The Rescue (Fire)
The Rescue is scenario 2 of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs. After Nonahkee is kidnapped, Nathaniel Black and Ká:nien search for her, and the mission introduces Colonel Kuechler as a continuing enemy in the campaign.
How it works
The required goals are Find and destroy one prisoner cage to rescue Native Villagers; Destroy the prisoner cage holding Nonahkee. Optional goals include Build a Trading Post on the Trade Route.
When to use it
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. Scout the route before moving the hero or starting force, and avoid splitting units the mission needs together. Take optional objectives when they add useful allies, routes, resources or reinforcements without putting the primary goal at risk.
Campaign setting and mission goals
The Rescue is the second scenario of Act I: Fire in The WarChiefs campaign, set in 1775. It follows Nathaniel Black and Ká:nien as they respond to the kidnapping of Nonahkee and other Haudenosaunee villagers by Hessian forces under Colonel Sven Kuechler. The main objectives are to destroy a prisoner cage holding Native Villagers and then destroy the cage holding Nonahkee. Building a Trading Post on the circular Trade Route is optional and awards 200 experience. The mission uses the Black Family Estate campaign faction, not the normal Haudenosaunee skirmish setup. The story introduces Kuechler as a recurring enemy in Nathaniel's campaign and moves the plot from the rescue of prisoners toward the larger conflict involving the Hessians.
Starting force and enemy composition
The player begins in the southwest at an Oneida village with a large war party: an Oneida War Chief, Nathaniel Black, Ká:nien, one Falconet, four Kanya Horsemen, four Tomahawks, seven Forest Prowlers, two Mantlets, and a Medicine Man. This force is strong enough to attack without first rebuilding a full army, but the two enemy groups have different threats. The Mohawk force fields Aenna, Tomahawks, and Kanya Horsemen. The Hessians protect the cages with Uhlans, Doppelsoldners, War Wagons, and Crossbowmen. Uhlans can kill Aenna and Forest Prowlers in one or two hits, while Doppelsoldners are dangerous to Kanya Horsemen. Keep the army balanced and do not allow a fast enemy unit to isolate the ranged troops.
Map resources and route control
The map resembles Great Lakes, with a small circular lake in the center and a circular Trade Route crossing the map. Deer and Berry Bushes near the lake provide food, irregular Silver Mines provide coin, and Salmon in the lake can be gathered by Fishing Boats. Fifteen treasures are listed, scattered around the starting area, Trade Route, eastern map, and enemy bases. The central island holds a treasure, while the route can provide an optional Trading Post objective. The lake and road divide the battlefield into approaches; use the route to move between the prisoner camps while keeping the starting village protected from incoming waves. The terrain gives the player useful food and coin, but spending too long on the economy allows the Hessians to attack.
Rescue sequence and pressure
The enemy will send large waves if the player remains idle, so the scenario rewards decisive use of the starting force. Move toward an accessible prisoner cage, destroy it, and then continue to the cage holding Nonahkee. The first rescue objective frees Native Villagers; the second completes the story's central task. A War Ceremony at the Community Plaza can improve the army while Villagers are available to dance. The force can advance early, but preserve the Falconet and screen it from Uhlans and Doppelsoldners. Use Tomahawks and Kanya Horsemen against cavalry threats, while Forest Prowlers and the Falconet support from behind the front line. Ká:nien and Nathaniel should help clear dangerous units without being left unsupported.
Using the army and optional Trading Post
The initial army is deliberately large, so the mission does not require a slow buildup or careful avoidance of every casualty. It does require correct target priority: eliminate the Hessian units that can quickly remove Forest Prowlers or cavalry, then let the ranged force work on the cages and defenders. Mantlets can add a protective screen against incoming attacks, and the Medicine Man can support injured troops. If the central route is secure, build the optional Trading Post for experience and continued route control. Do not divert the whole army to the Trading Post while either prisoner cage remains guarded. Once Nonahkee is freed, the scenario advances the campaign to Breed's Hill.
Route through the prisoner camps
The campaign strategy recommends moving east immediately to defeat the first Hessian brigade and break through its outer wooden walls. A nearby Stockade holds four Native Villagers; freeing them adds an economy that the opening war party otherwise lacks. Send the rescued workers back to the village to hunt Deer or gather Berry Bushes, then use the food to train Aenna reinforcements. The next encampment lies east near the shore and contains another Stockade with four Villagers. A War Canoe fires from the lake, so use the Mantlets to absorb or block its shots while the main force attacks the camp. The new Villagers can return to gather wood or mine coin, and the player may build the optional Trade Route Trading Post once the shore is safe. Keep newly trained Aenna at the village as a guard while the main party continues north along the winding route. Each remaining Stockade is guarded by troops, and escorting the rescued workers with two or three soldiers prevents them from being lost on the way home.
The final camp and prisoner cage
After clearing the route-side Stockades, continue northeast toward the Hessian settlement. It is not necessary to destroy every building in the settlement; the mission ends when the troops guarding Nonahkee are defeated and her Stockade is destroyed. Uhlans and Doppelsoldners form the most dangerous part of this defense. Keep Kanya Horsemen behind the ranged line while Tomahawks and Forest Prowlers wear down the Doppelsoldners, and use Musket Riders to kite heavy infantry if available. Shipments can replace losses during the advance. The final cage is the objective, so preserve enough force to reach it rather than spending the whole army razing optional structures.
Free the Native Villagers and locate Nonahkee
The second Act I: Fire scenario introduces Colonel Kuechler as Nathaniel Black’s campaign opponent. Destroy one prisoner cage to rescue Native Villagers, then destroy the cage holding Nonahkee. Building a Trading Post on the Trade Route is optional and can secure a useful map connection. Clear the guards around each cage before sending heroes or rescued villagers into the area. Freeing the first group does not complete the objective; continue to Nonahkee’s location and protect the rescued units along the way. Keep a force near the Trading Post route only if the rescue party can still handle the enemy positions. The mission connects Nathaniel’s early story with the wider conflict in Act I: Fire and should be read as a scripted campaign scenario rather than a normal Haudenosaunee match.