The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown is the eighth and final scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1781. Its setting reflects the final major campaign of the American Revolution, with the player pushing through British frontier defenses and establishing a base before attacking the central Town Center.
Scenario setting & objectives
Destroy the British Frontier Outposts, build a Town Center and destroy the British Town Center. Optional objectives include Fixed Guns, Redoubt Cannons and coastal Outposts. The required Town Center construction makes worker access and a defensible location part of the attack plan; artillery and fixed defenses can punish a direct approach if left intact.
Mission approach
Scout the frontier defenses and shoreline before choosing the Town Center site. Protect builders long enough to establish the base, then remove defenses that block the assault route. Keep a reserve near the new settlement while the main force attacks the British Town Center.
Build the army while Lafayette pressures Cornwallis
The Battle of Yorktown is the final scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs, set in 1781. Nathaniel Black leads the Black Family Estate against Cornwallis’s British force as French General Lafayette joins the siege. Primary objectives are to destroy the British Frontier Outposts, build a Town Center and destroy the British Town Center. Optional tasks include destroying Fixed Guns, Redoubt Cannons and coastal Outposts. The scenario begins with waves of British Musketeers near the player’s southern camp. Defeat them before expanding so the starting force is not caught between the enemy and the construction site. After the initial waves and Frontier Outposts are cleared, Washington sends a Covered Wagon and ten Villagers. Use them to establish a Town Center in a defensible location and begin resource gathering. The map has forests, mines, berries and scattered Deer, but Deer are distant and exposed to British coastal defenses. The coastline is patrolled by ships and watched by Outposts and Fixed Guns, so avoid sending Villagers to gather near the eastern wall. Lafayette’s base lies to the west and supplies Caravels, Frigates and Petards; coordinate with that pressure rather than attempting to fight the entire British army alone. Cornwallis’s base is in the east, protected by Outposts, Fixed Guns and redoubts. The Redoubt Cannons are guarded by Jaegers and Uhlans, and the British also field Musketeers, artillery and coastal defenses. Destroying optional guns lowers pressure on the shoreline, making naval movement and fishing safer. Build anti-artillery support before attacking the redoubts, and keep the Town Center and villagers protected while the main army moves east. The enemy AI attacks vulnerable military units and may retreat when the fight turns against it, so pursue carefully without breaking the formation. The three map treasures can help the opening economy, but collecting them should not delay the Town Center after the reinforcements arrive. Establish military production and use Home City shipments to add units or resources. The British have multiple attack routes and the French ally can draw some pressure from the west. Keep a reserve near the player’s base to answer raids while the siege army advances. Destroying the British Town Center completes the primary objective; optional Fixed Guns and coastal Outposts are useful but not required if the route is safe. The mission is designed as a final multi-front battle rather than a single assault. Secure the south, build the economy, remove the frontier Outposts, then coordinate land and sea pressure with Lafayette. Protect artillery from Hussars and Uhlans, use siege units against the British Town Center and do not abandon the player’s own Town Center. Victory concludes Act I: Fire, followed by an epilogue about Nathaniel’s life after the war.
Coordinate the land and naval fronts
Lafayette’s French ships and Petards can pressure the British from the west while Nathaniel’s army advances over land. Use the naval force to attack coastal defenses and create safer access to the peninsula, but do not send Caravels or Frigates under Fixed Gun fire before the guns are destroyed. The British base’s eastern wall and redoubts make a direct land attack costly. A western route supported by French ships can divide the enemy response and give the player time to establish artillery positions. The Town Center objective is the final target, so preserve siege units until the route is clear. Use Musketeers or other infantry to screen the guns and cavalry to intercept Jaegers or Uhlans. Secondary Fixed Guns and Redoubt Cannons make the assault safer when removed, but the player can skip them if a protected siege route is available. Keep the player’s own Town Center and the newly arrived Villagers out of range of coastal fire.
Remove defenses before exposing the siege line
Fixed Guns have long reach and can punish ships or artillery that approach the peninsula too early. Destroy the nearest coastal Outposts and guns with protected land units or Lafayette’s support, then move siege forward. If the Town Center is in range of a Redoubt Cannon, clear that position before assembling the final attack force.
Keep the economy west of the coastal guns
Use nearby berry bushes and mines first, and avoid sending villagers toward Deer or fishing areas covered by British defenses. A compact economy is easier to guard while the army advances.
Use Lafayette’s ships to create a safer approach
French Caravels and Frigates can draw British attention from the western shoreline. Send them against coastal Outposts only after checking for Fixed Guns, then use the opening to move land troops and artillery toward the British Town Center. Petards can damage buildings at close range, so protect them from Musketeers and cavalry while they approach.
Remove the Frontier Outposts before establishing a base
The final Act I: Fire scenario requires three sequential tasks: destroy the British Frontier Outposts, build a Town Center, then destroy the British Town Center. The Outposts are the immediate obstacle to safe expansion, so clear them before sending builders into their firing range. Once the Town Center is established, gather enough resources and troops for the final siege rather than attacking with the force used for the first objective. Optional Fixed Guns, Redoubt Cannons and coastal Outposts can be removed to make the approach safer, but each detour costs time and units. This is the campaign’s version of the Battle of Yorktown, the decisive final great battle of the American Revolution. Keep the army together when moving from the initial defenses toward the Town Center; the objective changes from clearing static positions to taking a fortified base.