Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
Shortly after Islam established a firm presence in North Africa, the Berbers under the leadership of Tariq ibn Ziyad had crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to Iberia. Their path takes them through the fierce Visigoths, before they head eastward towards the Pyrenees and take on Frankish lands. The player is in control of the Berbers, the color being Yellow. Scenarios
1. The Battle of Guadalete
Leading a swift and deadly army of raiders, Tariq prepares to cross the Strait of Gibraltar and move into southern Iberia, where they will clash against the Visigoths. In order to establish a base and take control of the area, the Berbers need to defeat the usurper, King Roderic, along with his army, and then move north and conquer the town of Cordoba.2. Consolidation and Subjugation
Having established a stronghold, the forces of the Umayyad Caliphate push north, to the heart of the Visigoth domain: the city of Toledo will make an excellent base from which to strike at the other surrounding cities of Seville, Talavera, Guadalajara and Merida. Should these cities fall, the Visigoths will be done for.3. Divide and Conquer
The conquest of Iberia is reaching its conclusion, as Tariq's army closes in on the cities of Zaragoza and Narbonne near the coast. In order to obtain a complete victory, the Caliphate has divided its forces in order to divide the attention of the powerful cities. With the twin bases and the support of the local Visigoth king Theodomir, you will have to destroy the castles of these two cities to force them to submit.4. Crossing the Pyrenees
Having put Iberia under control, the generals Tariq and Musa are called back to Damascus, while a new commander, Abd ar-Rahman al-Ghafiqi, has taken over. Motivated by revenge against the Franks, Abd ar-Rhaman decides to take the war to them by taking his huge army across the deadly and treacherous Pyrenees, facing icy winds and ambushes from the local Basques, Visigoths and Asturians as they travel north to France.5. Razzia
The Umayyad forces have crossed the mountains, and are now in the land of Aquitania, near the well-defended Bordeaux. Determined to have their revenge on the Franks, Abd ar-Rhaman prepares to pillage the countryside, take over Bordeaux and destroy the Frankish army. However, this battle will prove difficult, as a huge army of dreaded Frankish Paladins and warriors are prepared to take on the Berber invaders.This campaign contains examples of:
- Call-Forward: In The Conquerors, one of the "Battles of the Conquerors" scenarios, "Tours", has you play as Charles Martel and defeat the Moors invading France and Spain. In this campaign, you play as the Moors and invade Spain. It ends on a triumphant note after the battle of Bordeaux, but the narrator mentions someone named Charles Martel is building a counter attack. Charles Martel would win the Battle of Tours.
- The Cavalry: In the second scenario, if you manage to hold Toledo for thirty minutes, Cordoba will send a massive army of elite reinforcements and precious Trebuchets (since you're stuck in the Castle Age, these prove invaluable, as he keeps producing them for you). It makes taking on the remaining cities a walk in the park.
- Convection, Schmonvection: Averted during the Crossing of the Pyrenees, as a few parts of the scenario forces your troops to cross exposed cliff paths where they suffer damage over time because of the frigid winds.
- Cosmetic Award: The HD Edition has "Tariq ibn Ziyad Campaign Completed". DE replaced the achievement with "Master of the Maghreb".
- Disc-One Final Boss: The Visigoths, especially the cities of Narbonne and Zaragoza, the last main source of resistance.
- Doomed by Canon: While the final scenario is triumphant, it also sets the background for the Conquerors scenario "Tours", where you play as Charles Martel, and he defeats the Berbers and slays Abd ar-Rhaman.
- Final Boss: A dual one with Bordeaux and the Frankish army.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Downplayed, as some Iberic cities are represented by Italians. Fits better in DE, since now Spanish and Italians share the same architecture.
- The Hero Dies: Averted for once; Tariq doesn't see the end of the campaign because he simply retires before the final two scenarios. note
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: The main reason behind the invasion of France.
- Tempting Fate: The campaign ends on a triumphant note, as the Berbers have dealt the Frankish army a crushing blow at Bordeaux. The narrator does mention someone called Charles Martel who is supposed to be readying a counter-attack, but is confident that nothing is going to stop the Berbers' conquest of Europe.
- Warm-Up Boss: The Iberic cities in the first scenario are well-fortified and spawn troops non-stop, but they have no villagers and no Town Centers. So, once you've destroyed their buildings, they'll be unable to train troops. The cities in the second one are better armed and ready to go for a Wonder Victory... but you still have access to Trebuchets thanks to your ally and their defenses aren't so tough as they look.
