Medieval II: Total War: Kingdoms
Encyclopedia
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms is the expansion to the 2006 PC game Medieval II: Total War. The expansion was released on 28 August 2007 in the United States and has four new campaigns, focusing on the discovery of the Americas, 13th century Britain and Ireland, and Crusader
campaigns in both the Levant
and Northern Europe
.
Also, when playing as New Spain, as the player progress through the campaign, they will be presented with missions from the King of Spain, and when sufficient influence is gained, the player may be granted a higher title of nobility, such as Baron, Count, etc. These titles unlock more advanced building levels for the player to use.
Playing as the Apache you have access to the "warpath" ability which is the equivalent of a crusade or jihad in Medieval 2: Total War. The Apache can also use the technology of colonising factions- after battling a colonising faction such as New Spain, the Apache will be able to construct gun trading Tipi
s and horse trainers. The Chichimeca can also use enemy technology to their advantage.
All of the factions that believe in the Sun God are able to sacrifice units instead of disbanding them. They can also sacrifice populations upon capturing a settlement or they can sacrifice captured enemy troops. Sacrificing upholds the religion of the Sun God and increases the happiness of your people.
are in chaos. The Kingdom of England
exercises influence over most of the Isles, but its power is contested from several theatres. In the far west, on Irish soil, England tenuously holds a network of fortresses that keep the Irish at bay. However, the chieftain Brian O'Neill
has succeeded in uniting the Irish, and despite their lack of heavy infantry and financial difficulties, with a strong push they may seize the island. On the Marches, the Welsh have also been united, by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
, who threatens the lightly held English border fortresses and rules over a people who simply refuse to be subjugated. In the north, the English are allied with the fierce Scots, but this bond is untenable, and the only remaining question is when war in the Highlands will erupt. Finally, the warlike Norwegians are returning to the Isles, having held the Isle of Man and the Hebrides for some time, their king coming personally to oversee the conquest of Britannia. England is the largest and richest faction in the isles, however they are very thinly spread, and incursions into their territories from the Welsh, Irish and even perhaps the Scots or Norwegians, seem inevitable unless action is taken. Perhaps worst of all, dissent smolders within its own borders, in the form of the English barons, who threaten to unify into a full-fledged rebellion. Time will tell who can come through blood and iron to unite Britannia.
, Kingdom of Scotland
, Kingdom of Ireland
, Principality of Wales
, Kingdom of Norway
,.
The Baron's Alliance
(Non-playable).
Certain units can only be trained if that faction's culture is high enough in a settlement making expansion into conquered land more difficult. Culture has replaced religion in the game, and priest units are unavailable in this campaign.
A special, unplayable faction - The Baron's Alliance
- is similar in gameplay terms to the Eastern and Western Roman Rebels from the game Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion. When characters, armies and settlements under English control rebel against their faction's control, they will become part of the Alliance, a faction with essentially the same strengths and weaknesses of the original faction, including the ability to utilise diplomacy and assassination to achieve their goals.
Every faction gets paid an additional amount of florins every turn. This payment is referred to as 'The King's Purse'. In Medieval 2: Total War some factions had a high king's purse payment every turn and some had a low payment, however rather than have a fixed king's purse, each faction in the Britannia Campaign has a Dynamic King's Purse- the sum of money you are paid every turn can change.
A number of special historical figures, including King Haakon of Norway, King Edward I, Prince Llywelyn of Wales, High King Brian O'Neill, and William Wallace, appearing either at the start of the campaign or at some later point. Though they lack the special abilities of the hero characters from the Crusades campaign, they are usually accompanied by a large army.
If any of the starting Welsh settlements are captured by the English, Welsh insurgents rise up in an attempt to recapture the settlements. The quality of the units in the rebel army will depend on which settlement is captured, for example the rebel army will be very strong if the starting Welsh capital- Caernarvon is captured, and it is a weaker army if smaller Welsh settlements are conquered (such as Pembroke).
, continuing into the Fourth Crusade
and beyond. It follows the Kingdom of Jerusalem
and Principality of Antioch
as they attempt to strengthen the presence of Christendom
in the Holy Lands, whilst the Turks led by Nur ad-Din Zangi and the Egyptians led by Saladin
attempt to drive them out. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire
led by Emperor Manuel Komnenos slowly moves into the middle east to regain its lost glory, and attempts to drive back the armies of the Turks as well as deal with the rebels and the Venetians that harass them in the west. This scenario contains many historical inaccuracies. These include the fact that Nur ad-Din died in 1174 (the starting date for the scenario) and was actually succeeded by Salah al-Din (Saladin), the substantial enlargement of the Principality of Antioch to include areas that should be under Muslim control (such as Aleppo and Edessa), and the combination of Seljuk Turks of modern day Syria, Iraq and Jordan under Nur ad-Din with the Sultanate of Rum
and the Danishmend Turcomans of Anatolia to form a unified group.
, Seljuk Empire, Principality of Antioch
, Ayyubid Egypt, Byzantium
, The Mongols
(non-playable), Republic of Venice
(non-playable).
The Principality of Antioch and Kingdom of Jerusalem may make use of the Knights Hospitaller
and Templar
orders, respectively, thus giving them access to unique units - of whom only one of each may be present on the campaign map at one time.
Each of the five playable factions owns a single region designated as a "Power Centre", with the loss of these centres dealing a major blow to that faction. For example, the loss of a faction's Power Centre will prevent the recruitment of certain troop types. Should a Power Centre be lost, reinforcements will often be sent to assist in recapturing that settlement.
- spearheaded by the Teutonic Order - and Eastern European Paganism
- represented by Lithuania. (See Northern Crusades
.) The Teutonic order are ruthless and are a threat not only to the Pagans but to the other countries also. Novgorod lies in the far east of the Baltic area and guard their rich city jealously. They have triumphed over the Teutonic Order in the past, but since then the Order has been rapidly expanding. Novgorod must build up their forces if they want to survive. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is desperate to drive off the Teutonic Order. If they want to be victorious, they must make use of their thick forests and quick forces to drive out the Order. However after much pressure from many of the Catholic factions the path of Catholicism may be inevitable for Lithuania. Lying to the west, the Danes hope to unite Scandinavia and from there launch attacks on the rest of the Baltic area. However, the mighty Holy Roman Empire lies directly to their south, and the Danes must make good use of their mass fleets if they hope to defeat their many enemies. As the Teutonic Knights' campaign against the Lithuanians continue, the Kingdom of Poland just to their south, having originally requested the Knights to deal with Lithuania, regret their decision, seeing the destruction brought by the Knights. Wanting to right their wrong, they turn on the Teutonic Knights and wage war on them.
, Kingdom of Denmark
, Grand Duchy of Lithuania
, Novgorod Republic
, Holy Roman Empire
(Unlockable), Kingdom of Poland (Unlockable), Kingdom of Norway
(non-playable), Mongol Empire
(non-playable).
When playing as Denmark, it is possible for you to form the Union of Kalmar. In order to do this you must first take the Scandinavian settlements of Kalmar
, Göteborg, Visby
, Uppsala
and Åbo
. After taking control of these settlements you must then kill the Norwegian king, either through assassination or a direct battle. Note that if you eliminate the entire Norway faction it is impossible to form the union. After forming the union, Denmark will take on a new banner, gain access to all the existing settlements and armies of Norway, and unlock the ability to build three new units.
Early in the campaign an event will herald the formation of The Hanseatic League
. The League consists of five specific regions on the campaign map, Hamburg
, Danzig
, Visby
, Riga
and Novgorod
, which represent the group's most important assets. The faction controlling the most of these settlements has the greatest chance to be offered the option of building the Hanseatic League Headquarters - a unique building that provides significant financial rewards.
Finally, the Order's best units can only be recruited in heavily Catholic
areas. Recruiting units such as Christ Knights, Halbbrüder and Ritterbrüder thus requires an extremely high percentage of Catholics to be present in Teutonic-controlled regions.
The Teutonic Order's strength is in its powerful heavy units. While lacking in speed, the Order's units more than make up for it in very powerful defensive strength.
faction, offering it the chance to utilise a number of powerful and unique units to make up for its technological shortcomings. There are a number of different building options in a settlement that allow the faction to devote temples to three different Pagan deities. However, whilst following Paganism, Lithuania is unable to advance settlements beyond City or Castle level.
At some point during the campaign, Lithuania will be presented with the option of converting to Christianity. Whilst this can cause significant unrest and will force the faction to remove any Pagan-specific buildings, units and agents, it will also unlock new building options and make Lithuania a less tempting target to the Christian factions that surround it.
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
campaigns in both the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
and Northern Europe
Northern Crusades
The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were crusades undertaken by the Christian kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian and Teutonic military orders, and their allies against the pagan peoples of Northern Europe around the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea...
.
Campaigns
Kingdoms has 4 new campaigns, each one focusing on a different area. Each new campaign must be individually installed and the entire expansion pack takes up around 4 GB of hard drive space. The non-playable campaign factions are playable in a quick game or a custom game.Americas Campaign
The Americas campaign is set in the early sixteenth century, covering the early period of European colonisation of Central America. The Europeans must struggle with exploring an unknown land filled with violent natives, whilst the Native Americans attempt to stall foreign invasion whilst simultaneously expanding their own lands at the expense of their neighbours.List of Factions
- New Spain, Aztec Empire, Mayans, Apachean TribesApacheApache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
, ChichimecaChichimecaChichimeca was the name that the Nahua peoples of Mexico generically applied to a wide range of semi-nomadic peoples who inhabited the north of modern-day Mexico and southwestern United States, and carried the same sense as the European term "barbarian"...
(Unlockable), TlaxcallansTlaxcala (Nahua state)Tlaxcala was a pre-Columbian city state of central Mexico.Tlaxcala was a confederation of four altepetl — Ocotelolco, Quiahuiztlan, Tepeticpac and Tizatlan — which each took turns providing a ruler for Tlaxcala as a whole.-History:Tlaxcala was never conquered by the Aztec empire, but was...
(Unlockable), TarascansTarascan stateThe Tarascan state was a state in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, roughly covering the geographic area of the present-day Mexican state of Michoacán. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Mexico it was the second-largest state in Mexico. The state was founded in the early 14th century and lost its...
(Unlockable), New FranceNew FranceNew France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
(non-playable), English Colonies (non-playable).
Notable Features
This campaign implements the various conquistador armies that went to the new world by spawning large, formidable armies in the Americas with allegiance to New Spain. Once spawned, the New Spain faction can use these armies however they see fit. French and English forces will show up in the same way: the French in North America and the English in South America and Panama.Also, when playing as New Spain, as the player progress through the campaign, they will be presented with missions from the King of Spain, and when sufficient influence is gained, the player may be granted a higher title of nobility, such as Baron, Count, etc. These titles unlock more advanced building levels for the player to use.
Playing as the Apache you have access to the "warpath" ability which is the equivalent of a crusade or jihad in Medieval 2: Total War. The Apache can also use the technology of colonising factions- after battling a colonising faction such as New Spain, the Apache will be able to construct gun trading Tipi
Tipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
s and horse trainers. The Chichimeca can also use enemy technology to their advantage.
All of the factions that believe in the Sun God are able to sacrifice units instead of disbanding them. They can also sacrifice populations upon capturing a settlement or they can sacrifice captured enemy troops. Sacrificing upholds the religion of the Sun God and increases the happiness of your people.
Britannia Campaign
At the beginning of the Britannia campaign in 1258, the British IslesBritish Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
are in chaos. The Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
exercises influence over most of the Isles, but its power is contested from several theatres. In the far west, on Irish soil, England tenuously holds a network of fortresses that keep the Irish at bay. However, the chieftain Brian O'Neill
Brian Ua Neill
Brian Ua Néill, also known as Brian O'Neill, was the High King of Ireland from 1258 to 1260. He died in the Battle of Druim Dearg in 1260.- Revolt in Ireland :...
has succeeded in uniting the Irish, and despite their lack of heavy infantry and financial difficulties, with a strong push they may seize the island. On the Marches, the Welsh have also been united, by Prince Llywelyn ap Gruffydd
Llywelyn the Last
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd or Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf , sometimes rendered as Llywelyn II, was the last prince of an independent Wales before its conquest by Edward I of England....
, who threatens the lightly held English border fortresses and rules over a people who simply refuse to be subjugated. In the north, the English are allied with the fierce Scots, but this bond is untenable, and the only remaining question is when war in the Highlands will erupt. Finally, the warlike Norwegians are returning to the Isles, having held the Isle of Man and the Hebrides for some time, their king coming personally to oversee the conquest of Britannia. England is the largest and richest faction in the isles, however they are very thinly spread, and incursions into their territories from the Welsh, Irish and even perhaps the Scots or Norwegians, seem inevitable unless action is taken. Perhaps worst of all, dissent smolders within its own borders, in the form of the English barons, who threaten to unify into a full-fledged rebellion. Time will tell who can come through blood and iron to unite Britannia.
List of Factions
Kingdom of EnglandKingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
, Kingdom of Scotland
Kingdom of Scotland
The Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England...
, Kingdom of Ireland
Norman Ireland
The History of Ireland 1169–1536 covers the period from the arrival of the Cambro-Normans to the reign of Henry VIII of England, who made himself King of Ireland. After the Norman invasion of 1171, Ireland was under an alternating level of control from Norman lords and the King of England...
, Principality of Wales
Wales in the Late Middle Ages
Wales in the Late Middle Ages covers the period from the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd in late 1282 to the incorporation of Wales into the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.-Death of Llywelyn:...
, Kingdom of Norway
Hereditary Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair in 9th century. His efforts in unifying the petty kingdoms of Norway, resulted in the first known Norwegian central government...
,.
The Baron's Alliance
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
(Non-playable).
Notable Features
The presence of permanent stone forts placed in strategic locations (which can be garrisoned and provide free upkeep for a small number of units). These structures can hold out for a brief time against sieges and are automatically repaired after each battle.Certain units can only be trained if that faction's culture is high enough in a settlement making expansion into conquered land more difficult. Culture has replaced religion in the game, and priest units are unavailable in this campaign.
A special, unplayable faction - The Baron's Alliance
Second Barons' War
The Second Barons' War was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort, against the Royalist forces led by Prince Edward , in the name of Henry III.-Causes:...
- is similar in gameplay terms to the Eastern and Western Roman Rebels from the game Rome Total War: Barbarian Invasion. When characters, armies and settlements under English control rebel against their faction's control, they will become part of the Alliance, a faction with essentially the same strengths and weaknesses of the original faction, including the ability to utilise diplomacy and assassination to achieve their goals.
Every faction gets paid an additional amount of florins every turn. This payment is referred to as 'The King's Purse'. In Medieval 2: Total War some factions had a high king's purse payment every turn and some had a low payment, however rather than have a fixed king's purse, each faction in the Britannia Campaign has a Dynamic King's Purse- the sum of money you are paid every turn can change.
A number of special historical figures, including King Haakon of Norway, King Edward I, Prince Llywelyn of Wales, High King Brian O'Neill, and William Wallace, appearing either at the start of the campaign or at some later point. Though they lack the special abilities of the hero characters from the Crusades campaign, they are usually accompanied by a large army.
If any of the starting Welsh settlements are captured by the English, Welsh insurgents rise up in an attempt to recapture the settlements. The quality of the units in the rebel army will depend on which settlement is captured, for example the rebel army will be very strong if the starting Welsh capital- Caernarvon is captured, and it is a weaker army if smaller Welsh settlements are conquered (such as Pembroke).
Crusades Campaign
Beginning in 1174, the Crusades Campaign is set several years prior to the outbreak of the Third CrusadeThird Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
, continuing into the Fourth Crusade
Fourth Crusade
The Fourth Crusade was originally intended to conquer Muslim-controlled Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt. Instead, in April 1204, the Crusaders of Western Europe invaded and conquered the Christian city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire...
and beyond. It follows the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
and Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
as they attempt to strengthen the presence of Christendom
Christendom
Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
in the Holy Lands, whilst the Turks led by Nur ad-Din Zangi and the Egyptians led by Saladin
Saladin
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
attempt to drive them out. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
led by Emperor Manuel Komnenos slowly moves into the middle east to regain its lost glory, and attempts to drive back the armies of the Turks as well as deal with the rebels and the Venetians that harass them in the west. This scenario contains many historical inaccuracies. These include the fact that Nur ad-Din died in 1174 (the starting date for the scenario) and was actually succeeded by Salah al-Din (Saladin), the substantial enlargement of the Principality of Antioch to include areas that should be under Muslim control (such as Aleppo and Edessa), and the combination of Seljuk Turks of modern day Syria, Iraq and Jordan under Nur ad-Din with the Sultanate of Rum
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
and the Danishmend Turcomans of Anatolia to form a unified group.
List of Factions
Kingdom of JerusalemKingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
, Seljuk Empire, Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
, Ayyubid Egypt, Byzantium
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, The Mongols
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
(non-playable), Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
(non-playable).
Notable Features
Generals in the Crusades campaign have the ability to construct permanent forts that remain even after vacated by troops.The Principality of Antioch and Kingdom of Jerusalem may make use of the Knights Hospitaller
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
and Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
orders, respectively, thus giving them access to unique units - of whom only one of each may be present on the campaign map at one time.
Each of the five playable factions owns a single region designated as a "Power Centre", with the loss of these centres dealing a major blow to that faction. For example, the loss of a faction's Power Centre will prevent the recruitment of certain troop types. Should a Power Centre be lost, reinforcements will often be sent to assist in recapturing that settlement.
Heroes
Each playable faction has access to a single "Hero" character, these powerful individuals possessing special abilities capable of turning the tide of battle.| Faction | Hero | Ability |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Jerusalem Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods.... |
Richard the Lionheart Richard I of England Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period... |
Heart of the Lion: Immediately rallies any routing units. |
| Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Salah al-Din Saladin Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant... |
Righteousness of Faith: Briefly sets all non-routing units' morale to full. |
| Turks | Nur ad-Din Zangi | Light of the Faith: Briefly increases attack speed and morale of troops. |
| Byzantine Empire Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State... |
Manuel Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean.... |
Byzantine Politics: Causes infighting amongst an enemy unit, essentially removing them from play until order is restored or they are attacked. It can only be used once per battle. |
| Principality of Antioch Principality of Antioch The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:... |
Philip II Augustus Philip II of France Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne... |
Flower of Chivalry: Briefly increases attack power and stamina of troops. |
Teutonic Campaign
Starting from the date 1250, the Teutonic campaign centres around the conflict between ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
- spearheaded by the Teutonic Order - and Eastern European Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
- represented by Lithuania. (See Northern Crusades
Northern Crusades
The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were crusades undertaken by the Christian kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian and Teutonic military orders, and their allies against the pagan peoples of Northern Europe around the southern and eastern shores of the Baltic Sea...
.) The Teutonic order are ruthless and are a threat not only to the Pagans but to the other countries also. Novgorod lies in the far east of the Baltic area and guard their rich city jealously. They have triumphed over the Teutonic Order in the past, but since then the Order has been rapidly expanding. Novgorod must build up their forces if they want to survive. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania is desperate to drive off the Teutonic Order. If they want to be victorious, they must make use of their thick forests and quick forces to drive out the Order. However after much pressure from many of the Catholic factions the path of Catholicism may be inevitable for Lithuania. Lying to the west, the Danes hope to unite Scandinavia and from there launch attacks on the rest of the Baltic area. However, the mighty Holy Roman Empire lies directly to their south, and the Danes must make good use of their mass fleets if they hope to defeat their many enemies. As the Teutonic Knights' campaign against the Lithuanians continue, the Kingdom of Poland just to their south, having originally requested the Knights to deal with Lithuania, regret their decision, seeing the destruction brought by the Knights. Wanting to right their wrong, they turn on the Teutonic Knights and wage war on them.
List of Factions
Teutonic OrderTeutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, Kingdom of Denmark
Kingdom of Denmark
The Kingdom of Denmark or the Danish Realm , is a constitutional monarchy and sovereign state consisting of Denmark proper in northern Europe and two autonomous constituent countries, the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and Greenland in North America. Denmark is the hegemonial part, where the...
, Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
, Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
, Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
(Unlockable), Kingdom of Poland (Unlockable), Kingdom of Norway
Hereditary Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair in 9th century. His efforts in unifying the petty kingdoms of Norway, resulted in the first known Norwegian central government...
(non-playable), Mongol Empire
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
(non-playable).
Notable Features
Crusading nobles, drawn to the conflict against Paganism in search of fame and glory, will request the assistance of the Teutonic Order in return for donations to the Order's coffers. The size of the donation varies depending on the nobles' successes. The Lithuanian leader will be rewarded by his council of nobles in the event that he should manage to kill any of these crusaders.When playing as Denmark, it is possible for you to form the Union of Kalmar. In order to do this you must first take the Scandinavian settlements of Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
, Göteborg, Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
, Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
and Åbo
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
. After taking control of these settlements you must then kill the Norwegian king, either through assassination or a direct battle. Note that if you eliminate the entire Norway faction it is impossible to form the union. After forming the union, Denmark will take on a new banner, gain access to all the existing settlements and armies of Norway, and unlock the ability to build three new units.
Early in the campaign an event will herald the formation of The Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. The League consists of five specific regions on the campaign map, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Danzig
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
, Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod is one of Russia's most historic cities and the administrative center of Novgorod Oblast. It is situated on the M10 federal highway connecting Moscow and St. Petersburg. The city lies along the Volkhov River just below its outflow from Lake Ilmen...
, which represent the group's most important assets. The faction controlling the most of these settlements has the greatest chance to be offered the option of building the Hanseatic League Headquarters - a unique building that provides significant financial rewards.
Features of the Teutonic Order
Due to the unique nature of the Teutonic Order, it lacks a family tree - thus leaving princesses and certain diplomatic options closed to them but making the faction less vulnerable to assassins. Instead it is led by a Hochmeister, who, upon death, will be replaced by the most able General among the order's ranks.Finally, the Order's best units can only be recruited in heavily Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
areas. Recruiting units such as Christ Knights, Halbbrüder and Ritterbrüder thus requires an extremely high percentage of Catholics to be present in Teutonic-controlled regions.
The Teutonic Order's strength is in its powerful heavy units. While lacking in speed, the Order's units more than make up for it in very powerful defensive strength.
Features of Lithuania
Lithuania starts out as a PaganLithuanian mythology
Lithuanian mythology is an example of Baltic mythology, developed by Lithuanians throughout the centuries.-History of scholarship:Surviving information about Baltic paganism in general is very sketchy and incomplete. As with most ancient Indo-European cultures Lithuanian mythology is an example of...
faction, offering it the chance to utilise a number of powerful and unique units to make up for its technological shortcomings. There are a number of different building options in a settlement that allow the faction to devote temples to three different Pagan deities. However, whilst following Paganism, Lithuania is unable to advance settlements beyond City or Castle level.
At some point during the campaign, Lithuania will be presented with the option of converting to Christianity. Whilst this can cause significant unrest and will force the faction to remove any Pagan-specific buildings, units and agents, it will also unlock new building options and make Lithuania a less tempting target to the Christian factions that surround it.
Features
- Four new campaigns.
- 23 playable factions: 13 new playable factions and 10 existing playable factions.
- Over 150 new units.
- Command reinforcements in battles (though not directly)
- Hero characters with special abilities.
- Build permanent forts and add moats to them.
- Castles and Cities can be renamed in game (but not regions)
- New siege weapons including boiling oil.
- New technology trees influenced by Religion and Prestige
- New mission types.
- 6 New Multiplayer scenarios and 20 new Custom Battle maps
- Compatibility with the new Hotseat multiplayer mode (Up to 2 human players - no human to human battle capability).
- 9 new types of agents (though renamed versions of agents from the original game)(mostly from the Americas campaign)
- Improved graphics for overall gameplay.
Reception
- Game Informer gave the game a 9/10 stating it adds many additions that improve the overall game.
- GameSpot gave it 8/10 stating you get more than your money's worth but also draws attention to the tedious installation process and that it is a hard drive hog.