In Stronghold Crusader: Definitive Edition, a castle-building game set during the Crusades, castle buildings are the keeps, gatehouses, towers, traps and defenses you place around your settlement. Military buildings support them by bringing in troops and supplies. Each type has a different job. Towers lift archers above attackers and shelter the troops inside, gatehouses let your own soldiers pass through, and traps punish enemies who get close. Together, they turn an open settlement into a castle that enemy lords have to work hard to break.
Building Type
Keeps
Manor House
The starting keep sets taxes and houses 8 peasants.
- Cost
- Free
- Workers
- -
Stone Keep
A larger keep with room for 10 peasants.
- Cost
- Free
- Workers
- -
Stronghold
The largest keep has room for 12 peasants.
- Cost
- Free
- Workers
- -
Building Type
Gatehouses
Small Stone Gatehouse
The cheapest stone gatehouse, which needs defenders to stay secure.
- Cost
- 10 Stone
- Workers
- -
Large Stone Gatehouse
A tougher stone gatehouse that costs more stone.
- Cost
- 20 Stone
- Workers
- -
Drawbridge
A gatehouse attachment that slows approaching enemies.
- Cost
- 10 Wood
- Workers
- -
Building Type
Towers
Lookout Tower
A tall tower that keeps enemy ranged units at close range.
- Cost
- 10 Stone
- Workers
- -
Perimeter Turret
A small turret that adds to castle defense.
- Cost
- 10 Stone
- Workers
- -
Defense Turret
A sturdier turret than the Perimeter Turret.
- Cost
- 15 Stone
- Workers
- -
Square Tower
A defensive tower that can hold mounted siege equipment.
- Cost
- 35 Stone
- Workers
- -
Round Tower
A durable tower that can also hold mounted siege equipment.
- Cost
- 40 Stone
- Workers
- -
Building Type
Military Buildings
Armory
Stores the weapons and armor made by your workshops.
- Cost
- 5 Wood
- Workers
- -
Barracks
Trains troops using peasants, stored weapons and gold.
- Cost
- 15 Stone
- Workers
- -
Mercenary Post
Hires Arabian units with gold.
- Cost
- 10 Wood
- Workers
- -
Bedouin Stockade
Hires Bedouin units with gold.
- Cost
- 10 Wood
- Workers
- -
Engineer's Guild
Recruits engineers and laddermen for siege work.
- Cost
- 10 Wood, 100 Gold
- Workers
- -
Tunneler's Guild
Recruits tunnelers to collapse enemy walls and turrets from below.
- Cost
- -
- Workers
- -
Stable
Produces four horses needed to recruit knights.
- Cost
- 20 Wood, 400 Gold
- Workers
- -
Siege Tent
Temporary cover for engineers constructing siege equipment.
- Cost
- No separate cost
- Workers
- 1 or more Engineers
Building Type
Traps and Defenses
Killing Pit
An unseen trap that can kill most units outright.
- Cost
- 6 Wood
- Workers
- -
Pitch Ditch
A pitch-filled trench that an archer can ignite near a brazier.
- Cost
- 2 Pitch per 5 squares
- Workers
- -
Oil Smelter
Produces boiling oil for engineers to use against attackers.
- Cost
- 10 Iron, 100 Gold
- Workers
- 1 Engineer
Caged War Dogs
Releases dogs that attack the nearest unit or worker.
- Cost
- 10 Wood, 100 Gold
- Workers
- -
Lookout Tower vs Square and Round Towers
The Lookout Tower and the turrets are your cheap options. They hold only a few troops, can't carry siege equipment, and tunnelers can collapse them, so they work best as quick cover rather than the backbone of your defense. The Square Tower and Round Tower hold more troops and can mount a ballista or mangonel. Tunnelers can't bring them down, which makes them the better pick where a breach would do the most damage.
How Towers Help Your Archers
Towers give archers more range, so troops firing from the top can reach further than they could from the ground. The same towers shelter everyone inside from arrows and other projectiles. They also take far more punishment than walls, so attackers have a harder time knocking them down. That's why it helps to place towers where the fighting will happen.
How Gatehouses Work in Stronghold Crusader
A gatehouse is a gate in your defenses that lets your own troops come and go. The weak point is that any unit reaching the top of a gatehouse captures it, and the gate opens. Laddermen, assassins and siege towers are the main ways in.
A drawbridge attaches to a stone gatehouse, and you can raise it during a siege to block the way.
Pitch Ditches and Killing Pits
A pitch ditch only burns once an archer standing near a brazier lights it. Enemies caught in the fire take damage, which makes it a strong trap against crowds. Place them where enemies will cross, away from your own troops.
Killing pits work differently. Enemies can't see them, and your own people can cross them without harm.
Military Buildings in Stronghold Crusader
The Barracks trains your basic soldiers. The Mercenary Post hires Arabian troops for gold, and the Bedouin Stockade hires Bedouin troops for gold.
The Stable supplies horses for knights, and the Engineer's Guild trains engineers. Engineers use the boiling oil made at the Oil Smelter, and the Tunneler's Guild trains tunnelers. Caged War Dogs are dogs you release, and they attack the closest unit or worker.
Walls and Stairs in Stronghold Crusader
Walls aren't a castle building in their own right, but they hold the rest of your defenses together. Troops reach the top of walls and gatehouses by stairs, so your soldiers need stairs before they can fight from above.
Which Castle Buildings Matter Most
If you can only afford a few, start with the keep and build your defenses around it. Put a tower where attacks are most likely to come, and add a gatehouse so your own troops can move through. Pitch ditches and killing pits come next, since they hurt attackers before they reach your defenses.
FAQ
Can enemies climb over your towers with ladders?
No. Ladders won't work on towers or turrets, so attackers have to find another way up.
Did Stronghold Crusader keep the wooden walls from earlier games?
No. Crusader replaced wooden walls with low walls.
How do soldiers get inside a tower?
Troops enter a tower from an adjoining wall, so that wall is the path your soldiers use to get in.