Romestead Raid Defense: Surviving the Fallen

Last updated: 2026-06-29

Every night the Fallen come for your settlement — and most players lose buildings and citizens because they defend the wrong way. The instinct is to wall everything in. The reality is that light beats walls and the enemy has one favourite target. Here's how night raids actually work and how to shut them down cheaply.

How night raids work

The Fallen spawn and attack at night, and they don't wander randomly — they navigate toward your production buildings. The Blacksmith is consistently their highest-priority target: an unlit Blacksmith draws them like a beacon no matter what you've built around it. After that they go for the Farmstead and the food/worker core.

That single fact flips the usual base-building instinct. You're not trying to seal off your whole town on night one — you're trying to make your critical buildings unappealing and well-covered.

Torches first, walls second

This is the most important — and most counterintuitive — lesson: torches do more than walls early on. Light disorients the Fallen's navigation and creates zones they try to avoid, while walls mainly buy time and plug approach gaps.

Automatic Scorpio turrets (the real answer)

The strongest defensive tool in the game is the Automatic Scorpio — an auto-targeting arrow turret that does the fighting for you. They're absurdly cheap and they trivialise raids (and even bosses — an 8-Scorpio cluster is our recommended Giant Owl kill).

• Cost: 1 wood log each. A defensive ring of them costs almost nothing.
• They fire Flint Arrows (1 wooden stick + 1 flint shard = 25 arrows), so keep arrows stocked — turrets burn through them in a sustained fight.
• Placement: position them with clear lines of fire over the approaches to your Blacksmith and production core. Overlapping arcs shred anything that walks in. As of Beta Branch 0.25.2_2 (June 2026), Scorpios no longer damage your own player-built structures, so you can pack them in among your walls and buildings without friendly-fire worries.
• Upgrade: Vulcan has a blessing that unlocks Automatic Scorpio Level 3 for stronger turrets — well worth courting if raids are hurting you.

A handful of Scorpios covering your core, plus torches, handles ordinary night raids with you barely lifting a finger.

Barricades & walls

Walls and Barricades (2 Wood Plank each at the Carpenter) still have a role — just not as your first investment. Use them to:

• Fill the most direct approach routes to your core, funnelling the Fallen into your Scorpio fire arcs and torch-lit zones.
• Buy time on a side you can't cover yet.

You don't need a complete four-sided wall to survive the first night. You need lit perimeters around key buildings + wall coverage on the most direct approaches. Prioritise light, fill gaps with walls.

Defense Value & the Town Report

Romestead gives you two feedback tools — use them:

• Defense Value — checkable at the Workbench. It's your at-a-glance read on how prepared your settlement is; build it up before nights you expect trouble.
• Town Report — read it after an attack to see whether citizens were injured, loyalty shifted, or your defensive line failed. It tells you exactly where to reinforce next.

First-nights defense checklist

1. Torches around the Blacksmith — do this the moment you build it.
2. Torches around the Farmstead, entrances, and choke points.
3. A few Automatic Scorpios covering the approaches to your core (1 log each — build several).
4. Stock Flint Arrows so the turrets don't run dry mid-raid.
5. Barricades/walls on the most direct approach lane only.
6. Check Defense Value at the Workbench before nightfall; read the Town Report after.

Raids vs declared sieges

Routine night raids by the Fallen are the everyday threat this guide covers. The big set-piece attacks — like the Satyr siege you trigger with a Declaration of War against Pyzifax — are opt-in and far larger. Have your torches, Scorpios, and upgraded gear ready before you start one of those; the game warns you for good reason.

Common questions

Why do the Fallen always attack my Blacksmith?

The Fallen target production buildings, and the Blacksmith is their top priority — an unlit one pulls them straight in. Ring it with torches first; that does more than any wall.

Should I build walls or torches first?

Torches first. Light deters the Fallen, while walls only buy time. Light your Blacksmith and key buildings, then add walls on the most direct approach routes.

What's the best way to defend automatically?

Automatic Scorpio turrets — 1 wood log each, auto-target, and fire Flint Arrows. Build a few covering your core and keep arrows stocked. Vulcan's blessing unlocks a stronger Level 3 version.

Do I need a full wall around my town?

No. A lit core plus a few Scorpios and walls on the direct approach lanes is enough for normal raids. Save the full perimeter for later.