History Recap / AgeOfEmpiresIIBayinnaung

!!Scenarios:

!!!The Burmese Tigers

!!!The Mandalay Cobra

!!!The Royal Peacock

!!!The White Elephant

!!!The Old Tiger

** ''The Burmese Tigers'' has an optional objective to kill the Mon King within five minutes of the scenario's start. He isn't far from your base but his speed is such that the objective is tough without either good Arambai shots or the gathering of sufficient reinforcements as you head towards his castle. Successfully carrying out the objective would nullify the Hanthawaddy threat, leaving you to focus on attacking Prome and keeping the Shan forces at bay.

** ''The Burmese Tigers'' has an optional objective to kill the Hanthawaddy king within five minutes of the scenario's start. He isn't far from your base but his speed is such that the objective is tough without either good Arambai shots or the gathering of sufficient reinforcements as you head towards his castle. Successfully carrying out the objective would nullify the Hanthawaddy threat, leaving you to focus on attacking Prome and keeping the Shan forces at bay.

* TimedMission: ''The White Elephant'' gives you a limited amount of time to visit all the cities and subjugate them with your relic-bearing monks. This, along with the EscortMission nature of the scenario and the meager troops compared to the powerful enemies, makes the scenario frustratingly difficult.

* WickedWitch: The Nat Sorceresses in the fourth scenario. They're even served by wolves and become stronger with each slain enemy.

* TheSiege: The final mission. Unfortunately, your starting army is initially used to escort the aged Bayinnaung to the shrines, while the enemy forces grow strong. By the time you can build an army, the enemy is more powerful and prepared.

When a Nat shaman came to the kingdom of Toungoo announcing the advent of the ''Cakkavatti'', the Universal Ruler who embodies the Buddhist virtues, everyone tought he was referring to the newborn King Tabinshwenti, but on that day, another person was born, Bayinnaung, son of the King's wetnurse. Tabinshwenti and Bayinnaung became inseparable and loyal friends. Together they'll fight the war against the invading Shan from the north. Unable to fight back such a powerful opponent, the Burmese turn their attention to the south, where the weak but rich kingdom of Hanthawaddy lies, ripe for the taking.

With Lower Burma under control, the conjointed forces of Bayinnaung and Tabishwenti move north towards Pagan, city of Ten Thousands Temples, were the coronation can be made legit and unquestionable. However, the Shan refuses to let the occasion go, and call for allies: the kingdoms of Ava and Rakhine march in battle. If the plan to make Burma a powerful nation is to succeed, then the holy shrines of Pagan must stand tall, the royal crown must be recovered from Ava and the Shan must be repelled.

For twenty years Tabinshwenti ruled, but the influence of men from Portugal proved nefarious: the once wise and corageous king became addicted to the foregn wine and forsake Buddhism and the way of the Nats, trusting the Portuguese too much and ordering executions while suffering drunken fits. A monk named Hwat, brother of the former king of Hanthawaddy, is encouraging rebellion, and when Bayinnaung is away, the minister Sawhtut has the king assassinated. Before the capital is thrown into chaos, Bayinnaung has to act and fast.

Disappointed by the Nat and their oracles, the newly-crowned Bayinnaung is determinated to prove the strength of Buddhism faith. The kingdom of Ayutthaya is currently defying Burma and encouraging the rebellion in the Burmese provinces of Lan Xan and Lan Na. As the court murmurs and questions Bayinnaung status as the ''Cakkavatti''. Determinated to prove them wrong, Bayinnaung sends his missonaries to tame the rebels.

King Bayinnaung is now old and tired, Burma is powerful, but still, the King feels that he has something to accomplish, and not by the sword. As his sons lead the attack on the Rakhine capital of Mrauk U, supported by a huge army and the presence of Portuguese mercenaries, who will give to the Burmese the fight of their lives. Furthermore, Bayinnaung himself has decided to meditate on his life and purpose, and has made a vow to visit the holy temples on the coast before his demise. As the battle for the gateway to India rages around them, the last pilgrimage of the King proceeds.

* TheCallHasBadReception: The general consensus is that everything hints at Tabinshweti being the prophesied ruler who will usher prosperity for Burma. That's only after his death that Bayinnaung is acknowledged as the true Chosen One.

* TheCorrupter: The Portuguese, with their wine manage to turn Tabinshwenti from a mighty and just warrior king to a useless, corrupt slob who's eventually assassinated by unsatisfied ministers.

* GatheringSteam: An unusual examples with the Nat Sorceresses in ''The White Elephant'': they start out as a normal Scythian Wild Woman heroes, but they get extra armor, attack and health for each unit they kill, forcing you to finish them off quickly.
* TheGoodKing: The ''Cakkavatti'' or ''Universal Ruler'' is supposed to be the perfect king. Tabinshweti starts as a strong contender for the title but fails to live up to the hype, and this is Bayinnaung who's ultimately acclaimed as such.
* TheHeroDies: Despite being the narrator of the campaign, Bayinnaung dies halfway through the final scenario, upon meditating in the last temple and finally reaching enlightment. The outro is narrated by one of his sons.

* ProphecyTwist: The Nat Shaman predicts the birth day of the ''Cakkavatti''. While everyone believes it refers to the Prince Tabinshwenti, it's actually Bayinnaung, born the same day from the Prince's wet nurse.

* TimedMission: ''The White Elephant'' gives you a limited amount of time to visit all the cities and submit them with your relic-bearing monks. This, along with the EscortMission nature of the scenario and the meager troops compared to the powerful enemies makes the scenario frustratingly difficult.