Best Non-Killbox Defenses?

[DeltaV]

I'm wondering what everyone's preferred strategies are for fighting off enemies without funneling them all into a turret killbox. My go-to strategy has always been a series of walls like this, where '[]' is a wall and '=' a sandbag:

==[][]==[][]==[][]==

I would set those little two-tile repetitions all around my base, with turrets at either end. It works reasonably well, but not exceptionally so, and it's a strategy that I haven't changed up since... the pre-alpha, I guess.

So, what works best, in your opinion?

[christhekiller]

Death

[Mikhail Reign]

Best defense? A killbox - its not like they aren't realistic. Choke points are a major part of combat RL and IG.

[CB elite]

I enjoy flanking my enemies as they try to break down my front door. I have a few double doors set up on the sides/back of my base to prevent pathing for raiders there Just walk out the back door, swing around the corner and open fire on the group

[Nebbie]

[]=[]=[]=[]
[]          =
[]          []
H          =
[]          []
[]          =
[][][][][][][]

Standard corner defense in my colonies, allows for cover for my own guys without providing the enemy cover when I have to fall back to the next one.
I'll probably switch to killboxes next time I play with lots of mods; embrasures and better turrets make it too good not too, even with the threat of sappers.

[Ranilin]

I like to flank, similar to CB Elite, but I do use a form of killbox for it (so it's a guaranteed flank by knowing where the raiders will go).

I like to set up a covered V formation entrance (it's kind of a V - the point is a vague point to not give wall cover). At the point of the V, in the dark, is a small series of turrets, usually two or three with a wall between each to prevent chain turret explosions, but not a huge box of turrets. I then place sandbags about halfway the range of turrets down the entrance to these turrets with a ceiling light off to one side. This causes raiders to advance through turret fire in the open to take the nice cover behind the sandbags, well illuminated to increase their chance of being hit, and usually netting the turrets a couple of kills or at least softening up targets so their aim is hopefully lowered. Once the raiders are in the sandbag "cover" and the meleers are running up on the turrets, my colonists come out of doors off to the side behind the sandbags and hit the now-exposed raiders from the sides and behind while staying in the darkened alcoves where they are hard to hit due to wall cover and darkness bonuses. Works pretty well and you don't have to deal with the meleers who can just lop off a random limb since they rushed to the turrets, and the whole assault is fleeing before they can get back to the colonists after the turrets go down.

[Mrshilka]

Over 20 or 30 raiders and non killbox designs fall apart unless you somehow have equal or better firepower than your enemy.
This is basically impossible in Vanilla.

[TLHeart]

Over 20 or 30 raiders and non killbox designs fall apart unless you somehow have equal or better firepower than your enemy.
This is basically impossible in Vanilla.

I do it all the time in vanilla. All about exploiting the gaping holes in the AI, leading the raiders to where YOU want to engage them. Every base has a kill zone, even those without turret filled killboxes.

Ever here of the tactic of divide and conquer?

[Loki88]

It's very micro-managey but doors work extremely well and give better cover to a colonist. Blitzkriegsler does a good job showcasing this in some of his RimWorld LPs on the ol' YouTube.

[cultist]

Engaging the raiders before they reach your defenses (preferably with a sniper, survival rifle works for smaller groups) can often soften them up enough for you to drive them off without too much trouble. If you place little huts around the map for your pawns to hide in, you can often split up groups and cause raiders to bounce between a pawn poking its head outside a door and shooting and their initial target.

Still, even if you insist on not using a killbox design, you are going to have to engange the enemies on some sort of favorable terms, or you will lose eventually. Some kind of ambush area where you hold the advantage is the only real choice you have when facing overwhelming odds. I like to make the first 2 raids or so more skirmishey because the number of raiders more or less match your colonists. But after that, you have to start considering how you want future fights to progress and how to gain an advantage, and that usually involves using the terrain or tricking/distracting the AI somehow.

[Too-DAMN-Much]

i do so extensively killbox, however i wanted to mention how i use turrets in what i imagine is a peculiar manner.
i'll observe where raids originate from and their typical path through my chokepoint towards the colony and eventually using what was observed it gets to a point where raiders never go anywhere i don't want them to, it might be a little wasteful on conduits, but sometimes running a long wire out to a single lone turret is very tactically useful for raider control and herding.

[Boston]

alliances with other factions.

I use the "more factions" and "hospitality" mods, so I try to make as many friends with the (realistically numerous) tribes. This way, when other factions come a-knockin', they get a one-two punch of my guys + 1, 2 or even three tribal war parties.

[Mrshilka]

Over 20 or 30 raiders and non killbox designs fall apart unless you somehow have equal or better firepower than your enemy.
This is basically impossible in Vanilla.

I do it all the time in vanilla. All about exploiting the gaping holes in the AI, leading the raiders to where YOU want to engage them. Every base has a kill zone, even those without turret filled killboxes.

Ever here of the tactic of divide and conquer?

Yes divide and conquer when you have 30 raider, but whats about 50? 100? how about 1200? I mean thats only 600 in 2 groups! so easy

[TLHeart]

Yes divide and conquer even with 1200 raiders coming in. Never engage the enemy on their terms....

And a 1200 raid in vanilla, without the wealth and colonist to easily overcome it just does not happen.

[Mrshilka]

exactly because a raid of 50 or so killed you much earlier