spoc148
hunter of rabbits
Is there any need for fortresses?...Do you build them, or am i missing out on something?
thanks
spoc148
thanks
spoc148
Fortresses
- Thread starter spoc148
- Start date
You have your workers build them on terrain squares, and then you fortify units in them. It gives you a nifty defense bonus, especially when built on a mountain or hill, and a zone of control for some units. If you build a line of them along your borders, it makes it that much harder for enemies to invade and that much easier for you to defend.
I've used them before at vital chokepoints where I couldn't fit cities. Otherwise they aren't all that useful. Civ3 doesn't have as much Area of Control as previous Civ games...
An enemy can just bypass a randomly placed fortress if they want to. You really need them to completely block off an entrance and that isn't always possible or feasible. Plus with my warlike tendencies I tend to "expand" my borders so often that my fortresses get left behind. At least in SMAC there was a slight bonus in that enemies had to waste turns "capturing" your bunker/fortress. I used to build bunker traps and use cruise missiles to wipe em out later.. ahh the memories. If you really want to make fortresses more useful try giving them (or some common defensive units) 1 tile radius Area of Control. This way you could patrol a small border quite efficiently.
An enemy can just bypass a randomly placed fortress if they want to. You really need them to completely block off an entrance and that isn't always possible or feasible. Plus with my warlike tendencies I tend to "expand" my borders so often that my fortresses get left behind. At least in SMAC there was a slight bonus in that enemies had to waste turns "capturing" your bunker/fortress. I used to build bunker traps and use cruise missiles to wipe em out later.. ahh the memories. If you really want to make fortresses more useful try giving them (or some common defensive units) 1 tile radius Area of Control. This way you could patrol a small border quite efficiently.
spoc148
hunter of rabbits
Ok thanks for the help!
spoc148
spoc148
Strider
In Retrospect
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2002
- Messages
- 8,984
I rarely use fortress's, but they have played key roles in several of my games.
For example... I marched an army of tanks overland to take a civ that was not on the same contient as me. I sent some workers and settlers also.... Well it ended up that my force's ended up getting trapped on a mountain... The only way they could heal without getting attacked was by building a fortress... and the AI left me alone on the mountain... VERY USEFUL.
For example... I marched an army of tanks overland to take a civ that was not on the same contient as me. I sent some workers and settlers also.... Well it ended up that my force's ended up getting trapped on a mountain... The only way they could heal without getting attacked was by building a fortress... and the AI left me alone on the mountain... VERY USEFUL.
Grille
panel insect
If your *maginot line* is placed well (on mountains and such), maybe with carefully chosen bypasses, fortresses are fine indeed. The ai tends to go through such bypass, while you can take free shots w/ units placed in the fortress. The ai can't handle this (exploit?) and will continue their original attack objective with an unhealthy unit after bypassing.
You may want to build a forest beneath a fortress to increase defensive bonus, especially on (plain-, grassland-) tiles not belonging to a city radius.
You may want to build a forest beneath a fortress to increase defensive bonus, especially on (plain-, grassland-) tiles not belonging to a city radius.
MadScot
Brandy's back!
If in the defensive stage of a modern war I will often build a fortress for my artillery reaction force to occupy while they pound a SoD - just in case the AI tries a suicide run at the artillery. Usually it's on my own territory, and I can just rail a couple of workers in to build the fort.
I feel a lot happier with my artillery protected in a fortress. I guess it's a kind of firebase.
I used them to form a defensive line, here - ther artillery were in the red circled tiles, and the enemy kept coming along the blue arrow.
The no-road zone across the border helped slow the enemy units down so they couldn't reach my artillery anyway, but I felt happier.
I feel a lot happier with my artillery protected in a fortress. I guess it's a kind of firebase.
I used them to form a defensive line, here - ther artillery were in the red circled tiles, and the enemy kept coming along the blue arrow.
The no-road zone across the border helped slow the enemy units down so they couldn't reach my artillery anyway, but I felt happier.
Fortresses are neat. They can permanently block paths, choke points, Isthmus' of land as well as providing excellent defence and Attacks of Opportunity for certain units.
I always build them on smaller islands on every tile and place a unit there making it impossible for enemies to invade unless they use Marines, in which case the fortress provides a defence boost for that.
I always build them on smaller islands on every tile and place a unit there making it impossible for enemies to invade unless they use Marines, in which case the fortress provides a defence boost for that.
Madscott: What does SoD mean?
Fortresses can be very useful if you realise that the AI will not attack very often a well protected fortress. That way you can make the AI do what you want and fight a war on your terms, not the AI's. Getting the enemy to do what you want nearly assures you the victory.
Fortresses can be very useful if you realise that the AI will not attack very often a well protected fortress. That way you can make the AI do what you want and fight a war on your terms, not the AI's. Getting the enemy to do what you want nearly assures you the victory.
Grille
panel insect
Another back-stabbing strat is about using ROP to build fortresses next to ai cities, on resource locations etc. Haven't used it recently, because it's kind of an exploit.
Johnny Torio
Chieftain
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2003
- Messages
- 14
Fortesses are a great way to block land trade. Also a great defenseive if in the case you are attacked. I always build a network of fortresses along a border of a threat. This will usually help me in the case I get attacked. Also it will creat distress in that country and if you have roads leading their way you may gain some little towns through culture. its a gerat defenseive strategy I call, The Great Wall. It really does work.
ststeven11
Chieftain
Fortresses have their uses.
On a border-chokepoint they are invaluable. I recently played a game where the Greeks were south of me on a fat peninsula which narrowed to a one-tile chokepoint. I didn't want to tangle with their Hoplites early on, so I built a city near the chokepoint and built 3 fortresses on the border (two were for fall-back positions). I was able to turn my attention to my more vulnerable and difficult to defend areas to the west and through the ages I repulsed _numerous_ Greek assaults with relatively few military resources committed to the south.
On a wide front, fortresses are useful in protecting strategic areas, such as resource tiles and high ground near borders. IMHO, if an enemy bypasses a fortress, it has arguably done its job. If you can steer an enemy army into a killing zone, so much the better. I try not to build long lines of fortresses on lengthy borders, a la Maginot and GW, but that's just my preference. I also like to use them to garrison troops instead of cities, especially after nuclear weapons become available.
The biggest drawback is that you need to keep forts garrisoned, even if your borders have moved past them. The reason being a fast-moving enemy unit(s) and/or paratroopers could quickly move in and exploit them.
On a border-chokepoint they are invaluable. I recently played a game where the Greeks were south of me on a fat peninsula which narrowed to a one-tile chokepoint. I didn't want to tangle with their Hoplites early on, so I built a city near the chokepoint and built 3 fortresses on the border (two were for fall-back positions). I was able to turn my attention to my more vulnerable and difficult to defend areas to the west and through the ages I repulsed _numerous_ Greek assaults with relatively few military resources committed to the south.
On a wide front, fortresses are useful in protecting strategic areas, such as resource tiles and high ground near borders. IMHO, if an enemy bypasses a fortress, it has arguably done its job. If you can steer an enemy army into a killing zone, so much the better. I try not to build long lines of fortresses on lengthy borders, a la Maginot and GW, but that's just my preference. I also like to use them to garrison troops instead of cities, especially after nuclear weapons become available.
The biggest drawback is that you need to keep forts garrisoned, even if your borders have moved past them. The reason being a fast-moving enemy unit(s) and/or paratroopers could quickly move in and exploit them.
Rabid Pop Tart
Aspiring Graphic Designer
Welcom to the CFC forums. [dance]
![[party]](/images/smilies/partytime.gif "Party [party]")
[dance] Zone of Control...Some units (Modern Armor, Mech Infantry...) have it built in. Other's don't. Theoretically, fortresses add that attribute to every unit. Theoretically. I haven't played with them much. Also, whether or not your unit decides to take a potshot at your opponenet is completely random, as is whether or not fighters doing air superiority react to bombers.
As for fortresses, they can be very useful, but only in certain situations. I had a game of Carthage where I got behind because Nu.Mers are so expensive that I didn't have time to crank anything else out. Anyways, I had a city as a choke point, with only one other square to defend. I built a fortress, and I was set. That choke point was never crossed, and I ended up winning a conquest victory. Also, a strat in that game was to put 8 rifleman, 8 cannons, and a few workers into a transport. I'd land next to the city, build a fortress, fortify my units and then bomb away while my transports went back for the offensive units.
So they have their uses, you just have to be creative. The biggest advantage is that they're free and they give a big bonus.
Generalissimo
Chieftain
I use forts sometimes, usualy if I have a recourse on the border with another civ and need to secure it.
The AI seems to use forts even less, but in my current game the Ottomans made two. They are on a fairly large penuslia and that one square is the only land route to their cities. First time I've seen the AI actualy use Forts. It took me a ton of artiliary to finaly capture that area.
The AI seems to use forts even less, but in my current game the Ottomans made two. They are on a fairly large penuslia and that one square is the only land route to their cities. First time I've seen the AI actualy use Forts. It took me a ton of artiliary to finaly capture that area.
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