when should you build a new fortress?

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by fungalreason

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).

Fortresses only draw resources from provinces directly adjacent to them, so if the two forts aren't right next to each other they don't have much effect. Manual explains it in detail.

I did it with MA Ulm, only recruiting Master Smiths and 10-gp heavy infantry in the early turns. On turn 2, I picked a direction that seemed to promise a good place for a fort and moved my starting army AND spy towards that direction. On turn 3, if it looked like I could tackle the independents of the second province (no knights, amazons, Knights of the Chalice etc), I again moved both my starting army and spy in there. On turn 4 the starting spy could usually start building a fort if I didn't recruit a Master Smith.

As I said, it's a bit of a challenge game. I did this with neutral Order and a non-SC pretender. It didn't ALWAYS work, especially if the independents around my capital were tough and restricted where I could expand. I was also so tight on money I couldn't recruit any independents, and had to alchemize few gems perhaps 50% of the time.

Originally Posted by AreaOfEffect

If it is to hold a choke point or defend an important magic site, then some nations are better off putting that 800 to 1200 gold into PD. Other nations, like late-age Man, have horrible PD but are excellent at defending castles.

Doesn't LA Man have one of the best PD forces in the game? I thought they get spear-and-shield infantry and longbows for PD under 20, and heavy infantry with crossbows for PD above 20.