siege weapons
These are some typical weapons you would see during a siege. Since a castle doesn't come to you, the siege weapons must be able to be carried or wheeled, so they can be smaller and weaker than some defending weapons.
Cannons
- fires giant metal balls at the enemy
- Great at destroying castle walls and other siege weapons
- good at taking out enemy troops
- long reload time
- operators vulnerable to opposing fire
- risky (gunpowder could explode early and kill everyone nearby)
mangonels
- uses tension in ropes to propel an object through the air
- good for taking down walls
- long reload time
- many people needed to operate
- weak to cannons
ballistas
- uses tension in ropes and wood to fire a giant spear
- good against armies and other crowds of people
- cannot pierce walls
- weak to cannons
Battering rams
- used for breaking down castle doors
- usually followed by an army
- useless if there is a raised drawbridge or moat
- multiple men needed to operate
- if there is a roof, men underneath are protected from arrows
ladder
- hidden inside these tall towers, the ladders are pretty safe to climb
- used by troops to storm the castle from the top of the walls
- vulnerable to cannons
- good against archers
- less effective against the sloped walls, or talus
- weak to murder holes
Cavalry
- Mighty horses bred for battle and well trained soldiers
- fast and strong attacks
- good for army vs. army combat
- bad for siege unless paired with battering ram
crossbows and bows
- long range
- provides covering fire for other troops and bulky siege weapons
- crossbows reload slowly but have more damage
- bows reload quickly but can be harder to aim and do less damage
undermining
- troops dug underneath the enemy walls and used wooden supports
- they burnt the supports and fled the cave
- the cave soon collapsed, bringing the walls down with it
- hidden from all defenders
- cave could collapse too early, killing everyone inside
- VERY time consuming
shield
- protects troops out of combat
- useful to get troops closer to the walls
- easily destroyed by cannons
Fire
- castles constructed of wood were vulnerable to fire, as fire burns wood easily
- not very effective against stone walls
- weak against water