Moroni prepares for the contingency that each city might have to stand on its own. His strategy in the last war had been to strengthen the entrance points to the land of Zarahemla, expecting to throw back the Lamanite army close to the borders. Just as the Lamanites had quickly adopted Nephite armor to make them more effective in hand-to-hand combat, they would surely learn how to deal with fortified cities. Thus, Moroni must prepare for a war that might extend deeper into Nephite territory than ever before. He therefore had each city fortified.