The warriors of Scotland attempt to hold off an invasion of the better-equipped English armies. Take command of the highlanders, and learn the basic concepts of Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, such as how to build an economy, how to train your soldiers and, most importantly, how to fight and defeat your enemy. If you are new to real-time strategy games you will learn all you need to know. If you have played the original Age of Empires, then you can skip ahead to new features, such as garrisoning and formations

It is a war that has lasted for one hundred years, and the French have lost nearly every battle. Soon the English and their allies in Burgundy will conquer all of France. The heir to the French monarchy is too cowardly to ascend to the throne. The French army is wounded and tired and has given up all hope. But in the darkest hour, a young peasant girl declares that she intends to save France.

Can the will of one man forge an empire? Frederick Barbarossa attempts to force the squabbling German fiefdoms into his Holy Roman Empire, which he then must defend from the machinations of the Italian city states and the pope in Rome. And should he accomplish all of those feats, there is always the Third Crusade to wage.

The nomadic tribes of the Asian steppes spent centuries entangled in their own petty feuds until united under Genghis Khan. Within years, a highly disciplined army pours out of Mongolia to embark on a campaign of world conquest. But how can a tribe of horse archers possibly overcome the military might of Persia and Eastern Europe, let alone the technologically advanced empires in China?

Outraged that the Holy Land is ruled by Saracens, knights from Europe have descended upon the Middle East in a series of Crusades. Now four European kingdoms have sprung up in the desert. The Saracen king, Saladin, rallies his troops in an attempt to drive back the invaders. In response to European Crusades, the Saracens have organized a Jihad, countering the European vileness with Saracen treachery. The once-cultured Saracens are now engaged in a barbarous war, but will it be enough to save their homeland?