[jester]

It depends on the terrain and climate as well as the threat. But hey. all of the above!

As the others have said "firebases" eh not so much a firebase as a fixed fortified position or strong point with a rifle fire team or MG team.

Maybe a position atop a rise or hilltop.

And then what are essentialy men in trees or deer stands with sniper rifles to pick off solo folks who would enter the fields. If you have men in trees, they stand out much less than an actual tower. Although a tower or two can be a good thing inside the field, thus they can extend their control in so many directions.

As for the bunkers, on hills, or even rises made from rock and rubble but definitely on high ground.

Now, if you put a berm around the exposed portion of the field, then a trenchline on the military crest if best with firing positiions along its length, figure three firing positions per man so the enemy can keep wondering where they will fire from. I am an advocate of the berm because it offers cover and concealment to not just your defenders, it also allows movement of the men as they go from one position to another, like the 1 man to 3 firing positions mentioned, where does the enemy aim, where will you fire from.

It also blocks the enemy from seeing what is happening in your village or your fields to see what you have, or who is where doing what.

And then on the outside of this berm you can build your canal providing a supply of water and adding an additional obstacle a moat, and you can also fish from it.

For Berms and Ditches, how long willl it take for a man to dig a section? The dirt excavated from the moat/ditch becomes the berm, so it does two things at once. One person should be able to dig a good 10X10 section in a day without much issue.

I would also think that small hamlets of a half dozen or more huts or other dwellings can be made along the edge of the fields at regular intervals. These initialy would have the berm and trench and stakes for their own defenses. And as they are able and time permits they expand the trench and berm and moat system to connect each cluster of dwellings until they do encircle the farm field. And by farm field I am talking of the communities LARGE field of grain or potatoes or peas and beans, as stated in an earlier post each familiy would have their own garden for other crops.

The key to these clusters is that they will be within rifle range of one another so one cluster can fire on attackers of other clusters from the safety of their own compound, basicaly each cluster can provide supporting fire for the cluster on their left and right.

And as stated, toss in a machinegun or rifle team atop a hill that has a comanding view of the area and maybe a couple less elevated positions but still strong points with a handful of sniper teams roaming around and heck even one or two fire teams roaming able to hit the attackers from any ddirection as well as harassing their rear and flanks you would be able to withstand most marauders as well as any mass wave of refugees. As for orghanized equiped military force that is another storey, but you would surely bloody them greatly and in the end, would it be worth it to them to take your community considering they would suffer a good loss of men and material. And such losses could result in their inability hold power or defend against any new group or force who would challenge them.