[394] Matty_'s Archer Tower

This is my first design. Feel free to pick it apart/criticize or use it in the game.

The tower is a light defensive tower, best used against oncoming knight and archer assaults. Placement at the front of your base isn't recommended, as certain tactical advantages provided by the tower can be lessened via bombs or catapult fire. The tower itself was used mostly as a last resort or secondary tower in the majority of online games.

From an enemy's perspective, the tower looks like this:


The layer of darkness that consumes the tower has two benefits:

• Archers may move about without consequence, remaining hidden.
• Archer slots in use are not predictable by the enemy.

As a direct result of those two benefits, we learn that:

• Enemy archers will have a difficult time lining up their shots.
• Enemy knights will have a harder time bunker busting with grenades.

With the backwall removed, the arrow shop and various archer slots are much more visible:


On servers that allow multiple workshop types, I normally place a Knight armory in the event that the tower is breached. The workshop would go directly where the gold arrow is hovering in the second picture. I am more than willing to answer any questions in this thread, and update it as requested.

 

Instead of a armory, you could place quarters. I don't know why, but seeing just one door makes me cringe.

 

When placing quarters, I tend to remove them from the tower itself. The light provided removes the tactical advantage. Here's an addition I normally use when connecting towers or reinforcing:


This also provides an escape route.

 

I think you should delete the door at the right side of the arrow shop. If knights are trying to climb up to the main door, the archers could shoot them from above.
At the right side of the tower, where the opponents climb up, you should place 2 stone bricks between 2 doors. Make their charge more difficult.
You should figure out a place for the Outpost. Perhaps at the left side of the tower wouldn't be a bad place for it.
The lower part of the tower is too short, you should build it higher, so your knights could occasionally jump on the opponent soldiers' head.
Adding a minimum 5x5 trap pit before your tower would be sweet.
Watch out for the archers, they could destroy the quarters shooting their arrows in a higher angle. Provide a roof, so it won't be destroyed easily.
Switch the places of the arrow shop and armory. The archers have enough time climbing up and down, but the soldiers want to buy the bombs as fast as possible so they could start their attack outside.
Anyway, it will be a nice defense system.

 

I've messed with the design a bit, and resulted in this:


This design incorporates 123Antman123's knee-cap shooter, which extends the height of the lower portion, and lengthens the gap between trapdoors on the offensive end. Results on the effect this has when climbing up are mixed. A second doorway has been added directly after the first. The gap directly underneath allows troops to squeeze through in the same fashion as Prostosuper's [394] Claustrophobia trap. The only way back into your base is through the second doorway. This gap can also be used by archers in the event that the first doorway falls.

Working off of the former edition, placement of the healing quarters and a bit more protection are the only changes to the upper half of the tower. A bomb shop has been added, as requested, but I still intend on keeping the Knight Armory and Arrow shop intact.

 

Nice tower, just one thing though, perhaps with the knee-capper put another trap bridge across accompanied with a spike underneath so of an enemy uses the notch the knee-capper has created they will be spike on their way back down.

 

Its really easy to lob arrows over the tower and hit quarters for free coins.Always make a roof,at least 3 simple blocks will do.

/edit : yeah,it seems that my pills for attention are wearing off.

 

Here's an updated version for [415]:


CoD's additional trap has been added. If I've implemented it incorrectly, let me know. A support beam for the escape route/tower support has been added, although I did not follow the 6 horizontal block rule suggested in bilb's thread. I'm still figuring out the details of the last patch. :D

Lobbing arrows over the tower and hitting the quarters is still possible, albeit difficult. I've tried hitting it myself without much success, knowing that I would be an easy target for anyone inside the tower.

 

The spike at the front/bottom is supposed to be like this:







The reason is the second bridge above it deactivates the spike for your team, so you actually can't get hurt on it.
(Pulled from Wyeth's thread btw).

 

To add onto what Killatron said, the hole at the bottom could also double up to be a bomb catcher (or whatever they're called) to catch most of the bombs they throw at it.