Knights of St. John
The Knights of St. John are a campaign-only faction in Act I: Blood. Their roster is limited compared with a standard skirmish civilization, and the campaign supplies particular units and Home City shipments for its missions.
Campaign role & roster
The faction is limited to the Fortress Age and generally has little access to gunpowder units; Falconets depend on Home City shipments. It can use Mortars in the Fortress Age, and some missions provide Highlanders among the starting force. Mission rules and starting armies determine the available roster.
Mission use
Treat this as a campaign faction rather than a skirmish civilization. Check each mission’s starting units and protect shipment-dependent artillery when it is needed for a siege.
Campaign-only faction roster
The Knights of St. John are a campaign-only faction in Act I: Blood, not a standard civilization for skirmish or multiplayer. Their roster is limited to the Fortress Age and generally has little access to gunpowder units. Falconets depend on Home City shipments, while Mortars are available in the Fortress Age; some missions provide Highlanders among the starting army. This restricted roster makes mission scripting and shipment timing important. Read the scenario setup to see which units are already available and whether the player must earn Experience to send artillery. Protect shipment access and keep infantry or other units around slow siege weapons so they can reach their targets. Do not apply the faction’s limitations to the Maltese, Portuguese or other civilizations simply because the campaign story is set in a similar region. The Act I: Blood pages explain the missions in which the faction appears and the objective-specific force composition. Treat it as a narrative army with scenario rules, and consult the unit entries for the behavior of Falconets, Mortars and Highlanders.
Shipment-dependent siege
Because Falconets depend on Home City shipments, plan the Experience and card timing before a mission requires them to destroy a structure. Mortars are available from the Fortress Age and can support a siege, but they need protection while moving. Some missions start with Highlanders, so preserve those units when the roster is otherwise limited. Campaign-specific reinforcements may not be replaceable through ordinary production; check the active scenario before committing them. This faction’s restricted age and gunpowder access shape the mission’s tactics, so use the provided forces and objective sequence rather than applying a standard European build order.
Campaign-only limits
The faction’s restricted roster makes every shipment and starting unit valuable. Preserve Highlanders when a mission supplies them, and escort any Falconets or Mortars that are needed for a siege.
Using the restricted roster
The Fortress Age cap means the faction’s plan depends on the campaign’s assigned units and shipments. Preserve the force between objectives, and do not assume ordinary skirmish production is available.
Artillery shipment protection
Shipment-based Falconets are valuable in the campaign’s limited roster. Keep guards close while the guns move and use them against the mission’s defensive structures rather than exposing them to a raid.
Fortress Age ceiling
The faction’s campaign limit changes which upgrades and units can be planned. Use Mortars and shipment Falconets for siege, and follow each scenario’s available reinforcements.
Campaign faction in Act I: Blood
The Knights of St. John are a campaign-only faction in Act I: Blood, not a selectable skirmish civilization. Their roster is narrower than a standard civilization and is shaped by each mission’s starting army and Home City shipments. The faction is limited to the Fortress Age and generally has little access to gunpowder units; Falconets depend on shipment access, while Mortars can be used in the Fortress Age. Some missions also provide Highlanders among the starting force.
Mission objectives and artillery support
Check each scenario’s exact starting units and objectives before planning an army, because campaign rules determine what the Knights can train or receive. Protect shipment-dependent artillery when it is needed to break a base, and use the available infantry to screen Mortars or Falconets from cavalry. Do not assume the same roster appears in every mission. Campaign-only factions and units should remain separate from standard skirmish profiles, even when they use familiar European buildings or unit names.