Need help on hardcore Northlands and above

[Zornvel]

So my settlements get usually always destroyed like this:
A great number of Raiders appers they kill 10-15 % of my population then after a few years, I never get my population number up, a second raider gang (even bigger) attacks and kills everyone.

During the stoneage there is no big problem but when I just reach the copper age the number of them seems to explode. Even having stone walls, and it doesnot matter where they attack there were at least 5 Towers + 2 platforms shooting at them their archers destroy the towers then the walls and then they simply kill everyone.

So is the only solution to have double/triple stonewalls + 2/3 rows of towers? - that would be sad

[JohnNav]

There are many ways to set up before going into the Copper Age, this is mine.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1912697940

I like extra Walls at the Corners. Have plenty of Platforms near the gates!!!
Before each AGE their after; Fort will be modified to be stronger.
As you can see I have the advancements too Copper Age +2+ in the ready

Regardless of the 'Challange':
The Key is (Do not advance until ready and you had Flint to carry you this late ;)

[buds]

You have to limit your population entering copper age.

Stay in Neolithic at 68 or I think below 70 I only do 17 huts. Then stabilize everything from plants, domestic animals until you have abundant resources to trade.

I wait for the raiders in Neolithic at 68 population accumulating knowledge points. Sometimes I have more than 70 KP until the raiders advance their weapons, it doesn’t matter as they only have copper spears which has the same stats as flints and bone spears. Then I advance to copper age reserving at least 2 techs to buy in copper age saving more knowledge points before entering Bronze Age.

At copper age get more KP for tools structures, etc and reserve more copper ores (not producing any copper tools and weapons but just stockpiles or copper ores preparation for Bronze Age. All copper tools have same stats again with flints and bone tools so no need of producing copper metals.

Make sure your leather for structures and sledges/carts are abundant and keep producing it as well as dried skins for bows production for trade; as well as bone harpoons (they trade at 7 still, not bone spears as it needs sticks to produce). If necessary hunt extra for skins.

Use up all flints by making tools for trade or harvest also.

Make a small area of walled defense with around 4-6 towers on every zone attack corners.

Timing your advance to Bronze so you can gather tin immediately (normally 2 patches of tin mines are nearby).

Some players advance from Neolithic to Bronze when they have so much KP but it’s more harder and agonizing play.

Btw food production is eased by planting vegetables to give you leverage on anything you want to do.

[buds]

I don’t need extra walls as I keep the raiders numbers low.

At 68 population, you will outnumber the raiders by more than 2:1 or even 3:1. Maybe around 15 raiders max.

When you reach copper keep your population around 100 and watch how many raiders are added every after raid or your population increments.

[JohnNav]

Thanks Buds, great advice :)

Buds, you do not surround your Village with Walls?
Just Corner Forts.

[buds]

I have a video of Northlands hardcore accumulating so many KP while waiting for the raiders to advance in technology. My population is around 56 in Neolithic but I haven’t made any videos going to copper age yet as I have no time, soon maybe.

YouTube PC Gamer_buds.

[JohnNav]

Great, I am on my way!!!

Thanks for the help

[buds]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1811016695

Here is what I normally do on any hardcore until I finish all milestones, then I slowly restructure my settlement to make it look pretty in my eyes 😀.

Check my screenshots, it’s all DoM but I can’t hardly locate the ones you might need.

[Zornvel]

I had on every corner 3 towers more at the walls + the platforms I stay in the neolithic age with 60 people + enought animals, my people don't ever have to leave the city for anything farms+animals gives me everything I need my "economy" is super stable.
At this point when I am in the copper they attack me with iron, but usually I have enougt points to reach steel, so we had the same weapons. But however they simply outnumber me everytime, the towers and the walls just keep them away for a few seconds then I lose, take this game with 60 people, I lost 16 people to the attack, I won but have to repair the wall and rebuild 5 towers. The next attack they were even more in number but my city got only 6 people back and then they steamrolled me.
On the normal game I don't even care for the raiders but on hardcore on nortlands the last attack was with about 42/3 raiders (not really sure anymore) vs my 45 people (but I hat 12 children.
I have the feeling if they only break one time your defence an you lose 15-20% of you people there is no going back the next siege will destroy you. At meast it happend to me today the 4th time.

[Zornvel]

Originally posted by buds:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1811016695

Here is what I normally do on any hardcore until I finish all milestones, then I slowly restructure my settlement to make it look pretty in my eyes 😀.

Check my screenshots, it’s all DoM but I can’t hardly locate the ones you might need.

I was afraid that someting like this would work, I like my settlements to be "realistic". This is more something like an exploid. And if you need something like this to win then I see it as a bad game design. But I wanted to do something like this anyway the next time, it was the only solution, Yes I want all the achievements so badly...

[buds]

Here is my finished Northlands hardcore and just trying to increase my population slowly with sustainable resources and almost automated (just gathering logs, trading and pressing the alarm button when raiders come). From a small area walled defense, transformed into some outskirts but not too far as defenders lose stamina when alarm is sounded.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1889037522

AFAIK the raiders count on Northlands hardcore is around 35 and 6-8 reinforced towers on every attack zone can easily be neutralized. I reached 250 before on my favorite North River map.

I was able to found a mountaintop location for my Cairns and expanding my plantation towards there as well as across the river. I tried constructing huts from across the river even if the raiders destroy 1-2 of them from time to time but my resources are abundant.

I don’t gather minerals anymore as the traders provide infinite iron, metals etc and the raiders provide you with weapons and axe.

I only consume 3 copper mines (not total exhausted), 1 iron and 1 tin mine; the rest is from traders and accumulating it up to I can store them.

With the new version, I never exhausted all flint mines as bone tools are really useful.

Slow play really helps...

[buds]

The first screenshot was btw from the “Very Ancient Warriors” hardcore which I haven’t figured out to beautify and reconstruct. It’s a mod which you start in Paleolithic. And the raiders could be in the 40s. That map is nice too Canyon of Slaughter.

[buds]

I tried using melee units and limiting my tower numbers but it’s hard on any hardcore vanilla as the immigration is very low. It will result to more defenders losses if you fight them head on. More than 5 villagers loss takes longer to recover.

The towers are really brittle that you need more of it thereby losing the realistic beauty of your settlement.

For now I just play hardcore on mods that has very low or really minimal raiders. I have 500+ population on Happy Farmers hardcore but the raiders count is only 30 😀.

While my EverWinter game, I reached 550 population and the raiders count is 140s. The heavy raiders will make you to have more towers and maintaining it is very tedious that could led to defeat if you’re not cautious.

[buds]

Another thing about weapons, try to have more up to date spears as they do better in fighting than bows and composite bows.

Bows and composite bows are just for hunting.

Dogs help too in the early stages of raiding. I had 340 dogs in one modded game and the just obliterate the 40 something raiders.

[buds]

I think the OP was a bit behind in getting techs because he was raided with Iron weapons in copper Age. It’s better to get ahead of the raiders techs always.

The raiders appear first after 7 years and I normally wait them in Mesolithic while accumulating more KP and preparing resources before advancing to Neolithic. If you don’t remember the timing, you can recall when the 5 years survival milestone occurred, then in 2 more years you must expect the first raid to come.

Then I think they advance in weapons (copper weapons) after 10 years, then 15 years the raiders will attack with Bronze weapons, then 20 on iron, I think. But I don’t pay attention to this timing as I normally wait for them to advance in weaponry ahead of me though I will have tremendous KP in my disposal to immediately match their weapons on the next attack.

The main strategy for me is limit my population to limit the raiders numbers. And this strategy carried me through any hardest hardcore game in the workshop scenarios.

In Mesolithic I keep my pop to 36 (5-8 raiders), 68 pop in Neolithic (I think below 15 raiders). And I don’t pay attention anymore on their numbers afterwards once I established my defenses (adding towers/population if raiders numbers increase). But with 100s population and equal weapons, towers, platforms as well as 3:1 numerical advantages, the raiders should be easily neutralized with very low or no casualties, when done nicely.

From Mesolithic to Neolithic I do more totems (not much menhirs or dolmen as I always make stone circle my first megaliths spiritual structure) to increase or trying to maximize my prestige from my limited population and structures prestige accumulation. Adequate prestige, good welfare (lots of villagers necessities) easily attracts immigrants the moment you want to increase your population.

With very good welfare (90s%), immigrants are really decent.

After battle you must rest the wounded ones too to prevent infections.

[Medal Crusader]

now busy with this one in hardcore mode yep have the same problem 1 fight your lose 3/5 that is oke , but when your lose more then 20/40 a fight most time it game over because the next the attacking group will be even bigger iff your population is not grow back in that time the wall are most time uselles but your will need them or platform, same for the towers there totaal crap nonstop repairing them , and even your still in low part the raiders getting in time beter so your have to upgrade and then problem starts over and with the new patches it getting harder and harder