The Snake - Stronghold Characters

Duc Beauregard is an antagonist in Stronghold.

Overview

The Snake, real name Duc Beauregard, is first encountered as advising the Rat during the first confrontations with the player's forces. Initially he suggests that the player isn't worth worrying about and that a small siege force should do the trick. After the Rat suffers some first defeats, the Snake departs for his own counties. The Duc Beauregard is a sly and underhanded man who prefers manipulation to open battle. As such, he is quick to betray his former ally and assist the player during the eighth mission Dealing With the Devil, only to stab the player in the back immediately after. Following the Rat's death, the Snake comes under attack by the player and quickly begins losing ground. He soon requests assistance from the Wolf and Pig, but neither his castle nor interventions by the Wolf and Pig can save the Snake from being slain at the end of mission thirteen, Snake Eyes.

Castles

Out of all the four dukes, the Snake is besieged by the three times (The Snake Hunt Begins, The Ransom and Snake Eyes), making him the most often besieged opponent. The first castle of his isn't much to talk about, as it isn't fully completed at the start of the mission. It's an open castle located on an elevated plateau and consists of a keep, a wall and two perimeter turrets, a granary, a hovel and some basic economy buildings. This castle is defended rather poorly as only some archers man the turrets while a group of macemen guards the keep.

His second castle seen in The Ransom is much more impressive. It is a large, fully enclosed L-shaped castle protected by a gatehouse, three perimeter turrets and two defensive turrets at each side of the gate. Inside a chapel, an inn, brewery, barracks, armoury, fletcher, tanner and market can be found. It is defended by a combination of archers, crossbowmen and macemen.

The Snake's final castle is besieged by the player in Snake Eyes and is by far the most formidable one. It is located on an elevated plateau with only a single approach. This approach is overlooked by two square towers housing a ballista each, as well as three defensive turrets manned by archers. Groups of macemen can be found roaming its premises, while crossbowman man the keep. To make things worse, the approach is also covered in deadly man traps.

Military 

Militarily, the Duc Beauregard is a significant step up from the Rat. Gone are the swarms of spearmen in favour of macemen as both defensive and offensive units. Much more than the Rat, the Snake enjoys destroying the player's outside economy, which his macemen are well suited for. During the Ransom, his macemen are also supported by laddermen and will attempt to scale the player's walls. While he initially uses archers, the Snake will later deploy crossbowman as part of his castle defences and siege forces. These can prove especially dangerous for the player's troops, as Duc Beauregard likes to protect his crossbowmen behind portable shields. His biggest weakness is the lack of siege weapons like catapults or battering rams to bring down walls or towers. As such, the Snake will usually have a hard time getting inside a castle and will mostly content himself with destroying outlying buildings such as mines, quarries or farms.

Stronghold: Definitive Edition - Escape from Snake Island

Following the events of Agent of the Crown, the captain and his men are shipwrecked on an island under the Snake's rule. This is where the events of the Stronghold: Definitive Editon's second campaign, Escape from Snake Island, unfold. Throughout the campaign, the Snake's forces relentlessly persue the captain and his men as they attempt to flee the island. The captain manages to meet up with local resistance groups on multiple occasions, and they assist each other against the Duc Beauregard's armies.

The Snake remains somewhat similar to his original depiction in terms of military power. Macemen play a much less significant role in his invasion armies, instead spearmen and pikemen make up the brunt of his forces, with swordsmen and knights making limited appearances as well. His ranged units remain unchanged, while a very large number of catapults has been added to his armies, supported by a few trebuchets, battering rams and tunnellers.