Survival Guide - Dust Settles: Defensive Structures

Table of Contents:

Purpose:

Defensive structures are types of weaponry and nonmoving constructions that are used to add extra defense for your army when your camp is attacked. From trenches to antiaircraft guns, these are to help your troops stay safe and even actively defend the camp in the event of an attack. You will use militia to construct these structures and assign a type for construction through the Defense page. Only 75% of your militia will ever work on your defenses at a time since the rest need to continue walking around your perimeter looking for issues. These men will still be available to man your guard posts and act as defense whenever your walls are breached.

Each defensive structure adds "armor" to the army units and officers that you have in battle. The more defensive structures you have, the more armor you are adding to your people. As such, having the maximum number that you can build of each structure will NOT give you an automatic win. You must still make sure that you have an adequate army for your size, plenty of weapons, high army competency, and a decent strategy.

You can stack the defensive structures. For example, if your circumference is 115, you can build 115 each of trench units, pillboxes, hairpins, antitank cannons, and AA guns. These units take no land.

Back to Top

Construction:

In order to construct defensive structures around your camp, you will need to head to your Defense page. Here you will assign up to 75% of your current militia to work on one structure type. Militia will only work on defensive structures if there are a) enough militia to build at least 1 of the structures in a day, b) enough building supplies and CEPs to cover the costs of the structures the militia you have can build in a day, and c) enough left before reaching any possible circumference limits that your militia can build all they could in a day. This means you will not be able to build a hairpin if you only have 10 militia that can be assigned, nor can you build 5 hairpins if you only have 40 supplies, 8 CEPs, or 3 spaces left before reaching your circumference limit.

In order to make sure you build the max. that you can build, you can place a limit on the number of militia assigned. Assigning 0 places no extra limit on the number of militia who will work on defensive structures. Any other assignment, as long as it is less than 75% of your total militia will set that many to work on defensive structures. You can use this to build any extras needed to reach 100% coverage of a type of defensive structure.

Back to Top

Trenches:

These are your basic defensive structures. Your camp can build plenty of these to provide your troops a place to hunker down into while firing on the advancing army. Of course, if the advancing army kills enough of your forces, the remaining people will still make a final charge out of your trenches to help mitigate losses.

How to Open:

Trenches require no research to open.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building trenches. First, only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Next you can only build 1 unit of trench for each unit of land in the circumference of your camp. Finally, trenches cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them.

Back to Top

Hairpins:

Hairpins are large, metal structures primarily used to prevent tanks and armored assault vehicles from rolling over your defensive forces. These sturdy structures are designed to catch tanks and other vehicles and keep them from moving forward. These structures provide a fantastic defense against attacking vehicles, but very little defense against ground and air troops since they can move around or above the obstacle.

How to Open:

You can open the ability to construct hairpins by researching Ingenuity to at least 5.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building hairpins. First, only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Next you can only build 1 hairpin for each unit of land in the circumference of your camp. Finally, hairpins cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them.

Back to Top

Pillboxes:

Pillboxes are concrete structures with a small opening in the front for army units to fire through. These structures provide a fairly strong defense against most standard weaponry. Arrows and bullets merely bounce off or maybe stick into the walls of the pillbox, leaving the people behind unscathed. Of course, there are the occasional lucky shots and stronger weaponry has a tendency to at least cause more damage to the structure if not negate it's usefulness to an extent. Still, these are always nice to have around.

How to Open:

You will open the ability to construct pillboxes by researching Ingenuity to at least 10.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building pillboxes. First, only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Next you can only build 1 pillbox for each unit of land in the circumference of your camp. Finally, pillboxes cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them.

Back to Top

Antitank Cannons:

Antitank cannons are special defensive structures that actually allow you to fire upon and destroy invading forces, especially vehicles. These will allow you a little extra firepower to use on invading forces. 3 militia will man these weapons, not army.

How to Open:

You will open these cannons by researching Ingenuity to at least 30.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building antitank cannons. First, only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Next you can only build 1 cannon for each unit of land in the circumference of your camp. Finally, cannons cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them.

Back to Top

Antiaircraft Guns:

Antiaircraft guns are special, active defensive weaponry for taking out the bombers and fighters that might strike your camp during an air raid. These weapons will only fire on bombers and fighters, not choppers or any other vehicle or troop type. They will, of course, continue to add to your defense during the main part of the battle. 4 militia will man these weapons, not army.

How to Open:

You will open the ability to construct AA guns by researching Ingenuity to at least 40.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building AA guns. Only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Also, these structures cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them. AA guns are not limited by circumference.

Back to Top

SAM Sites:

SAM sites are a more powerful and more accurate air defense unit. These active defensive weapons are for taking out the bombers and fighters that might strike your camp during an air raid. These weapons will only fire on bombers and fighters, not choppers or any other vehicle or troop type. 6 militia will man these weapons, not army.

How to Open:

You will open the ability to construct SAM sites by researching Ingenuity to at least 50.

Limitations:

There are only a few limitations to building SAMs. Only 75% of your militia will ever be assigned to construction because of the other duties that militia must perform. Also, they cost building supplies and CEP, without which you will not be able to build them. SAMs are not limited by circumference.

Back to Top