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View Full Version : Human Campaign - Mission 3 "Rapid Rescue"


darqrahl
07-10-2008, 12:19 AM
These are the notes mapping out the strategy i used to complete this mission with a Gold Rating on Normal.

Still my first run through the game, and still getting used to the concept of fast deployment and mission completion... But, with the unit and artifact rewards for hitting Gold, it's worth the trouble to me.


**NOTE: No [SPOILER] tags available on this board, so read on at own risk!
You've been warned...


Pre-mission Setup

Purchases:
2x Catapult

Upgrades:
"Hill" Archers -> Yeomen Archers

Perks:
I prefer +damage and Hill-range for archers at first, and +damage and Poison for scouts. Derrick has the "anti-impetuous" perk, to keep the other knights in line for urban seiges. The Balistae will get the 'Slayer' Perk, just for the upcoming assasination in this mission, helping to hasten his death at the end.

Deployment
-West-
Scout: Far Western-most slot, next to starting camp
"Hill" Archers: deploy onto nearby hill on first turn to harrass the first supply camp and support your knights.
Catapult: to help clear the first supply depot
Landless Knights + Derrick:

-East-
Halbardiers: furthermost East to help block off the knights from charging the archers and machines
Catapult + Balistae: along outter edge beside Halberdiers
Bowmen x2: in front of the war machines, to immediately open-fire on the defenders and scouts in the trees along with the artillery
Scouts: covering western flank

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**Note: the steps outlined below are not sequencial, except in the most obvious of cases. Many of these are occuring together across a good portion of the map.

#1
Use the first set of scouts and the tamed eagle to procure the Sphree of Cold from the altar to the far west... Fly the Eagle ahead, and harass the knights standing guard until they break off and head elswhere. Meanwhile, keep the scouts moving along the coast and out of detection range, and slip in to nab the item (and run right back to the coast abain on the same turn) when the coast is clear. Note: if any unit moves even a single space east or north of the altar, a whole lot of PO'd locals will be alerted.

#2
Use the Eastern group to clear the nearby town, and lift the seige from the local lord's castle. Have the Scouts make a run for the castle when they can, and a set of Feudal Knights will be at your disposal.

#3
Use the Hill archers, catapult, and the mounted units to separate and pummel the units around and in the first depot.

#4
Eastern units head north and clear the village to recieve a group of Crossbowman reinforcemtents, while the Western group heads east for the other bridge (keeping an eye on the rearward flank for newcomers brought in from across the river).

#5
The Sphere of Cold should be in your grasp, so start passing it from one unit to the next to get the Eastern group (now Halbardiers, Feudal knights, Balistae, Crossbowmen, Scouts and Bowmen) across the river and headed up the back route towards the General's position. It costs 25g to pass the item from unit to unit, so expect a steady loss of funds.

#6
Bring your "western" group around from the East Bridge and lay siege on the 2nd Depot. (I used the Sphere here, as well. So that everyone could be in place within a round. ) This consisted of Derrick, his Landless Knights, HillArchers, and a Catapult. (I think I lost the second catapult during the trek accross the hills to get to the bridge... but can't remember for certain.) I keep the scouts out of sight along the river to the west, so they can swoop in and snatch up the depot when the defenders break off.

This should have you within 3-4 rounds of the end of "Gold Rating"

#7
Now it's just a matter of setting up the eastern assassins to be able to swiftly strike down the general while the western crew mops up the last depot. Killing the general is easy with this many units at the ready... just use the scouts to prick at his side and slip out of range while the rest get set for a one-two setup and fire attack. (Archers step into range, halbardiers take his flank and the Ballista lets fly... and the Knights come in last to clean up.)

#8
The depot has a slew of defenders, and the units inside can't be made to break off, so you just have to pummel them until they let you in. (Literally: "over their dead bodies") Use the archers and Catapult to clear the surrounding units and use the Landless Knights and Derrick in a one-two punch. Then, slip in the Scouts to take the depot and end the mission. (But, I do suggest you use whatever ranged or fully-healed units you can, including the newly-arrived caster, just to gain a smidgeon more experience before the turn ends.)