Keep

The keep is a structure in the Stronghold Series.
==Description==
A keep functions as the main and most versatile building of the player. It houses the lord, as well as stores the player's gold reserves and serves as a final bastion for defense. It is impervious to projectiles and attacks: the only way to destroy a keep is to kill the lord that belongs to it. The keep also spawns peasants and provides limited starting housing capacity. The campfire in front of the keep is where they gather around until a job is available or they are recruited. With the exception of Stronghold 2, the keep is where tax rates are controlled.
Most keeps also have an upper level that can be used by troops, gaining a height advantage and limited protection from ranged fire for free. Larger keeps in Stronghold 2 offer even more protection and garrison capacity, as well as towers. Be wary however that such towers cannot host defense engines like the mangonel.
==Types of keeps==
Keeps come in various forms throughout the Stronghold series. They are either made of wood or stone and they have different size, housing capacity and design. Some keeps cannot be occupied with units and thus are merely used for a starting building.
*Wooden keep: this type of keep is made of densely packed wood planks/spikes, offering little space, housing and confinement for protection. Wooden keeps are the Manor House and the Saxon Hall.
*Stone keep: this type of keep is more common in the series, constructed from blocks and bricks. Generally large in base size, the stone keep provides more housing supply and protection for the player.
Stone keeps are the Stone Keep, the Fortress, the Stronghold and the Small/Medium/Royal Keep, as well as the faction-themed keeps for Stronghold Legends: the Simple Keep, the Ice Keep and the Evil Keep.
==Capturing the Keep==
In Stronghold Legends and Crusader 2, a player can also be defeated if they leave their keep ungarrisoned while the enemy is having their troops on it for an extended amount of time. This mechanic promotes the importance of the keep and also avoids "cheap" strategies, such as sending the lord to an impenetrable location elsewhere on the map.
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Category:Military Buildings