| abstract
| - The scenario starts out with some "cutscenes" showing Dracula and allies defeating retreating Turks. Eventually the player is given control of two separate Castles, guarded by their respective commanders. The immediate goal is to rack up 500 kills, but the Turks (orange) will relentlessly attack the player's fortresses. Each Castle has one Villager. The player needs him to repair the towers, so he should be guarded well. The player also begins with a decent number of Archers, which should be garrisoned in the forward defense towers. Additionally, there's a Barracks at each Castle, where the player should train up a number of Pikemen for use against Turkish cavalry. The central Castle has a Monastery, while the eastern Castle has a Stable, so the player can build Monks and Knights. The eastern Castle is more at threat, as it will be attacked by Trebuchets often. The player should use their hero and a number of Boyars or Knights to ride out and destroy them. The central castle's main threat will be Battering Rams and Mangonels, but they will only reach range of the towers, so the player can destroy them and repair the towers when needed. In some instances, the Turks will cease attacking. This will allow the player to build up an assault force. The eastern Castle is flanked by an Ottoman camp to its west (guarded by towers), and a whole fortress to the south, so the player may have to go on the hunt to get 500 kills. The central Castle has an Ottoman camp just to its north, so if things get quiet, the player should send out Pikemen and Archers to go hunting. Cavalry should be kept behind at both castles in case Turkish siege weapons come knocking. Once the player gets 500 kills, they'll take control of Dracula and a force of cavalry. The goal is to destroy all of yellow's buildings; they have a well guarded village to the west (beware Halberdiers), a fishing village north, along with Mills and Mines to the west and east of blue's village, respectively. Many players have trouble here, thinking they've destroyed yellow but that the trigger hasn't caught. Keep exploring the entire west side of the map, yellow may have rogue villagers about. Purple (mostly destroyed in the earlier "cutscene") has troops milling about too, and in fact guard the northern fishing village. Before moving on, the player should mind the resources ceded to them upon destroying yellow's buildings, as these will be needed soon enough. Once Dracula is satisfied razing the countryside, the player is given control of Poenari Castle in the far north. The Turks (orange) attack relentlessly, and the player should beware their Bombard Cannons and Trebuchets. The player should use Skirmishers, Crossbowmen, or Pikemen to screen enemy troops, saving gold reserves to train up Knights or Cavaliers to take out siege weapons. Dracula should be kept safe in the eastern section of the Castle. Key to surviving is to position the cavalry, including Dracula, outside the gates to quickly take out the Cannons and Trebuchets at very start of the siege; and then make a quick dash back to inside the gates, and lock it. The enemy does not replenish those particular units, taking out the biggest threat. The player should then fill up the middle tower with Skirmishers and put the rest of the army outside it as fodder. Paramount is both keeping the gate and Hand Cannoneers alive yet keeping the latter also just in range to attack melee units. Best way to do this is putting them right behind the tower and on stand ground. Keep churning out Skirmishers and Pikemen. Don't bother with expensive Knight units. The Pikemen are mainly cheap fodder, while Skirmishers counter the Crossbowmen and Cavalry Archers. Mangonels should be targeted as soon as possible by the fully garrisoned middle tower, while Rams should be targeted by the Hand Cannoneers and fire towers. The player should save often, and keep track of time: the Gate unfortunally has to be unlocked before time runs out and ownership is transferred to Wallachia, or the scenario is not winnable. After 15 minutes, the player's troops revert to gray and the player will only have Dracula to control. He should be sent along the mountain path south, linking up with a large cavalry army, then head west and attack Orange's camp. Dracula intends this to be surprise attack, however this is all in vain. Dracula should be kept safe by sending him straight north back to Poenari castle (this is why the gate has to unlocked at the end of the siege, else Dracula cannot get back to the castle), minding the attack power of the guard towers, while the cavalry army is slowly slaughtered. This scenario is mostly a simulation, as the player has little control over the game's events. Once they reach orange's main camp in the north with the cavalry army, the player has two options: fight on and vainly attack the camp (notice that all the buildings have been stacked with HP), or just instantly kill the army with DELETE to end the scenario. Get Dracula back to Poenari castle, and garrison him inside. After that, Dracula flees back to Hungary, and the scenario ends.
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![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)