The Rat - Stronghold Crusader 2 AI Lords

The Rat is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Crusader 2.

Overview

"Duc de Puce, aka The Rat, is a weak and highly dislikeable individual. Not only is he a tactically inept military general, he is also an exceptionally unskilled builder of castles, making him a pitiful foe and an even worse ally."

– the Rat's in-game description

Castles & Defenses

The Rat builds very basic castles and unimpressive castles. Sometimes the castle is divided into two or more sections by gate houses and walls. The Rat doesn't use towers or siege engines to defend his castles, relying on a few archers and men at arms placed on the walls and keep. 

As the weakest opponent in the game, taking his castle isn't a difficult task. His ranged units can easily be cleared away by even a medium-sized force of archers, crossbowmen or horse archers. In some cases this isn't even necessary, as a force of 10 to 20 swordsmen or Arabic swordsmen can easily take down the Rat on their own. His defences only pose a threat to attacks by unarmoured units, such as conscripts or slaves.

Economy

The Rat's economy is very simple. For food, he consumes apples from his six apple orchards, while four wood camps and up to two quarries provide him with the stone and wood. A single fletchers and two pole-turners provide his army with bows and spears.

Raids & Sieges

The Rat's armies consist out of conscripts, men at arms and archers supported by mantlets and catapults. 

Just as his castle and ecobomy, the Rat is hardly a military genius. Still the current Duc de Puce is a more competent commander than his late father. The Rat will raid early and continuously by sending between forty to sixty conscripts and men at arms against outlying economic structures. His preferred targets are lumbers mills and farms, followed by quarries and iron mines. Once the Rat decides to launch a siege force against his enemy, it will consist of conscripts, men at arms, archers, mantlets and catapults.

Defending one's castle against his attacks is rather easy, as even a few archers atop walls and towers will be able to repel his armies. Since the Rat is rather fond of raiding outlying economic buildings, it's recommended to have some units guard them against raiders. Even though his raids are made up of cheap units only, they shouldn't be underestimated, as the Rat is very determined to destroy his opponent's resource production.