Dietrich - Stronghold Legends AI Lords

Dietrich von Bern is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Legends.

Overview

Dietrich is an Ice faction player, who likes adventures and taking the fight to his enemies. In the campaigns he is blindsided by his insatiable lust for besting mighty mythical creatures, and this tendency tends to show in his combat capabilities, often more to his detriment than not.

Castles & Defenses

Dietrich likes to build a rectangular encampment with a densely packed interior. He has a continuous wall running around his Keep, featuring all types of towers spread out evenly, where Crossbowmen are stationed. A Lookout Tower and an Engine Tower guards the front, where the only Gatehouse is built. Dietrich's economy is not hampered much by this however, as he builds the Granary and other processing buildings outside the castle. The corners are also reinforced with Moat and a few Ice Mirrors provide limited defense against ladder attacks. Men-at-arms guard two exposed wall sections on the sides, as well as White Witches patrol the close proximity of the gatehouse.

Dietrich's 'fortress' has actually well-prepared defenses in place, however it is not invulnerable to attacks. While his Crossbowmen can deal some respectable damage to troops and Ice Mirrors can freeze attackers close by, there is no long-range defense against trebuchets, catapults or fire ballistae. Dietrich also lacks the sturdy troops necessary to counteract heavy armor, so a mass of Archers can easily overwhelm his patrolling forces. Swarms of Laddermen can also place up ladders along prolonged wall lines, granting an easy pathway on the top of Dietrich's walls and lay claim to his towers. Dietrich's courtyard is rather cramped and offers limited opportunity for reinforcements to counterattack, so he rarely has potential for comeback after his towers are fallen.

Economy

The industry of Dietrich can be classified as moderately developed. He only builds a single Stone Quarry, delaying finishing his castle by quite a while. Dietrich however has ample Meat and Cheese production, as well as he brews Ale for his peasants to lay his hands on extra funds. The Ice lord builds five Poleturners for extended spear production, as well as a few Fletchers and Tanners for supplying Crossbowmen. His Pantry is supplied Eels and Pigs from two producers each.

Dietrich likes to stockpile large quantities of food, Wood and Stone. He also keeps some Hops and Ale around, although he is generally not productive enough to leave high stocks of either. Dietrich suffers from a trade bug however, constantly buying and selling Swords and Metal Armour. This greatly reduces his income and development speed, spending considerable time not recruiting or investing in his economy.

Raids & Sieges

Dietrich uses the Ice Tower consistently to send small trickles of fantasy units to contest estates and annoy his enemies. Virtually every Ice unit - except for Dwarves and the Ice Queen -, Archers and Catapults can be expected from him, of which the most potent choice is a lonely Frost Giant. Rarely Dietrich can also send a squad of 10 Polar Bears, both of which necessitates ample firepower and/or armor. White Witches tend to also be unexpectedly disruptive, however their effectiveness diminishes as defenses are put in place.

Should Dietrich eventually attack, he brings siege forces blunt and fairly unimpressive in terms of unit quality, however it is high in numbers. Two large groups of Men-at-arms supported by Crossbowmen are his army choice, hoping to take the wind of his adversary's sails by rushing laddermen in and quickly scaling defenseless walls. The moment the Ice Lord creates his Siege Camp, a modest formation of two Trebuchets, two Mantlets and a single Cat provides limited bombardment and personal protection capabilities.

Combating Dietrich should take considerably little effort, however it may prove harder than expected to muster a proper defense force. While his light Barracks units can be dealt with by dishing out concentrated fire, his Trebuchets may set up well outside range and take potshots from safety. To dispose of them, either quickly dismantle the infantry, or keep a response force of fast units - White Wolves, Macemen, Hellhounds - at hand to lead a timely counterattack. If playing as Evil, Vampiric Creepers can completely invalidate Dietrich's offensively AND defensively, since Crossbowmen and Men-at-arms can be converted with impunity, bolstering your ranks with ease.