The Wolf - Stronghold Characters

Duc Volpe is an antagonist in Stronghold.

Overview

The Wolf, real name Duc Volpe, is the cold and cruel main antagonist of Stronghold. He is first encountered during the eleventh mission Blood Letting, where he assists the Snake by sending a force of deadly swordsmen against the player. After the failure of his forces to end the player, he assembles his main army and marches to aid the Snake, though he's too late, and Duc Beauregard is slain before his arrival. While the Pig chases the player's forces, the Wolf spend most his time retaking lost counties. Following the Pig's death, the Wolf brings his full force to bear against the player. He commands the deadliest army in the game, made up of high quality troops. Still, his army is defeated, and the Wolf retreats to his castle. There he is personally slain by the player in the final mission, Final Vengeance.

Castles

The Wolf is only besieged during the final mission of the game. His castle is a massive, thrice layered fortress located on a peninsula, surrounded by the sea on three sides. The only entrance to the first layer of the castle is surrounded by a deep moat and war dogs, overlooked by four round towers sporting archers and tower mounted engines like mangonels and ballistas. The entrance to the second more elevated layer is protected by a gatehouse, four square towers with engines and two defensive turrets, while two round towers from the third layer overlook the entire area. The entrance to the third and final layer housing the stronghold is protected by another gatehouse and two more round towers with engines. There is also another defensive turret located right next to the stronghold itself. An assortment of archers, crossbowmen, pikemen, swordsmen, knights, macemen and oil tippers man the castle's defences.

Military 

The Wolf is the strongest enemy in the game. His field army is large and well-equipped, consisting mainly out swordsmen, macemen, knights and archers. In their assault these troops are supported by large numbers of tunnellers, catapults, trebuchets and battering rams which make sure to create breaches in the walls and bring towers down. The Wolf also brings numerous portable shields to protect his catapults and trebuchets. While the siege weapons and swordsmen attack his enemy's castle, the knights and macemen make sure to destroy any economic buildings outside the wall. It is recommended to have a large force of knights at hand when facing the Wolf, as their speed allows them to sally out and destroy his engines before they can turn your castle to rubble. 

Stronghold: Definitive Edition - Valley of the Wolf

The Wolf returns as the final antagonist in the Stronghold: Definitive Edition DLC, Valley of the Wolf. The Wolf keeps the Jewel imprisoned at a palace deep within his territory. Nonetheless, the captain and his men take on the perilous journey to save Sir Longarm's niece and face off against the Wolf and his mighty forces deep behind enemy lines.

The Wolf's military contains very few changes compared to the original game. Most notably, the Wolf uses more pikemen and crossbowmen in his invasion armies, while macemen are somewhat rarer and tunnellers are no longer used at all. Some patrolling spearmen are also encountered during the final mission.