seige weapons: sap point & siege towers

[Maltz]

Hi

I just played as the Macedonians and sieged Athen. I built 2 siege towers and 1 "sap point". I have no idea what sap point does - can anybody give a clue?

Also, my men took a LONG time to get into the top level of the siege tower, and a lot of soldiers get killed half way. When I used auto-resolve for the same battle, I suffered much less casaulty (55 killed vs. 200-300 killed!). So I guess "onagers" would be much better for a stone castle siege, since the towers are just way too deadly?

[discovery1]

Order soldiers into the sap point(most likely any will do) and they will dig a tunnel under the wall, set the tunnel supports on fire. This will collapse the tunnel and the wall. As for towers, maybe. I never had any problems with them, mainly b/c the city defences were too busy trying to burn the tower itself to be bothered with my troops.

[Colovion]

Related:

What the heck is with the following:

1) Not being able to send more than one unit up ladders/siege towers.

2) Not being able to take old ladders/siege equipment away and use another siege tower on the same place.

These things were VERY annoying when I lost both battles on either side of the gate but would have more men than them and could afford a war of attrition to kill them but hadn't the possibility so I had to go through the sap point.

Once through the sap point and I defeated the standing army around that area I wanted to take the gates. THis is a bug which I will add to the top thread but still:

You can't make units go up on top of the walls unless they are close enough to the door for the unit to 'know' there is a door there. If you click or drag/click on the wall they will go around the sap point to the outside of the wall. You have to get them to a certain place in front of the door before they will consider climbing those dark stairs.....

[Devastatin Dave]

I only use sapping. Its the best and easiest way of assualting a city IMHO. Battering Rams burn and so do towers. Punch a hole in the wall and bum rush it has been the best policy so far for me.

[desdichado]

[QUOTE=Colovion]Related:

What the heck is with the following:

1) Not being able to send more than one unit up ladders/siege towers.

2) Not being able to take old ladders/siege equipment away and use another siege tower on the same place.


not sure about no. 2 but I haven't had a problem sending a second unit up ladders or towers after 1st unit has made the wall. Just order the 2nd unit to move to the wall at a point close to ladder/tower and they will start the climb.

[Quietus]

I only use sapping. Its the best and easiest way of assualting a city IMHO. Battering Rams burn and so do towers. Punch a hole in the wall and bum rush it has been the best policy so far for me.

Sapping is great, up to the point where you order your horse to run, instead they will walk slowly. Or you tell you them make to charge and they go on a different direction. You tell your Principes to fire and they charge.

If you survive that, you'll be shot to pieces by the towers When your tattered forces get to the center town, as you try to surround the enemy, one of your units will be hypnotized and drift toward the centerGc Rolleyes4

[The_Emperor]

Sapping and siege towers are my main siege tools of choice when assaulting a city (when I am without Ornagers)

I prefer Siege towers to ladders because of the extra protection it provides. Guys on ladders tend to be very vulnerable to arrow tower and especially archer fire... But they are a lot quicker to build than towers or Sap points, so if a city has a puny garisson and you are in a rush to take it they can be worthwhile.

I always send guys up onto the walls first and have them capture the arrow towers, before the Sappers have finished... This helps to provide the covering fire my men need around the sapping point.

Skirmishers and Archers are great for sending onto the wall as with their speed they can capture towers quickly, and also provide missile support from up there.

Sieges rule now!