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11 Warfare in Stronghold 4 centres on the siege, the part of castle life the series is best known for. Attackers must break through walls and defences, while defenders turn their fortress into a deadly obstacle for any army that approaches.
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44 Classic tools of siegecraft return, including moats and tunnellers, alongside deadly castle traps and defensive constructions. The game adds new tactical military structures and units to this mix, broadening the options on both sides of a siege. Among the new additions is a ballista, a ranged engine that can cut down crowds of attacking soldiers.
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66 Siege tools
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88 ToolSidePurposeMoatsDefenceSlow and channel attackers approaching the wallsTunnellersAttackDig beneath defences to undermine wallsCastle trapsDefenceDeadly constructions that punish attackers inside the fortressBallistaAttackA new ranged war engine that tears through massed infantryNew military structures and unitsBothTactical additions that broaden options on attack and defence
99 On defence, the demo's military mission leaned on layered fortifications: towers linked by walls and gatehouses, with flammable pitch poured onto attackers to break up massed assaults. Against waves of ground troops and enemy siege engines, reading where pressure will land and channelling it with moats and traps matters as much as raw troop numbers.
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1111 Units and Abilities
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13-Troops and siege engines carry abilities, some triggered automatically and some passive. Men-at-arms hurl spears at enemies who close in, while longbowmen have a chance to land a critical hit for extra damage. New siege units and siege weapons broaden the arsenal alongside the ballista, and higher honour ranks unlock stronger troops as a settlement advances.
13+Troops and siege engines carry abilities, some triggered automatically and some passive. Men-at-arms hurl spears at enemies who close in, while longbowmen have a chance to land a critical hit for extra damage. New siege units and siege weapons broaden the arsenal alongside the ballista, and higher honour ranks unlock stronger troops as a settlement advances. Firefly has described these abilities as still evolving during development.
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1515 One troop type has been confirmed by name. The maceman is described in game as armed with a mace and leather armour, with quick movement that suits surprise raids. Selecting a unit opens a panel carrying its portrait, that description, rows of attack and defence values, stance controls, and a disband button. Individual soldiers also carry their own names, so a selected maceman is identified as a particular man rather than an anonymous counter.
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1717 TroopWhat it doesMacemanCarries a mace and leather armour; quick on its feet, which suits surprise raidsMen-at-armsThrow spears at enemies who close to short rangeLongbowmenHave a chance to land a critical hit for extra damage
18+Troop limits have not been fixed. Firefly has said it is too early in development to name a final figure, that making the limit as generous as possible is a priority, and that it intends to test and tune it with players ahead of launch.
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1921 Weather on the battlefield
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2123 Combat is shaped by enhanced medieval war mechanics that force players to read the conditions. Weather becomes a tactical factor: heavy rain, for example, can cut the range of archers, so commanders must adapt their plans to the skies as well as the terrain. Players test these systems against the artificial lords described under game modes.