So...I just learned what siege weapons are, but that still doesn't solve that I know next to nothing about them. Here is a thread to remedy that predicament of mine! I want y'all to tell me all you know about siege weapons, rant for posts at a time, use words I don't understand, even start talking like Sir Emeth. I just want all of your knowledge of these weapons so I can use them in a story sometime.

Therefore, discuss and enlighten away!

Bethany Faith

You know? I don't think I've used siege weapons in any of my stories... yet Thinking about this thread makes me want to.

As for type of siege weapons, I mentioned a few in chat already, but here goes... (I'll be quoting Wikipedia for descriptions)

Catapults - (click name for image) I'm pretty sure a lot of people know what this weapon is. "These machines were designed to throw heavy projectiles from a “bowl-shaped bucket at the end of its arm”. Mangonels were mostly used for “firing various missiles at fortresses, castles, and cities,” with a range of up to 1300 feet. These missiles included anything from stones to rotting carcasses."

Ballistas - Think of a big crossbow "The ammunition used were basically giant arrows or darts made from wood with an iron tip."

Battering Ram - Another one I'm pretty sure most people know. These come in a wide variety from just a tree trunk to a movable house. "In its simplest form, a battering ram is just a large, heavy log carried by several people and propelled with force against an obstacle; the ram would be sufficient to damage the target if the log were massive enough and/or it were moved quickly enough"

Trebuchet - Another kind of catapult, but bigger and built differently. "The most commonly used ammunition were stones, but “darts and sharp wooden poles” could be substituted if necessary. The most effective kind of ammunition though involved fire, such as “firebrands, and deadly Greek Fire”."

Siege Tower - The "Movable Building" siege towers were used to scale walls and unlike ladders, they protected the assailants on the journey up and over. "The tower was often rectangular with four wheels with its height roughly equal to that of the wall or sometimes higher to allow archers to stand on top of the tower and shoot into the fortification. Because the towers were wooden and thus flammable, they had to have some non-flammable covering of iron or fresh animal skins. The siege tower was mainly made from wood but sometimes had metal parts."

And there you have some of the most common siege weapons

* laughing to self * Did some of this knowledge come from ample AOE study, by any chance, Villie? *is speaking from own experience*

I think that is a requirement for a fantasy author.

I look forward to seeing what else is posted here. I'm pretty ignorant here, too, Bethy.

I have a great book on siege weapons in the house *goes to look for title *. Ancient and Medieval Siege Weapons. Pretty self-explanatory.

The one siege weapon I can think of, on the spot, that has not been mentioned, are the 'sappers'. A group of men that worked their way to a wall under the protection of some sort of roof, or built a tunnel under the wall in order to undermine the wall and give the army an open door to run through and start fighting man to man.

To continue my list....

Ladders - a bit obvious and having no need of description. They can be used to cross moats and scale walls.

Sappers - like Suiathon said, they can be used to tunnel under walls, but they can also be used to collapse walls. Dig a tunnel with wooden support beams, douse everything with oil, throw a couple burning torches down there, next thing you know, the tunnel's collapsed and the wall with it.

Fire - fire arrows (more to kill the defenders) but also, setting fire to gates. Anther thing to do with fire is to make one near the walls and attempt to destroy the cement holding the stones together. This weakened the walls so holes could be knocked through them.

Sambuca - a large ladder attached to a ship. Very handy for sea-born sieges.

Yet another possibility for sieging a castle would be to hurl dead animals over the walls. This was considered to be the first biological weapon as it would cause disease to infest the city (watchers of LotR might connect this idea to the beginning of the Battle of Pelennor fields).

Wow, Vili...you know an extraordinary amount about siege weapons...thanks!

Cannons. Don't forget cannons.

Though that was more a demoralizing move. It is the same idea.

Cannons were used in the later medieval time, but I don't like thinking of them in fantasy.

So I saw the title of this topic and I was like "Yes!" and then I saw Vili's first post...
Ya stole my thunder! lol

Throwing ball and chain, hook and chain, chain/rope from crossbows or arrows, are all good choices for attacking a castle.
Also, dragons and large birds are also good. They gain you access to the inside so you can open the gates for the gain attack, and can also throw things into the castle this way.

PS. Thanks a lot, Vili! I have barely anything to add! Nice job!

There is some history which indicates that the black plague was started in Europe originally by Turks hurling infected dead bodies over the walls of besieged cities (since the black plague had already raged through Asia and they themselves were immune to it). Brilliant strategy.

Is this thread also for weapons used in defending a besieged fortress?

*Subscribes to thread* Vili! That list is soo helpful, thank you.

Interesting, Jay! I have never heard of that before.

I don't think so Jay, you might want to make a thread on it.

Yep yep yep! I've read that, too. Very destructive, but effective if you want to wipe people out.

Scarily effective...

eru