Early Defense
Early Defense is the sixth The Art of War challenge, using the Portuguese to practice surviving pressure while advancing to the Fortress Age. The task tests whether the player can reserve the Age-up resources without allowing the settlement to collapse during the delay.
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goal is to advance to the Fortress Age. Optional tasks are to call Militiamen to defend the settlement and send a Home City shipment to defend the town. Keep Villagers gathering toward the required resources and use the available defenses to answer attacks; the optional tasks provide practice with militia and shipment timing.
Mission approach
Do not spend the Age-up reserve on unrelated production if doing so prevents the required advance. If the settlement is under pressure, call militia or ship a defensive card only when it helps hold the town without derailing the main goal. Complete the age-up as soon as it is safe to do so.
Fortress transition under pressure
Early Defense is the sixth Art of War lesson, played as Portugal. The required task is to advance to the Fortress Age; optional objectives ask the player to call Militiamen and send a Home City shipment to defend the town. The challenge is to keep the economy alive while meeting the age-up cost, not to chase every enemy unit across the map. Keep Villagers gathering the required resources and place them where the settlement can be defended. If the attack threatens the Town Center or workers, militia and a defensive shipment can buy time, but unnecessary spending may delay the transition. Portuguese tools can help the settlement withstand pressure, yet the objective remains the age advance. Watch the resource total and objective panel so optional tasks are completed without sacrificing the main condition. This scenario trains the player to distinguish emergency spending from economic recovery: defend enough to preserve workers and buildings, then resume gathering toward Fortress Age as soon as the threat is contained.
Optional defense without delaying the advance
Militiamen and a defensive shipment can each preserve the workers and buildings needed to complete the age-up. Use them to hold a threatened position rather than pursuing the enemy beyond the settlement. Once the attack loses momentum, return Villagers to gathering and confirm the Fortress Age progress in the objective tracker. The optional tasks are valuable practice, but the transition remains the required victory condition.
Resource priorities during the attack
The age-up requires Food and Coin, so avoid diverting the entire economy to emergency units. Keep enough Villagers gathering to maintain progress while the settlement’s defenses deal with pressure. When the attack is contained, resume the age-up without delay.
Finishing the scenario
Once Fortress Age is reached, the required objective is complete. Do not continue spending resources on optional defense after the objective tracker confirms success; the lesson is about surviving long enough to advance.
Reach Fortress Age while managing the first rush
Early Defense requires advancing to the Fortress Age while two optional tasks test the defensive response: call Militiamen and send a Home City shipment to protect the settlement. Keep enough Villagers gathering the resources needed for the Age-up, but watch the enemy’s first attack and use the Town Center garrison or Militiamen if workers are threatened. A shipment can reinforce the defense, yet sending it too late may leave the force exposed before it arrives. Do not spend all resources on emergency units if the Age-up is still the primary goal. Scout the attacking route, protect the economy and return workers to gathering as soon as the threat passes. This Art of War scenario tests the tradeoff between holding the settlement and continuing the planned technology transition.