Siege Engines: Difference between revisions
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{{trope}}
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[[Siege Engines]] are common in fantasy works and alternate histories. Also appear in [[Historical Fiction]]. Often part of a literal [[Storming the Castle]] arc.▼
▲Siege Engines are common in fantasy works and alternate histories. Also appear in [[Historical Fiction]]. Often part of a literal [[Storming the Castle]] arc.
* Catapults: Simple constructions designed to fling projectiles, which can be [[Abnormal Ammo|pretty much anything]].
* Ballistae: Basically a giant crossbow. Often [[Arrows
* Trebuchets: A giant, usually non-portable sling catapult with a very long range. (Not [[Tree Buchet
* Siege towers: Large wheeled and armoured towers with ladders or stairs inside, designed to provide access over high walls.
* [[Battering Ram|Battering rams]] and screws: For knocking down or breaking through gates, and less commonly used on stronger points in the wall.
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They accentuate the menace of an approaching army and their appearance in a siege is often closely followed by a crisis point for the defenders.
Siege engines give great visuals. For example: the straining muscles of the attackers working their dire engine, the horrified defenders watching the incoming payload and then the explosive impact. Also expect [[Arrows
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Comics ==
* ''[[Asterix]]'': The Romans once brought siege weapons against the Gauls. Since the Gauls were lacking magic potion at the time, it worked pretty well... for a while.
== Fan Works ==
* A siege engine designed to take down [[Force Field|magical wards]] appears in chapters six and seven of ''[[Drunkard's Walk]] V''.
== Film ==
* ''[[The 7th Voyage of Sinbad]]''. Near the end Sinbad's sailors use a giant ballista to kill a dragon.
* ''[[Monty Python and
** The French knights presumably used some kind of catapult to fling the cow and giant rabbit.
** Several are seen amongst Arthur's army at the end of the movie, probably to be used against the Castle Argh.
* In ''[[The Pink Panther|The Pink Panther Strikes Again]]'', Inspector Clouseau is accidentally propelled up and through a castle window by a catapult.
* ''The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc'' has a multiple arrow launcher.
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings|The Two Towers]]'': The assault on Helms Deep shows suicidal berserker sappers deploying explosives against the weakest point in the outer walls to devastating effect.
** Earlier in that same battle, multiple siege ladders (including large ones with ballista winches) were used to attack the walls.
** In ''The Return of The King'', trebuchets are used to defend Minas Tirith's walls.
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** Not really perpetual motion. The staff made a point in the commentary that they tried to make sure those trebuchets might actually work. Something was cranking the arms around, it's just not clear what is doing it, but watch closely and they aren't "perpetual motion".
* ''[[Young Frankenstein]]''. At one point the villagers use Inspector Kemp as an impromptu [[Battering Ram]] to knock open a door.
* The ''[[Robin Hood (2010 film)|2010 Robin Hood movie]]'' had mantlets used during the siege on the French castle that King Richard is killed in, along with bags of oil that were set on fire to burn the gates down.
== Literature ==
* ''[[The Lord of the Rings|The Return of the King]]'' Sauron's forces use catapults to attack Minas Tirith with shells that exploded in flames as well as the heads of those who had been killed in earlier fighting. Also of note is Grond, Hammer of the
* ''[[Kushiels Dart]]''. The Skaldi build siege towers for use during the siege of Troyes-le-Mont.
* Found in the [[Historical Fiction]] ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms]]'' written in 14th centaury about events in the 2nd and 3rd.
* Battles between city-states of ''[[Gor]]'' regularly employ siege weapons.
* ''High Citadel'' by Desmond Bagley. Passengers from a crashed aircraft build an improvised trebuchet from abandoned equipment in a mine, though in that case it's to fend off a seige (by communist guerillas trying to cross a bridge to attack them).
* Mainly a forgotten art in ''[[Codex Alera]]'', since when it comes to breaking down walls furycrafting is much more flexible, powerful, and does not require a gigantic supply train.{{spoiler|So when the catapults are essentially reinvented in ''First Lord's Fury'' and are then loaded with the local equivalent of cluster bombs, allowing the equivalent of a village full of peasants to deliver the collective power of several High Lords... let's just say [[TV Tropes Made of Win Archive]] and leave it at that.}}
* The bad guys in ''[[Mogworld]]'' have a trebuchet, although everyone keeps calling it a catapult.
* The ''Grail Quest'' trilogy by Bernard Cornwell, set during the Hundred Years' War, features both traditional catapults and trebuchets as well as the earliest cannon that were just being adopted by the English at that point. His better known ''[[Sharpe]]'' series includes several attacks on fortresses with cannon, creating a breach to be stormed.
* ''[[
* In the ''[[Inheritance Cycle]]'', trebuchets are used for a battle in a plain. Considering that your average trebuchet can fire something like two shots per hour (if you're lucky), this isn't the wisest of choices.
* Siege engines of all kinds are used in the ''[[Redwall]]'' books. In the original "Redwall" we get a battering ram and a siege tower, as well as a tunnelling attempt. That last is foiled by several gallons of lethally scalding-hot water being dumped down the tunnel. ''Ouch''.
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== Live Action TV ==
* ''Masada'' featured a variety of Siege
* The History Channel built a replica of an Indian cannon designed to be mounted on an elephant and a primitive Chinese landmine. Surprisingly, both turned out to be disturbingly effective, though the operator would have been vulnerable to arrows. Flamethrowers are another weapon that may be [[Older Than They Think]].
== Table Top Games ==
* ''[[Dungeons
** Advanced ''[[Dungeons
** Basic ''[[Dungeons
** ''[[Spelljammer]]'' used catapults and ballistae as standard artillery on magic spacecraft. Then there's jettison - an array of small catapults that can be used to hurl anti-personnel scattershot or quickly dump a small debris cloud. And [[Magitek]] like Accelerator (essentially telekinetic cannon) and "space missiles" - sort of a brander: wreck with furnace engine<ref>these things don't need an operator, but they consume magical items and as such are too expensive for regular use, especially when there are other power sources</ref> slapped on it and aimed at some unlucky fortified settlement.
*** Also, there are gnomes, and when they make weapons, they make ''weird'' weapons - the only one non-gnomes use (if uncommonly) is "sweeper" - chain-shot ballista. Others are weirder, like "bolawhip" - mechanized ram made of six spinning wrecking balls (it doubles as a form of propulsion, if rather clumsy one).
* Most factions can field various siege weapons in ''[[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]]''. [[The Empire]] and [[Our Dwarves Are All the Same|dwarves]] are known for their cannons and ballistae, the [[Medieval Stasis|Brettonians]] have trebuchets, [[Lizard Folk|Lizardmen]] have giant bows and magical superweapons mounted on [[Everything's Better
* The board game ''[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2778/gondor Gondor]'', set during [[Lord of the Rings|the siege of Minas Tirith]], features siege towers, catapults, the [[Battering Ram]] Grond, and vats of boiling oil.▼
** And then there are Skaven who [[Magitek|play with warpstone]] and weaponize things [[Mad Scientist]] style, often at the same time, building giant hamster wheels that shoot lightning and whatnot.
▲* The board game ''[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2778/gondor Gondor]'', set during [[The Lord of the Rings|the siege of Minas Tirith]], features siege towers, catapults, the [[Battering Ram]] Grond, and vats of boiling oil.
* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/861/weapons-warriors-castle-siege-game Weapons & Warriors: Castle Siege] was a kid's game marketed which involved miniature siege engines that launched marbles, with the attacking side having the goal of breaking down the walls and the defenders aiming to take out all of the siege engines. The siege equipment included cannons, a trebuchet, a catapult, and ballistae.
* ''[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2129/crossbows-and-catapults Crossbows and Catapults]'' provides a wargame-lite version of siege warfare involving cannons and ballistae.
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* Siege weapons are stock units in medieval and fantasy strategy games, usually designed for use against buildings and massed troops. Typically [[Mighty Glacier|slow moving]], and require infantry to protect them. The fancier ones may be [[Awesome but Impractical]].
* ''[[
* ''[[Patapon]]'' and ''Patapon 2'' both feature levels with catapults,both in your enemy's and your own side. Seige engines become a new patapon class of their own in ''Patapon 3''.
* Certain units serve as siege engines in ''[[
* [[World of Warcraft]] allows the players to use siege weapons in specific [[Player Versus Environment|PvE]] raids, [[
** Many other siege weapons are present as stationary scenery objects. These range from realistic cannons and catapults to [[Military Mashup Machine
* ''[[The Witcher]] 2'' opens with a siege, complete with ballistae and a truly enormous siege tower.
* ''Kingdoms of Camelot'' has a wide array of these. Offensive one are Ballista,[[Battering Rams]] and Catapults (though catapults requite a level 10 barracks and Alchemy Lab for lvl 10 researches and thus two purchased or won Divine Inspirations to access, which has lead to some complaints of players who choose not to spend being at a disadvantage, especially since acquiring a level 12 Rally Point and using the Aura of Conquest item can permit a player to send a 200k Catapult 'death wave' at another player. That said, each additional city acquired does give a free Divine Inspiration and they can be won in contests, so it's not impossible to play for free and still get catapults.) Defenses include Trebuchets and Wall Mounted Crossbows.
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== Web Comics ==
* ''[[The Order of the Stick
* ''[[Erfworld|Erfworld, the Battle for Gobwin Knob]]'': the titular battle included siege towers pushed by 20m tall Cloth Golems and Wiener Rammers: living battering rams in the shape of elongated wiener dogs with rams horns. Upon striking the gates of Gobwin's Knob they invoke "YTMND!": they are drawing their striking power from the "You're The Man Now, Dog" meme.
** Parson correctly sees the siege weapons as Ansom's army's [[Attack Its Weak Point|weak point]], and uses skirmishers to selectively attack the siege, withdrawing from combat with anything else. In this way, he destroys so much siege that Ansom is forced to wait another day for reinforcements.
* ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]:'' Seeing snow for the first time, Molly runs out to play in it, and builds a steam-powered [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20111022.html snow ballista.] That [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20111101.html transforms.]
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== Western Animation ==
* ''[[
* ''Galaxy Trio''. Normal size Vikings use ship-mounted catapults to attack a small village.
* ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' episode ''Monster in the Monastery''. Catapults flinging flaming missiles are used to attack a small town.
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[[Category:Weapons and Wielding Tropes]]
[[Category:For Massive Damage]]
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