the workshop first, because it can produce damaging seige engines. After the seige workshop is destroyed, destroy the watch towers and houses. March South-East, and you will find shallows which are close to cliffs. Cross the shallows, and you will find a Polish castle and towers. Unpack the trebuchet/s, and surround it with your troops. A castle can produce huskarls, so you need to defend your trebuchet/s with the rest of your army. Raze the castle, and then raze the tower. Move past the cliff, and you will soon find a house and watch tower. The tower is on a hill, so keep your troops out of range(it has a %25 chance of attacking with 3x the damage). Raze the 2 buildings, and move on. March South-West, and you will find another tower and dock. Situate your fire ships near the dock(when the tower is destroyed), so that they can defend your army against Polish war galleys. Destroy the dock, and move East. Eventually, you will reach another watch tower with a seige workshop. Destroy the seige workshop, and then the tower. Move closer to the river, and you should see a castle across the river. Unpack your trebuchet/s, and attack it. Guard your seige engine against any attacking huskarls, and finish the castle. Now that you have destroyed Poland’s last castle and seige workshop, they can not produce any more units. Split your army into 2 armies, and march one of them East, and one of them directly across the river. Each army will find a watch tower(the Eastern one will also find 2 houses, ignore them). Raze both of the towers, and you should win the scenario. If not, scan the river and map for any stray units, and kill them when you find them. When you kill the last unit, you will have completed your last scenario objective and thus, the scenario itself.