The final example treats garrison strength as a problem of time rather than raw numbers. A small force might be sufficient to police the district and collect taxes so long as attackers could not overrun it immediately. Once an assault became a siege lasting weeks or months, the king, lord, constable, or bailiff gained time to organize relief. Troops and supplies could enter through a water gate, refreshing the defenders while the besiegers continued to consume their own provisions. A larger force could use the reinforced castle as a protected base before landing outside it and attacking an enemy already weakened by time, weather, and disease. Maritime access thus turns a prolonged siege into an increasingly dangerous gamble for the attacker.
Notable Point · 19:34-21:39
A small garrison turns siege into a race
Even a modest garrison could delay attackers long enough for a waterborne relief force to resupply the castle, sortie against the siege lines, or land an army nearby.