Land Battle (Age of Empires III)
Land Battle is an Age of Empires III scenario in The Art of War (scenario 8). The player commands French French.
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Defeat the approaching group of enemy Hussars; Defeat the approaching enemy Pikemen; Defeat the approaching enemy Crossbowmen; Defeat the approaching enemy Crossbowmen, Pikemen, and Hussars; Defeat the approaching enemy Musketeers and Halberdiers; Defeat the approaching enemy Skirmishers; Defeat the approaching Veteran Hussars; Defeat the approaching enemy Dragoons; Defeat the approaching enemy Cuirassiers; Avoid losing more than two units to earn the gold medal; Avoid losing more than seven units to earn the silver medal; Avoid losing more than twelve units to earn the bronze medal.
Mission approach
Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault.
Enemy waves and casualty medals
Land Battle is the eighth Art of War scenario and uses the French army to practice unit counters against a sequence of approaching forces. The lesson presents Hussars, Pikemen, Crossbowmen, combinations of these units, Musketeers and Halberdiers, Skirmishers, Veteran Hussars, Dragoons and Cuirassiers. The required objective is to defeat each approaching group. Medal thresholds limit losses: gold allows at most two units lost, silver at most seven and bronze at most twelve. The varied waves test whether the player can identify the target composition and use the correct unit roles rather than sending one formation into every fight. Keep the force grouped, focus fire on dangerous targets and avoid pursuit that exposes units to the next wave. Use the objective tracker to confirm each enemy group has been defeated before repositioning. For a medal attempt, preserve the starting force and avoid unnecessary exchanges; a fast win with excessive casualties may earn a lower result. The connected Early Offense and Naval Battle lessons provide other Art of War combat exercises.
Countering the wave sequence
The mission presents several standard counter relationships in succession. Hussars and Cuirassiers threaten ranged troops, Pikemen and Halberdiers punish cavalry, Crossbowmen and Skirmishers attack infantry at range, and Dragoons answer mounted threats. Keep the army’s different roles together and switch focus as each wave arrives rather than chasing one unit beyond support. Gold allows no more than two casualties, silver seven and bronze twelve. Use the starting formation to absorb the approach, focus-fire high-threat units and avoid taking avoidable losses while moving between waves. The French scenario is a training exercise: the objective is to defeat the sequence with a controlled force, not to build an economy or destroy a base.
Medal attempt
To earn gold, lose no more than two units; silver allows seven and bronze twelve. Reposition between waves and preserve the starting army instead of accepting unnecessary trades.
Preserving the French force
Since medal scores depend on casualties, take time to reform between enemy groups. Keep counter units in the formation and avoid advancing into the next wave before the current one is cleared.
End-of-wave regrouping
Use a short regroup between enemy groups to restore formation and ensure counter units are still present. A controlled advance helps meet the casualty limits and complete every wave.
Choose counters while preserving the medal limit
Land Battle is a Definitive Edition Art of War test in which waves present different unit matchups, including Hussars, Pikemen, Crossbowmen, Musketeers, Halberdiers, Skirmishers, Veteran Hussars, Dragoons and Cuirassiers. The player must defeat each approaching group while limiting casualties for a medal: gold allows no more than two losses, silver no more than seven, and bronze no more than twelve. The goal is to select the correct counter and preserve it, not simply to defeat the wave as quickly as possible. Read the enemy composition before moving the next unit forward, keep fragile ranged units behind their screen and focus attacks on the threatening class. Avoid spending a counter unit on a target it handles poorly just to keep the fight moving. The exact casualty cap makes retreating a damaged unit valuable when it prevents a loss.