Summary
Building a kingdomtakes a lot of planning, especially inStronghold Definitive Edition.The game has tons of structures that can be built to expand a player’s territory, though each has its corresponding costs. But with so many options, which ones should players prioritize and invest in early on in their games?
From ensuring a steady supply of resources and food to guaranteeing that the citizens are well housed, and the lord and the surrounding perimeter are protected within and around the keep, these buildings should be the first on any player’s priority list whenever they begin a game inStronghold Definitive Edition.
8Quarry
Produces Stone
Stone buildings are often prioritized since they are much sturdier structures compared to wooden ones. When players play on a map that has stone deposits, they should save up some Wood to build Quarries as soon as they can, as well as Ox Tethers to further increase the number of Stones available in the stockpile.
Quarries allow players to collect Stone that can be used for better defensive battlements, such as Stone Walls, Stone Gatehouses, and Towers. Armories and Barracks can also be built with Stone to make them less susceptible to being destroyed. Compared to Wooden versions, these are better at taking hits from enemy siege weapons.
Stone Towers also provide ranged units more range when they are placed atop the towers; this makes defending against attacking armies easier since they can start shooting arrows at them even as they are mustering their forces outside the castle.
7Armory
Houses Weaponry
The Armory is a vital building to have as soon as possible inStronghold Definitive Edition. Once the different Weapons Production structures have begun creating weapons, they will need a place to store this equipment for the player’s burgeoning army.
Placing an Armory near the Weapons Production buildings is great since it willstreamline the availability of weapons. In most cases, Armories are often placed close to the keep because Weapons Production buildings are usually most efficient when built near the stockpile, which is also near the Keep.
Having an Armory ready to house weapons ensures players can have a steady stream of armed soldiers whenever the need arises.
6Fletcher’s Workshop
Workshop For Building Ranged Weapons
As far as the best military unit inStronghold Definitive Editionis concerned, none comes close to Archers, especially during the early stages of the game. Their range allows them tobombard enemies with arrowsfrom afar and is especially deadly when they are grouped together and have high ground like in a Tower or a Gatehouse.
To get Archers going, investing in a Fletcher’s Workshop is essential. This building allows the production of Bows and Arrows, which Archers need. Having this early provides much-needed ranged support to one’s Keep, since Archers can also use the Keep as a Tower to attack enemies before they can get close.
When placing a Fletcher’s Workshop, it is best to have it near the stockpile and Armory to maximize its location. The worker in charge of Fletcher’s Workshop will need Wood to make Bows and Arrows, and will then need to store the weapons in the Armory.
5Barracks
Trains Various Soldiers
Once players have a steady stream of weapons available in their Armory, the next step they need to takeis to conscript soldiersto use those weapons. The Barracks provides such soldiers, depending on what Military buildings are built within the castle area.
The number of soldiers players can hire is dependent on how many peasants are available, as well as how many weapons their armory currently holds. For example, if there are 8 peasants available, but there are only 5 spears in the Armory, the player can only train 5 peasants to become Spearmen.
Placing the Barracks within the castle is up to the player’s preference, but take note that whenever a player trains any soldier, they automatically rally towards the Barracks.
4Hovel
Housing For Peasants
While having impressive battlements and buildings within a player’s territory is awesome, these are all for naught if they do not havea sizable populationto help run and thrive within it. To increase the population of a Castle or Keep, players need to build Hovels around the vicinity. These domiciles add to the number of workers players can have on their keep.
However, adding Hovels just for the sake of having more population can be a risky endeavor, since more workers means more mouths to feed. Players who want to expand their armies should also plan out how to ensure their Granaries are well-stocked with food and their Armories are filled with the weapons they want their armies to specialize in.
It is also important to place Hovels in safe areas within one’s territory. Having space ensures peasants are happy and do not feel overcrowded, which can result in players losing Popularity and even other peasants leaving the Castle.
3Granary
Storage For Food Items
Building and growing cropsfor food is one thing, but where would the farmers store food for the lord’s growing populace? This is where the Granary comes in: this structure is valuable in any Castle or Kingdom since this is the place where food items are stored.
Whether playing a campaign or a normal match, placing the Granary is often one of the first key structures players need to place in the best location, which is typically close to food-generating structures like the Bakery or Dairy Farms, since they produce Bread and Cheese, respectively.
However, farmland is usually situated on the outskirts of the castle. That’s why, in most cases, placing the Granary near the stockpile is also a good choice, since it will be near the keep, which is typically more secure than the other structures.
2Wheat Farm
Resource For Wheat
Any kingdom that has its own subjects will need to feed them. Food production buildings are essential in this regard, since these structures produce the necessary provisions. On most maps, Wheat Farms are the primary food production structure available for players.
When planning a Castle’s layout, plotting out where the Wheat Farms will go is essential since placing them in optimal locations provides a steady flow of crops that can be processed into Bread, which will be placed in the Granary for storage.
Keeping Wheat Farms in proximity to the stockpile also keeps the Wheat from withering, since if the wheat isn’t harvested on time, the crops will rot and become unusable. After placing the Wheat Farm, players then need to invest in a Mill and Bakery to make Bread, one of the best foods to feed a lord’s growing population.
1Woodcutter’s Hut
Resource For Wood
Wood is the first resource players will need to build other structures within their domain. Wood is essential for crafting initial weapons for starting units like Archers and Spearmen, as well as setting up preliminary walls to add protection to key buildings or pathways.
This is why setting up a Woodcutters Hut is of the utmost priority each time players start a game. Placing at least three of them near clusters of trees makes the workers chopping Wood a bit more efficient: looking for the closest tree cluster to the stockpile also vastly improves the Wood the workers can deliver.
Once there’s enough Wood, players can decide accordingly which other buildings their castle needs. On top of this, players gain access to structures that allow the crafting of weapons to let them begin building their armies.
