hen an enemy force is small or primitive, walls and towers might be enough to repel the invasion. But it would be foolish to rely solely on walls and towers if you face a real threat of invasion. Build forts to station legions around the province, far outside the city; these legions can patrol the area, and fight battles to prevent the invaders ever coming near the city itself. Remember that people grow extremely uneasy if barbarians penetrate the city and destroy even a single building.

Since the earliest days of Empire, Roman Emperors have been wary of their generals, and have frowned heavily on basing soldiers in Rome. In the outer provinces, this is natural anyway: Forts house legions to move around the map and fight where they are needed, and this is much better done outside a city than within. Additionally, citizens are frightened by the danger of forts, and strongly dislike living near soldiers, with their coarse behavior. Forts are best sited far outside the city walls.

A province may have up to six forts. Each fort houses one legion, consisting of a single unit type: Legionaries, the classic Roman heavy infantry; Auxiliaries, lightly armored troops armed with throwing pila (a deadly form of javelin); or Cavalry, lightly armored, mounted auxiliary troops armed with swords. You choose which unit type to base there when you build the fort.

When the legion is at its fort, it can receive new recruits to replace any losses or bring it up to full strength. All its troops gradually recuperate health and gain morale while at the fort. New soldiers are recruited from the non-working portion of a city's population, since the rigors of military life do not allow for the fluid allocation required by the Labor Advisor. This means that soldiers continue to maintain their homes in the city, and eat rations, even while away at their forts. Soldiers draw their pay from your treasury, but recruiting them doesn't reduce your labor force .

The legion remains in its fort until you order it to move elsewhere (see below, "Commanding Legions", for more information).