Need help with Age of Empires II Campaigns

[Swein Forkbeard]

Okay, I'm now on a quest to complete the AoK Campaigns. But the 2nd one in Joan d'Arc's campaign seems hard. Could you guys help me?

 

[Maniacal]

Can you remind us what it's about?

I have the Age of Kings strategy guide, but it's not at this house.

 

[nodikus]

Thats the mission to relieve Orleans Right? I found it best to wall off the farms to the west of the cityto secure your resources. The castle closet to the south bridge is the most vulnerable to a Ram/Calvary/Spearman army. Make sure to put archers in you towers to defend from the north. Pretty simple, just keep hitting that south castle.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

What about the British siege weapons that will fire on Orleans Cathedral? If that's destroyed...

 

[nodikus]

A handfull of calvary can rush, take out the weapons and withdraw with few, if any loses. Just have a monk ready to heal. Strategy applies to longbows too if thier really annoying you. (You'll learn to really hate those by the end of the campaign.)

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

Another thing I'm concerned about is the lack of resources in Orleans. Essentially, here's what I did when I tried it yesterday.

1. After getting the carts to Orleans, I advanced to the Castle Age.
2. I built an Archery Range, Siege Workshop, Castle, and Monastery within Orleans's Walls and positioned my army North of the cathedral.
3. Buy resources and create troops.
4. Research technology to improve troop effectiveness.
5. Have a regiment of 5 Knights, 5 Throwing Axemen, 1 Monk, and 1 Light Cavalry north of the cathedral.
6. Send all other troops to assault Southern Castle. Mangonels attack it, but get destroyed quickly because of arrows from the castle. Everybody else stands by to protect the Mangonels.

 

[nodikus]

Their should be more resources to the west around your farms and south of the river, build a tower and a small surrounding wall to defend the latter. Mangonels are much better used against troops trying to hack through your walls. Use Rams to assault enemy fortifications. Don't use scorpions, I've never found them to be effective.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

Shouldn't I use the stone I have to build a castle?

 

[nodikus]

If you need one for defence and have already built the nesscessary walls and towers then sure. You don't need one because you can't built tribuchets yet and throwing axemen arn't really that useful.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

1. Building a Castle as soon as a can. But hey, Joan's France is represented by the Franks, so why shouldn't I build one. Because it's too expensive? Well...

2. Trying to stay inside Orleans and use the market for resources. But I don't want to have to defend TWO places at once; it's hard enough defending Orleans itself!

3. Trying to use Mangonels on the castle. I guess I should just build an army of battering rams, garrison as many footmen as possible, and then batter down the castle. Wait, do garrisoned infantry increase the rams' attack?

4. Let me tell you about my small defense regiment I had. I took 5 Knights from the ones I received at Blois, 5 Throwing Axemen to protect them from Pikemen, a Monk for healing and conversion purposes, and finally a Light Cavalry to scout ahead.

 

[nodikus]

No infantry only increase the rams movement speed. Stick with and escort of pikemen, crossbowmen and a monk with a group of calvary in support.
For your defence regiment, try to keep the enemy out of the city. Rush out with your calvary to take enemy seige then rush back in. Garrison archers in the towers and let them handle anything else.
Defending in two places at once is not that difficult. Just have a tower your workers can shelter in until your calvery arrives.
If attacks from the south are bothering you, try walling off the bridge with some towers or a castle.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

Thank you guys, I beat scenario #2! Of course, now I need help with scenario #3. Here's what I did.

After getting to Orleans, I advanced to the Castle Age. I took my three villagers and walled off the resources area, then built a Town Center there; the British and Burgundians never came to Joan's Base (that's what I call it). I also started building Battering Rams, Monks, Knights, and Pikemen. The British sometimes broke through (either via destroying the walls or tailoring my monks into the city, aaarrrrggghhh), but overall it never got too bad, and I kept 5 Knights and a Monk on guard duty. I eventually produced a Mangonel when Burgundian Spearmen almost broke through a section of Walls. I assaulted the South British Castle twice. The first time, a good number of my troops got stranded along the river (which ever river it was), and I went back to Orleans and produced more Rams, Pikemen, and Knights. My Rams eventually broke a section of Walls and then most of us battered down the castle; one Battering Ram went after the nearby tower and some Knights went finding and raping British villagers. The castle eventually fell.

Now I need help with Scenario #3.

 

[azzaman333]

No infantry only increase the rams movement speed. Stick with and escort of pikemen, crossbowmen and a monk with a group of calvary in support.

I'm certain that foot soldiers can increase the attack of a Siege Ram, so I assume its the same for Battering Rams.

 

[nodikus]

For #3 you have 2 places to build your base once you get accross the river. One is in the plain to the west, It has a lot of resources and is close to the Burgundian town so you can take them out early. Problem is that it is difficult to defend. The second, and the one I prefer, is in the forest to the east. You can use the trees as walls with gates and wall sections in the gaps but it's farther away from anything. Just be sure to watch your villagers so they don't chop a hole in your defences.

Whichever you pick, the stratigy is the same and the last mission, same sort of army, take out the castle and pull pack to regroup. Repeat for the other three. After you take out 2-3 castles, some british guy will come at you with a large army of seige rams so have your calvary and some mangonels ready for that.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

So I should cross the river first instead of constructing my base at the starting point?

 

[nodikus]

Definately. There are no resources on the starting side.

 

[Stuck in Pi]

yes, I remember that one, and if at all possible it is fun to convert the British hero knight dude (no he won't die, I've seen it done). But it's been to long since I've played it to give any advice now.

 

[Swein Forkbeard]

Okay guys, after crossing the Loire River, I found another river East of the landing spot. Should I cross it? The sites I found in the East had only Food and Wood, no Gold or Stone of any kind. I eventually found Gold, but it was dangerously close to a Burgundian town.

 

[nodikus]

When you crossing the river you want to go straight accross. On the eastern side of the landing zone there should be a forest with gold and food.

 

[Swedishguy]

Press enter. Type "black death". Win.