best seige weapons

[gaiusjulii]

Ok guys I am currently playing M/M with huge units as the julii, i have the italian paninsular and just taken Alexandria with:

4 Principes
4 Hestati
4 Equites
6 Archers
1 unit of War dogs

ok so now alexadria was beseiged by the egyptians with 3 full stacks, so here goes the egyptians attack my castle with the 4 units of ladders a battering ram and a Seige tower, So the battle goes something like this: I put all 6 untis of archers the walls 3 on the front and 2 on the sides and one in reserve. so i burn the seige tower and the battering ram with flame arrows and then push on each section of the walls where the ladders are heading one unit of hestati backed up with princepes with the archers still raining flaming arrows and all sorts of death from the walls I then move out 1 unit of princepes and 1 unit of hestati and 4 units including general unit of equits out of the side gate backed up by dogs to hit in the flank of the engaged troops on the ladders using the wall one one side and a unit of equites on the other to stop the enemy flanking me while the infantry under the covering fire from the walls engage the egyptian infantry. so in short the battle ends with me losing 354 men out of about 1800 and the egyptians losing some 4500 men when i looked at the stats I noted that nearly half of the kills were done by the men fighting the troops on the ladders one third by archers and the rest by the troops sallying and that got me thinking what would be the ideal seige equipment to use as ladders is asking for death and seige towers always get burned in my battles, what do you guys reckon would be more reliable?

[tarbanrael]

I don't want to be smart but spies even though they are expensive to run, will open every citadel door providing you have enough of them and they are good enough.
However, in cases like this, if you had two siege towers, at least one should reach the walls and get some of your troops on the walls. I have noticed a few times, the AI using ballistas and catapults to break down the walls so they would then get in through the cracks.
And of course in RTW, you can sap, which is very useful!

[Fate]

Sapping is the overall winner, as it's pretty much unstoppable, and whilst you will take casualities, there is no way to repel ladders.

Onagers are also useful, as you might expect!

[Whacker]

First choice, make sure your stack has two units of onagers/heavy onagers. You'll always be able to make a hole in the walls of any level defences, and probably clear a nice path for your charge in.

If you don't have that, then always sap against stone walls. It's unstoppable, and if done carefully you won't take any casualties until it's time to charge in.

[Caius]

I don't want to be smart but spies even though they are expensive to run, will open every citadel door providing you have enough of them and they are good enough.
However, in cases like this, if you had two siege towers, at least one should reach the walls and get some of your troops on the walls. I have noticed a few times, the AI using ballistas and catapults to break down the walls so they would then get in through the cracks.
And of course in RTW, you can sap, which is very useful!

I agree there.

Sometimes, you can inflict a lot of casualties if the enemy is up that part of the wall.

[gaiusjulii]

OK guys so onagers and sapping seem to be the best in attacking. by the way I do know spies will open gates but I asked about seige weapons as I prefer multiple breaches makes casualties that bit less if you can out flank in street battles.

[earl of shrewsbury]

sapping is the best and if i do use ladders i put 3 units if possible

[Caius]

Sapping is the best except in Rome.

[SSJVegetaTrunks]

I like to use saps and ladders together - I'll use my ladders to lure the enemy units to the points where the sap will destroy. It makes the job easier for my ladder people, too, with the enemy units split up.

[Poulp']

hum... never really thought about this

I would say
1/ spies
2/ ellies against wooden walls (more reliable than spies, and as fast as cav on the campaign map)
3/ anything that can make a hole + warhounds (lets you parade into the city with your remaining troops)

by the way, option 3 was the reason why I could steamroll through Italy when I was playing Dacia, my fighting force was 2 onagers, 4 warhounds and about 3-4 mercenary warbands to soak up damage, my elite swordmen never saw a fight.

A turn, a town, and trust me, after 20 years repelling endless stacks of romans, they entirely deversed what happened to them.