Defense Post Guide for OpenFront.io

Main Takeaway: The Defense Post is a pivotal structure for fortifying borders, imposing severe penalties on attackers within its range. Proper placement and timing of Defense Posts can dramatically slow enemy advances and secure key territories.

Overview

A Defense Post increases the defensive strength of nearby tiles, making them significantly harder for opponents to conquer. It is available from version 22.6 onward and can be constructed up to four times per player, with escalating costs.

Construction and Cost

• Initial Cost: 50 000 gold
• Cost Increment: +50 000 gold per additional Defense Post built
• Maximum Cost: 250 000 gold (for the fourth post)
• Build Time: 50 ticks (5 seconds) per Defense Post
• Build Limit: 4 posts per game session per player
• Territory Risk: Posts can be captured if an opponent conquers the tile they occupy.

Mechanics and Range

• Defense Bonus: Provides a ×5 multiplier to the defense of all tiles within range
• Terrain Stacking:
  • Mountains (×1.2 terrain modifier): yields a ×6 total defense bonus
  • Plains (×0.9 terrain modifier): yields a ×4.5 total defense bonus
  • Highlands (×1.0 terrain modifier): remains ×5 total defense bonus
• Range:
  • Official wiki: 30 tiles using Manhattan distance (diamond-shaped area)
  • Attacking guide (v23): 40 tiles using Euclidean distance (circular area)
• Stacking Rules: Multiple Defense Posts do not stack; only the nearest post applies its bonus to a given tile.

Effects on Combat

When an enemy attempts to conquer a tile within a Defense Post’s range:

• Attacker Losses Multiplied: ×6 (i.e., +500% casualties)
• Attack Speed Reduced: −66% processing rate
• Sustained Attrition: Attacker loses double the troops per unit time while within range
• Single-Post Cap: Only the strongest applicable post affects attacks on any tile.

Strategic Placement

• Vulnerable Borders: Position posts just inside your frontline to protect high-value cities and chokepoints.
• Terrain Advantage: Place posts in mountainous areas to maximize the defense bonus (×6).
• Choke Points & Passes: Cover narrow land bridges or mountain passes where attackers must funnel through.
• City Protection: Surround key cities—loss of border tiles can cascade into city capture.

Counterplay and Limitations

• Flanking & Sea Routes: Attackers can bypass posts via naval invasions if unprotected at sea.
• Range Exploitation: Engage outside the post’s effective radius and then dash in to capture critical tiles before reinforcements arrive.
• Economic Pressure: Repeatedly building and replacing Defense Posts can drain gold reserves—coordinate defense with allies to share the burden.

Advanced Tips

• Beginners should avoid early-game overinvestment in Defense Posts; focus on territorial expansion first.
• Experienced players often delay post construction until natural borders solidify, then reinforce selectively.
• Combine Defense Posts with terrain modifiers and allied buffer zones for layered defense.
• Monitor enemy troop compositions—high-volume assaults can still overwhelm static defenses if unsupported by counterattacks.

With precise placement and timing, Defense Posts become force multipliers that shape the flow of conquest across the map.