defending cities vs battering rams

[johnny5000]

I noticed sometimes my stone wall defenses are effective in stopping battering rams (the flaming arrows cause the ram to catch fire) and sometimes the arrows just bounce right off the rams.

Is this just random, or is there something I can do to more effectively stop the rams?

[Spart]

Just put some fire arrows towards them. gates automatically shoot fire against rams. It pretty random, yeah, rams are quite easy to burn down, but siege towers are tough bastards. You really need luck to destroy them.

[vavaboom]

Not so much luck, just A LOT of fire arrows ¬_¬

Historically siege towers were covered with leather i think to prevent such obvious tactics from being any use. And if the towers/battering rams don't catch fire then resort to plan B and BURN THEM!

[johnny5000]

A few days ago I had some luck breaking the siege towers with onagers, but it's not easy placing the onagers in the right spot- too close or too far and you'll break down your own walls.

[Tacticalwithdrawal]

Another trick for seige towers is to put ballista immediately behind the walls. When the seige towers attach to the walls open fire (not with fire switched on).

You will find that 9 times out of 10 the ballista detroys the tower before it can drop its bridge. Only downside is that sometimes you damage your walls.......

[johnny5000]

Another trick for seige towers is to put ballista immediately behind the walls. When the seige towers attach to the walls open fire (not with fire switched on).

You will find that 9 times out of 10 the ballista detroys the tower before it can drop its bridge. Only downside is that sometimes you damage your walls.......

I'll have to try that when I play a civ that has ballistas

but won't the ballistas be shooting almost straight up if you put them right next to the walls? can they shoot like that? Or am I picturing this all wrong?

[Varius Makanii]

Another trick for seige towers is to put ballista immediately behind the walls. When the seige towers attach to the walls open fire (not with fire switched on).

You will find that 9 times out of 10 the ballista detroys the tower before it can drop its bridge. Only downside is that sometimes you damage your walls.......

I tried that. They said they were shooting, but no arrows came out and the siege towers were unmolested. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I had 6 ballistas at varying ranges from my stone walls and none of them fired a single shot. And they can't be put *on* the walls, either.

[El_Greco]

most of the time I leave the towers alone.... put your best troops to catch the tower assault on the walls and slaughter the men with ladders with your archers , I think you'll find it an easyer battle cause fewer few troops will actually reach your walls