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The Battle of Crecy(1346)
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| Author |
File Description |
| Tasluk |
Posted on 02/15/02 @ 12:00 AM
| File Details |
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| Map Size: |
300x300 (Medium) |
| Difficulty: |
Normal |
Minimap:
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The Battle of Crecy(1346)
Version: Version 2.0
Type: Invasion map for Stronghold
Scenerio length: 4 yrs (1346-1350)
CHANGES MADE IN VERSION 2.0:
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*Additional signposts were added to allow the invasion army a more varied AI path.
*Added units to the English to compensate for the difficulty created by the new paths.
*Dismissal of crossbowmen from the French army after the second wave invasion to be more accurate to the historical battle.
*Added more knights to the French army and divided the forces among more AI players(rat, snake, wolf, and pig) to add more varied paths for attacking knights and to look prettier with the assortment of colors and livery.
BACKGROUND:
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King Edward III has launched an invasion of Normandy. Losing much of his army in previous engagements, and threatened by a massive French assault by King Phillip VI, Edward deployed his tired army along a ridge near the village of Crecy. His son Edward "the Black Prince" accompaniedhis father and the Earl of Northhampton to face an overwhelming army of 60,000. Ountnumbering the English force nearly 6 to 1, French victory seemed assured. As the Kings eldest son, you have been placed in charge of the battle while your father watches on from a strategic position. Being heavily outnumbered and overpowered, it was deemed necessary that your force be aligned along the ridge overlooking the lower part of the battle field. With advanced preparation prepared beforehand, the soldiers have fortified your position by digging holes throughout the battlefield to stop or slow the French knights. You must withstand the French attack and protect your father, King Edward II from harm. There is no more time for preparations as your scouts have spotted Philip's approach.
SPECIFICS:
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The map was designed for fast paced action and the terrain was made to resemble the actual field of battle as closely as I was able to. There is very little time to prepare for the coming assault. The nearby town of Crecy will provide plenty of forage for your army as well as a few needed supplies. It is also very likely that you will be able to gain a few more conscripts from the small town to face the French. Your large army is positioned in a strategic location between you and King Edward, whom you must protect. Between you and the massive French army is a field of pit traps and boggy mud caused by a recent deluge. Luckily for you, your archers were wise enough to keep their bowstrings dry and so are prepared to fight whats coming for them.
Walls and most buildings have been disabled. You should not have adequate time to build whil e an army is bearing down upon you. Some of your buildings are located out of the way for historical representation. You will be allowed to build a pitch rig and weapon shops but production will be very slow for what you need and at the pace you need them.
REASONS OF DESIGN:
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Just to give you an idea I was not completely out of my mind for placing a granary behind the army instead of near the keep. These reasons are why:
* The granary represents the wagon train that the English kept behind their army at the precise location. The peasants travel to it easily represents the army foraging for its supplies.
*The windmill near the battle was where King Edward III stood to watch down upon the field of battle. Of course, I couldnt keep the Lord on the actual windmill so he has his own keep in the village of Crecy. The windmill does have a function in that the platform has the only brazier in the game. This will be crucial if pitch is to be used to stop the French.
*The pit traps represent the many holes and stakes the English planted in the field to stop the French heavy horse.
*There is no record of pitch being ever used and probably was not, but there is evidence that the English used "bombards"-among the earliest know uses of gunpowder artillery in field tactics. So i used a bit of creative freedom there.
*The cross in the road signifies "The Cross of King John of Bohemia."
*The roads running through the map signifies actual roads during that time. It was near impossible to include the other nearby villages so ruins were used in some cases. Mainly in the representation of Wadicourt.
TIPS:
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-At the start of the game, quickly build a pitch rig, and lay out some pitch in the battlefield.
-Raise taxes to get gold, and build woodcutter sheds to get more wood to replace pit traps destroyed.
-Empty your armory and conscript as many infantry as you can to withstand the French attack. If you infantry all die, dont be surprised to see French soldiers running past your archers to take the Kings head.
-You will probably lose the first time you play. I recommend trying again before you beat it.
-If the game becomes too easy after repetitive play, try playing it on hard.
BRIEF HISTORY:
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King Edward invaded Normandy with a force of 25,000 comprised of knights, men-at-arms, Welsh and Irish infantry, and a powerful force of archers. The king's army marched inland and captured Caen, and ravaged the countryside losing many of his army in the process. In response, King Philip VI raised a huge army of 60,000 to destroy the English. Hearing news of the approaching army, King Edward carefully chose a battlefield where his small force of 13,000 could stand a chance against the French. Edward divided his army into three battles placing the Prince of Wales, with titular command, on one battle with the Earls of Warwick and Oxford.
The battles or divisions were comprised of dismounted men-at-arms flanked by archers and a few small cannon. The English dug hundreds of small potholes in front of their ranks to break the legs of charging cavalry. This organization was the exact opposite of the French.
Marching upon the field, the French were anticipating an easy victory over the small English force. Afterall, they had them outnumbered 60,000 to 13,000 with half of the Edwards force being only comprised of archers. It looked like a very easy win for the French comprised of 12,000 heavy cavalry, 17,000 light cavalry, 6,000 mercenary Genoese crossbowmen, and 25,000 peasant levies. In marked contrast to Edwards organized ranks, the French blundered onto the field after a very long march. Their soldiers were tired and it was raining. If anyone has ever had to march in the rain for an entire day then they know what these guys were going through. As the army reached the English, more than a few of the haughty lords and knights charged ahead to be cut down. Philip, angry at his armies disorder and the unwelcome weather, ordered his mercenary crossbowmen onto the field. Facing the wrath of the English longbow, these men tried to pull back but were instead cut down by their own force of French knights ordered to do so by Philip to punish them for being cowards. Giving this call out essentially caused more disorder among the French ranks and it was near impossible to stop them from charging into action.
Some knights managed to make it through the field beneath the rain of deadly arrows and through the crippling traps dug into the ground to reach the English position. The Prince's own position was threatened more than once. In all, sixteen futile charges were assaulted upon the English battles failing to do much of anything. The body count of the battle concluded to be 1,500 Lords and knights of the French slain, and 30,000 other ranks. The English had only lost 200. Two of those 200 were knights.
AUTHOR of MAP:
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Wesley Scott aka "Tasluk"
tasluk@strongholdcentral.com
Hope you enjoy! |
| Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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| lord_yoshi |
Posted on 02/20/02 @ 12:00 AM
It was a tough scenario, I must admit. Probably one of the hardest Stronghold scenarios I've ever played. The worst mistake I did was when I underestimated the enemy. Since you start with large armies and a field almost completely filled with killing pits, I thought it would be an easy battle. But I was wrong. The enemy had also large armies and I was defeated the first time I played the scenario. I tried it again on 'easy' and this time I was able to win. However, no matter how much I tried I couldn't win it on 'normal', but I don't think it's impossible, because it was only the last invasion that I had difficulties stopping, so I guess it's possible. It probably just takes so many re-tries.
When I started playing the scenario I had expected it to be an open field with two armies facing each other and then the armies would just fight, but I was surprised that it was very different from what I had waited for. The enemy arrived in small groups and not just in a one big lump. I thought this very clever and unique and it also made the scenario more playable. There were other creative things like using the granary as a wagon and the historically accurate pebble roads and the Cross of King John of Bohemia.
I really felt like fighting in Medieval surroundings of the village of Crecy. The village was pretty and the map was very detailed. Forests looked very natural and the map structure was great.
It was very difficult to rate the story because although the readme file had lots of background information the actual story box wasn't used nearly as effective as it could have been. I also didn't like like the reference to the readme file and the site address of a Stronghold site in the end of the story box. I wasn't sure whether to give a 3.0 or 4.0 so I compromised and gave a 3.5 which I, of course, rounded up to 4.0. But I strongly suggest the author to write more story in the actual story box and not just in a readme file in his future scenarios.
I recommend this scenario for everyone who enjoys playing a good and a challenging battle scenario. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Rating |
|---|
| 4.4 | | Breakdown |
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| Playability | 5.0 | | Balance | 4.0 | | Creativity | 5.0 | | Map Design | 4.0 | | Story/Instructions | 4.0 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 1,159 |
| Favorites: [] | 0 |
| Size: | 605.67 KB |
| Added: | 02/15/02 |
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