Battle of the Greasy Grass
Battle of the Greasy Grass is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Shadow (scenario 7), set in 1876. The player commands Lakota (Black Family Estate before the Definitive Edition).
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Bring the three Cheyenne Warchiefs to the Lakota Town Center; Defend the Lakota camp until General Custer arrives; Kill Custer. (After the Town Centers are destroyed). Optional goals include Destroy both enemy Town Centers; Destroy General Custer's buildings.
Mission approach
Secure the named target before committing the whole force elsewhere; keep a mobile reserve near the threatened approach. Scout the named destination and keep the required hero or escort force safe on the route; clear defenders before moving the mission-critical unit into range. Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Campaign setting and changing names
Battle of the Greasy Grass is the seventh and final scenario of Act II: Shadow in The WarChiefs campaign. It is set in 1876 and depicts Chayton Black and his allies preparing to stop George Armstrong Custer's army from attacking their lands. The original scenario was called Battle of the Little Bighorn and referred to Crazy Horse; in Definitive Edition, the title uses the Lakota and Cheyenne name for the battle and Crazy Horse is represented by Uncle Frank Warbonnet. The campaign's plot follows the death of Sheriff Billy Holme: the bandit raids have ended, but Custer remains on the way and Chayton must decide whether there is still time to prevent a wider war. These presentation changes do not alter the core timed defense and final battle.
Objectives and starting position
The player begins as the Black Family Estate, represented by the Lakota in Definitive Edition; the older campaign used the Black Family Estate faction directly. The base has a Town Center, Community Plaza, eight Teepees, several Villagers, and twelve Rifle Riders. First bring three Cheyenne Warchiefs to the Lakota Town Center. Chayton has fifteen minutes to contact them, after which the player receives another fifteen minutes to strengthen the camp before Custer arrives. Hold the settlement through the attack and kill Custer after both enemy Town Centers have been destroyed. The secondary objectives are to destroy those two Town Centers and then eliminate Custer's buildings, which reduces the strength of his force and removes potential reinforcements. Uncle Frank begins with eight Rifle Riders and leaves east to gather allies after giving Chayton the task.
Map and enemy forces
A winding north-to-south canyon separates the enemy camps to the west and east. The terrain resembles Great Plains, with Bison herds on both sides of the river and Silver Mines beyond the two enemy bases. Hunting close to the enemy approaches is risky because patrols and attacks can interrupt gathering. Custer's Right Wing and Left Wing each include a Town Center, Barracks, and Stables; if left intact, the locations can contribute additional groups during the finale. Custer's main army includes Hussars, Skirmishers, and Falconets. The canyon restricts movement during his march, but it also creates exposed sides where ranged units can attack his column from above. Eleven treasures are scattered around the map, though gathering them should not distract Chayton from the Warchief route or the base's defense.
Rallying allies and preparing the camp
Move Chayton to each Cheyenne Warchief promptly. Reaching a chief starts a dialogue and transfers that tribe to the player's control; at the same time, assign the starting Villagers to gather and build military production. This parallel approach secures the allies without pausing the economy. Once Custer's movement becomes imminent, attack the smaller bases along both sides of the canyon, beginning with the northern positions that he encounters first. Destroying them denies the corresponding reinforcements and weakens the final assault. Keep a mobile force near the Lakota camp while another detachment handles the bases, and do not leave the Town Center undefended. After the 15-minute preparation period, Custer appears at the north end and marches south at the speed of his slower units, allowing a final opportunity to regroup.
The final engagement
Custer breaks the rocks at the end of the canyon to open the final battlefield. The player can station ranged infantry along the canyon walls and damage the marching army before it reaches the camp. The decisive task is to defeat the incoming force and focus attacks on Custer when he becomes vulnerable; killing him ends the scenario once the required Town Center condition has been met. Eliminating both wing bases beforehand makes this much safer, while a strong force of upgraded cavalry and ranged support can finish the remaining army. Avoid chasing individual units so far that the camp or heroes are exposed. In the original WarChiefs version, the Native Scouts sent toward the base consisted of a Wakina Rifle and a Warrior; Definitive Edition uses two Skirmishers instead. This is the latest chronological campaign scenario in Age of Empires III.
Timing and force management
The two timers create separate jobs: Chayton must travel between the tribes during the first quarter-hour, while the home army gathers resources and expands production. Frank's eight Rifle Riders leave the map to seek support, so do not count them as a force available for defending the base. After the allied Warchiefs arrive, use the following preparation period to replace losses and attack Custer's detached camps. The northward march gives a preview of which reinforcements remain, so watch Custer's comments as he passes each hillside base. If the player has not destroyed a camp, its troops join the final fight. Ranged units can fire into the canyon during the march, but the closing rocks prevent the player from entering the canyon itself until Custer reaches the end. Keep an organized reserve near the Town Center for the moment he opens the route.
Rally the Cheyenne chiefs and defend the Lakota camp
The final Act II: Shadow scenario brings three Cheyenne Warchiefs to the Lakota Town Center, then requires the player to defend the camp until General Custer arrives and kill him after the Town Centers are destroyed. The two enemy Town Centers and Custer’s buildings are optional targets that can weaken the opposing position, but the defense phase comes first. Keep the Warchiefs safe on the route to the Town Center, then reinforce the camp rather than leaving it to pursue distant structures. In Definitive Edition, Crazy Horse is renamed Uncle Frank, also known as Frank Warbonnet in the scenario context; the earlier release uses Crazy Horse. The battle is based on the June 25, 1876 encounter between the Lakota and the US Army. Preserve the allied chiefs and a mobile reserve so the force is ready when Custer enters the objective sequence.