City development | Stronghold M&M: Heroes VI Guide

Every game in Might and Magic: Heroes VI is a unique adventure. Even if we're gonna fight only on the one map and making the same decisions, game will look different for each time. This is caused by high randomness - great part of creatures and resources is random. Also enemies behaviors vary. That's why you can't create one general rule for an expansion - there are too many factors.

Nevertheless, you can make a common scheme, which you should follow during game - both in battles and city development. About wars you can read in chapter Battlefield Tactics and about castles - below.

As in case of Inferno, Strongholds' cities requires almost equal amount of every resource. Thanks to wood and stone you'll buy basic units but more advanced are available only thanks to the crystal. Of course, on each level of development you need gold, which will be used both to recruiting units and constructing buildings. Conclusion is simple: firstly take care of sawmills and stone mines and gold mines and after that about crystal ones.

That's how looks like fully developed city

First turns often decide about the all scenario, that's why I have a few words to say about them. At the beginning we should build War Tent (maulers) thanks to whom we'll be able to hire cheap and strong warriors and use them to conquer mines. In the second turn we should definitely buy Town Hall which generates 1000 gold per turn.

It's highly probable that your actual troops won't be sufficient in the third turn. That's why we should strengthen army, preferably by building Dream Lodge (dreamwalkers). It's a expensive one, but its residents have lot of HP what makes them an important support. If it isn't enough, you can hire goblins (Goblin Slums) or harpies (Harpy Nest) but investment City Hall seems to be more profitable.

When we build City Hall (2000 gold per turn) and at least two recruitment constructions, the time will come for building basic fortification. It's very important to make them in the seventh day at the latest, because they increase our population. Of course there have to be some dwellings, walls alone won't play for us.

In the following turns we should focus mainly on increasing our military potential: the more dwellings we build, the better. When we have all structures for 1-2 level units, the time will come for building a capitol. It generates 4000 gold per turn, what is a powerful income. Earned in such way moneys we should spent on upgrading our walls to its highest level (increasing our population greatly).

When it's done, we can start finishing what means upgrading dwellings. In Heroes VI quantity is much more important than quality and that's why we haven't invested in expensive upgraded buildings yet.

Managing such- view consume a lot of time.

When we upgrade our dwellings, we should build the most powerful: Cyclops Mounds. Creatures residing there are the most powerful Stronghold's unit who can decide about the result of the battles itself.

If in the meanwhile we conquer some city, we should invest in Town Portals which let us to move immediately from city to city. About developing further cities: we should care mostly about economical side of them (build Town Hall and then City Hall) and only after that care about the militaries. Such way will save us from bankruptcy.

Special buildings are way more useful than in other factions. Especially consider constructing Hall of Riders and Wallbreaker. First will make us richer (sometimes you can built it in the second turn), the second makes sieges easier. In the topic of simplifications: very useful to our development can be marketplace thanks to which we can not only trade resources but also it provides 500 gold per turn. On the other hand it's bad idea to invest in Hall of Heroes.

Full description of Stronghold's buildings you can find below in Buildings chapter.