Siege engines
Catapults, ballistae, trebuchets, rams and siege towers: how to get one, crew it, and pack it away.
Getting one
- A city's Siege Workshop (needs a rank-3 Heartwood) builds engine kits from planks and iron. The Inner Council picks which kit on the City tab.
- Kits go into the city's material storage. An Inner Council member takes one out.
- Without a city, buy a kit from the Siege Engineer at a capital's inn. It costs more than the planks and iron a workshop spends.
- Double-click the kit in your bags. The engine assembles on open ground in front of you. With no room, you keep the kit.
Operating it
- F
- Take the controls (anyone may, one at a time). Press again to step away.
- W A S D
- Drive it (catapult, ram and siege tower). The ballista and trebuchet stay put and only turn.
- Mouse
- Aim. A ballista points where you look. A catapult or trebuchet winds its arm: range follows the elevation, not a sight line.
- Left Mouse
- Load, then fire. A ram strikes 5 m ahead of itself.
- 1
- Siege tower: raise or lower the bridge.
| Engine | Health | Against buildings | Against people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catapult | 2,500 | Strong | Heavy, with splash |
| Ballista | 1,800 | Light | Heavy, one target |
| Trebuchet | 3,500 | Very strong | Very heavy, with splash |
| Ram | 3,000 | Strongest, up close | Light |
| Siege tower | 5,000 | — | — |
City walls are built to last: a lone trebuchet needs many minutes to bring down a wall section, and a ram opens a gate in a couple of minutes. Bring several engines, and guard them.
The siege tower
Drive it against a wall, lower the bridge with 1, and your side climbs the ladder at its back onto the deck and across. See Climbing ladders.
Packing it up
Select an engine and press H to pack it back into its kit: a 60-second channel. The engine must be at full health, with nobody at its controls, on its deck or on its ladder, and you within about 6 m. Moving or taking damage breaks the channel; press the key again to cancel.