Going Medieval Chokepoint Guide

A chokepoint is a controlled approach, not a guaranteed killbox. The useful question is whether a layout makes the raid easier for your defenders to observe, reach, and survive. This guide separates testable pathing observations from community design ideas and avoids presenting one corridor width or trap pattern as a universal rule.

Version boundary: Current 1.1.x gate and defensive-structure behavior must be checked in the save being documented. Exact enemy pathing, trap avoidance, damage, and height bonuses are not assumed here without a reproducible test.

Chokepoint Components

Element	Purpose	Safe guidance	Verify
Single controlled entrance	Make the defensive route visible and manageable.	Close unintended gaps, but keep a safe settler route and a fallback option.	Test whether raiders choose the opening or attack another wall.
Narrow passage	Reduce the number of enemies that can reach defenders at once.	Start with a compact passage that your settlers can still traverse.	Test movement, melee frontage, and whether enemies repath.
Trap section	Add delay or damage before the engagement.	Treat trap placement as a design hypothesis; keep side paths for settlers.	Record trigger behavior, damage, repair, and whether raiders avoid it.
Ranged position	Give defenders a line of sight into the approach.	Use walls or platforms only after checking sightlines and cover.	Test height, merlons, range, and incoming damage in the current version.
Fallback line	Prevent one breach from exposing the whole colony.	Keep production, beds, and a second defensive position behind the first line.	Check that settlers can retreat without crossing their own traps.

How to Test Enemy Pathing

Do not turn one community post or one successful raid into a deterministic AI rule. Use a repeatable test and record the conditions.

Save the game and note the version, map layout, target beds, open gates, and accessible buildings.
Leave one proposed route open and observe whether raiders use it or attack another section.
Repeat with the alternate route closed, then record any breach or repathing behavior.
Test traps separately from pathing so damage, trigger behavior, and route choice are not confused.
Take screenshots or a short recording before publishing an exact claim.

A Compact Funnel Design

Start with a controlled entrance and a short passage that your settlers can use safely. If the current save confirms that enemies continue through it, extend the passage with a trap section and a ranged position. If they attack a nearby wall instead, the layout is not yet a chokepoint—it is an invitation to breach.

Phase 1 — Control the approach

Close accidental openings and keep the intended entrance obvious. Do not remove every fallback route until you know settlers can retreat and repair the main line.

Phase 2 — Add the passage

Use a narrow passage as a testable starting point, not a fixed “optimal” dimension. Confirm that settlers can move along it and that melee defenders are not blocked by their own construction.

Phase 3 — Add traps carefully

Put traps where the enemy route is confirmed, while keeping a safe side route for daily colony traffic. Record trigger count, repair needs, and whether enemies ever choose another path.

Phase 4 — Add the fallback

Keep a second defensive position behind the entrance. A chokepoint is valuable because it buys time; it should not become the only place where the colony can survive.

Gates and Portcullises

The Prisoners & Gates update documents gates, tall gates, and portcullises with deliberate open/locked behavior. The update also describes damaged structures becoming passable until repaired. That makes repair access part of the chokepoint design. A gate that cannot be repaired safely is a temporary delay, not a dependable wall.

Test open, locked, damaged, and repaired states in the current save.
Keep the repair point outside the enemy’s preferred route when possible.
Confirm that settlers can reach it without triggering their own traps.
Give the colony another defensible line if the gate becomes passable.

Traps, Line of Sight, and Ranged Positions

A trap corridor is useful only when the enemy route is actually forced. A curved section may break line of sight, but it should be presented as a layout choice until the current save confirms the effect. Elevated positions and merlons may improve survivability or firing conditions, but the exact accuracy, range, critical, or damage changes require testing rather than a copied percentage.

Record

Version, screenshot, route, gate state, trap state, defender location, and raid outcome.

Do not publish yet

Fixed 3-tile rules, guaranteed shortest-path behavior, exact trap values, or exact height bonuses without a test.

When a Chokepoint Fails

Raiders choose another wall because the planned entrance is not the shortest or most accessible route.
A gate becomes passable and settlers cannot repair it safely.
Traps are empty, inaccessible, or triggered by the colony’s own traffic.
Ranged defenders have no retreat route or are exposed to a different attack angle.
The whole colony depends on one line with no fallback position.

Sources and Verification Boundary

Last reviewed: August 3, 2026. Exact pathing and combat claims require current-version testing.