Six missions across the frontier
A charter in the Vale, a wall on the Embermark, Frankish riders, a Mongol road, a mountain pass and the war for the Crownlands. Each mission teaches what the next one needs.
Training Grounds
Tutorial
Steward, the crown has granted you a small holding on the edge of the Vale. Before the frontier is yours, learn to command your people.
Three short lessons teach the basics: selecting and moving, workers and buildings, then soldiers, squads and counters. Each step explains the controls it needs and there is no time limit.
- 1
The Vale, as the Britons
Founding a Settlement
Spring, the first year of the charter. Six families have followed Marshal Edric down the old road to the river meadows, where a single Town Center marks the place that will be Brightwater.
Before winter the village needs hands, food in the stores and timber for its roofs. Raise villagers, build houses, and set up a first harvest of berries, game and wood.
Across the river the Red Banner outlaws hold an old watch post. Once smoke rises over Brightwater they will come to see what is worth taking. Have a few Militia ready, and keep the Town Center standing: if it falls, the charter fails.
- 2
The Embermark, as the Britons
The Border Defense
A year after Brightwater's founding, the crown sends you east to Cinderfold, the last holding before the Embermark woods. Its stone wall has stood unmanned since the fever summer, and the Ashen Company has noticed.
Their camp lies beyond the woods, a day's march east. Each band they send will be larger than the last, and the final one is said to bring a battering ram.
Mend the wall before the first band arrives, raise archers to shoot from behind it and spearmen to hold the gate, and keep the Town Center standing until the Ashen Company gives up.
- 3
Silverrun Valley, as the Franks
The Frankish Charge
Cinderfold held, and word of it crossed the hills. Marshal Aubert of Varenne has answered the Britons' call: Frankish riders will clear the Silverrun Valley, where the Ashen Company has raised an outpost on every road north of the river.
The valley is unknown ground. Send your Scout Cavalry ahead to the two fords and the hill road; whatever they see stays on your map, and each outpost they find becomes a target.
Then raise a mounted host. The Marshal's stores will carry you to the Castle Age at once: train Knights and ride the outposts down. Their spearmen are deadly to horses: let archers or swordsmen deal with the spears while the Knights run down the archers, and bring a ram for the towers.
- 4
The Amber Road, as the Mongols
Across the Steppe
Far to the east the Mongol khanate fights a quieter war. The Iron Reavers, outlaws paid in Ashen silver, have cut the Amber Road between the wells of Tsagaan and the trade city of Kharatal.
Temur's riders are yours: two scouts and four horse archers, the best Tsagaan has. They are few and cannot be replaced before the Castle Age, so strike, ride clear and strike again; never trade them blow for blow. At least three must come home.
Find the Reavers' depot in the northern hills, burn the three supply camps that feed their raiders, then burn the depot itself. Meanwhile caravans leave Tsagaan every ninety seconds: see five of them into Kharatal, and keep the city standing.
- 5
The Greyspine Pass, as the Chinese
The Mountain Passage
Autumn. General Ganbold of the Mongol khanate has walled the north end of the Greyspine Pass, the only road through the mountains an army can use, and his riders pour down it into the Jade valleys.
Governor Lin Shu holds the southern end. Ganbold will send his horsemen through the pass again and again: stand in the narrows with spearmen in front and crossbows behind, where riders cannot go round you, and hold the ground until his sorties are spent.
Then push through. Advance to the Castle Age, raise a Siege Workshop and bring rams north: Ganbold's wall, his Castle and his Town Center must fall.
- 6
The Crownlands, as the Britons
The Crown of Four Kingdoms
The war comes down to one valley. The Crownlands lie between the four kingdoms: rich, open ground, split by the Kingsflow river with only two crossings worth the name, the Old Watch and the Sunken Shrine. Whoever holds them wears the crown.
Choose the people you will lead: Britons, Franks, Chinese or Mongols. Another of the four kingdoms holds the rival crown, and it will meet you in the field with everything it has.
Its capital is a stronghold: stone walls with gates, towers and a Castle. Rise to the Imperial Age, seize both crossings, bring siege engines to break the Castle, then destroy every enemy Town Center. This is the final campaign.
Whoever holds the crossings wears the crown.