The Battle of Morristown
The Battle of Morristown is the seventh scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1780. Nathaniel’s pursuit of Colonel Kuechler becomes a race against a Hessian force threatening Morristown’s Capitol, followed by a direct confrontation with Kuechler.
Scenario setting & objectives
Find and destroy the Hessian base, then pursue and destroy Kuechler’s army before it destroys the Morristown Capitol; the final required goal is to kill Colonel Kuechler. The Capitol creates a defense deadline while the pursuit demands a mobile force, so divide responsibilities only when each group can survive without immediate support. Destroying every Hessian Town Center is optional.
Mission approach
Scout the route between the Hessian base and Morristown before committing to the chase. Leave a reliable defensive force near the Capitol, then use mobile units to track Kuechler and finish the required fight. Avoid spending the whole army on optional Town Centers while the Capitol is exposed.
Mission objectives and battlefield
The scenario asks the player to find and destroy the Hessian base, kill Colonel Kuechler, and protect the Morristown Capitol from the army he sends against it. Destroying every Hessian Town Center is an additional objective that awards 100 experience. The map is swampy and resembles Bayou, so movement and the location of crossings shape how quickly reinforcements can reach the settlements. The player begins south of Morristown in a friendly village. The starting force includes Nathanael Black, six Tomahawks, six Forest Prowlers, two Falconets and one Heavy Cannon. Nearby buildings include Houses, a Community Plaza, a Corral and a War Hut. The mission is therefore a defense and expedition at once: establish the economy, help the village survive, and then move north and west to dismantle the Hessian positions.
Friendly forces and reinforcements
Morristown itself has Villagers and a Capitol but no standing military force capable of defeating the Hessian army alone. Washington and the Revolutionaries provide artillery support as the mission advances, and these reinforcements are important because the player cannot train artillery in this scenario. Protecting the town is not a passive objective: Kuechler’s force eventually marches toward it, so the player must keep a mobile reserve or return the main army in time. The starting village gives a safe foothold for gathering resources and building production, but its initial troops are not enough to cover every approach. Use the map and the lake to judge which side is threatened, and avoid committing all units to a distant siege while the Capitol is exposed.
Hessian composition and battlefield threats
Colonel Kuechler commands a mixed Hessian army. Doppelsoldners and Uhlans form dangerous melee threats, while War Wagons and Jaegers provide mobile ranged pressure. Skirmishers can punish infantry that advances without cover, and Heavy Cannons threaten both buildings and grouped troops. This mix means one unit type cannot solve every engagement. Tomahawks and Forest Prowlers can work against infantry, but they need protection from cavalry and artillery. Dragoons can intercept mounted enemies and threaten guns that are left alone, while artillery support supplied by Washington is best reserved for decisive groups and fortifications. Before an attack, scout the Hessian formation and choose a route that avoids marching the whole army through a narrow firing lane.
Build the economy before the expedition
Early on, add roughly four or five Villagers and gather nearby Food and Wood so the starting force can be reinforced without halting the economy. The map contains nine treasures; collect those within reach when doing so does not expose the village. A Market supports economic upgrades, while the War Hut supplies the infantry needed for the campaign. Use the Community Plaza’s Healers Ceremony to train Medicine Men if healing support is needed. An early Food shipment can speed Villager production and the Fortress Age advance. Natural resources are useful first, but farms and plantations become important after nearby sources run low. Villagers arriving through shipments can be directed to Coin so the player can age and support the more expensive units. Keep enough villagers working while the army is away; an early attack is weaker if it leaves no economy to replace losses.
Secure the western approach
The Corral and lake provide useful landmarks for the opening defense. Station troops where they can respond to a western raid, rather than leaving the friendly village open while the army moves out. A practical first field force can include about ten Colonial Militia and five Dragoons alongside the starting Tomahawks and Forest Prowlers. Keep a guard on the eastern side of the village, where a separate approach can threaten the settlement. The goal is to hold long enough to establish production and reach the Fortress Age, not to chase every Hessian unit. Use the Dragoons to respond to mounted threats and keep infantry from being pulled away in a prolonged pursuit. Once the economy and army are ready, move west along the lake and attack the Hessian center with the main force.
First assault and army roles
A useful assault group is about five Dragoons, eight Tomahawks, eight Forest Prowlers and ten Militia, with the artillery that Washington provides when it becomes available. Keep the Dragoons behind the infantry until an opening appears; sending them into the Hessian infantry first exposes them to anti-cavalry attacks. The Tomahawks and Militia can engage the front line while Forest Prowlers contribute ranged damage. Falconets and the Heavy Cannon should focus infantry formations and important buildings, but protect the guns from Uhlans, Doppelsoldners and other units that can reach them. The first target is the central Hessian base. Watch the western forest for Skirmishers, and use Medicine Men or other available healing support between fights. Do not spend the entire army chasing retreating units if that leaves the siege force undefended.
Advance to the Hessian fort
After the central base is broken, replenish the force and add Houses as population requires. Kanya Horsemen can be useful as mobile reinforcements when available through shipments, while additional Forest Prowlers strengthen the ranged infantry line. Move northeast toward the Hessian fort. Washington supplies more artillery during this stage; use it to open the fortifications and guard it while it fires. Destroying the fort triggers another reinforcement, including a Mortar, and makes the secondary objective to destroy all Hessian Town Centers more achievable. Escort the Mortar and other guns: their value comes from sustained siege damage, but they are vulnerable when separated from the army. After taking the northeastern position, turn west to locate and remove the remaining Hessian base structures.
Defend Morristown and defeat Kuechler
Kuechler later leads a large force of Landsknechts, Jaegers, Uhlans, Falconets and Heavy Cannons southeast toward Morristown. Treat this as the mission’s decisive defense. Keep the Capitol’s approach covered, and use Kanya Horsemen or Dragoons to flank the Hessian artillery instead of charging the infantry front. Destroy or disable the guns first when they threaten the town, while Falconets and the Heavy Cannon target the enemy infantry and formations. Washington’s artillery support can swing the defense, but it still needs an escort and room to fire. Once the Hessian army is stopped, finish the main objective by killing Kuechler with focused ranged or direct attacks. If the campaign’s secondary Town Center objective is active, clear every remaining Hessian settlement before ending the operation.
Version notes and optional route
The mission’s available units differ between releases. In Definitive Edition, the player can train Forest Prowlers in the scenario; in The WarChiefs, Colonial Militia were part of the initial militia setup and were replaced after the militia joined the player. Use the units actually present in the selected version when following a build order. One optional route described for the map uses a Town Center near the initial land-bridge blockade and sends troops across the river, with additional War Huts supporting production. This can impede Kuechler’s advance and reduce the immediate pressure on Morristown, but it is a scenario-specific exploit rather than the intended central defense. A standard route should still prepare to protect the Capitol, keep artillery alive and finish the Hessian bases.
Objective order
The main objective remains Kuechler’s defeat and the survival of Morristown’s Capitol. The extra 100 experience comes from removing every Hessian Town Center, so clear side bases while escorting the army between the central settlement and the fort. This order prevents an optional sweep from distracting the force during Kuechler’s final march.
Protect the Capitol while pursuing Kuechler
The seventh Act I: Fire scenario requires finding and destroying the Hessian base, then pursuing Kuechler’s army before it destroys the Morristown Capitol building, and finally killing Colonel Kuechler. The optional objective removes all Hessian Town Centers. This sequence can split the player between clearing the enemy base and defending the Capitol, so keep a reserve near the building while the main force follows Kuechler. Do not spend too long destroying optional Town Centers if the pursuing army is close to the Capitol. Scout ahead to find the Hessian base and choose a route that allows troops to return quickly. Once the main army is engaged, focus on Kuechler and the force threatening the objective; the optional structures can be handled when the Capitol is safe.
Starting artillery, optional reward and treasure routes
The documented starting force includes Nathaniel Black, six Tomahawks, six Forest Prowlers, two Falconets and one Heavy Cannon. Those three artillery pieces provide the opening siege power; the player cannot train artillery in this scenario, so Washington’s American Revolutionaries supply further guns as the mission continues. Morristown has Villagers and the Capitol to defend but no standing army that can stop the Hessians alone. Destroying every Hessian Town Center is optional and awards 100 XP. The map lists nine treasures, positioned west of the player’s village, around both sides of the central enemy base, and south, east and north of the eastern enemy base. Treat those locations as detours: first keep a force able to answer the Hessian march on the Capitol, then collect exposed rewards when the route is safe.