Mission 10 – The Snake Hunt Begins

Base map

Start date: June 1150

Objectives

Easy

  • Population: 25
  • Religious coverage: 75%

Normal

  • Population: 50
  • Religious coverage: 75%

Hard

  • Population: 75
  • Religious coverage: 75%

Very Hard

  • Population: 100
  • Religious coverage: 75%

The Snake’s men are halfway through building a castle in the next county. Chase out the few guards he has placed there, then finish the construction yourself. The Snake will undoubtedly try to retake the castle so defend it well.

Resources

Resources

  • ? gold

Troops

  • 11 archers
  • 31 spearmen

Trade

ResourceBuySell
Bread84
Wheat238
Beer238
Hop158
Wood41
Stone147
Bows3115
Spears20105

Notes

The castle was quickly taken with spearmen rushing the Snake’s archers in the tower and my own archers occupying the other tower to shoot at the stationery macemen in the keep. All in all I lost two spearmen and an archer. After the castle was taken the available resources were: 180 wood, 24 stone and 4 grain. The wheat fields are out of the way though and are harrassed by rabbits. Posting a few spearmen nearby took care of the rabbit plague, but it’s still a long walk to the stockpile, so I added a few farms closer to the keep.

I spent time killing rabbits and killing wolves who continuously attack your settlement. In the meantime I expanded my economy and food processing buildings, while at the same time building a curtain wall from the quarry on the one side to the wheat farms on the other side, leaving enough room for some additional buildings. I also added a few dairy farms and hovels on the higher ground, together with 3 fletchers.

In the fourth year you will get attacked by the Snake, who sends in some archers and macemen. These were easily dispatched by the two dozen archers on the wall. I also got the surprising message that I was about to wed that year. I found this a good reason to place my first chapel, which costs 10 stone and 250 gold. With the food production going well, I was able to increase rations and tax, generating a steady income. A hop farm was placed to create even more goodwill.
My population is 36, 31% of whom are blessed.

In the sixth year my walls are all crenelated and I’ve added more archers (44) and spearmen (22). I also added a brewery.
A mid-sized force will attack consisting of archers, macemen and engineers. The siege engines damaged the walls but these can be repaired before the enemy reaches them. I suffered a few losses amongst my archers.

I added a few more bakeries and a tavern, while I used the stone I gathered to add an inner layer to the most exposed walls, i.e. those near the gate and the invasion marker.
Time passed and I added a second chapel, a hovel and two more bakeries. With enough food, taxes could be raised to mean balancing out my popularity.
After eight years I have a population of 44, 27% of whom are blessed.

In the ninth year I added another chapel and received a new warning of an impending attack by the Snake’s forces.
The wolf warnings are still happening, but the wolves no longer bother me. They do however bother the odd enemy soldier.

The Snake’s forces attack once more with archers, macemen and engineers. One of the engines is quickly taken out, but the other, protected by portable shields, breaches my walls. However, the macemen failed to make use of the breach; instead they retreat.
I build my 4th chapel and place it close to the wall so I can have my soldiers blessed.

The same is done for the fifth and last chapel I build.
Early in the eleventh year of the scenario I receive the victory message. At that time my army is 70 archers and 19 spearmen and I have a population of 52.

Finished map

Total losses: 9%
My Score: 14.102

It’s good to know that the scenario is won once you hit 75% coverage (providing your population is large enough) unlike the economic scenarios where you have to maintain this coverage for a while.
I also found out that you can actually place a chapel in a way where the priest will have to go up the staircase and along the wall, making it slightly more easy to have your soldiers blessed.

Download this finished map

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