The Wolf - Stronghold Crusader AI Lords

The Wolf is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Crusader & Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition.

Overview

Duc Volpe is a cold-blooded, ironclad warrior with the desire to shape politics, and to bend the land to his will. With his unlikely alliance of warlords, he is poised to conquer the desert through his strategem. Favouring massive castles along with overwhelming attack forces, the Wolf displays his prowess in warfare through variety in both defence and offense. Facing this opponent may require patience and all known tricks in the grimoire of desert warfare, in order to gain the upper hand against him.

Castles & Defenses

Borrowing inspiration from the game's title, The Wolf constructs elaborate strongholds that are usually complex in design and take up vast real estate. Virtually every tower and defensive measure is utilised in order to repel attacking armies. Thick crenellated walls, sometimes in multiple layers enclose The Wolf's Keep, including massive Square Towers, which host plenty of Crossbowmen, Archers and Mangonels with Ballistae. Moat and Pitch alongside with hidden Killing Pits are commonly built in large numbers, with Trebuchets and Fire Ballistae deployed on the field to oversee the outer perimeter. The Wolf's industry is usually built inside of the castle, with a few designs including the buildings in outside positions. The Wolf's keep is seen teeming with armored units, gradually forming up for an almost impenetrable defense for the Lord, until venturing out for an enemy of his choosing. Arabian Bowmen and Pikemen are seen to handle provoking small forces.

Laying siege to the Wolf's strongholds may vary from less challenging to very hard, depending on his chosen design. The sheer quantity of stone used in the Wolf's designs makes it almost impossible to create a breach and use it to your advantage, however more complex designs can work against the Wolf's defenders as your units can hide in the narrow corridors. The thick wall sections may also present a vulnerability to docking Siege Towers, which can be then quickly used to funnel troops on top of towers and walls to overrun the majority of the ranged units. Ideally you should bother with moat and traps as little as possible, however the nature of the castles may necessitate a few sacrificial lambs to clean up the way for your more expensive units.

In any case, make sure to keep your distance from the heavy armor The Wolf likes to field, which can make short work of stray units of your own. After you have cleared a large swathe of the Wolf's ranged defenders, try contesting the armored units with Fire Ballistae or other fire-throwing units backed by lots of Crossbowmen. Make sure to take out any tower equipment around the area to minimise casualties, particularly from Mangonels. Portable Shields can also greatly assist in approaching the Wolf's castle and contest the ranged firepower.

Economy

Duc Volpe is an advocate of heavy industry backed by a varying level of negative Fear Factor. He gains most of his income from an abundance of Stone Quarries and Iron Mines, as well as he taxes his people at a moderate rate. To counteract the negative popularity, The Wolf builds a few Chapels and also runs Inns with ale production. For his granary, The Wolf builds a few Apple Farms and Dairy Farms, as well as he buys bread to ensure a limited variety of food. Depending on the design, the Wolf will optionally indulge in weapons production in a larger scale, easing the burden on his coffers by not having to buy equipment for his troops.

Raids & Sieges

Preferring massive attacks, the Wolf is not hellbent on harassing the spirit out of his enemies. Right from the outset, he prefers making small squads of Horse Archers and patrol them between the opponent's and his estate, potentially disrupting production and also picking off a few units left alone in the open. Eventually these squads may grow in size, forming a considerable threat to a concentrated pack of peasants leaving their buildings. Another preferred way of harassing for the Wolf is constructing a large number of Catapults and rolling them forward to pummel buildings from afar.

The Wolf's true strength lies in his potential to siege. While his armies start out small, they can eventually grow in size over time that they can pose a serious threat to an unprepared player. Loving heavy troops, The Wolf prepares the sturdiest barracks units. Crossbowmen are sent to take the enemy defenses head on and buy time for his melee units to arrive. Pikemen and Swordsmen provide large bulk for The Wolf's frontline, marching forward at a slow but steady pace to pick off at walls, filling in the enemy Moat, and triggering traps. Siege engineers are also deployed to construct a multitude of siege equipment. For anti-personnel purposes and potentially lighting up single buildings, Fire Ballistae are built, while Catapults and Trebuchets bombard the fortifications from long range, occasionally with cow carcasses to spread disease, although with a limited effect.

Combating the large number of armored forces and siege equipment demands adequate preparations. While the Wolf's attacks may not arrive until later into the game, the moment he chooses to strike at can prove unexpected. The initial Horse Archers can be beaten back by a few ranged units, preferably Crossbowmen, who can also prove invaluable later on by putting the pain into the Wolf's infantry by their penetrating munitions. Ensure that your Keep is completely sealed off, and add Moat to greatly slow down the advancing armor. Should the stream of metal eventually reach your walls, prepare Pitch Ditches with a few Archers to light them up and roast the enemy soldiers alive, or station Fire Throwers in an elevated position. Since the Wolf also brings Crossbowmen, double check that all your ranged defenders are on towers to make many bolts miss and reduce incoming damage. The hostile siege equipment can be dealt with by a combination of a few Mangonels and Ballistae. If playing the Definitive Edition, Eunuchs in small numbers can be used to slowly march up to the Wolf's metal men and deal large chunks of damage with their area slash attacks.