when should you build a new fortress?

[theenemy]

As soon as you get enough money or wait (?) turns?

[archaeolept]

there are no general rules, but sooner is usually better than later. a second fortress lets you ramp up your research and your army recruitment - for some nations, like mictlan, it is especially vital. for others, like Vanheim under a bless, it is less so.

[SlipperyJim]

Short answer: It depends, but I'd probably build the fortress as soon as possible.

Longer answer: Why are you building the fortress? How many fortresses do you already have? Are you currently engaged in any activities (WAR) that could require the gold that you're planning to spend on the fortress?

What race are you playing? (Different races get different fortresses, and they also get different benefits from their fortresses.)

[Gandalf Parker]

It also depends on whether or not your national units that can be built in a second castle are horribly important to you or not.

Other factors are...

1) taking a province that is in a chokepoint location

2) does a province you have taken have a unit important to you that needs more resources for best use

3) did you take a province with MANY connecting provinces

4) is there an ally behind you and needs a turnstyle castle in order to get troops out where they can be of use to both of you

[Adept]

Lot's of fortifications = lots of income. It takes a while for the fort to pay itself back, but they are the key to making that income curve climb up.

[licker]

Originally Posted by Adept

Lot's of fortifications = lots of income. It takes a while for the fort to pay itself back, but they are the key to making that income curve climb up.

Depends on the kind of fort you are building. If your fort has an admin below 10 you really aren't going to get much extra cash even if you have a high pop place to build it. (forts add admin/2 % to income correct?)

Though generally the forts built in plains have decent admin values...

[Endoperez]

As was already said, the second fort should be built as soon as it doesn't hurt your early game. For fun, try coming up with a design and early game strategy that lets you start building a fort on turn 3 or 4 while still doing your best to expand and research.

[Meglobob]

You should build a second fortress as soon as possible, so you can recruit another mage per turn if nothing else.

The 3rd/4th and even 5th should be built as quickly as possible too, for exactly the same reason.

After that, I personally just place my forts to defend strategic locations and very important gem sites only. I prefer to capture fortresses from my opponents from then on.

[Tifone]

3 or 4? will it not hurt the resources of your capitol to build it so near?

[fungalreason]

Originally Posted by Tifone

3 or 4? will it not hurt the resources of your capitol to build it so near?

I don't think you'll ever reduce the available resources as long as you don't build directly adjacent to the capital, if I understanding it correctly. (I'm assuming it hasn't changed since the manual was written).

Capitals are usually admin 50 / 60. Usually you'd aim to build your cheapest available option for the second fort. These generally have a low admin value (30 or less). If you put the second fort a minimum of 2 spaces away from the capital, then they are only sharing a few bordering provinces. Provinces without forts in them actually have double the available resources that are listed. The resources provided by the admin amount are actually calculated from that "hidden" total. The capital can only draw 50-60% of that amount. As long as the admin value of the capital + the admin of the fort is less than 100, each fort will be drawing the maximum amount of production from the adjacent territories.