Dennis' Strategies on Castle Defense

This page tells how I defend castles.

Preparation

First of all, if you hope to win a siege, you need at least a Keep. The first two aren't going to stop any serious threats.

You need lots of ranged people, but don't forget about melee. here are my suggestions on men:

40% crossbowmen

30% Archers

30% whatever fighters you like. The best are probably Pikemen, Knights, and Swordsmen. Macemen die too easily.

Positioning and tactics during the siege

At the beginning of the siege, the thing you need to worry about is preventing their men from filling the moat. If there is no moat, then you need to prevent their battering ram from knocking down the wall. The only thing that works against Battering Rams is Crossbowmen. Put them as far forward in the towers as possible, and concentrate them in the center, where the door is.

The archers should be away from the door, behind the crossbowmen if possible. Use them to pick off opposing troops.

Oil Cans

These work soooo well against troops and battering rams if they are used correctly. Here are some tips on using them.

  • Against troops, you need to know what angle to pour the oil out. If the troops are spread apart to fill a moat, dump the oil in an angle. If the troops are bunched in the castle wall, pour it straight on. Another way to take out lots of troops is to get an oil barrel at 2 opposite and dump them simultaneously, so they form an "X" with the oil. This will clear a LOT of troops near the moat.
  • Against a battering ram, go sraight on if possible. You don't do any more damage to it by going to the side, and theres a chance that you can damage the troops behind the battering ram if you go straight on.

    In case the enemy breaches the main wall, make sure your men are set up in key places. Surround the flag with Pikemen, and put knights nearby to pick off anyone who tries to take the flag. Put swordsmen in key places to slow them down. Also, put a unit at each stairwell so your archers aren't too exposed.

    clean up the mess of bodies when you're done.

    This should give you a start. If you have anything to add, please EMail me at Densoh@hotmail.com.

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