The Americas Campaign - An Overview

Here is a detailed overview of the often overlooked Americas campaign for Medieval 2 Total War: Kingdoms.

A Quick Look

Out of the four campaigns in the Kingdoms expansion, the Americas campaign is perhaps the most neglected. Everyone who has the game has played either the Crusades campaign, the Teuonic campaign, or the Britannia campaign, but oftentimes we see players just give a passing glance at the Americas campaign and move on, many times rewriting the "americas" file in order to use a mod. However, they are missing out on a lot.

It is the early 1500's, and strange men with pale skin have arrived in the Americas. These men, armed with steel and gunpowered and driven by either greed, religion, or wanderlust, are prepared to do whatever it takes to conquer and subdue the native empires. This is the setting for the campaign, and the player can either help Spain conquer the New World or aid the natives in driving back the strangers. Either way, prepare for an adventure.

To start off, I will say that the music of the campaign is truly unique. On the campaign map, the music, which is made up of vocalizing and native flutes and drums, fits in perfectly with the Native American theme and helps to immerse the player into the game. All this is very well done. The battle music is also quite good. And while there are no great musical flourishes like those heard in the Teutonic campaign, it is nevertheless very enjoyable and fits the game well.


The campaign map is perhaps the most unique map in the Kingdoms expansion, second only to the grand campaign. There are huge deserts to the north, dense rain forests to the south, and lush grasslands in the center. Hills and mountains are plentiful in the game, allowing for smart strategic play. However, that's not to say that the game is all mountains. In fact, there are vast, completely flat areas on the map, mostly in the north, which are hard to defend and will require smart play. More on this later.

Now let's move on to the factions.

The Factions

Spain


You've got guns. That's all you need to know. No, I'm serious. You've got guns. You've got guns versus lightly-armored troops figthing with clubs and rocks. Is that not enough for you? Well, then, you also have horses. You've got guys in armor on horses with other guys backing them up with guns. And you've also got cannon as well. You have all that versus some natives with sticks and stones. Oh yeah, get ready for an easy, piece of cake camp.....What's that, you only get a few of those units?!!?
That's right. Spain has the most OP troops in the campaign, hands down. Muskets, cannon, horses, steel, everything you could ask for. But you only get a limited number of those guys. It is hard to get a full-stack army with all those units. Cannon are rare and hard to acquire, and guys in armor aren't cheap and not exactly in huge supply either. So what you will end up doing is building armies made up mostly of native mercenaries and cheap militia units with a small core of elite soldiers. And so, you will find that conquering the natives won't be as easy as you thought. You'll have to take good care of your elite units, especially the cannon, because losing a single unit of conquistadors is the same as losing three units of regular native soldiers.
But let's talk about economy, shall we? You start with only two settlements, one on the far-away island of Cuba and another on the hostle mainland. From this, one can deduce that it will be a rough going. And yeah, it will be. If you manage your troops and buildings well, money should not be an issue. As long as you conquer rich settlements, it is not likely you will ever be completely bankrupt with no hope of recovery.You can easily take some of the rebel settlements along the coast, and these will form the nucleus for your economy. But expect heavy resistance if you try to take on the Mayans or the Aztecs. Those guys have a lot of manpower and will put on the pressure, believe me.
Ally yourself with the Tlaxcalans, the sworn enemies of the Aztecs. Be friendly with as many people as you can and try to pick off the nations one by one. Tread carefully, because if the natives dog-pile you, you're in trouble.
So, all in all, Spain has got a limited number of great units with a stable economy and a precarious diplomatic position. A rough road to be sure, but did I mention that you get Hernando Cortez?

The Aztec Empire


The largest faction in the game, but also the most hated. Just like the English in the Britannia campaign, the Aztecs are not exactly liked by a lot of people, so expect to be fighting on all fronts. The Tlaxcalans are small, true, but they have a lot of troops and will be a big pain in the neck. The Spaniards must be watched carefully, and the tribes to the north must never be trusted. Ally yourself with the Mayans or Apacheans and crush the smaller factions. Smart diplomacy should alleviate some of your problems. You're economy isn't the best, though it's not the worst, so you should be able to fund several military campaigns. Your units are numerous and brave, but they suffer from a common problem: little to no armor. You've got leather or wooden armor, but that's not saying very much. While this shouldn't be a problem against other native factions, it will become troublesome if you decided to take on Spain. You do, however, have some good units, such as the Coyote priests and the eagle warriors, so it's not all bad.
As the Aztecs, just be careful with your warfare and diplomacy and you should be fine.

The Apachean Tribes

Holy Toledo, these guys are OP. I'm not joking. Yeah, they may not have steel armor, but they've got bows, and lots of them. The Apachean tribes have the potential to steamroll everyone. Let me explain why.
First of all, they start in an isolated position. They start in the north in the vast desert that takes up a good third of the entire map. They can easily expand and conquer all the rebel settlements from Baja California to Florida. By the time they even have to worry about the other factions, they will have already conquered almost all of the American southwest. If you play as the Apacheans, you could just ignore diplomacy altogether, but allying yourself with the Mayans or Spain is not a bad idea in the long run.
The Apacheans also have excellent bowmen. They hit hard and fast and are very accurate. Most of their units, even archers - though don't rely on Rabbit Boys - , are good in hand-to-hand combat, so you don't need to worry so much if they get caught up in a heated fight, as they can generally hold their own. Your faction also benefits from stealing technology from Spain. If you fight and defeat some Spanish armies, you are then able to get horses and guns. These new weapons will be invaluable when fighting against Spain or the Mesoamerican factions, which aren't able to get guns or horses.
You're buildings are unique to your faction. You have a baker's dozen different tipee types, each giving you certain benefits. Look into them carefully and find out which tipees best suit your needs.

The Mayans

Located in the eastern part of the map, the Mayans are a powerful faction. Their buildings are similar to the Aztecs, with several unique ones, such as the observatory. They also have unique units, including the dreaded hornet-throwers, which redefine the meaning of pain in the butt. But their units or buildings are not the main reason why the Mayans are so powerful. The Mayans start with a good number of provinces and have a pretty good economy. They can field massive armies. They can easily expand south and west, taking many settlements in the process. Unlike the Aztecs, the Mayans are at peace with everyone, so you shouldn't worry too much about war early on. However, watch Spain carefully, as Spain tends to expand eastward. Make alliances as you see fit. Your position makes you strong and rather self-reliant, so alliances aren't exactly a must. However, I recommend allying with Spain or the Tlaxcalans.
To sum it up, if you are playing as the Mayans, concentrate on taking the rebel settlements to the west and south and try to be at peace for as long as you possibly can. If you do this, you'll be good to go.

The Tlaxcalans, the Tarascans, and the Chichimec Tribes

I'll quickly review these factions.

The Tlaxcalans - nearly identical to the Aztecs in terms of buildings and units, though they do have special Tlaxcalan units. They start with one small province and are immediately at war with the Aztecs, so prepare for some big battles in the beginning. Allying with the Mayans or Spain would be wise.
The Tarascans - very similar to the Aztecs and Mayans, with some unique units. They start to the northwest of the Aztecs and are in a precarious position. Expanding southward into the weak Aztec empire would be a good choice, but watch the Chichimec tribes carefully. An alliance with the Apacheans or the Mayans could prove to be very beneficial.
The Chichimec Tribes - a faction located in the desert north of the Tarascans, the Chichimec tribes have a long road ahead of them. They have good infantry with capable archers. The Chichimecs are also able to use enemy technology, so be ready to wield guns later on. Expand either north or south, but be warned, you will almost certainly wage war against the Apacheans at some point.

Features

Expeditions

Life as a native isn't easy these days, and the coming of Europeans doesn't improve things. European expeditions will come several times in the course of the campaign. There are one or two Spanish expeditions, which is excellent if you are playing as Spain, but absolutely ruin-your-day if you are playing as a native faction. There is also a French expedition and an English expedition. In my experience, the French usually land in Florida, while the English usually land at the very bottom of the map, near the Mayan lands. The Spanish expeditions arrive either north of the Mayan lands or around Vera Cruz. All these are well-equipped with horses, armor, and guns. They are a serious threat, and must be watched carefully lest they take a settlement and begin expanding.

The Warpath

This is a feature unique to the Apacheans. Basically, it's like a jihad. First, you must have a priest. At the bottom of the view screen, there is a button that says "Summon a Warpath." Select a target city, and begin! You then take an Apachean general, give him some men, and click on the button at the bottom of the general screen to join the warpath.
Once you start the warpath, all armies which have joined are given increased movement points, allowing you to advance rapidly. This feature is extremely useful and is perhaps the best method of taking down a strong opponent.

Spanish Quests and Titles

As Spain, you will be given quests by the king of Spain. Completing these quests will give you money and troops. They will also allow you to recieve titles such as baron or count. These titles will unlock more advanced building levels for you to use. In turn, these new buildings will strengthen your economy and will let you build better troops.

Sacrifices

What is a game about Aztecs without sacrifices? Any of the mesoamerican factions, which believe in the sun god, can sacrifice unwanted units instead of disbanding them. They can also sacrifice captured troops after a battle. Sacrificing troops will promote the sun god religion in the province the army is in. It also increases public order. Definitely more beneficial than just disbanding units or executing enemy troops.

Mercs
Though this isn't really a feature, it's good to mention mercs anyway. As Spain, you can recruit cheap merc units from the region that army is in. Now, your beginning mercs (the ones you get near Vera Cruz or the east coast) are pathetic, routing quickly and generally being no more than cannon fodder. However, once you get into Aztec, Tlaxcalan, or any other specific native regions, you can get better and more unique troops. Mercenaries can be very useful in tight spots, so take advantage of their low cost and availability.

AI, Defects, and Conclusion

So far, so good. However, we are not done yet. We have some other things to discuss.

Believe it or not, but the AI is actually not completely terrible. I mean, it's still a Total War AI, so don't expect much, but I will say that the battle AI is really not as big of a deal as in the other Medieval 2 campaigns. In the other campaigns, you have cavalry, armored troops, and obviously overpowered units (longbows and horse archers, hint-hint, wink-wink). In the Americas campaign, however, all factions are basically equal, except for Spain, which, if you decide to go as them, the game is then basically a steamroll. However, the native factions are much more fun to play as. You can't do quick flanks with cavalry, so no hammer-and-anvil tactics. The battles become less of a one-horseman-can-win-it-all, and instead become grindfests, boiling down to who has the most archers or who has the superior infantry. Flanks with infantry are possible, as the native units can move much quicker than European units, but they don't cause massive moral drops like horses do.

But that's the battle AI. The campaign AI is just as stupid as the AI in the grand campaign, except for the Apacheans. I don't know what it is, but the Apacheans are no joke. It's like they have their own manifest destiny. They expand fast and build massive armies. For example, I was playing as the Chichimec Tribes one time, and the Apacheans totally wiped the floor with me. They took several settlements from me, defeated multiple armies, and even advanced upon my capital, taking it after several bloody attempts. It was all I could to do beat them off, and even then I had to deal with so many armies that my attempts to invade their vast, open lands were quickly snuffed out. Don't believe me? Try playing as the Chichimec Tribes on Hard/Hard, and let me know what you think.

As for defects, there are not too many. The Spanish and the Apacheans are a little bit too OP, but that is tolerable. The only thing I can think of is that the natives can't build ships. So you can't take Cuba from the Spanish and drive them from the New World, unless you manage to eliminate all their family members. But in all honesty, that's perfectly fine with me. It provides a challenge for the native player and it gives a sense of historical accuracy to the campaign, as the Spaniards were a perpetual pain in the neck to the Native Americans and weren't able to be driven away. And besides, even if you could build ships, you wouldn't use them. Aside from Cuba, there are no islands to conquer, and all the interesting stuff happens on the mainland of Mexico, so ships would be more of a useless feature.


But enough blabbing, let's finish this guide. Overall, we've got a great Total War campaign. It is a refreshing change from the usual heavy-metal, iron and horse gameplay that Medieval 2 normally offers. It introduces you to new factions, new units, and a unique campaign map. With units that are more balanced and the removal of horses for most of the factions, the AI can handle battles better and is more of a challenge to take down. I highly recommend you shake the dust off of this campaign and give it a shot. It won't disappoint.

Thank you for reading my guide! If I have missed anything or have made a mistake, please feel free to let me know what I did wrong, and I'll be sure to correct it as soon as possible. Once again, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed!

[Xander77]

Any tips on fighting Spain with the native factions? I'm trying to write a rebel campaign guide to the Kingdom expansions, and they easily destroy my armies simply by facetanking everything with their cav.

[IronMace1990]

I don't know if it was just me or I kinda find the Event Announcement in the Americas Campaign lacking...? I don't see any announcement during the year 1531 A.D., the year when The Our Lady of Guadalupe apparitions happened

[kungfu18]

Honestly I think the Tlaxcallans could have been more interesting gameplay if you can have quest chain of allying with the Spainish and aiding them in the conquest of the Americas at the reward of gaining the ability to recruit european style units. This is to reflect what happen historically. The Spainish were very heavily dependent on the Tlaxcallans in the conquest of the Aztecs and rewarded the Tlaxcallans with exclusive privileges and rights not seen with other indigenous peoples of Mexico, including the right to carry guns, ride horses, hold noble titles, maintain Tlaxcaltec names and to rule their settlements autonomously.

[DOUGLAS_MACLEOD]

You mentioned that the Apache and Chichimecs are able to steal technology, but not just from Spain. As the Apache, you're more likely to encounter the French first before fighting Spain. The Spanish usually get crushed by the Mayans and Tlaxcalans, so the best source of horses and guns for the Apache are from the French, who often land in Florida and just roam west.
Yes occasionally you can catch a Spanish army (scripted) that lands in Texas/Mexico but the best source is the French.

[IronMace1990]

Definitely the Americas Campaign is my favorite M2TW: Kingdoms DLC. However, I found the campaign lack some features. Hopefully, these will be fixed in the M2TW: Kingdoms Remastered (if there will be any):

1. Lack of General's ability to construct permanent forts like in Crusades Campaign
2. Cities without access to ports can't be upgraded to Large and Huge Cities
3. Huge Cities cannot have Cannon Towers as defenses
4. Lack of Bridge battles like in the Grand Campaign

[Killjoy]

Don't show the English colonists mercy, they will steal your glory as Spain

[ElGueroTapatio]

Wait, Americas is the overlooked one? I always considered it my favorite DLC in the series.

[Zilver04]

This is a really good guide, it helped me allot with choosing wich faction to play!

[Huey Omehatl]

My favourite DLC is the Americas, I much prefer to play native factions than Europeans. Regrettably this doesnt apply to multiplayer, where is very hard to find people willing to fight on The Americas expansion.

[Ordoprinceps]

What triggers the ability to make Culverins as the Spanish?