Forts

[Brave Brave Sir Robin]

This thread is about a feature of EB I have seen people discuss in passing but never much in depth. Mainly, the use of forts. Do you use them? Do you use them seasonally (winter when FM's aren't supposed to campaign)? Do you block key passes with them?

I was inspired by a recent battle in my Hai campaign. Personally I use forts very rarely and as the AI hardly ever uses them, they are usually nonexistant in my campaigns. However, in this particular campaign the AI has been using them often and oftentimes, rather cleverly. In previous campaigns if they did build one, they moved out the next turn. In this case, the AS had a fort blocking the pass from Mazaka to Karkiotherta meaning that I could not attack through the mountain pass easily. He also loaded it up with 20 units including one Hypaspistai and Toxotai Syriokoi. I needed to dislodge him or risk a large army behind my lines cutting off my supplies and so I used my main army to attack the fort.



It ended up being a closely contested battle, decided only when my general bravely attacked the Hypaspists covering one flank allowing my other infantry to get behind his phalangites. I wish the AI could do this more often. Currently the AS has another large fort on its border with the Saba and another smaller one blocking the road to the south west of Karkiotherta. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Damn, why are my pics always so big?