Last Stand of the Boneguard
Last Stand of the Boneguard is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act III: Steel (scenario 8), set in 1817. The player commands United States (campaign) against Pierre Beaumont; the scenario features Amelia Black; Ká:nien.
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Bring Amelia to Havana's Town Center; Survive until US Navy arrives; Destroy the Ossuary Shore Guns and Temple. Optional goals include Ally with the Carib Native Americans; Destroy the Circle's navy; Advance to the Imperial Age.
Mission approach
Secure the named target before committing the whole force elsewhere; keep a mobile reserve near the threatened approach. Scout the named destination and keep the required hero or escort force safe on the route; clear defenders before moving the mission-critical unit into range. Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Escort Amelia and survive the siege
Last Stand of the Boneguard is scenario eight of Act III: Steel, set in 1817. The player commands the United States campaign force against Pierre Beaumont, with Amelia Black and Ká:nien involved in the mission. The primary sequence is to bring Amelia to Havana’s Town Center, survive until the U.S. Navy arrives, then destroy the Ossuary Shore Guns and the Temple. The order creates an escort and defense challenge before the final siege: keep Amelia safe on the route to Havana, prepare the settlement for a sustained attack and preserve enough force to act after the naval reinforcement trigger. Do not send the whole army toward the shore guns while Amelia is still exposed or before the survival objective is complete. Once the Navy arrives, regroup and focus artillery on the required targets while mobile units protect it from defenders. Optional objectives include allying with the Carib Native Americans, destroying the Circle’s navy and advancing to the Imperial Age. These can strengthen the final force, but they must not endanger Amelia or the survival requirement.
Use optional support without losing the objective
The mission requires both defense and a later offensive, so maintain a reserve near the settlement while clearing threats along the coast. Move Amelia with an escort and clear the road before entering the Town Center. After she arrives, use the waiting period to organize production, protect workers and pursue optional goals only when the base can withstand attacks. An alliance with the Carib can add support; the naval objective can weaken the Circle’s presence on the water; Imperial advancement improves the available force if the economy and time allow. Do not attempt all three optional goals at once if it leaves the settlement undefended. When the U.S. Navy arrives, transition from survival to siege: identify both the Shore Guns and Temple, keep ranged units and artillery behind a screen and destroy the required targets. This is a campaign scenario with a fixed United States force and scripted opponents, so the standard U.S. civilization build order does not necessarily apply. Read the on-screen objective changes and preserve named characters through each transition. The title’s “last stand” framing is not a simple holdout; the player must survive long enough for naval support and then complete the two destruction objectives.
Prepare the settlement during the wait
The survival phase before the U.S. Navy arrives is a chance to organize the defense and preserve Amelia. Build or reinforce the economy where the scenario allows, keep units near the likely approach and avoid sending every soldier after optional objectives. A force stationed at Havana can protect the Town Center and respond if the escort route is threatened. Once the Navy arrival trigger occurs, do not assume the mission is complete: the Ossuary Shore Guns and Temple remain required targets. Use the new support to stabilize the shoreline, then move artillery forward with infantry screening it. The optional Carib alliance and naval destruction can help the final operation if the team can complete them safely. Advancing to the Imperial Age is optional and should be pursued only if resource and time conditions allow; survival and the two destruction targets remain the primary path to victory.
Verify the primary objective sequence
The scenario has three linked primary stages: escort Amelia to Havana, survive until the Navy arrives, then destroy both the Ossuary Shore Guns and Temple. Track the objective transition on screen and keep the force capable of moving from defense to siege. Optional allies and age advancement matter only when the main sequence remains secure.
Keep Amelia with a mobile escort
The escort condition is easiest when Amelia travels with enough mobile units to clear a path and return to Havana if pressured. Protecting the hero also preserves the chance to complete the later survival and siege stages with the starting force intact.
Hold Havana until the Navy arrives
The final Act III: Steel scenario asks Amelia to reach Havana’s Town Center, survive until the US Navy arrives, then destroy the Circle’s Ossuary Shore Guns and Temple. The sequence combines a safe arrival, a defense interval and a coastal assault. Keep Amelia alive on the route into Havana, then build or position enough defenders to withstand attacks while waiting for the fleet. The optional Carib alliance, Circle navy and Imperial Age can improve the final force, but do not pursue all three if doing so weakens the defense. Once the Navy arrives, coordinate it with land troops so the shore guns can be removed without exposing the army to crossfire. The mission concludes Amelia and Ká:nien’s fight against Beaumont and the Circle; preserve the heroes for the final objective rather than risking them during the waiting phase.