On the various attacks my Red Rock attracte. I'm there a lot so I see how they progress, I can say Heavy Laser turrets are the bomb. The machine guns fire up and pvssyr away and after a few secs the Heavy Lasers, in a higher position start to fire. It's over right away after they get the target.

Even though enemies can spawn inside walls, they are still useful for funneling attackers into an area of concentrated defense, IMO. I do typically surround a settlement with walls, build a gate, then put a hallway through the gate (gate doors will close through walls/roofs without clipping for some reason) that dead-ends in a high guard post with a couple turrets in front of it and forces a right-angle turn to get into the settlement proper. Couple that with more turrets placed on top of the hallway with LOS outside the gate and enemies have to run quite the gauntlet to get inside.

For inside spawns, I just have a few inward pointing turrets and count on the settlers to handle things.

But as you can see from my post count I've just become active on the forums, and I didn't know until reading this thread just now that "Defend" missions always fail if the Sole Survivor isn't present. Grrr. That rather defeats the purpose of this whole thing, doesn't it? Perhaps a single tower with tons of turrets - just to get the Defense rating high enough to discourage attacks - is the better option. It would certainly be faster to build. Overall, I find that quite disappointing.

I just set up well-placed turrets on high ground and it's always been autopilot for me, perhaps too auto. Granted, I immediately spec my char for the good turrets Laser+. I usually keep my Defense rating of my settlements above 40 (120 at Castle) and I rarely have quests for being attacked or kidnaps (they do still happen though).

I'm up to level 41 and still haven't had a single kidnapping anywhere. How do you get kidnapping to happen?

Instead of walling in the whole settlement I chose to wall off about 1/3 of it near the center of the boundaries and have turrets facing in and out with plenty of settlers on guard duty throughout the settlement and usually on higher ground. My plan is to add another ring of walls or compartments and slowly move out.

If there is one thing that would like to see patched, then it is for perimeter walls to actually work. It kinda ruins the point of the defending when they don't.

Not sure, I have a bunch of 2-4 person low defense settlements. They seem to to get kidnappings the most. I haven't been keeping track closely but my larger settlements don't seem to get that quest type. My other settlements are 8-16 settlers with a lot more defense.

Noticed today that the MG turrets seem to have different "levels" that appear to be random. Look closely, when you place one it'll say "Mk 1" "Mk3" or Mk5 printed on the side and the ammo type printed on the ammo canister. Mk5 seems to indicate incendiary rounds. Don't know if the dmg outpt is actually different.

When placing one in workshop mode look at the labeling (while its floating in green) if its not the right kind just push "down" on D pad then up again (as if putting away the turret then placing a new one). It may take a few tries but the models do vary. I only seem to get Mk 1, 3, or 5. Never seen 2 or 4.

There is no single "fool proof" defensive strategy.

1) Walls work they simply do not work ALL the time. That does not mean it is worthless to employ the resources to wall off a settlement.

2) Turret towers work they simply do not work all the time. You will have attacks by enemies with heavy weapons that will destroy the turrets on one side of a tower allowing enemies to rush your settlements with little damage and causing lots of harm before they die if this is the only defence you employ.

3) Sirens work the just don't work all by themselves. Getting your settlers to all run towards a siren is a good plan but without support you'll just kill off your settles.

4) Guard post work, having plenty of guards at guard post will help in defence but alone guards will be overwhelmed and die.

A good settlement has multiple layers of defence.

A) You Should wall off your settlements because not ALL spawns of teh enemy happen inside your walls. So forcing the enemy to run to a gate before they can get inside means they do less damage. This investment is worth the effort as it funnels attackers into kill zones as they approach a gate. So do NOT let the simple fact that it isn't fool proof mean you ignore its value.

You should create turrets that target enemies inside your base, they can be placed in turret towers or on roofs but the key is to have them elevated as people have mentioned. This means if any enemy gets inside they are not free from attack which means they must deal with the turret or die. And if they are dealing with a turret it also means they are not attacking vital structures like power, settlers, purifiers ect.

C) Do wall up your generators. Create a building to store your generators when at all possible. There is a roof tile with a missing corner which is designed to allow you to run a power line out or into a building. USE IT. My castle generators are in a building with no door. This means i am not going to have these generators attacked because they are safe in a building. no line of sight means the enemy won't see them and target them.

D) Guard posts and Sirens. Every guard post in my settlement uses a siren. The siren add zero defence so many people over look it but NPCs ESPECIALLY Guards will spot an enemy and immediately run to a nearby siren and turn it on. This gets all the settlers running to the siren ready to support the guard. I place the siren tower so the switch is facing back of the guard post. This way a Guard can quickly reach the siren, turn it on and get back to the guard post and attack the enemy. having guards at every entrance to your settlement means that you have someone watching all access to the settlement which increases the likelihood of an attack being stopped quickly. Do equip your guards with armour and weapons.

E) Use multiple kinds of turrets not just a single type. Some enemies have high energy DR so only using laser turrets means they can last longer and do more damage to you because you are attacking them where their defences are the strongest. The same is true with enemies that have high ballistic DR if you only employ machinegun turrets. Use machine guns and lasers together to make sure you maximize your damage against all enemies. Spotlights should be used for every cluster of turrets so they can spot the enemy at night. Spot lights make seeing enemies at night easier for turrets and settlers alike USE them.

F) Do not use Missile turrets to defend the inside of your base. Missiles are AOE they will damage structures and settlers if they target an enemy inside your base. Use these turrets sparingly and make sure you place them in places where they can't fire into your settlements. not all your turrets have to be on the top level of a turret tower. i usually make concrete walls and one trick i use is setting them in slightly from the settlement boundary. This means that if the wall is two blocks high i can place laser and machine gun turrets on he top. Then place s series of small floor tile on the outside portion of the wall one story bellow the roof with three missile turrets. These turrets can only fire outside my settlement they are still elevated so have good field of view and they can't track an enemy inside and fire so it damages friend and foe alike.

G)make sure each turret draws power from a coupling or power pole independently not from a nearby turret. If you connect turrets via power only via a neighbouring turrets and not a pole you are ASKING for problems. A damage turret doesn't conduct electricity.

P_T1_T2_T3_T4 here is an example of what i mean. Turret T1 is drawing power directly from a power source/tower/coupling. And then you connect the second turret T2 to the first turret. And connect the third turret to the second and so on. They are all powered and everything seems fine. except if the enemy damages the first turret t1 then all he other turrets lose power. So DON'T do this. place a power pole in a central location so you can run a power wire from the pole to each individual turret independently. This way if any single turret is destroyed it does cut power to the other turrets down the line.

H) Do set up supply lines. It helps when settlements share food and water and junk, so if a settlement is damaged in an attack they will have plenty of supplies till you get around to repairing things, It also makes building settlements so much easier.

Hopefully these tips will help and explain why they help as well.

This. As enimies spawn inside settlement walls, for the most part they're a waste of your hard gathered materials - Bad call that one Bethesda.

I've moved to the all-in-one 360 accommodation and defence tower model.

A three square concrete foundation which has 4 floors. 1 floor is for living. 2 floors are for sleeping and an open air floor for heavy machine guns and missile launches.

It's concrete foundations are raised (minimum of half way up). Floor 1 is sleeping with a ladder leading up to door. Floor 2 is the open air floor with deffences sat across all 4 sides and the generators placed on the centre floor square. Floor 3 is living. Floor 4 is sleeping. The recruitment beacon sits on the roof.

A self-contained affordable 4 storey tower with a small foot-print, that sleeps around 12, and does away with the enemies spawning inside your settlement walls [censored] up from Bethesda.

TIPS!

For the drive in enemies normally spawn where you spawn when you fast travel there create a choke point at the spawn area.

I built concrete walls 4 stories high around the entire perimeter of the settlement and left an opening where the spawn choke point is.

I put turrets on top of the walls as well as a giant tower in the middle of the settlement with turrets.

The settlement is literally invincible.

I have had enemies thus far always go to the choke point as I left it a decent size.

1) Don't use the default farm. Enemy will spawn close to the default farm and head to it. Pick another spot.

2) Wall off your farm.

3) Build a bunker directly connected to your farm and facing the enemy, either stand alone or attached to the default buildings. You want to position the bunker so it has a good clear killing field, as large as possible, or safe behind a funnel.

4) Let there be one entrance into the compound, elevated over the wall, no ground floor entrances.

5) Build an elevated maze using bridge placeables to get onto your bunker's roof. Direct all traffic directly into the line of fire of your turrets. Make sure the enemy has to come as close as possible to, and turn their backs to, the turrets to get onto the stairs to the maze.

6) Put guard posts on your bunker's roof, along the perimeter, facing the enemies approach. Make a little maze out of guard posts at the entrance.

7) Build a turret platform out of ladder and floor placeables or use the highest roof. Place it such that it has a complete view of the enemy at all times especially at the entrance to the compound.

Basically, you want to funnel the enemy into a death trap. Think of ways to make them approach on coming fire in single file, preferable with their backs turned.

What folder do screen shots end up in? I might be able to demonstrate what I have done so far. I'm still perfecting these ideas and didn't think of it until after I built about 10 settlements.

EDIT: I initially build Tenpines very large. I walled in the entire property. It had a lot of problem, including at least 3 kidnappings. I noticed the enemy was spawning by the ruined house. So, I shrunk my fort down to keep it outside and things got much better. I also armored everyone in leather set.

My char is now level 40 and I have not had a single attack on a settlement. I surround my settlements with a junk wall with only 1 or 2 ways in coverd by turrets. Now I'm arming my guards with minguns and missile launchers. If I ever get attacked I'll let you if it works. I kinda wish I would get attacked at least once in a while. 8(

Should of been an option available in the game with the robot perk.

The feeling of power I get when loading in to a settlement under attack and watching a dozen heavy machine gun turrets pouring fire into a group of super mutants is uplifting. I rarely have a chance to open fire on something because I seriously over defend my settlements.

Sanctuary is so large that I simply consolidated down into the area immediately surrounding the "main" house. Since I have large slabs on both sides and plenty of dirt for planting, I decided defending the entire island was pointless. I built a living quarters on the slab on the workshop bench side of the main house and placed turrets on the second story roof that can bear on my crops, as well as putting turrets at the water purifier and generator down at the river.

I've yet to have to defend Sanctuary, but its defense is also twice the food+water ratings.

Wall off entirely, have good spread of all different turrets, leave no blind spot. I've never seen a raider inside like this.

I took one piece of wall away and waited for an attack and low and behold they all tried to get through the gap.

My experiences in defense.

Turrets, every turret has to be placed on a roof, wooden bridge, anywhere high. My lesson learned was Graygardens. Ghouls attacked, killed them all. And every turret on the ground was destroyed by melee attacks.

Turrels have an incredible range, take advantage of it, not only get them up high. But check for anything blocking their firing range.

The machine gun turrets have mods, look at the front on the 'wings'. New builds normally say Mod I. If it does, slide your select key over to heavy mg, then back
Look at the mod number. There's mod 3, 5 and 7, each is an improvement on the other and it cost no more that a few extra clicks.

Invest in least 2 heavy lasers, after a attack, found about 3 glowing ash piles. Only thing that was firing energy weapons was my heavy lasers.

Protect your generator, wall them up, as said, use the roof with a corner missing to run the power lines. Gunners love to target generators.

Siren, yes! I must be lucky, of the majority, only one attack seemed to have spawned inside the settlement and those were synths. I have also arrived more than a few times before the attack even started.

So, first things. Put your sirens in a standard place for every settlement, so you know where the are. By guard post is best as the guard will sound the alarm. Or since they're all in the same area, you can.

This helps a lot if its a night attack, you get your settlers out of bed and armed in moments, heading for the siren.

After a attack, look at where the attackers bodies are. Its not 100% for each attack. But that is a attack path, look around for places to add 1-2 turrets.

Also, look at what's damaged, generators, how can you protect them better? After crops, maybe a fence.

One last thing, all the bunk houses I build have roof ladders. Place a fast travel mat on the roof as your spawn point
That way if the attack is in progress, your not appearing right in the middle of it. Plus, being on the roof gives you a nice view of the situation below you.

May also, put a siren on the roof for a fast alert also.

There's a lot of other great tips for defense already posted, use what works for your style.

I just spam Heavy Gun turrets all over the place and that made quick work of anything, along with neutralizing the chance of getting attacked. You could also go with the laser turret, but the heavy machine gun turret is probably the best way to go, since you can boost your defense up to over 100 easily and just be done with it.

Then again, I also covered most of my settlers in combat armor along with several armed with miniguns and laser rifles.

One last thing.

After I found out how to get improved turret mods. I went to the WB in each of my settlements. Then one at a time, go to each mg. Pick it up but don't store it. Switch the tab between regular and heavy mg, you'll see that the mod changes. Once you get to mod 7, set it back down.

You now have an improved mg at no cost.

Yes, this also works with heavy mg's.

Good tip!

I have not seen how you can use the tab button to cycle through mods for a machine gun turret. Once you pick up a turret hitting tab cancels the action. If you have picked up an item you can't use the arrow keys to cycle through buildable items. So either you directions are incomplete/wrong or this isn't possible. I also couldn't find a you tube video of anyone upgrading MG turrets.

one or two very high missile turrets, if the settlement will allow it, Mark 7 Heavy Machine Turrets are better than Heavy lasers, you are probably better off with those HMTs even if you can only get mark 3 or 5, again put them on top of a tall structure, you can even remove the structure when you are done for them to be floating..

3 guardposts with one guardsman assigned to patrol around the entire settlement that has been heavily armored and equipped with a gatling gun will get the job done too. doubled up you can cover the entire settlement easily.

combine guards and turrets or just use turrets if your settlement is able to use the Mark 7s.

Mark 7 HMTs use explosive rounds, in numbers they will overwhelm any attacking force as easily as missile turrets.

Missile Turrets fire off their rounds very fast... 2 at a high point on oppsite sides of any settlement will utterly decimate any attacks with minimal intervention from you.

with the HMTs you dont need to power them, but with the missiles, simply do as others have mentioned, generator in a enclosed structure using the broken corner roof to string out the wire. you can also pretty easily string wire through seemingly solid walls to a conduit on the other side. attackers will not be able to shoot through the same walls (save those ones that look ratty)

I've put all my settlers into one building with 5 beds stuffed in there and a couple of turrets at two of the corners, another at a little way off.

Was asked for walls/fences to be put up...... placed 3 a little way off from the house and turrets.

A very useful post for anyone looking for the best way to set up their deffences. Could of come from a Fallout 4 developer himself

Yes, I made a mistake, STORE the turret then with it in your inv. Select it again. But before building, look at the mod number. Now you can switch back and forth between turrents to get the better mod.