Richard The Lionheart

“

Gird your loins, sharpen your steel. You will soon be tested!

”

— The Lionheart, taunting before an attack

The Lionheart
Personal Information
Real Name	King Richard
Nicknames	Richard I-VIII The Lionheart
Appears on	Stronghold Crusader Stronghold Crusader 2
Strategical Information
Difficulty	Hard
Melee Troops	Swordsmen Pikemen (SHC) Macemen (SHC2)
Ranged Troops	Archers Rangers (SHC2)
Siege Engines	Mangonels Ballistae Catapults Trebuchets Battering rams (SHC)

King Richard "The Lionheart" is one of the AI opponents in Stronghold Crusader, Extreme and Stronghold Crusader 2.

Background

King Richard I ruled England from AD 1189-1199. His reputation as a fearless warrior and superb military leader earned him the nickname "Lionheart" long before he even became king. He is the son of the very influential and powerful Queen, Queen Eleanor of Aquintaine. By the age of 16, Richard had taken command of his own army, putting down rebellions in Poitou against his father. Richard was a central Christian commander during the Third Crusade, leading the campaign after the departure of Philip II of France and scoring considerable victories against his Muslim counterpart, Saladin, although he did not reconquer Jerusalem from Saladin.

Richard is perhaps best known for his crusades in the Holy Land. He allied himself with King Phillip II Augustus and Barbarossa during the third crusade. Despite his extraordinary military leadership and powerful alliances, he was never able to capture Jerusalem. Richard did, however, sign a treaty with the leader of the Islamic opposition, Saladin. This treaty allowed for the entrance of Christianity into Jerusalem, and called for a three-year truce..

Appearance

As a king, he wears a golden crown on his head, with cross-like decorations on its edge. His intimidating, yet proud face is decorated by a dark yellow mustache and beard, framing his mouth. He stands tall and confident and often has a confident look on his face which is strongly recognizable by his eyes. 

He wears a standard metal chain armor that covers his figure. His trademark red cross is proudly worn to cover his chest. He also wears a plain teal colored cape. His battleaxe is always seen held by his strong arms.

The Crusader lord unit in the game with his axe represents Richard, who is also the main mascot of the game, being shown on the cover of the physical copy of the game and on the loading screen.

Character

He knows how to fight, and he is not afraid of it. He is described as a fearless man but does not attack recklessly. He doesn't rush when attacking his enemies. Despite this, he does not seem to be a master of economy. He runs economy only to supply food, happiness and weapons to his army.

He is one of the strongest AI opponents encountered in the game and perhaps the best attacker. Richard is obsessed with fighting and greatly appreciates when he can test his skills against others. He gives compliments when he encounters a talented and hard enemy, but he does not hesitate to siege with overwhelming powers. He can be considered a great tactician and he prefers to fight on the battlefield, rather than being enclosed in his keep with his defenders.

Castles and strategies

More than any other lord, The Lionheart knows how to plan and execute an effective attack strategy and, if given the chance, he will construct more siege equipment than any other AI opponent. Richard's economy is solid enough, but his true path to victory lies on the battlefield.

In Stronghold Crusader

The Lionheart has a decent industry based heavily on stone and iron mines. He gathers apples and cheese, as well as uses positive Fear Factor to gain bonus popularity. He has an insane number of workshops stuffed in his castle producing bows, plate armour, swords and pikes. Richard also sites some chapels and churches for religion coverage.

The Lionheart builds rectangular castles with square towers on the corners and a large gatehouse. He stations archers and oil engineers on the towers and hosts either ballistae or mangonels in them. He may also construct an outer ring of walls with perimeter turrets siting archers.

Richard is known to send attacks frequently with a large number of siege equipment. He uses archers, pikemen and swordsmen supported by various engines, mostly catapults, rams and trebuchets. He also uses siege towers and uniquely, tunnelers to destroy enemy structures.

For more details, see: Richard The Lionheart/Strategies (SHC)

In Stronghold Crusader 2

Richard retains his productive economy, with the addition of candle production for churches. For weapons production he utilizes fletchers, forges and blacksmiths and he also hands out higher rations to get more taxes. His industry relies heavily on iron.

The Lionheart constructs small castles fortified mostly with ballistae and mangonels. He has two great towers and uses archers and rangers on the walls. He keeps a moderate number of swordsmen, macemen and archers around the Lord.

The Lionheart has different harassment tactics than in the first Stronghold Crusader, sending out groups of archers and macemen to destroy outer buildings and even walls. In bigger attacks, the Lionheart makes use of additional swordsmen and rangers and he constructs catapults, mantlets and trebuchets.

Dealing with the Lionheart

For tips on how to beat the Lionheart, see: Richard The Lionheart/Counter-strategies (SHC)

Quotes

For Richard The Lionheart's quotes, see:

• Stronghold Crusader quotes
• Stronghold Crusader 2 quotes

Gallery

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