Successfully defending your settlement from raids in Bellwright is one of the most critical skills for long-term survival and prosperity. A well-defended base allows you to grow your economy, research new technologies, and expand your territory without constant fear of being overrun. This guide will walk you through everything from strategic settlement placement to recruiting the right defenders, setting up defensive outposts, and managing your militia. Whether you’re fending off roaming bandits or facing a full-scale Brigand reclamation, these tips will help you fortify your position and keep your people safe.
Strategic Settlement Location for Defense
Your first and most crucial defensive decision is where to build your main settlement. A poorly located base is difficult to defend regardless of how many walls you build.
Prioritize Defensible Terrain
Look for locations with natural choke points, such as narrow passages between hills, land bridges, or areas bordered by rivers. These natural barriers funnel attackers into predictable paths, making them easier to defend. Avoid wide-open plains where enemies can approach from all sides.
Pro-Tip: Consider building near major bridges, like the one near Farnsworth or Herondine. Brigand reclamation parties often use these routes to attack towns. Controlling these chokepoints allows you to intercept threats before they reach your core territory.
Balance Resources and Security
While being central to resources like tin, copper, and hemp is important early on, don’t sacrifice security for convenience. A location that’s slightly less resource-rich but offers better natural defenses is often superior. Ensure you have access to water for building docks later, which are vital for quickly moving your defensive troops.
Warning: Avoid building your main settlement directly on top of resource nodes like mud or ore deposits. Not only will these resources eventually deplete, but building too close can sometimes cause the node to despawn. Keep your core buildings a short distance away.
Recruiting and Training the Right Defenders
Your settlers are your first line of defense. Hiring the right people and equipping them properly is non-negotiable.
Hiring Criteria for Fighters
When recruiting villagers, especially early game, prioritize these attributes:
- Strength of 4 or Higher: This is the minimum for wearing better armor like the Basic Gambeson, which provides 32 armor. Settlers with lower strength will be too fragile in combat.
- Positive Combat Traits: Look for traits like “Swordsman” (proficiency with one-handed swords) or “Fierce” (+50% melee damage). These give new recruits an immediate edge.
- Avoid Negative Traits: Steer clear of villagers with “Slacker” (-50% productivity) or combat penalties like “Nearsighted” (which hurts archery).
Beginners can be hired cheaply to get started, but replace them with villagers with at least 1-star and positive traits as soon as possible.
Strategic Research for Defense
Don’t waste early-game research points and resources on every armor and weapon branch. Focus your research efficiently:
- Armor: Research a single, efficient path that leads to the best armor for your settlers’ strength level. For example, research the armor line that ends with the Basic Gambeson (Strength 4) rather than branching into weaker, low-strength options.
- Weapons: Concentrate on one weapon type initially, like one-handed swords. This allows you to equip a cohesive fighting force quickly. Researching multiple weapon trees simultaneously spreads your resources too thin.
- Prioritize the Tool Maker: One of your top research goals should be the Tool Maker. This building allows you to craft Straps, a critical resource for advanced buildings and armor that is otherwise scarce early on.
Building a Defensive Outpost Network
Your main settlement shouldn’t be your only fortified location. Strategic outposts extend your defensive perimeter and secure vital resources.
Setting Up a Defensive Outpost
Follow this process when establishing an outpost near a resource node:
- Place a Travel Sign: Before anything else, place a Fast Travel Sign near the node. This allows you to respond to raids or issues at the outpost instantly.
- Build Key Structures: Construct the resource building (e.g., Mining Camp), a Stockpile (not a small storage), and a Housing Tent for the worker. Bring the initial building materials yourself to avoid long trips from your main settlement.
- Create a New Settlement Immediately: As soon as you place the first building, open the Settlement Management tab. Change the building’s assigned settlement from your main base to a new, named settlement (e.g., “Iron Mine Outpost”). This prevents your main settlers from making long, dangerous trips to build and supply it.
- Assign a Worker: Either recruit a new villager at a nearby town to go directly to the outpost, or manually assign someone from your main settlement to build and then work there.
Managing Outpost Supply Lines
A supplied outpost is a defended outpost. Use the Delivery system to keep them running:
- Food Delivery: Set up a daily transfer of food (like Smoked Meat) from your main settlement’s stockpile to the outpost’s stockpile. This keeps workers fed and stops them from wandering.
- Tool Delivery: Set up a weekly transfer of tools (e.g., Pickaxes) to the outpost. Start with a small number (1-2 per week) and adjust based on consumption.
- Resource Extraction: Set up a daily transfer to bring the mined resources (e.g., Iron Ore) and broken tools back to your main settlement for processing and repair.
Common Mistake: Forgetting to set these deliveries results in idle workers, depleted tools, and starving settlers, which collapses your outpost and its defensive value.
Utilizing Liberated Towns and Militia
Once you liberate a town from Brigands, you can fortify it and raise a local militia to aid your defense.
Boosting Town Prosperity
Increase a town’s Prosperity level to unlock more and better militia troops. Focus on building structures that give the most Prosperity for the construction cost:
- Early Game: Build multiple Village Shrines. They are cheap (20 Crude Stone) and give 50 Trust each, helping raise prosperity quickly.
- Mid Game: Construct Village Vaults (4,500 Prosperity) and Village Cattle Pens (3,000 Prosperity). These provide massive boosts.
- For Defense: Build the Archery Range, Barracks, and Training Grounds. These buildings specifically train and equip additional militia troops (Archers, Heavy Infantry, and Light Infantry).
Raising and Using Militia Effectively
You can raise a town’s militia for a gold cost. However, use them strategically:
- Not a Standalone Force: As seen in testing, a militia alone is often insufficient to stop a determined Brigand reclamation party. They are best used to supplement your main force.
- Chokepoint Defense: Raise militia in a town that controls a bridge or pass. Have them march out to hold the chokepoint alongside your own troops.
- Cost vs. Benefit: Weigh the upfront gold cost against the tactical advantage. A few extra bodies can turn the tide in a close battle, but don’t rely on them to win alone.
Final Tips for Raid Readiness
Stay prepared. A raid can happen when you’re least expecting it.
- Scout’s Lookout: Build this in a liberated town to permanently remove the fog of war in that region. This advanced warning allows you to see enemy camps and patrols, letting you prepare or preemptively strike.
- Secure Your Economy: Regularly buy Straps from Exiled Craftsmen vendors (e.g., northeast of Padton) to fuel your research and building projects. A strong economy supports a strong defense.
- Invest in Your Commander: Spend surplus gold on Strength books from town booksellers. A stronger player character can make a significant difference on the front lines.
Your next step should be to systematically clear Brigand camps surrounding your territory to reduce raid frequency and secure safer expansion routes. Now, go fortify your position and make Bellwright your own.
