Trebuchet

**MuttleyTheGrouch** · November 25, 2006, 04:42 AM

I thought gunpowder was the start of the end for city walls - but apprently it was the trebuchet. I have just watched one trebuchet remove three sections of city walls in 8 shots.

NOt much chance to sally forth ......

Anyone else finding these 'tall boy' laser rangefinder trebs a bit overpowered? I expect them to knowck down walls but it should take a reasonable length of time!?

**EyebrowsMulligan** · November 25, 2006, 05:01 AM

I don't have a problem with the trebuchets as such, but I do find it a little odd that all siege weaponry can target relatively small targets (towers spring to mind) with amazing accuracy, yet can't hit a non-moving army of 1500 men with any degree of consistency.

Oh well, I suppose I should be glad for the latter otherwise the Venetian peasant & siege weapon armies (full stacks which are roughly 50% peasant, 50% assorted siege engine) might have proven far more of a problem.

**Inhuman One** · November 25, 2006, 05:37 AM

I rather not use gunpowder units anyways and it does take a while before you can build a trebuchet. I am sure you will be rather build up at the time they become common.

I just love trebuchets, they look great.

**God-Emperor of Mankind** · November 25, 2006, 05:41 AM

Not overpowered one bit.
They are good at hitting large targets suchs as walls and large towers however they suck when it comes to hitting troops.

**SIlver General65** · November 25, 2006, 06:34 AM

Hey guys you dont know the trebs are the most powerfulest sige arms before gunpowder and I saw a show were they made a wall and man thoose things can take of great wall of china!

**dr0p** · November 25, 2006, 07:20 AM

Speaking of the Trebuchet, whats with the dead cows?
I can see the enemy's banner go green but what does it actually do? confuses them?

**God-Emperor of Mankind** · November 25, 2006, 07:23 AM

Originally Posted by dr0p

Speaking of the Trebuchet, whats with the dead cows?
I can see the enemy's banner go green but what does it actually do? confuses them?

It lowers their morale alot.

**jimbob** · November 25, 2006, 09:06 AM

It does the same to your troops though if you run them over the dead cows, so watch out!

I think the trebuchets are my favorite siege weapon. They're cheap, effective and have the coolest animation. Its pretty safe to position them behind your troops in a field battle, because they lob their shots high, and its very rare for one to fall into your own troops. They're actually very effective fighting against the mongolians because the mongolain horse archer formations take up so much room on the map, making them hard to miss.

**Kanfoosh** · November 25, 2006, 07:21 AM

A thin yet very long wall, should be no problem for even a catapult.

**Ambrosius** · November 25, 2006, 09:24 AM

trebuchets were quite powerful in the day.

there is no surviving data of the exact design specifications of the historic ones, but the reconstructions that they are making now can throw a car 400 feet.

even so, it still takes several shots to break through a wall in the game. 3 city sections in 8 shots sounds either like godlike luck or an exaggeration. even so, keep in mind thats 16 shots, since there are generally 2 trebs.

**MasterCommander** · November 25, 2006, 09:33 AM

umm what year do u start getting gunpowder units

**Flavius Nevitta** · November 25, 2006, 09:44 AM

Trebs seem to be ok but I think catapults and ballistae are overpowered especially because they have hell lots of ammo.the enemy makes 2 holes and destroys every tower facing them even on very big town walls with 2catapults and a ballista. that's too much imho

**jimbob** · November 25, 2006, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by L.C.Cinna

Trebs seem to be ok but I think catapults and ballistae are overpowered especially because they have hell lots of ammo.the enemy makes 2 holes and destroys every tower facing them even on very big town walls with 2catapults and a ballista. that's too much imho

Agreed. I don't even think ballistas should damage stone structures at all. It just doesn't seem very plausable for a 6 inch dart to be capable of knocking down towers and stuff. Wooden stuff, fair enough, but not stone. Catapults and trebuchets should be less accurate against towers as well, imo. At the moment they seem to have a hit percentage of about 80-90%. I'd prefer it if they were more like 50% or less.

**centrelink4** · November 26, 2006, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by L.C.Cinna

Trebs seem to be ok but I think catapults and ballistae are overpowered especially because they have hell lots of ammo.the enemy makes 2 holes and destroys every tower facing them even on very big town walls with 2catapults and a ballista. that's too much imho

I agree, 2 units of catapults will just uttely destroy the wall facing the enemy, to the point of all towers gone and atleast 2 breaches and the gate gone.

I would like a better way to shoot back. Its quite easy to get basic seige weapons up and running and they just demolish any sort of wall. THe defender basically loses the advantages they should have from being in the castle. If they had their own catapult towers or earlier and more effective billista towers then maybe it would be fairer.

**Senator** · November 26, 2006, 09:29 PM

As soon as the Unpackers for the game come out you can edit all that stuff yourself. in the projectile script. You can tweak and tune all of that to your liking. That is what I do in RTW.
Senator

**HorseArcher** · November 26, 2006, 11:48 PM

trebuchets are big and slow. I used them once. I like to use cannons, a mixture of all kinds.

The best is to fight on a hilly terrain, just put them all over the place up high, It's just cool to seem them and hear them going off during the battle. Trebuchets? meh.

**{nF}remix** · November 27, 2006, 01:26 AM

I once destroyed half a stack of militia spears with just 6 trebs and no infantry/cav to defend. They just ran when they got close because of the destruction my trebs caused on them.

**SPARTAN VI** · November 27, 2006, 01:31 AM

Don't know about trebs, but the catapults seem overpowered to me.. One catapult took down three sections of my stone wall. Wish they were more like onagers in RTW, where the most one onager could do was take down two sections.