Forts

[Tiberius Nero]

aint a fag a cigarrette or a cigar in england too?

A cigarette. Sometimes I 've heard it refering to cigarette butts, smoked cigarettes, but I am no native speaker, so nuances of slang might occasionally escape me.

[johnhughthom]

I believe a cigarette butt is actually a "fag end"

[Morte66]

2. Forts, how YOU use them in your campaigns

I mostly use them as spoilers, to buy time, like a lot of people on this thread.

I do sometimes use them as serious defensive positions on a choke point that I mean to hold against sieges. The AI will usually assault a fort in the end. An army that's heavy on levy pikemen will do some serious slaughter at a wall breach, it's the next best thing to a river battle.

When placing forts, I don't put them up against the border if I can help it. They act as temptation for armies that you're not yet at war with. I think it's better to put them as close to home as you can get them whilst still blocking the strategic approach. That also means you can reinforce them quicker.

A fort with a big garrison in the right place is a tool of peace, because the AI is less likely to randomly attack strong opponents. E.g. I've played the Getae with a twelve stack army sat in a fort in that pass north of Serdike. Every turn or two the ~20 stack Macedonian armies would sniff at it and move off. A 12 stack army was expensive, but cheaper than a war with Macedon. OTOH my little "tripwire" fort with 18 men east of Patavium got attacked by the first Roman army that came within sight. This deterrence strategy works especially well if you're also giving occasional gifts through diplomats.

[stupac]

That kinda confuses me...the word faggot...back in roman times..oh god let me not go there

Anyways yeah, what you mean they took faggots? Was that some kind of special...man...that did the job or just another name for slaves?

lol. Well, I don't know how I let that slip in there. Yes, I was referring to a bundle of sticks or brush. I remember it from when I was reading the Conquest of Gaul which the translation I had must have been written by a bunch of stuffy Oxford alumni, and they frequently used such terms. No, I understand that it can refer to a cigerrate as well in some places, as well as "other" things here on the west coast of the United States. I'm sort of glad I did put it in though, it certainly led to some golden discussion.