Lost Ships
Lost Ships is an Age of Empires III scenario in Act II: China (scenario 3), set in 1422. The player commands Chinese.
Scenario setting & objectives
The required goals are Find and secure your beached Treasure Ships. (2500 XP); At least one Treasure Ship must survive; Destroy the native village. (15000 XP).
Mission approach
Secure the named target before committing the whole force elsewhere; keep a mobile reserve near the threatened approach. Scout the target and its approach, then preserve enough of the starting army to finish the required assault. Scout the route before moving the hero or starting force, and avoid splitting units the mission needs together. Track the explicit survival or deadline condition throughout the mission; optional fighting can wait if it risks that requirement.
Recover the fleet before striking inland
Lost Ships is the third scenario of Act II: China in The Asian Dynasties. Captain Huang and Lao Chen reach an unfamiliar shore after Admiral Jinhai orders the fleet west. The mission turns that story into a constrained settlement and rescue operation: find the beached Treasure Ships, keep at least one alive, and destroy the native village. The opening force is deliberately small: one Villager, the two heroes, four Chu Ko Nu and four Qiang Pikemen with a War Academy and Village. A nearby beached ship supplies resources over time, so protecting it and building a stable production base are more important than spending the opening army on optional fights. The first rescue site lies west of the starting area and is guarded by a small force of Jaguar Prowl Knights and Eagle Runner Knights, with a War Hut near the signal fire. Use Huang’s and Lao Chen’s abilities to handle the initial attack, then bring the Old Han army and destroy the guarding structure. Reaching the signal fire secures that Treasure Ship and grants two Villagers, three Chu Ko Nu and two Qiang Pikemen. The new units arrive just before another group of Native warriors, making the rescue reward part of the defense plan rather than a reason to leave the site undefended. A second ship is farther south and has heavier guards. The force is attacked by Jaguar Prowl Knights and Eagle Runner Knights from more than one direction; after clearing them and reaching its signal fire, the player receives three Flamethrowers, three Changdao Swordsmen and a Villager. Eagle Runner Knights and Jaguars immediately threaten the Flamethrowers, so keep the new siege infantry behind the screen instead of allowing it to be surrounded. The route includes elevated ground where Eagle Runner Knights can attack from cliffs. Move through the narrow western passage with the main force together, keep a second army producing at home, and use ranged troops to reduce threats before the slower units enter the pass. The Medicine Man treasure guarded by Cougars lies near a native ambush. Approaching it too early can draw several hostile units onto a depleted army. Clear the route and protect the heroes before taking the treasure; it is optional and should not cost the units needed for the required ship rescues. The map contains eleven treasures across the northern island, southern island and area northeast of the enemy base. These can provide useful resources or units, but the starting economy is limited, so compare every detour with the time needed to reinforce the village. After the southern route, the player receives Keshiks, Iron Flails and Hand Mortars. The Hand Mortars can remove War Huts along the passage and expose the last ship, while the cavalry and infantry protect them from Native units. A Covered Wagon and two Villagers arrive near the final Treasure Ship. The final objective is to destroy the native settlement in the southeast, including the American Citadel that anchors the enemy base. Keep at least one of the rescued ships alive throughout the attack: a successful raid that loses every ship fails the mission condition. Split duties between defending the settlement and advancing, replace casualties from the War Academy, and use the captured or rescued reinforcements to finish the Citadel rather than scattering the force across optional treasures.
Reinforcement and resource priorities
The mission gives the player several distinct tools as each ship is found, so keep the force organized by role. Chu Ko Nu can keep pressure on infantry at range, Qiang Pikemen and later Iron Flails can meet cavalry, and Changdao Swordsmen or the heroes can hold a narrow approach. Flamethrowers and Hand Mortars are valuable against structures, but should not be the first units exposed to Eagle Runner Knights. Set a simple escort around each siege group before moving through the cliffs. The War Academy can continuously replace losses, while rescued Villagers increase the ability to gather and construct; avoid taking every unit south if the base needs defenders against attacks on the northern ship. Resources from the beached Treasure Ship give the player a way to sustain this production, but they do not justify leaving it unguarded. Once the final passage opens, combine the rescued force with fresh Banner Armies and siege units, destroy the War Huts that control the route, and save enough strength to attack the Citadel. This staged approach reduces avoidable losses and preserves the required ship while the objective changes from rescue to assault.