Overview
Welcome to the third addition to “The Beginner’s Guide to Surviving Kenshi”. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably survived long enough to begin attracting fellow nobodies.
The Bare Basics:
Before you can even think about properly defending your home, there is a few things you need to know first, Tech-wise
Walls[Walls 1 will work at the beginning, but it is recommended learning Walls 2+ ASAP]
Mounted Crossbow/Harpoons
Armor and Weapon Smithing
A reliable Building Material[Henceforth referred to as BM] and Iron source.
Of course, you also need some manpower.
The Beginnng:Grabbing Resources[Part 1]
{NOTE:IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A SOLID AND RELIABLE SOURCE OF BM AND IRON, SKIP THIS AND GO TO PART 2]
While there are plenty of ways to come about a source of BM and Iron, by far the easiest and quickest away is to grab it yourself. Iron despoits can be found in many areas, and stone mines can be built in many of these same areas. Having your outpost/town mantain a constant supply of these precious materials is a must.
The Beginning:Part 2[The foundations]
[From here on out, this guide is under the assumption you have both the materials and the tech needed]
First off, surrounding your enclourse with walls and a gate is the most important step to building your defenses. Giving your outpost enough land is important, but also requires alot of materials. In a general sense, build your walls with your future in mind: Tearing down walls to expand them can leave security gaps which can prove deadly.
[Under the asssumption you are using Walls 1. If you’re using Walls 2+, scroll until you see the part of this section regarding such]
The first set of walls are shabby, but will get the job done; No one will be able to enter besides any gates you build. However, they’re not structually sound to actually man; Therefore, your defenses on this will be based around not on the walls, but on the gates and buildings.
Most structures are sturdy enough to man the roofs of them, and many of those are big enough to shoot over the small, rusted walls if manned with crossbows or harpoons.
Meanwhile, having guards at the gate is just as important. Equip your designated guards as perferred. This guide suggests a decent quality of leather/metal armor and a solid defensive weapon, it is up to the leader’s choice. Having two guards to each gate is perferred, as one guard will rarely be enough to handle trouble.
[Walls 2+]
With the encounter of manned walls, here is where your mounted weapons come to real use. Space them out as evenly distanced as possible: where two crossbows or harpoons just overlap in their view of fire. This will prevent gaps in your killing field.
With bigger walls, it is suggested you also upgrade your mounted weapons. Any crossbows should be replaced with harpoons by Walls 3, and Walls 4 should be mounted, at least in part, by the advanced Double-barrel and Rotating-Barrel Harpoons.