The Abbot - Stronghold Crusader AI Lords

The Abbot is a skirmish opponent in Stronghold Crusader.

Overview

Religious figures have been very common throughout humanity, and the Abbot of Scottish descent is no exception. He is an avid defender of the church, and as such he views every rival in the desert a violator, a pretender, regardless of background. The Abbot is adept at running a developed domain, and imposes his might both militarily and economically, however he puts way too much faith in his ways. Despite his stern attitude, his brothers are very loyal and would follow him into salvation at any cost.

Castles & Defenses

The Abbot builds magnificent castles that are divided into two parts: a fortified inner sanctum with lots of food processing industry, and an outer courtyard densely packed with other buildings that is surrounded by Moat. The Abbot has his main area sealed with a single gatehouse and a thick, uncrenellated wall that has several Square Towers built with Ballistae and Archers on top, as well as some patches of Pitch Ditches at their bases. The courtyard area continues to have one point of entry in the form of a single Large Gatehouse. The Abbot's castle is generally swarming with units and townsfolk, with particular attention to the Keep.

The Abbot does not utilise outer patrols, apart from groups of Monks that are about to set for a later raid. If there are enemy vanguards loitering about, he sends out Monks and a few Archers to address the source of the problem.

Defeating the Abbot could seem difficult, but after taking a closer look, it is apparent that his bark is worse than his bite. Making use of his general lack of firepower and kill speed, The Abbot can be overpowered by a large number of ranged units. His Monks are devastating in close-range, however they have to get there first: this takes particularly long due to their walking speed. The Abbot's castle is very vulnerable to Siege Tower attacks: the lack of crenellations makes his outside walls exposed, where some troops can easily seize control over the general area. Be warned that the Monks inside are set on aggressive stance and therefore they can be quick to respond, however Archers and Crossbowmen can make quick work of their numbers. With the Keep's soldiers softened up, you can move on on to the connecting Gatehouse and capture it, as well as shoot the Lord until he falls.

Economy

The Abbot runs one of the most effective economies in the game, as he heavily invests in both raw material gathering and food production, backed by a little bit of negative Fear Factor to increase efficiency. Stone Quarries and Iron Mines in large numbers provide profit, as well as lots of Hops Farms and Wheat Farms fuel Bread and Ale industries to produce for additional income and popularity. The Abbot also buys Apples for a minor food variety, as well as he runs a few Fletcher's Workshops to produce weapons for his Archers. Due to the cheap units used, the Abbot is very quick to accumulate thousands and thousands of gold, outgrowing most of the competition considerably early.

Raids & Sieges

While developing his castle, the Abbot does not idle around either. He literally sends swarms of Monks, human waves that confidently march to any target their lord sees fit. Monks are heavily dependent on the distance they have to take, but if they arrive to a building or a unit, they can make quick work of it. On top of that, the Abbot also likes to produce up to 5 Catapults and roll them forward in a similar manner to pummel vulnerable enemy buildings to submission, supplying them stone even if it would run out in the Stockpile.

In sieges, the Abbot barely ever expands on the formula. Apart from the large number of Monks and the Engineers who construct additional Catapults to lay siege with, some Archers also arrive as backup and to fill in the enemy Moat, should any be built. Monks are just as persistent as the Abbot himself at picking stone and wood apart, though not many Archers will split off the main formation at any time. Even despite the frail nature of units and not buying weapons, the Abbot attacks very quickly, as well it swiftly musters another attacking force once an attempt has failed.

The Abbot's swarms can be difficult to put to rest, however that task becomes easier as time passes, since the Abbot only ever increases his number of troops, not their quality. Monks can take six to seven arrows by default, but 3-4 crossbow bolts, so mixing both Archers and Crossbowmen in large numbers can be a foolproof way of stemming the tide. As with most other lords, the Abbot generally only utilises way too few Archers to run and fill in any Moat, so drawing even a single line of it could stall the Abbot's advance without breaking a sweat. Against the Catapults, some Ballistae or Mangonels sited in larger towers are recommended, as they are usually constructed well outside range of your missile units. If you use Mangonels, they have the added benefit of netting additional unit kills as the Abbot's army is forming up.