Seige Weapons and Artillery

**bamff** · 02-27-2009, 02:09

Having recently discussed the uses of the Organ Gun, I started to think about other items in this family. Some of them I find very useful, some not at all...but I do train most of them from time to time, purely to add flavour I suppose.

My own personal favourites would be the culverin and demi culverin. I just love watching the animation of them firing, and then watching the target wall disintegrating. Similarly I love watching that long arm on the Trebuchet snapping forward to unleash its missile.

So....what are your personal favourites and why?

Also is there any way to make Ballistas useful? They do seem to be one of the more pointless units floating around....

**seireikhaan** · 02-27-2009, 03:03

On ballistas- I believe it has yet to been solved as to what exact point they serve in this game.

Personally, about the only time I use siege weapons are when I know I'm defending a bridge, and in that case, I'll try to bring some catapults along for the ride to lob into the mass piles. Later on, if I've been in a comfortable position long enough, I might have some form of cannons, probably culverins/demi-culverins. However, I pretty much never fight sieges, so I don't really do much in the way of using them in actual, ya know, siege warfare.

Organ guns I haven't used in forever- I've tried discontinuing my old habit of hiring mercenaries, and I pretty well never get around to the crazy build requirements for the organs.

**Roark** · 02-27-2009, 06:43

My latest love affair is with Serpentines... in groups of 4, on defence (*laughs maniacally*).

Seriously, 4 serps is DIRE in the extreme, especially with a good general.

**bamff** · 02-27-2009, 07:51

Originally Posted by seireikhaan

On ballistas- I believe it has yet to been solved as to what exact point they serve in this game.

Agreed, although I do like that noise that they may when they fire.....not enough to EVER recruit any though....

Originally Posted by Roark

My latest love affair is with Serpentines... in groups of 4, on defence (*laughs maniacally*).

Seriously, 4 serps is DIRE in the extreme, especially with a good general.

You know, up until now I have never bothered with either Organs or Serps either, but after reading of your Metal Storm army, that will soon all change....

**I of the Storm** · 02-27-2009, 09:59

Ballistae are partially useful for the first 20 turns or so, to crack open wooden forts quicker and with less casualties than with people bashing at the wall. That's all I can think of.

**caravel** · 02-27-2009, 10:07

Originally Posted by bamff

Also is there any way to make Ballistas useful? They do seem to be one of the more pointless units floating around....

I've pondered this in the past and I don't think there is. If you give them a faster rate of fire and lessen the damage from the projectile it's no longer any use against fortifications. If you strengthen it and decrease it's rate of fire you have a weapon that's better against fortifications but doesn't have any advantage over a catapult. Also any adjustments outside certain limits leave the weapon either insanely overpowered or useless. In reality I think the answer to ballistas is outside modding limits (the need to be in batteries of 3 or 4 and should be mobile). If anyone has any input as to how to use improve them I'd like to hear it as well.

**naut** · 02-27-2009, 10:35

Originally Posted by Asai Nagamasa

I've pondered this in the past and I don't think there is. If you give them a faster rate of fire and lessen the damage from the projectile it's no longer any use against fortifications. If you strengthen it and decrease it's rate of fire you have a weapon that's better against fortifications but doesn't have any advantage over a catapult. Also any adjustments outside certain limits leave the weapon either insanely overpowered or useless. In reality I think the answer to ballistas is outside modding limits (the need to be in batteries of 3 or 4 and should be mobile). If anyone has any input as to how to use improve them I'd like to hear it as well.

It's not that hard to make them movable, like cannons in N-TW. I just don't have the talent to make the textures.

**caravel** · 02-27-2009, 10:39

Precisely. Sprites can be made that can then be assigned the ballista projectile, as you say it's making the sprites.

**naut** · 03-01-2009, 14:52

Ballistas are alright if you make them able to penetrate enemy soldiers, but it also then depends on the trajectory.

**Fagar** · 03-01-2009, 22:32

Unfortunately short of modding them Ballistae are useless in MTW.
They had there place in traditional Roman seiges and did survive into the medieval period and I guess because of this aspect they should be represented in MTW but are basically redundant.
I never use them except if I have one in a starting unit and the province happens to be invaded.

Organ cannons and serpentines I will use occassionally and I build the odd mortar crew for the fear factor and the easy building requirements.
However if I am serious about artillery I get into demi-culvern crews.
Especially if I have just taken a province and know it will attempt to be retaken next turn I will bring them along.