1. – Introduction

Hello there player, this is tutorial about how to become skilled attacker in Stronghold kingdoms. I

tried to make it simple and short as I could but still there is pretty much of material which should be

absorbed. You could do it step by step not all at once read practice as you go through. It could be that

I forgot something to mention but I gave my best not to.

Those “skilled” players who think this is a piece crap (I’m sure there will be some of them) I

dedicate them first 33 seconds of this song http://youtu.be/GmQtxX31wMM.

2. – Planning of attacks

This subject should take most of your time. To make a successful attack you should make a good

plan. It is crucial to think about every possible detail you could find in specific situation like; which rank

is the player, has he possible assistance of any kind close to his village, is there possibility that guy uses

cards, how often do you see him online, get his scout report etc. (more you think of – better). This data

will help you to estimate number of attacks needed to have successful raze/capture. With some

experience you’ll be able to estimate better, but for first few tries I would recommend you to send

more you think is needed because it can’t be too much just too small. After estimating how much

attacks you’ll need you start with collecting times needed for your troops to reach target from villages,

parishes, vassal armies (see chapter - 2). When you have your times and you estimated you’ll need 3

attacks + raze (3+1) you are looking for best launching spots and if you haven’t filled them with troops

you are doing so.

3. – Collecting times and making timed attack

Below you can see example times for one (3+1) attack:

Launching spot Type of attack Time Number of troops Time between

attacks

Vassal 1 Walls clearing 1:15:00 500A -

Vassal 2 Breakers 1:13:00 260A;130P;110C 0:02:00

Vassal 3 Breakers 1:10:00 260A;130P;110C 0:03:00

My Village 1 Raze 3:15:00 1:05:00

(3X) 224A;200P;50C;

1Cap 0:05:00

Total launch time: 0:10:00

*A – archers; P – pikemens; C – catapults; Cap – Captain

As you can see in table you have all data you need to launch your timed attack, your total

launch time is 10min so you need guy to be offline and un-interdicted for 11min. I prefer attacks where

captain attack is launched last. There is simple explanation for that; if you start with launching where

captain attack is first no one guarantees you that player will not come after your second launched

attack online and interdict himself. In case where target is few ranks lower than you are you will lost

two attacks and some good amount of honour, on the other side if you are launching captain last you’ll

just lose two attacks. This needs from you to have captain time shortest like in table above. When you

decide it’s right moment you start with launching your first attack from Vassal 1, when 2min

(measuring with stopwatch*) pass you launch your attack from Vassal 2, after 3min from that moment

you launch attack from Vassal 3 and finally 5min after Vassal 3 attack is launched you launch your

raze/capture attack.

I want to mention timed attacks where more people are involved. Those attacks is way harder

to accomplish because attack depends of several people and there are bigger odds that someone will

make mistake. When doing independent timed attack you depend only on your own skills, and when

you make mistake you’ll know where it is and make it right next time. Once you master independent

timed attacks you will automatically master timed attacks where more players are involved and be

able give a hand your mate when needed.

First few shots you could practice on AI castles or even wolf banes important thing is to start

learning it by yourself because no one can just give you knowledge.

4. – Making formations

Being good warrior implies you have all researches related to your troops completed as much as

it’s possible. These formations I’ll specify are made for fully researched troops but they should work

fine also for players who currently don’t have complete research of some branches, this means only

those players should send more attacks in order to make same result as those who have it complete.

First thing I want to mention is side from where you are attacking. In 90% of cases you should go

on front side of castle (green arrow - image 1). I’m not telling you that is the best option always but

when attacking strong and well defended player it is for sure. Explanation follows; when you are

attacking from opposite side after you opened castle your pikemens (swordmens) need to reach to

keep between tower which probably won’t be crushed by catapults and keep (red line – image 1), that

makes them go one by one in the middle and easy to be killed by archers on opposite (red marked –

image 1) towers. If you go on front side you’ll avoid this path and probably face better defended side

of castle but this problem will be easily solved by making right formations.

Image 1

How your formation will look like and how much damage will your attack make depends on

right ratio of specific troops. When planning and sending attack it is desirable that you use max troops

you can send in one attack; if you have 500 units space available then use all 500. From my experience

I would bring out some formations I use and have them stored like universal for most of castles.

Catapults: As you know there is no successful attack and opening castle without catapults. I

will recommend you to never send less than 75 catapults per attack. I’s better if you send one attack

with 80 catapults than two with 40, so prepare them give yourself some time collect them enough and

make decent attacks. When you decide your optimal number of catapults per attack you should make

their formation with setting up their direction of firing one by one. All catapults able to reach keep or

close to it where the path of “flying stone” is over three middle towers should be directed toward the

keep. Those who don’t you set up their direction toward ballistas. See image 2 which represents

mentioned above.

Image 2

Archers: When positioning archers in first attack to clear walls don’t place them all right up to

the wall. Make line of one man along the wall to clear oil pots and after 2-3 spaces put rest of your

archers. In case you are not sending this particular attack and you are starting with breakers you could

do this there or even better place pikemens or swordmens there because they will longer prevent

archers to come in fire. Also you must count on tunnellor’s and place some archers behind your

catapults, or on place where you know they are. Also make sure you protect catapults from sally forth

by placing archers full-length in front of them (image 3).

Image 3

Pikemens (swordmens): After placing this troops we’ll have complete attack. For first few

attacks till your way to keep is not clear your pikemes should be placed behind archers (image 4).

Remember catapults are those who destroy castle buildings not pikemens or swordmens. If you place

them in front of archers they will just go to gaps in castle and probably become targets for archers

who can’t reach any of your troops on beginning of attack, or they will be hit by your own catapults.

Later attacks should have pikemans and swordmens in front of archers to clear moats and help

catapults to kill troops placed in keep (image 5).

Image 4

Image 5

Optimal ratio of troops:

Archers Pikemens Swordmens Catapults Captain

Walls clearing 500 - - - -

Breakers 270 130 (65)(-) - (65)(130) 100 -

Capture/raze 224 200 (100)(-) - (100)(200) 50 1

Capture/raze attack has little bit different ratio of troops comparing to other attacks but his

formation should look similar to that one on image 5. Catapults direction is towards keep; pikemens in

front of archers; captain surrounded by troops 5 spaces around him with delay of 50-70 sec - placed

where archers behind catapults on image 5 are. Troops around captain should be both pikemens and

archers because pikemens can survive longer in case where some enemy archers survived on towers

close enough to reach there and that could save your captain to be killed.

5. – Monks

Interdict: When using monks to interdict your target village during capture right timing has it’s

part here also. In chapter 2 there is example timed attack where launching time was 10min. In that

case if we want to interdict target it’s best if you launch monk with 4h of interdiction first. When your

monk reaches ~11min far from target you start with launching your attacks. This way when your last

attack is launched there is only 1min gap till monk reaches village. That will give small space for your

enemy to raze that village in front of you or just after you capture it with right timing. There is no

possible best shot than this one. Even if enemy launch attack which will land after yours it will be hardly

good timed any if you notice it you or someone could send you reinforcements which should land in

time between you captured village and enemies raze reaches you.

Excommunication: Using this ability is very expensive so you should pay attention and be very

careful when using it. Trying to excommunicate all of someone’s villages results in 95% with total waste

of faith points. There is always possibility that someone sends absolve or interdict to that player and

this action is reasonable in very few of cases. Here is one example of reasonable use of

excommunication:

Your target in chapter 2 is running out of interdict in 1h, when you notice it next thing you

should do is look for possible players around him who could send him absolve or interdict. Let’s say

there is two players around him who could possibly send monks to him in about 1h. Next thing you or

some of your mates on better position will do is to send timed* monks with excommunication to all

three villages. As his interdict is running out you should calculate when to launch your previously

explained interdict monk so you have 11min time gap between his interdict runs out and your comes

there to be able to launch your attacks.

*Timed monks you prepare same way you do it with attacks. Max researched monks have same travel

time like max researched troops from same village to certain target. This is useful when monk travel

time is longer than 1h because you can’t see exact time of monk with seconds when trying to launch it.

I that case you could simply use your troops time.

6. – Inference

There could be a lot more variations considering this all because it happens all the time that some

changes are needed or some of you have more abilities than mentioned like captain tactics etc. but if

you master this basics above you will be able to make your own variations of attacks according to

situations you are in. There isn’t always possible to make timed attacks on someone, but if you are

skilled player with knowledge you will be able to estimate is it worth to give a shot with non-timed

attacks, but I would always recommend you to have patience and figure out some way for you to

successfully launch timed one.

For the end I would like to say that I’m really happy if someone got this far reading all this and

if someone actually learn something from it (I think he should) because I spend 3h writing it.

Regards, mihael1o2