Printable View
Not sure if this is the right place to ask about this but I was playing Greeks and Scippi attacked me. My archers and towers fired several fire arrows to the attacking tower but it didn't even do anything! I highlighted it and it said the tower was still 0% damaged and the tower kept taking hits after hits and it still didn't go down. I don't remember towers being this strong!
It catching on fire seems to be a random probability, but until it does, you wont do any damage to it.
Some people seem to have mroe difficulty doing htis than other,s not sure why.
I find it's easiest to set light to siege towers when they're at the walls (or nearing them) with your archers to the side of the tower and not directly in front of it. A few volleys to the side of the tower at close range tends to set it alight quickly, and by the time the tower collapses, often it will be full of men who die when the tower falls to pieces.
Trying to set the towers alight from afar I find is much more difficult and the arrows are probably better spent on killing the troops on the ground.
It seems to be alot easier to ignite it by firing at the bottom of it, by having your guys fire flaming arrows at the guys in front pulling it. Most of the arrows that miss the guys will end up nailing the tower.
The display is bugged. Using side towers to place your archers is always a good idea as it sets up an enfilade to help you in the melee on the wall as well.
Also consider a unit of archers on top of the gate house facing them. They get impressive range with the extra elevation and can also pick off enemy troops on the wall from above once the melee starts.
I love the way I had a test siege battle after posting my reply, and managed to immediately set light to a tower from virtually maximum arrow range, thus reminding me how random it is to destroy them. About 2 volleys did the trick. And then I cried as the AI failed to use either of its 4 ladders and ended up going round and round in circles with them, totally ruining another siege battle.