Siegfried - Stronghold Legends AI Lords

Siegfried is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Legends.

Overview

Siegfried von Xanten is a principled and battle-hardened lord from Germany. He plays from a position of power and prefers simple but effective ways to overwhelm his enemies. His blunt preference of Frost Giants makes him both unique and very potent among the computer roster, unleashing the wrath of Ice on anyone standing in his way.

Castles & Defenses

Siegfried builds a straightforward symmetric encampment. A continuous wall runs around the keep along with two Staircases and Ice Mirrors placed at regular intervals. Lookout Towers are built in all four corners with archers Atop, as well as two Engine Towers overlooking west and east supported with a Dragon Harpoon each. Two Gatehouses on the northern and the southern sides allow passage through the castle, where Shield Maidens stand guard. Siegfried's Keep is centralized, providing adequate opportunities for covering fire. The courtyard houses most essential buildings and a few economic ones scattered about. The front is patrolled by a small group of Shield Maidens.

The icy castle of Siegfried may prove surprisingly easy to enter, provided his patrolling armies are fought through successfully. As Siegfried heavily relies on the repulsive force of Ice Mirrors, he is rather vulnerable to siege engines. Siegfried cleverly deploys Archers on elevated positions, however their effectiveness against armored or massed troops is limited and once ladders are set up, his walls and towers are taken control of, once a breach or two are created. Shield Maidens can however excellent at stalling your troops and given the numbers, he may even push your attempts back, so a large army is necessary to maintain firm control.

Economy

Siegfried's industry is well-developed and extensive. He prioritises Honor accumulation and thus he is seen branching out as much as possible. He produces mostly Meat with less emphasis on Apples and Cheese, as well as all three royal food types. In order to fund his war effort, he runs both a Church and an Inn backed by a modest number of Breweries and Chandlers. Siegfried also builds three Fletcher's Workshops to make Archer recruitment a tad more seamless. He can also complete his castle relatively quickly thanks to three Stone Quarries and get extra funds from selling incoming Iron from two mines.

Due to the nature of his economy, Siegfried has the potential to survive harsher times, stockpiling large stocks of most resources. While he sells most of his hops and weapons he does not use, he is more reliant on tax income than selling surplus goods.

Raids & Sieges

Siegfried is one of the lords faster to attack. Right from early on he is bound to send 1-4 Frost Giants, particularly strong brutes to terrorize enemy estates and buildings. These batches pose a large threst even to human players, as Giants require lots of arrows and strikes to kill. Siegfried also sends out small groups of Archers, Shield Maidens and White Wolves along in an attempt to get a few buildings destroyed. Giants above all need coordinated effort to contain, and should Siegfried be able to amass a number of them, he has the potential to get a foothold in the victim's estate, making him one of the best harasser in Stronghold Legends.

The siege forces of Siegfried may be less imposing than his raid groups, they are effective to a limited extent however. Like in his castle's defense, Siegfried also employs Archers and a larger number of Shield Maidens. His army is fast to form up and once in place, he places a Siege Camp which produces two Catapults, one Trebuchet and two Fire Ballistae. Siegfried also constructs a Battering Ram to create a breach in the enemy castle, while sending small batches of Ladderman in. While the Archers may not last very long, the Shield Maidens only need one window to move in with their bulk and make a beeline to the enemy Lord.

While Siegfried leads not the strongest attacks out there, his tendency to amass another siege force can make him somewhat troublesome to tackle. A large number of Crossbowmen is essential in repelling back the enemy ranged forces and soften up the Shield Maidens as they close in on a vulnerable position. As by any other lords, Laddermen are always a threat, so it is imperative to keep a few spread out troops on the walls to detach ladders, should they come up. Heavy armor or fast interceptor units like Macemen can be useful for beating back the clumped up core of Siegfried's forces, while wall attachments can greatly reduce their health, or stall them long enough for your ranged defenders to finish them off.