View source for Mission 2 - Before the Snow

{{Infobox mission
| name       = Before the Snow
| number     = 2
| chapter    = 1: The Age of Iron
| played     = 2nd
| map        = Forest, Small
| demo       = Yes
| time       = 25-40 min
| resources  = 1,200 Wood, 550 Food, 200 Stone, 200 Gold
| teaches    = Expanding a base, walls and gates, training a small force, defending a wall
| objectives = {{Spoiler|mission=2|compact=yes|1=<ol><li>Build two Houses.</li><li>Build a Woodcutters Camp.</li><li>Gather 100 Food.</li><li>Build six spans of wooden wall.</li><li>Place a wooden gate.</li><li>Train three Spearmen.</li><li>Train two more Swordsmen.</li><li>Hold the wall.</li></ol>}}
| previous   = [[Mission 1 - The Muster]]
| next       = [[Mission 3 - The Quiet Stone]]
}}
'''Before the Snow''' is the second mission of the [[Campaign|Story campaign]], in Chapter 1, ''The Age of Iron''. It continues in the same village as [[Mission 1 - The Muster|The Muster]]: you grow it, lay in food for the winter, raise its first wall and gate, and train a few soldiers to stand behind it. It is the first mission with an enemy soldier in it.

== Overview ==
* The village starts as Mission 1 ended: the Town Hall and its villagers, the Infantry Training Grounds and its first Swordsman. This starting layout is the same for every player, whatever they built in Mission 1.
* The starting resources cover every building and unit the mission asks for.
* Mage buildings and units are still hidden, as are siege engines, ships, stone defences and the [[Stronghold]].
* The mission is part of the [[Demo|demo]].

== Story ==
{{Spoiler start|mission=2}}
Ashmere's foothold has held through the autumn. Winter is near, and Corvane is nearer. Hale wants the village ready for both: more houses, a woodcutters camp on the forest side, food laid in for the cold, and a timber wall with a gate across the south-west road, the road an attacker will use.

Once a handful of soldiers stand behind the wall, a single Corvane soldier comes up the road toward the gate. He falls, and the village stands. Hale will not count it as a win. The attack was a scouting test, and Corvane now knows how strong the village has grown.
<blockquote>''"A wall is not for stopping an army; it is for choosing where the fight happens."'' (Commander Hale)</blockquote>
{{Spoiler end}}

== Objectives ==
{{Spoiler start|mission=2}}
# '''Expand.''' Open the Economy tab and build two [[House|Houses]] near the hall. Place a [[Woodcutters Camp]] by the forest: villagers carry wood to the nearest camp.
# '''Stores.''' Send villagers to the bushes and gather 100 Food.
# '''Walls.''' Open the Defensive tab and drag six spans of [[Walls - Wood|wooden wall]] on the south-west approach, at the marker. Then place a [[Gate - Wood|wooden gate]] in the wall line.
# '''Train.''' At the [[Infantry Training Grounds]], train three [[Spearman|Spearmen]] and two more [[Swordsman|Swordsmen]] (three Swordsmen in all). A checkpoint is saved as this step begins.
# '''Hold the wall.''' A checkpoint is saved as this step begins. About 15 seconds later, one Corvane Swordsman marches on the gate. Keep your soldiers behind the wall and defeat him. The mission is complete once no enemy soldier is left near the village.
{{Spoiler end}}

== Characters met ==
{{Spoiler start|mission=2}}
* '''[[Characters#Commander Aldric Hale|Commander Aldric Hale]]'''.
* A lone '''[[Characters#Corvane|Corvane]]''' soldier, sent to test the wall.
{{Spoiler end}}

== Notes ==
{{Spoiler start|mission=2}}
* When you start training, Hale gives advice on which soldier beats which. It is battlefield advice: the game does not apply damage bonuses between unit types yet. See [[Damage types]].
* Corvane's army is held back: in this mission it may attack walls and gates, but not your other buildings, your units or your Town Hall.
* The dormant Pillar from Mission 1 still stands on the map, unremarked.
* The Mystic [[Callings|Calling]] is still locked.
{{Spoiler end}}

== Campaign ==
&larr; Previous: [[Mission 1 - The Muster]] &middot; Next: [[Mission 3 - The Quiet Stone]] &rarr;

{{Navbox campaign}}
{{Navbox game}}

[[Category:Story]]
[[Category:Missions]]