Siege Weapons

[Saldunz]

Does anyone ever use them?

I'm playing my first campaign where I'm trying out the arrow catapults, but so far it seems that these visually cool weapons simply don't kill enough to justify their huge upkeep costs.

Although there was one exception - during a bridge battle placing the catapult directly in front of the bridge and having the lowliest skirmishers flanking both sides made for the most hilarious slaughter of the AI I've ever seen...

But in general, I find they'll rarely kill more than 100 units per battle, which is alright, but not really worth the thousands of mnai I'm paying to keep them.

[Jormungand]

Very true. I also find that lagging them around with me when I want to besiege cities is a chore.
The thousands of mnai upkeep actually convinces me that they're sort of prestige weapons to add to your grand fullstack elite army when you have it, if you don't, well.... they're kind of a waste of cash in the beginning.

[stratigos vasilios]

Isn't the cheapest/smallest siege engine is the most effective? In terms of cost, reload time, movement, accuracy and kill rate? I don't really use siege, I'd rather a full stack of levys (cannon fodder) than 1-2 siege engines.

[athanaric]

Isn't the cheapest/smallest siege engine is the most effective? In terms of cost, reload time, movement, accuracy and kill rate?

In my experience, yes. They're quite effective against elephants or elite phalangites.

[Ca Putt]

I agree the first ones are "ok", while the others are so ineffcient it's not really fun using them.
The only use I have for the bigger ones is Amphibic operations in the back of the enemy empire. With these things(or elephants but they don't tend to grow near the coast) and a small elite stack it's easy to conquer a coastal city, in one turn and disembark before the AI can move his troops

[Arjos]

They are also great as deterrent: even if you are outnumbered the enemy will fall back usually, and if stationed in forts, the AI won't event besiege those :P

[Ibrahim]

Does anyone ever use them?

I'm playing my first campaign where I'm trying out the arrow catapults, but so far it seems that these visually cool weapons simply don't kill enough to justify their huge upkeep costs.

Although there was one exception - during a bridge battle placing the catapult directly in front of the bridge and having the lowliest skirmishers flanking both sides made for the most hilarious slaughter of the AI I've ever seen...

But in general, I find they'll rarely kill more than 100 units per battle, which is alright, but not really worth the thousands of mnai I'm paying to keep them.

I only mostly use them for sieges; when I have money that is, and typically only for the duration of a war. I tend to have two stacks on campaign in that event: a full "fieldstack", with the main units, and a siege train stack, with a couple of different types of catapults, of course guarded by a detachment of cavalry.

beyond sieges, I never found that much use for them-except in moments of desperation, such as against elephants or something. for them to truly be useful, I'd ideally need them to be more mobile, able to go along with even cavalry. maybe a small catapult on a cart or something

[Blxz]

What about those atrocious chariots with balistae on them in Vanilla, or maybe BI. A fullstack of those was devestating. Its like horse archers firing balistae bolts, loads of fun.

[Ca Putt]

haha, yeah a bit like Humvees with rocket launchers inside in command and conquer generals XD

beyond sieges, I never found that much use for them-except in moments of desperation, such as against elephants or something. for them to truly be useful, I'd ideally need them to be more mobile, able to go along with even cavalry. maybe a small catapult on a cart or something

I once ambushed a Ptollie Elite fullstack with two of the small ones and some elites(Ok he had Kleucheron agema, I had Lonchophoroi and reformed hoplites, big time fun.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

I never tried them out.

Though in vanilla it was fun to aim at enemy infantry hordes with the big ogres on fire... Always paused and photographed the impact, all the burning barbarians flying around... is that still possible in EB?

I used to carry every kind of siege weapon in my multi-stack armies. I remember a particular battle with Bruti(i) in the snowy woods of the Iazyges Territory. A semi-open battleground with snowy grasslands and wood. I had to face a massive Dacian double full-stack. I held my heavy Praetorian Cav back in those woods, formed a line with my lorica segmentata infantry (including the elite ones, wait, praetorians and urban cohort I think) and positioned my great ogres behind them. Then I let the Dacians come. When in range, the ogres started to bombard them. It was a pleasure to see them fly and burn... harhar! Then they reached the line and of course I had to stop the ogres from firing. When tied to my infantry and sufficiently weared down, I circled my cavalry, of which they were completely unaware, around and smashed them to pieces... yes it was truly a victory to remember and a sight to behold.