Can I destroy ladders?

[dkR]

Hi there!
Short question:
How can I destroy those annoying ladders on my walls?

[SpencerH]

Try fire arrows, but it's been so long since I fought a seige that I cant remember whether they burn up (I dont think so though).

[Gaius Magnus]

I think you might be able to, but I always kill of the ladder team before anything happens to the ladders.

[dkR]

Yes, killing the ladder team is one solution of the problem, but quite hard to kill all before they reach the wall. Fire Arrows don´t work, and even when you try to crush the ladders with your cav or infantry - wich works fine on siege towers, you only manage to make the troops on the ladder fall down and die. Thats funny, but doesn´t solve the problem.

[Geoffrey S]

At the very least if you pepper the ladder team with arrows you should be able to deal with them when they climb the wall, with regards to numbers and morale.

[Gaius Magnus]

Generally, I kill off most of the ladder teams before the reach the wall. If the enemy army is large enough and they make 7 or 8 pieces of siege equipment, one or two ladders might reach my walls.

I always protect my cities with lots of archers. They can usually take care of most assaults with their fire arrows before the enemy even reach the walls.

Sometimes you need an Onager or two if the enemy has some of those in the mix.

[pezhetairoi]

ladders are immune. This is an advantage over siege towers in mplayers, I guess.

[Afro Thunder]

Yeah, but the soldiers hauling them aren't.

[bubbanator]

Against the AI, if you can kill the unit holding the ladders (or make them rout) they will not pick up the ladders again. Well, at least I have never seen them do it...

[pezhetairoi]

But that takes high attack ratings and low enemy defence ratings, and time. Not likely.

[Oaty]

Once they hit the walls you can target an onager at the unit and once you make a piece of the wall fall the ladders will be destroyed.