Hold the Fort
Hold the Fort is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 2), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign).
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Survive until the Cooper's men arrive; (After the reinforcements arrive) Destroy all the Mexican Army's Town Centers. Optional goals include Upgrade both Trade Routes to Trains.
Mission approach
Treat this as two separate phases. Before Cooper’s men arrive, protect the fort and survive the Mexican assault; after the reinforcements arrive, use them to destroy the Mexican Army’s Town Centers. Keep enough resources for the transition rather than spending the whole reserve during the defense. Train Route upgrades are optional if the fort remains secure.
Survival phase and counterattack
Hold the Fort is the second scenario in Act III: Steel and takes place in 1817. The player commands the United States campaign faction and must survive until Cooper’s men arrive. Once reinforcements reach the fort, the mission changes into an offensive task: destroy every Mexican Army Town Center. The optional objective is to upgrade both Trade Routes to Trains. The first phase rewards a defensive plan. Keep workers safe, fortify approaches and use the starting army to answer attacks without pursuing too far from the base. Preserve resources and units for the moment reinforcements arrive, since their arrival is a transition to an assault rather than the end of the mission. Afterward, scout for the Mexican Town Centers and move the force deliberately; destroying one base does not satisfy the requirement if others remain. The Trade Route upgrades can strengthen the economy but are optional, so take them when the defense is stable and workers can safely reach the route. Track the scenario’s phase change and do not leave the base exposed while chasing the optional objective. The authored mission is about holding a position and then counterattacking, not a standard economic opening. Protect the fort until the reinforcements come, then use the stronger combined force to eliminate the required targets.
Defensive layout
During the survival phase, protect the Town Center and keep defenders close enough to respond to each approach. Use the fort’s defenses and terrain to make the enemy fight through a narrow route. The Trade Route upgrade objective can wait until workers can travel safely. Once Cooper’s men arrive, rally the combined army before moving out so the counterattack does not leave the base open.
Reinforcement transition
Cooper’s men mark the change from defense to offense. Keep enough units alive to combine with the arrivals, then move toward each Mexican Town Center. If the starting army is badly damaged, rebuild before leaving the fort so the counterattack does not fail after the first target.
From defense to offense
The arrival of Cooper’s men is the signal to switch from holding the position to destroying all Mexican Town Centers. Rally reinforcements before marching, and do not abandon the fort while Mexican forces can still attack it. Train upgrades on both Trade Routes only when the defense is stable.
Optional Trade Route upgrades
The two Train upgrades are worthwhile only when workers can reach both routes safely. Complete the survival objective first, then send workers with a covering force. If the route is exposed, focus on the Town Centers and leave the optional economic reward for a safer attempt.
Resource pacing
Save resources during the first phase so the arriving Cooper force can be reinforced and the counterattack can start quickly. The optional Trains upgrade is not required for victory; do it only when workers can safely use both Trade Routes.
After reinforcements arrive
Use the new force to pressure the Mexican bases, but keep units near the fort until the enemy can no longer threaten it. Destroy every Town Center before treating the mission as complete; the optional Trade Route upgrades do not replace that objective.
Victory condition
Surviving is only the first phase. After Cooper’s men arrive, destroy all Mexican Army Town Centers to finish the mission; the Train upgrades remain optional.
Survive the Mexican assault, then remove the Town Centers
The second Act III: Steel scenario introduces Pierre Beaumont during a Mexican attack on the American Fort. First survive until Major Cooper’s men arrive; only after the reinforcements appear does the primary objective change to destroying every Mexican Town Center. Use the opening time to fortify the approaches and protect workers rather than launching a premature counterattack. When Cooper’s force arrives, gather the army and move against the Town Centers while keeping the fort safe from any remaining attackers. The optional objective upgrades both Trade Routes to Trains, which is easier to complete while the base is stable. Do not treat the arrival of reinforcements as mission completion: it is the transition into the offensive phase. Keep enough siege support in the force to finish the Town Centers, and avoid splitting the army between the two routes before the first target is secured.