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.
