For other uses of the term, see Fortress.
The Fortress is a type of castle chain building in Fall of the Samurai.
Description[]
It takes many stones to crush hopes.
Although old-fashioned, a fortress is a clear symbol of power and dominance, and serves to repress any local dissent. It also helps recruitment in a province. Traditionally, most fortresses in Japan had been constructed from stout timbers, but this policy had changed during the Sengoku Jidai, when siege engines were widely used. Most fortresses, though, had old roots, as the strategic importance of where they were in the landscape did not change over the centuries: what was difficult to assault in 1400 remained so in 1600, and in 1850. Fortresses traditionally relied on a layered approach for their defence, making any attack time - and manpower - consuming. Despite this design philosophy, it was not unusual for the defenders to open the gates and charge the enemy, regardless of the odds, if this was judged to be the best way of upsetting the enemy's plans.
General Information[]
Requires 4500 koku, 4 turns, Stronghold. Can be upgraded to Castle.
- +10% increase in resistance to naval bombardment
- Recruitment capacity (units in training): +1
- +6 to repression in this province
Spawned Garrisons:
Fortresses somewhat increase repression, though they are not as cost effective as building inns or police stations. Unlike other repression increasing options, however, they don't require construction slots to build, so they are always available as long as their relatively high cost isn't an issue. On the other hand, the same amount of money can train nearly a dozen levy infantry, who provide much more repression and can be moved from province to province. Fortresses are thus best built specifically in provinces that are under threat of attack, thanks to the archer towers they provide during sieges.
In siege battles, fortresses are very similar to strongholds, but are guarded by a few towers. These towers fire arrows at a slow but steady rate, dealing minimal casualties, but they are still useful as they cause A.I units to begin running earlier to scale walls, tiring them out more quickly. Towers can be neutralized by any unit type that stands on the flag next to them for a long enough time; only infantry or dismounted cavalry can fully convert a tower to their clan's cause. In most weather, towers can activate flaming arrows to temporarily increase their damage output, but this ability is disabled in the rain.
Fortresses, along with all castle line buildings, cannot be demolished. However, they may still be damaged through sabotage or raids. They are considered military buildings, and therefore benefit from events that reduce the construction times and costs of upgrading them.