Do forts appear in tactical battles?

**Grifman** · 10-03-2004, 03:51

Ok you can build forts on the strategic map, but can you fight from them on the tactical map? Just curious, I've build some but the AI hasn't attacked them yet.

Grifman

**LittleRaven** · 10-03-2004, 04:13

Originally Posted by Grifman

Ok you can build forts on the strategic map, but can you fight from them on the tactical map? Just curious, I've build some but the AI hasn't attacked them yet.

The AI actually built a fort the other day, so of course I attacked it.

It most certainly appeared on the tactical map. It's like a tiny city, with a gate on each side and a tower on each corner. The towers face out from the corners, though, so they don't help the defender much.

Forts also starve really really quickly. I think whether or not they would be useful would depend heavily on whether you're playing a faction that can take advantage of a phalanx.

**Thoros of Myr** · 10-03-2004, 05:30

I like to use them as an early warning system for places where I don't want the enemy just waltzing through. I throw a few archers/arty in them usually.

**hoof** · 10-03-2004, 10:26

Forts have a really nice property if you happen to have an unfriendly border with only a few narrow passes for access. They require a siege to take down, but still have the "red zone" that prohibits enemy movement. Thus they can be made into effective plugs in your defences without committing to a big garrison.

I played the Seleucid empire and had some trouble with the Parthas and Armenians. I wasn't interested (yet) in heading into the mountains to take them on directly, as I wanted to focus on the Egyptians and then the backstabbing Greeks. However, they kept sieging my cities along the base of the mountains (including one time when they took a city). My solution was to plug up each of the access points with a Fort, with two or three units in each.

With those forts in place, the AI cannot get past them w/o taking a few turns (which allows me to move in a counter-attack army). With a standing army as your plug, the enemy can clear the pass by attacking the army with overwhelming force (and move on immediately afterwards), thus you need to commit to a large garrison in the passes to deal with any potential threat. But a fort requires a siege, which requires a minimum of 2 turns (one to start the attack and build a ram, another to take the fort, then deal with the Phalanxes I have defending the breaches). They cannot bypass the forts due to the zone of influence (that red zone surrounding enemy units). And this 2-turn delay can be done with one unit in the garrison. No more AI army showing up out of nowhere next to my cities, or large expensive armies blocking those same passes.

**Turbo** · 10-03-2004, 10:55

I have yet to see the AI attack any forts. Has anyone had this experience? I am wondering if this is a bug as the AI stops at all forts never attacks and just sits there.

**TexRoadkill** · 10-03-2004, 12:42

The AI attacked one of my forts.

**Oaty** · 10-03-2004, 20:32

I think part of the problem is the fact that the A.I. is going from city A to sack city C but the problem is while the A.I. army is marching it hits a no pass zone at fort B so it really does'nt want the fort but ca'nt figure out how to get to city C.

Another funny one I saw was when an all cavalry army ran into my fort. AWWWWW I feel so sorry no battering ram for you.

But as far as them not assaulting it when they run into most of times I have no idea as they may not be able to tell what type of unit you have in there but they can at least see the number of units and when they have 10 units and there is only 1 the comp should be able to do the math.

**ICantSpellDawg** · 10-03-2004, 22:45

Any Pics????!?!?!?!?!!?!!!?

**Krosword** · 10-03-2004, 22:56

The greeks made one and a trade route was going through it - it was full of troops and I thought it was a city. I only realized it was a fort once I took it - I couldn't build anything! MAn i was fooled!! :D