Bring Down the Mountain
Bring Down the Mountain is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: Ice (scenario 8), set in 1757. The player commands John Black's Mercenaries.
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Use your Miners to collapse the Rock Bridges; (Unlisted, but shown at the corner of the screen and will instantly end the scenario) Don't let "Russian Cannon escaped" reach 10. Optional goals include Destroy a Great Cannon. (Unlisted reward of ).
Mission approach
Scout the route before moving the hero or starting force, and avoid splitting units the mission needs together. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Scenario objective and forces
Bring Down the Mountain is the final scenario of Act II: Ice, set in 1757. Ká:nien commands the player’s force while John Black goes ahead with Miners to collapse six Rock Bridges. The primary objective is to bring down those bridges; a hidden on-screen failure counter tracks Russian Cannons that escape, and reaching ten ends the mission immediately. Destroying a Great Cannon is a secondary objective that awards 160 experience. The player begins with two Town Centers, one in the north and one in the east, two Culverins, two Barracks, a Stable, a Market, several Settlers and more than 500 of each resource. Russian forces periodically send convoys from their southwest base, protecting a Great Cannon with Streltsy and other troops. The player must defend the approaches while sending Miners to the bridge points.
Understand the four elevated areas
The map can be read as several high-ground islands linked by narrow ramps and passes. The northern island contains the main Town Center, Market, Miner cave, herdables and silver mines. Russian raiders can approach its eastern ramp, so a House and Outpost can help narrow the access and protect gathering Settlers. The next island has a single eastern ramp that is hidden initially; it is useful to watch because a convoy can sometimes take a route that lies outside the firing range of the farthest defenses. The central and southern high ground contains the remaining bridge approaches and the second Town Center. Miners must reach the six marked points to place explosives, so keep the route clear and escort them instead of treating them as ordinary gatherers.
Defend against the artillery convoys
The Russian artillery convoy is the mission’s central pressure. It travels across the map and cannot be allowed to pass repeatedly without response. Culverins are the natural answer to the Great Cannon, while infantry and cavalry should prevent Streltsy or Cossacks from reaching them. Because the convoy’s position is visible, check its route and move the army before it reaches a bridge. A small forward force can delay escorts while the Culverins focus the cannon. The secondary Great Cannon objective is easiest to complete during one of these interceptions; destroying it removes a major threat and grants experience. Do not chase escort units so far that the cannon slips through another passage.
Secure the economy and key ramps
The opening resource stockpile gives room to build, but the two bases have little nearby wildlife and must be managed carefully. Keep Settlers gathering at both Town Centers and use the Market to improve the weakest resource stream. Herdables and mines near the northern base are valuable, but they can be exposed to Russian raids. Block or cover the eastern ramp with Houses, an Outpost and troops, then keep a mobile group near the second Town Center. The Miner cave periodically provides Coin crates, making it worth protecting. Expand the defense only enough to secure the routes: excessive walling or idle garrisons can leave the convoy interception force too weak.
Escort Miners and close bridges
John Black sends Miners to the player, and they may first appear near the northern Town Center under a different color before becoming controllable. Gather them quickly and move them with an escort. Russian troops can attack the workers while they travel, and a Miner caught alone is difficult to replace. Use the mission markers to identify each of the six Rock Bridges and assign a safe approach. Protect the workers while they build the explosives, then move the army to the next crossing. The objective is not fulfilled merely by defeating Russian units; bridge demolition must progress before too many cannons escape. Keep a reserve force near likely routes so that a convoy cannot pass during the time Miners are occupied.
When a convoy chooses an unexpected route
Some passages are hidden or difficult to cover from the main base, and a cannon can occasionally travel through a lane outside the range of the fourth island’s defenses. Watch the visible artillery units rather than relying on a single wall or Outpost. If a convoy heads for the northern route, send the mobile army toward that island and use the central force to prevent a second convoy from exploiting the gap. A few escaped cannons may be survivable, but the counter has a hard failure point at ten. Prioritize a Great Cannon over its escorts, then regroup to cover the next route. A well-positioned Culverin group provides more dependable defense than scattered units chasing every Russian raider.
Mission pacing and completion
The scenario is a race between preparation and repeated convoy movement. Use the starting resources to produce enough troops and maintain both economies, but do not spend so long booming that the Miners never reach the bridges. Intercept early artillery, secure the ramps and send the workers as soon as John’s plan begins. After a bridge is demolished, shift the escort to the next route and leave a smaller garrison behind. Treasures around the bases can provide useful resources, but collect them only when the convoy is under control. The story’s avalanche plan depends on the full set of bridge points; completing the demolition objective ends the threat and concludes Act II: Ice.
Version and campaign context
This mission belongs to the original Age of Empires III campaign, and its Definitive Edition presentation updates the map and interface while preserving the core objective. The historical year and the story’s Fountain of Youth plot are campaign fiction; the Circle of Ossus and its plan to dominate the New World are not historical claims. The player controls a campaign-specific mercenary force with scripted allies and enemies, so the starting units and objectives do not describe a normal British, Russian or Native civilization match. Use the mission’s own counter and bridge markers as the authoritative progress indicators.
Miner safety checklist
Before sending a Miner to a bridge, clear the nearby route, assign an escort and verify that the Russian convoy is not already approaching that pass. When demolition finishes, move the workers behind the army rather than leaving them at the marker. If the convoy counter is rising, intercept the Great Cannon first and resume bridge work as soon as the route is safe.
Protecting the route after demolition
A collapsed bridge removes one crossing but does not eliminate every convoy lane. After each successful demolition, inspect the remaining approaches and reposition Culverins and infantry. Keep a small reserve near the Town Center that is not currently under attack so the Russians cannot exploit a gap while the main group escorts Miners.
Block the artillery convoy while miners open six crossings
The final Act II: Ice scenario splits the action between Ká:nien and the forces fighting on the mountain. Use Miners to collapse the Rock Bridges at the marked points while keeping Russian Cannon convoys from escaping; the scenario ends if the hidden escape counter reaches ten. The optional Great Cannon can be destroyed for an additional reward, but the convoys are the urgent threat. Divide the force deliberately: one group must secure miner access to the bridge sites while another delays the artillery. Do not send Miners ahead without protection or allow the Russian column to pass while the army is occupied with the optional cannon. The mission objective describes the bridge work as building explosives at six points. Complete each crossing action, watch the on-screen escaped-cannon counter and regroup before moving to the next point.