The Lioness - Stronghold Crusader AI Lords

The Lioness is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition (available in The Sergeant and the Lioness DLC).

Overview

The Lioness is a fierce but allegedly kind-hearted fighter who was forced to spend the majority of her life among brigands. Rising in the ranks, the Lioness earned her renown by building humble but refined fortifications, as well as using troops of her Bedouin and Arabic heritage. Loyal to her namesake, the Lioness likes to pounce at her enemy when least expected, as her economy can be deceivingly small. Is this feline's bite worse than her growl though?

Castles & Defenses

The Lioness tends to build relatively small enclosures in a rectangular shape, akin to the Caliph's castles. Her designs feature an inner courtyard with Defense Turrets in the corners, with a continuous line of high walls, as well as an outer narrow ring sealed off with a combed low wall. The very outside is covered in sections of Moat and assorted Pitch Ditches, as well as individually standing Lookout Towers are added at regular intervals. Arabian Bowmen are housed on the gates and the towers, and individual Eunuchs are spread out in the outer ring to address infiltrators. Usually the castle is only approachable through one Small Gatehouse, requiring workers to go around the castle most of the time. Two sides of the castle also have sparsely positioned Fire Ballistae on the fringes to compansate for a lack of a Tower Ballista.

The Lioness has surprisingly light patrols comprised of Eunuchs and Arabian bowmen. She also deploys a band of Heavy Camels to swat off incoming pesky raiders whenever required.

The Lioness is a very aggressive opponent, who relies mostly on her defenders at the Keep. Getting in her castle is best done by breaking through rather than carefully planning out a zone of attack. A large number of Catapults can quickly lay waste to the Lioness's towers and create breaches in the walls, as well as Demolishers or Sappers can quickly destroy the gates and surgically strike at one side of the castle, ignoring the moat and pitch. Those sentry Fire Ballistae can be swiftly eliminated by a choice of shock troop like Macemen, however beware of the Eunuchs who can carve their way through a flood of units streaming in through your breaches. Crossbowmen or a large number of Horse Archers can also reliably work, as individual groups of Arabian bowmen can't counteract the firepower of a superior army. Keep your attacking army in one big clump and slowly push forward, as you eventually thin out the Lioness's numbers. Once the gates close, the Lioness cannot show enough economy to hold out much longer, and your army should soon be in a position to dispose of her Lord.

Economy

The Lioness builds a moderately effective economy based on Stone and Iron production, in order to fuel her endless bands of mercenaries. She also feeds her populace with Bread and Apples, as well as she builds a handful of Mosques to spread faith and garner additional popularity in return for more taxes. Usually the number of Bakeries is just enough for a moderate surplus, however the small number of peasants also plays into the trade of these goods in the long run. The Lioness doesn't utilise other sources of popularity like Inns or Fear Factor.

Raids & Sieges

Nomen est omen, the Lioness is a fierce attacker and she is quick to attempt another siege after one has been repelled. Raiding is not her forte though, nonetheless she attempts to cause a ruckus by sending small bands of Camel Lancers and eventually Fire Throwers right from the outset. These units usually arrive in one group or separated from each other, and those Lancers can be surprisingly effective at quickly destroying a building or two. Later on, the Lioness also sends harassing Catapults and Fire Ballistae to cause further annoyance and burn down any building or unit that is unlucky enough to stand in their way.

In the siege department, the Lioness shows some persistence and an impressive display of mercenary troops. Her choice of mainline troop is Assassins, who augment other army groups and also attempt to scale the enemy's walls to capture Gatehouses. She covers the back with Arabian Bowmen, and the rest of her formation is comprised of Sappers, Heavy Camels, Arabian Swordsmen and Demolishers, who all try to charge at the walls and dismantle them with varying efficiency. A small band of Skirmishers will also be utilised to fill in the enemy Moat. To complement the infantry, the Lioness also deploys Engineers who build additional Catapults and Fire Ballistae to blanket an area with rocks and bolts.

While quick to arrive, the Lioness's siege armies can be blunted just as easily. Comprised mainly of light infantry, the Lioness's efforts can be parried by building multiple lines of walls and dismantling the attack groups with a mass of ranged infantry. Get up a Tower Ballista or two against the incoming siege machines, and also add Moat, if possible to delay the Sappers and Assassins from getting through. Crossbowmen or a heavy group of Archers can get rid of the bulk of the enemy forces quickly, however the Arabian Swordsmen and the occasional Demolisher may take more time to kill. Give great care to reinforce Gatehouses, as these will be prime targets for the enemy Assassins. In no time, the Lioness's attacks will be history! Early on, spare a few Skirmishers or Heavy Camels of your own in the direction of raids, and put them on Aggressive Stance, so that the Camels of the Lioness will be intercepted and halted in their tracks.