Campaign FAQ for Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots This FAQ will (hopefully) guide you through the four (4) non-generic Conquer the World campaigns in Thrones and Patriots. They are 1. Alexander 2. Napoleon 3. Conquer the New World 4. The Cold War Note: I completed these campaigns only at Moderate difficulty. However, since general strategies are adopted here, you shouldn't bump into great difficulties on Hard. (For the other two higher difficulties, challenge them at your own risk.) I assume that you, the reader, know your way around a RON battle. If not, this guide may not be suitable for you. 1. Alexander 1.1 Summary Now, this campaign might be one of the toughest campaign out of the four. You are restricted to the Classical Age (Age 2) for all games, which means that many of the technologies would be unavailable to you. In fact, you would only be able to research level 1 Construction (building hitpoints, construction speed), Herbal Lore (faster healing for garrisoned units and creation speed) and level 1 attrition. All other technologies related to efficiency in gathering resources are available, though. As such, your best bet of beating your opponents is to outproduce them, in terms of both resources and troops. Once your library researches are done, kill off the scholars to make way for military units; you're going to need them. Multiple barracks, stables, siege factories and forts (especially at the frontline) will help as well. On the Strategic Map, remember to move your armies around to place them in territories where they will be needed, especially for overruns. 1.2 Foes 1.2.1 Persians The Persian Empire is mighty indeed, and in most cases, they are your first enemies as well. There are certain things to remember when taking them on. 1. They have TWO (2) capitals, both during scenarios and on the Strategic Map as well. Time your invasion accordingly. 2. Their heavy infantry is ranged; archers are vital against them. 3. War Elephants will be another pain to deal with; horse archers are your best bet. (Remember that you need 4 military research to be able to produce them.) The Persians starts with five (5) armies. 2 are granted by their capitals (which you cannot do anything about) and 3 are from supply bases. Take them at the earliest opportunity possible. Persian bases are: 1)Lydia (also houses the Colossus wonder) 2)Mesopotamia 3)Parthia Apart from the Colossus, the Persians too have the Hanging Gardens wonder (in Persia itself). 1.2.2 Romans The Romans should only give you trouble during the Samnite War scenario. Just remember that their heavy infantry (Legions) will slaughter your own. 1.2.3 Egyptians They control one wonder: the Pyramids. Eliminate them quickly so that you may gain the use of their wonder quickly. Beware their Camels and Chariots. 1.2.4 Indians The Indians are one of the last enemies that stand between you and total victory. They have only 1 supply base, in Pauravas. Like the Persians, they possess War Elephants. 1.2.5 Empty territories Being "unclaimed" at the beginning of the campaign, any side can conquer them according to their wishes (the AI or yourself). Do note that Thrace and Arabia offer supply bases. 1.3 Scenarios 1.3.1 Thrace According to the game (and history), Alexander tamed these barbarians first before doing anything else, and you should as well. Apart from the supply base, you will have allies in this scenario (provided you look after them). Take note not to kill the merchant for the maps. The 200 wealth will translate to 30 tribute after the scenario. Also, remember that you have 60 minutes to attain victory. You might want to go easy on the initial military research; after destroying the three stables (with help from the merchant's maps showing their locations), your military research will be maxed out automatically. 1.3.2 Greece Ah... the Greeks are rebelling and you are tempted to crush them quickly, no? However, calm down and take stock. This scenario could be one of the most difficult in this campaign and the thing is, you may not need a battle to reclaim this land. If you insist on a battle, note that in order to attain the "best" situation, you MUST conquer every side on the map. No shortcuts. 1. If you decide to raze the home city to the ground, Macedon's strength would be reduced to 1 later on. 2. If you decide not to raze the city, and allow the Spartans to surrender, during your future Conquest battles in Persia, they will send reinforcements for the enemy. Also, if you don't enjoy controlling two separate armies at the same time, this scenario might just make you scream. So, take your eyes away from the south and look... east. 1.3.3 Lydia Depending on the situation, you might end up with either one of two scenarios. The more difficult one involves you starting with only a fort and your army. You will have to conquer two Persians cities and from there, expand until you are strong enough to invade the island housing the Colossus (and the only Persian capital, oddly). Since there is a lag before the Persians cities assimilate, not to mention that you need a navy, this battle will not be an easy one. The "easier" one has Alexander starting out with three cities and his army. The cities are builtup, with many resource and military structures in place. Your base is much stronger as a result. The Colossus is not located here, either. However, you would have to face an additional side (an ally of Darius, though he has only military buildings). Also, the Persian "two capitals" apply here as well. In both cases, you have 90 minutes to defeat every side. If you've followed the guide so far (and did not buy any cards), you should have enough tribute to declare war. After your successful invasion, you would be given a chance to scrap your navy for 200 tribute. Don't do it! Tribute can be amassed later, but your navy can't be rebuilt. It's as simple as that. 1.3.4 Egypt By now, you should have 3 armies under your command (with Thrace and Lydia under your control). Choose your army at Macedon and overrun the Greeks at Greece (saving you a LOT of trouble). Move your armies as you see fit, then begin your campaign in Egypt. This scenario have you starting out with a few cities as well. Build up and crush the Egyptians, while taking note of their unique units and wonder. Protect the Pyramid once it is yours! 1.3.5 Latium (the Samnite War) This scenario will see you do battle with the various Roman factions. You MUST defeat everyone eventually, so plan ahead. However, do allow the Romans to fight among themselves while you build up in strength. Frontline military buildings are especially important here. 1.3.6 Future Actions After destroying the Egyptians and the Romans, be sure to grab Arabia and Mesopotamia. The extra armies will come in handy for overruns; do remember to carry them out whenever you can. 1.3.7 Persia Well, you have come to the gates of Persia. Depending on where you launched your invasion from, your base would be either in the west or the east. Choose to invade from Media (the east). Since the capital is located inside a largely sealed off island (There's only a single chokepoint to enter.), you will need to establish a physical presence on the island itself. Build a navy to cut off the island from the rest of Persia, then sack the capital. 1.3.8 Bactria This scenario will require you to do a bit of towering at the beginning, since the forts will send troops to harrass you, while the Persians are the only ones with siege weapons. After you have destroyed or allied with the forts, take the Persian capitals. Also, you might want to keep an eye on the forts you have allied with. Under certain circumstances, you will have to destroy them eventually. In other cases, once you defeat the Persians, you win. (I suspect a bug, so proceed with caution.) 1.3.9 Pauravas This scenario is a little tricky if you choose to fight a battle. I personally buy cards until I come across Treachery, and use it here (Tribute should not be a problem by now). For the battle, you are supposed to ally with a third side against Porus. Since he's located on a large island, your best bet for a win is to establish a shoreline base and expand inwards. Still, it's not easy to "grow' your borders to the island (after Porus has expanded his National Borders. To prevent this, colonise the island early.) Do try usingTreachery,or leave this land alone. 1.3.10 India This is it, the eastern border of the world of Alexander. If you did not catch the Indians in a civil war, your will have to face a single enemy. Otherwise, you fight both factions. Be sure to occupy the Indian cities before marching into their capital(s); they offer benefits which are definitely useful to your war efforts. 1.4 Notes -Remember to build a balanced army; mix your units. If not, be ready to build them from scratch. -Protect your catalpults. 2. Napoleon 2.1 Summary This campaign features the most number of wonders for the non-generic ones. With Europe in a fragmentated state, it is up to Napoleon (and you) to unify the continent for the first time in history! Before you get carried away, let's take a look at the technologies of the era. All battles are restricted to the Enlightenment Age (Age 5), which is very decent. Be prepared to do lots of research in the "tower" (3 levels of attrition), the granary, smelter, lumber camp (2 levels of construction, medicine, and supplies), the fortess (2 levels for both techs), on top of the efficiency ones (for resources). After being crowned Emperor, you will gain access to the Imperial Guard (which is an upgraded Musketeer; do add in regular Musketeers for a cheaper army). The danger here is that should you be defeated as Emperor, you will be exiled, and later be forced to fight in the battle of Waterloo. More on that later. 2.2 Foes 2.2.1 The "Tough Cookies" These guys can't be bought over as your vassals, so you'll have to take them out eventually. They are the: -Austrians -British -Dutch -Knights of Malta -Prussians -Royalists -Russian -Spanish (not sure actually, but they do have colonies) -Swedish -Ottoman Turks Do note that most of them have colonies or are non-single state countries. 2.2.2 The "Single States" These are the ones who would qualify as vassal states. Squeeze an army out of them instead of wasting your time conquering them. Before you buy them over, make sure that they do not control any other lands. They are the: -Bavarians -Mamelukes (They do control the Pyramids; it's your call.) -Polish -Sardinians -Saxons -Swiss (They seem to demand more tribute than the others if you want them as a vassal.) Among them, the Bavarians and Sardinians are initial vassals of the Austrians, while the Mamelukes are initially under the Turks. 2.2.3. The "The Price is Right" bunch These states can be bought over as vassals, but due to the resources and/or wonders they control, you might want to conquer them instead. If you run out of time, but do have tribute, buy them out of battles. They are the: -Papal States -Portuguese 2.3. Scenarios The first six missions (divided into 2 parts of three) will be a choice-based adventure. Your first two options are: -The Royalists Package -The Italian Front 2.3.1a The Royalists Package For this set of three missions, you will deal with the Royalists, the British and the Austrians. Besides the first mission, the other two are fairly average. To put down the Royalists, you must NOT lose a single city, even for a short while (The mission will end in failure without giving you the chance to recapture the city.). As such, temples are of great help, along with research in construction. Also, the citizens will revolt from time to time; keep an eye on that. It will be useful to establish barracks, stables and factories in each city. (Remember that French supply wagons heal, and you get one free with every new factory.) Use cavalry to pick out unprotected cannon; they are your biggest enemies here. For Belgium, if you pay 20 Tribute, the Austrians will leave you alone. For 40, they will help you with the invasion to defeat the Belgians. Pay them 20 and do the fighting yourself. Territories captured -Burgundy -Brittany -Belgium 2.3.1b The Italian Front As its name suggests, this set will take you through Northern Italy. Pretty average, except for the first battle, where you have limited resources and time (15 mins). Proceed with caution on that one. Territories captured -Piedmont -Lombardy -Venetia 2.3.2a The Invasion of Spain This second set will see you fighting the Spanish and their guerrilla warriors. Expect to scout early for their isolated barracks ("guerrilla bases") before they overwhelm you with their numbers. Search and destroy's the rule for these missions. Territories captured -Aragon -Seville -Castile 2.3.2b Trek Through Africa This set will have you fight the Knights in the Siege of Malta, the Mamelukes in Egyptand the Turks in Syria. Of the four sets, this set could easily be the most difficult one,if only because of the siege. But, the rewards are great. Besides having the Pyramids when you are crowned Emperor, the backdoor to Turkey is clear as well. Territories captured -Tunisia -Libya (automatic with fall of Tunisia) -Egypt -Syria 2.3.3. Future actions (1) Now that you are crowned Emperor, the Strategic Map will provide more details. Note the various supply bases scattered around the continent. Be sure to buy over the Saxons and the Polish. Their locations, as well as armies, will be useful to you. Take note that Austria is buried right in the centre of its empire. You'll have to muscle your way there. But, the European nations are allied to one another. For details, monitor the World Status window. You might be tempted to invade Britain, but that will have to wait for a little while, until you build your navy. 2.3.4. The March to Moscow Depending on your situation, this invasion may or may not be a bad idea. However, keep in mind that if you do not defeat the Russians before taking ou tthe Prussians, some Prussian lands will be turned over to Russia instead of becoming yours. In this scenario, you must fight your way through Russian cities, lay siege to Moscow itself, and hold the city until the timer runs out. Russian attrition damage is VERY high; keep an eye on your supply wagons. They are favourite targets of Cossacks. After taking down each city, you will be given the choice to buy 5 supply wagons OR 5 cannons for 5 tribute. Just remember to buy something; 5 tribute isn't a lot. Once you reach Moscow, remember NOT to destroy the Kremlin. Destroying it may induce bugs (This may need some confirmation.). Anyway, occupy Moscow and build your defences. Note that your Wealth and Metal supplies will be limited. A trick might be to hold for a little while until the timer has nearly run out, before attacking. 2.3.5. Battle of Stockholm One thing to remember about this battle is to build a granary to increase food production of Fishermen through technology. 2.3.6 Battle of Great Britain This should be one of your last battles. Be prepared to chase the royal family all over the map in this scenario. I hope you have paid 100 tribute for the navy. On top of that, you'll need to buy cards to use. That's how tough (to me) the Brits are. 3. The New World 3.1 Summary In this campaign, there are three distinct sides: the Europeans, the Native Americans, and the Americans. For the Europeans, they will need to accumulate 1000 Tribute, defeat all Native Americans and control more land than any other European side. The Europeans' governments are set to Despotism/Monarchy. Until the world advances to the Enlightenment Age, the Europeans are restricted to a population of 125. The Native Americans will simply have to drive out all Europeans and control more land than any other Native American side. The Native Americans' governments are set to Despotism/Monarchy. Until the world advances to the Enlightenment Age, the Native Americans are restricted to non-gunpowder units for their military. The Americans will have to declare independence from Britain (upon which they stop paying Tribute to Britain and obtain the Ironclad naval unit), drive out all Europeans and conquer all of North America. The American governments are set to Republic/Democracy. Until the world advances to the Enlightenment Age, the Americans are restricted to a population of 125. The only Wonder in this campaign is the Temple of Tikal, initially controlled by the Mayans. 3.1.1 What the Summary means Ok, you could have gotten all those info above from the game. But, let's get to the details. For the Europeans, you'll need to conquer many sides to get that 1000 Tribute. Since there are many Native Americans everywhere, you've better start massing supply centers. The British needs some special attention. Since there are NO supply centers near their starting location, they'll have to wait until their opponents make their moves before felling the capital in one attack. The Native Americans will be at an disadvantage initially, without gunpowder units. Make the 200 population count. 4. The Cold War 4.1 Summary The battle between capitalism and communism, RON style. This campaign is unique, for there are different routes to victory. 1. Industrial Victory - Simply have your Tribute output 50 higher than the other side 2. Military victory - Capture the enemy's capital to win. 3. Nuclear Victory - Nuke the enemy side out of existence. Usually possible only if Militray Victory is pursued. 4. Total Victory - Industrial + Military Victories. Here, I will discuss the military way. Also, take note that in this campaign, your troops can move ANYWHERE in the same turn; supply bases just become that much more important. 4.2 The Soviet Way Welcome, comrade. The USA and NATO stand in our way of global domination. We cannot allow that to happen! To conquer the West, we must be clear that NATO is the main supplier of the USA's armies. If we take them for ourselves, the Red Army will march into Washington D.C. with ease! 4.2.1. Getting prepared Ok. Now that we have gotten that out of our system, time for the details. Before you launch a full scale war, be sure to "repair" the Warsaw Pact states. Once you have done that, click on the "Next Turn" button. Of course , you can try out the spy missions if you wish. But, be warned that their difficulty will increase quite dramatically. Also, note that Cuba and North Korea will seek your protection; accept them. Oh, one more thing: DO NOT BUY NUKES! Steal them from the USA when war begins. When Cuba joins you, shift one of your armies there, and invade Mexico. For this invasion, you'll have to rely on tanks and light infantry for initial defence until you're strong enough to defeat them. If you think that this battle is too tough, buy out the Mexicans instead. 4.2.2 First moves Ok, you've amassed enough tribute to declare war. (Note that it's cheaper to declare war in the Information Age than in the Modern Age.) Also, you have Mexico under your fold and at least one spy mission done. One thing to remember: you have only about 3 turns or so before the nukes start flying. Let the War begin! Your best bet would be to attack Italy first. Of course, look out for overrun opportunities beforehand. With its supply center, Italy would tilt the balance of power to your side. Next, France itself. when France falls, you'll control 7 armies, and your mass overruns of the USA can begin.