Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
When Đại Việt is plunged into chaos due to a civil war, the mighty Ming Empire takes advantage of the situation and soon they've conquered the land, crushing the locals under an iron fist. The Chinese seem invincible, but then, when hope seem lost, a man appears: Lê Lợi, a minor noble, is motivated to fight for his country and fight off the Ming's yoke. Will his skill and determinations be enough to triumph against this overwhelming opponent and make Đại Việt a great empire?The player is in control of the Vietnamese, the color being Yellow.
Scenarios
1. The Dai Viet Uprising
A nobleman who refuses to accept the rule of the Chinese, Lê Lợi is disgusted by his compatriots who bowed to them. With a small army he goes north, making allies among the Trịnh and Nguyễn families, who, far from the complacent Hanoi, still dare to oppose the Ming. Knowing very well that a direct confrontation won't bear any fruit, Lê Lợi decides to make use of guerrilla tactics among the jungle of Vietnam, in order to slowly take down the invaders bit by bit. In order for this plan to work, Lê Lợi must keep his forces and allies safe.2. The Mountain Siege
Lê Lợi's guerrilla tactics come to an abrupt end when the Ming manage to defeat the Vietnamese in battle, and force him to flee to the mountain fortress of Chí Linh. However, the Vietnamese soon find themselves in a trap, surrounded by all sides by Chinese camps and with thousands of soldiers and hundreds of siege weapons bearing down on them. With the help of his faithful commander Lê Lai, Lê Lợi must find a way to escape to safety, along with the bulk of his troops.3. The Battle of Hanoi
One year has passed since the defeat of Chí Linh and Lê Lai's sacrifice. However, Lê Lợi isn't done yet, and has gathered more troops for a daring plan: take on the city of Hanoi itself. While well defended and fortified, many deserters and villagers are willing to lend a hand, and in case of success, the Ming's influence in the area will be disrupted and the Southern lands will be free.4. Reaching South
Hanoi fell, and soon Lê Lợi finds himself looking for a new target: the Ming-appointed capital of Nghệ An. However, things don't look easy, as not only the traitorous general Cầm Bành is protecting the place, but there's also the threat of Wang Tong, the greatest general Ming has to offer, marching towards the frontlines to take care of the rebellious Lê Lợi once and for all.5. A Three-Pronged Attack
Lê Lợi's army moves south, with Nghệ An finally in sight. However, the army of Wang Tong is right behind them, which forces the Vietnamese to split their forces in three: the brave Đinh Lễ will stall Wang Tong's forces in the city of Đông Đô, the skillful swordsman Lê Triện will instead take care of the Ming reinforcements lead by Liu Sheng and keep them from joining forces with Đông Đô. In the meantime, the bulk of the Vietnamese army led by Lưu Nhân Chú and the wise Bùi Bị is making preparations to cross the lands occupied by the hostile Ai Lao and march on Nghệ An. A complicate siege is about to take place...6. The Final Fortress
While Nghệ An hasn't fallen, the forces of the Ming were put in a most difficult spot, and now the Chinese rule in Đại Việt is fading. Determined to resist to the very end, Wang Tong has locked himself in the fortified Đông Đô and prepares to fight the Vietnamese army. If the independence of Đại Việt and the rule of Lê Lợi are to be secured, then the stronghold of Đông Đô must fall.This campaign contains examples of:
- Adaptation Deviation: In DE, "Reaching South"'s objective is no longer to destroy and rebuild a Wonder, but just to conquer the Ming's gunpowder reserves by destroying the keeps around them and keeping them from being destroyed.
- Anachronism Stew: The third scenario is named "The Battle of Hanoi". The city only became known as Hanoi in 1831, some four hundred years later. It should be called Đông Quan at the time, which was its official name under Ming rule by then, before being renamed into Đông Kinh after Lê Lợi had established the Lê dynasty.
- …And That Little Girl Was Me: The narrator in the HD Edition is revealed to be a retired Wang Tong narrating his story to some children.
- Bittersweet Ending: Lê Lợi ultimately wins the war, but still has to recognize the power of the Ming Empire and submit to them to prevent future invasions. At least, the empire he forged will prosper for centuries.
- Call-Back: "The Mountain Siege" is a Hold the Line scenario where you have to defend an allied base from enemy siege while securing an escape route to the east for said ally, just like the penultimate scenario of the Japan campaign in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.
- Combat Pragmatist: Since the Ming army is superior in size, number and equipment, the Vietnamese have to wear them out through attrition, guerrilla acts and by striking them when they least expect.
- Cool Sword: The icon for the campaign is a turtle holding Lê Lợi's legendary sword in his mouth. You can actually obtain the sword during the third scenario, making Lê Lợi's attack stronger for the rest of the scenario.
- Cosmetic Award:
- The HD Edition has "Le Loi Campaign Completed". DE replaced the achievement with "Rebel with a Cause".
- DE has also "Not a Greek Tragedy"note .
- David Versus Goliath: Lê Lợi acknowledges that the Ming is a very powerful kingdom and his rebellion will be a difficult fight for independence. This is also reflected in many scenarios where the player's army are located in small isolated areas while the Ming start off with well fortified cities and fortresses.
- Decadent Court: Lê Lợi was forced to look for help north because he was disgusted by the servile nobles of Hanoi. It's worth considering that the same nobles, according to the intro of the sixth mission, oppose negotiations between Lê Lợi and the Ming, and the court is described in bad terms in the final cutscene, implying that several of Lê Lợi's lieutenants were slain treacherously for political reasons.
- Elite Four: The four heroes you control in the fifth mission, each different and with his own strengths and weaknesses.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Lê Lai disguises himself as Lê Lợi and charges the Ming army in order to buy time for the real one.
- Hold the Line: "The Mountain Siege" has you trying to keep the Ming at bay while you open a path east. Unfortunately, even if you're in a rather large fortress, the enemy attacks from multiple gates and your allies' efforts are subpar.
- Narrator All Along: Only in the HD versionnote , despite his defeat, Wang Tong still narrates the Lê Lợi campaign to children.
- Perspective Flip: DE does one by changing the narrator to an unnamed historian who tells Lê Lợi's story in a more literary and flattering manner. Contrast with Wang Tong, whose narration was more factual (citing dates and figures more frequently) and gave a Warts and All appraisal of Lê Lợi.
- The Siege:
- "The Mountain Siege" has you on the wrong end of one, forcing you to fight a way out.
- "The Siege of Hanoi" and "Reaching South" have a large Ming city as your final destination and objective. In the former, you start with a handful of troops and must gather soldiers and villagers on the way.
- "A Three-Pronged Attack" features you dealing with a city to besiege while at the same time you must keep the two enemy camps from joining forces.
- "The Final Fortress" has you besieging the last, extremely well-defended Ming stronghold while surviving the neverending number of soldiers pouring out of it.
- Video Game Caring Potential: Preventing your four heroes from being hurt in "A Three-Pronged Attack" is a requirement for the achievement "Not a Greek Tragedy".
- Worthy Opponent: Both Lê Lợi and Wang Tong end up showing respect for each other and after the final siege, Lê Lợi even invites all Ming generals to a banquet before allowing them to leave with their lives.
