New Characters in Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition
With four new characters added, the game now features twenty AI opponents. Each character offers different challenges, with varying difficulty levels and strategies. You can’t control who you’ll face in Skirmish Trails, but in Custom Skirmishes, you can choose your opponents. This is a good way to practice and learn their tactics!
Beginner Lords
These characters are easier to beat because they often use weak units or aren’t very focused on fighting. They tend to rush with simple tactics, making them less challenging for new players.
| Character | Favored Units | Style | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | Spearmen | Rushes with Spearmen without much support or planning. | Build simple walls and man them with Archers to stop his charges. Protect your resource camps. Once inside his walls, a quick Maceman attack on his Keep can finish him off. |
| Snake | Archers, Slaves, Slingers | Defends with basic walls, bows, slings, and raids resources with Slaves. | Stop his economy from growing by protecting your farms and mines. Raid him back and siege his fortress to take control. |
| Sultan | Arabian Swordsmen, Slingers | Uses entertainment to boost troops, which weakens his economy. | His armies are small but strong. Use Archers, Crossbows, and siege weapons like Ballistae to break his defenses. |
| Emir | Arabian Swordsmen | Builds economy and attacks in numbers. | Predict his attack and defend with towers, Ballistae, and Crossbows. Use fast units for counterattacks during his pushes. |
| Abbot | Monks, Catapults | Relies on Catapults and weak infantry. | Send Knights, Macemen, and Horse Archers to handle Catapults and Monks. Use Trebuchets to take down walls before sending in Macemen. |
Balanced Lords
These characters have a good mix of offense and defense, making them a moderate challenge.
| Character | Favored Units | Style | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf | Pikemen, Swordsmen, Trebuchets | Uses armored troops and strong defenses to attack and defend. | Use stationary and mobile Ballistae against his infantry. Push closer to his walls for a Ram, supported by Trebuchets. Assassins can quickly defeat his armored soldiers. |
| Nizar | Assassins | Focuses on quick, unconventional attacks on your Lord. | Patrol all your walls and keep your Lord well guarded. Send cheap units first to trigger traps before committing your strongest troops. |
Defensive Lords
These characters prefer building strong defenses and are harder to attack early on. They often mask their strength behind fortifications while building up their armies.
| Character | Favored Units | Style | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pig | Crossbowmen, Macemen | Builds large raiding parties of Macemen and then produces siege engines. | Keep attacking his Dairy Farms to limit his armor. Use Trebuchets to weaken his walls before moving in. |
| Saladin | Arabian Bowmen, Swordsmen | Builds a tough fortress and waits to attack. | Use patience, build traps around your walls, and flank with Horse Archers. Break his army and then prepare for a counterattack with siege weapons. |
| Caliph | Slaves, Fire Ballistae | Builds many towers and uses fire attacks, including Pitch Ditches. | Patrol resource areas to defend against frequent attacks. Use Trebuchets to breach walls and Knights or Horse Archers to deal with fire traps. |
| Frederick | Crossbowmen, Trebuchets | Races to build a large economy and spam Trebuchets late game. | Raid his supply lines often. Use Knights or Macemen to destroy his Trebuchets and break through his walls. |
| Sheriff | Crossbowmen | Uses heavy traps and encloses territory tightly. | Focus on destroying his supply structures. Breach defenses and rush with Slaves and Fire Throwers to cause chaos. |
| Marshall | Knights | Builds a big force of Knights and attacks strongly. | Attack from multiple sides to draw his Knights out. Use assassins to finish him quickly if possible. |
| Sentinel | Macemen, Crossbowmen | Builds strong defenses first, then strikes. | Target his economy; dismantle parts of his walls, then attack with siege units like Trebuchets. |
| Kahinah | Eunuchs, Heavy Camels | Gradually builds strength before attacking with a large force. | Harass her economy with Horse Archers. Use traps and throwaway units against her castle defenses. |
Aggressive Lords
These characters constantly pressure you, often sacrificing defense for relentless attacks. They stay active, forcing you to defend and retaliate often.
| Character | Favored Units | Style | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionheart | Swordsmen | Encloses most of his structures and attacks constantly. | Build defenses first, then use Horse Archers and Slaves to pick off his peasants. When attacking, bring Fire Ballistae, Swordsmen, and Crossbows to defend while your siege units do their job. |
| Philip | Knights | Builds many Stables to support heavy cavalry. | Use towers with Ballistae to counter Knights. Set traps and flank with Slaves or Fire Throwers to destroy his Stables. |
| Wazir | Horse Archers | Specializes in fast raids and food stockpiling. | Deploy towers and patrols of ranged units. Use Trebuchets to destroy his Granary, crippling his food supply. |
| Jewel | Swordsmen, Knights | Builds armies and attacks repeatedly. | Take advantage of her predictability. Interfere with her supply chain or set traps to catch her off guard. Use Ballistae to block her attacks and Trebuchets to weaken her walls before attacking. |
| Nomad | Camel Lancers, Skirmishers | Mobile raiders focused on quick strikes. | Protect your resources. Send fast units early to stop his raids before he grows too strong. Watch out for traps in his camp. |
