History Main / SiegeEngines

They accentuate the menace of an approaching army and their appearance in a siege is often closely followed by a crisis point for the defenders.

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* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]'': The assault on Helms Deep shows suicidal berserker sappers deploying explosives against the weakest point in the outer walls to devastating effect.

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* ''KushielsDart''. The Skaldi build siege towers for use during the siege of Troyes-le-Mont.

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* The board game ''[[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2778/gondor Gondor]]'', set during [[LordOfTheRings the siege of Minas Tirith]], features siege towers, catapults, the BatteringRam Grond, and vats of boiling oil.

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* ''JonnyQuest'' episode ''Monster in the Monastery''. Catapults flinging flaming missiles are used to attack a small town.
* In the ''BugsBunny'' short ''Knighty Knight Bugs'', the Black Knight (Yosemite Sam) uses a catapult to try to launch himself into a castle window.

* Along with more modern equipment such as tanks and artillery, the Chaos army in ''[[GauntsGhosts Necropolis]]'' use a variety of baroque siege weapons, such as massive mechanized siege ladders with flamethrowers and cluster grenade launchers, and enormous spike-wheeled vehicles designed to crawl up the city's shield wall. The enemy's fortress is a massive crawling ''thing'' with a gigantic WaveMotionGun attached nicknamed "The Spike". In fact, the Imperials identify Heritor Asphodel as the enemy leader because of his [[SignatureStyle notorious love]] for [[AwesomeButImpractical bizarrely overcomplicated siege equipment]].

Historical accuracy [[BambooTechnology varies]] and the RuleOfCool rules. [[FantasyGunControl Depending on the setting]], cannons may also appear.

* [[BatteringRam Battering rams]] and screws: For knocking down or breaking through walls and doors.

* ''MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'': The French knights presumably used some kind of catapult to fling the cow and giant rabbit.

* Mainly a forgotten art in CodexAlera, since when it comes to breaking down walls furycrafting is much more flexible, powerful, and doesn't require a gigantic supply train (well, beyond what the legions usually need). [[spoiler:So when the catapults are essentially reinvented in ''First Lord's Fury'' and are then loaded with the local equivalent of cluster bombs, allowing the equivalent of a village full of peasants to deliver the collective power of several High Lords... let's just say MadeOfWin and leave it at that.]]

* {{Patapon}} 1 and 2 both feature levels with catapults,both in your enemy's and your own side.
** Seems like the trope has become a new patapon class of it's own in Patapon 3.

* [[AvatarTheLastAirbender The Fire Nation army]] devises an enormous mechanised [[ThisIsADrill drill]] as a way of breaching the walls of Ba Sing Se.

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* There was a kid's game marketed which involved miniature siege engines that launched marbles, with the attacking side having the goal of breaking down the walls and the defenders aiming to take out all of the siege engines. The siege equipment included cannons, a trebuchet, a catapult, and ballistae.
* ''[[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2129/crossbows-and-catapults Crossbows and Catapults]]'' provides the a war-game light version of siege warfare involving cannons and ballistae.

* There was a kid's game marketed which involved miniature siege engines that launched marbles, with the attacking side having the goal of breaking down the walls and the defenders aiming to take out all of the siege engines. The siege equipment included cannons, a trebuchet, a catapault, and ballistae.

* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Return of the King]]'' Sauron's forces use catapults to attack Minas Tirith with shells that exploded in flames as well as the heads of those who had been killed in earlier fighting. Also of note is Grond, Hammer of the Underworld -- the most BadAss BatteringRam ever conceived.
** In the movie Minas Tirith retaliates with massive trebuchets, while giving no explanation to how they loaded the stones that seemed to weight several tons onto the machines, or how they stored the said massive stones out of sight.
*** They propably loeaded them same way medieval people did. Also, Minas Tirith is build on ''a frickin mountain''. Maybe they have underground safe places?

** In the movie Minas Tirith retaliates with massive trebuchets, while giving no explanation to how they loaded the stones that seemed to weight several tons onto the machines, or how they stored the said massive stones out of sight.

* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]'': The assault on Helms Deep shows suicidal berserker sappers deploying explosives against the weakest point in the outer walls to devastating effect. [[hottip:*:Though why the Uruk-hai bothered attacking the main wall is a mystery considering there's a [[FridgeLogic giant ramp]] leading up to the main gate of the keep in Helms Deep. Surely the whole point of an outer wall was to keep enemies away from the keep.]]
** [[hottip:*:Presumably they didn't use the ramp because the ramp would mean the entire force would have to squeeze into a narrow exposed area where the defenders could easily concentrate their defensive fire on, as opposed to making a brand new entrance they might not be prepared for. [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle Modern minefields often work on the same principle, forcing the enemy to line up like ducks to avoid the mines.]]]]

* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Return of the King]]'' Sauron's forces use catapults to attack Minas Tirith with shells that exploded in flames as well as the heads of those who had been killed in earlier fighting. Also of note is Grond, Hammer of the Underworld -- the most BadAss BatteringRam ever conceived.

* ''{{Asterix}}'': The Romans once brought siege weapons against the Gauls. Needless to say, it didn't turn out well for them.
** Actually, since the Gauls were lacking magic potion at the time, it worked pretty well... for a while.

* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Two Towers]]'': The assault on Helms Deep shows suicidal berserker sappers deploying explosives against the weakest point in the outer walls to devastating effect. (Though why the Uruk-hai bothered attacking the main wall is a mystery considering there's a [[FridgeLogic giant ramp]] leading up to the main gate of the keep in Helms Deep. Surely the whole point of an outer wall was to keep enemies away from the keep. [[http://skepticalteacher.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/facepalm.jpg]])

* [[{{Gladiator}} On my signal, unleash hell.]]

* In the [[{{Narnia}} Prince Caspian]] movie, the Telmarines utilize some sort of perpetual motion trebuchets. Needless to say, any one with any grasp whatsoever on physics will be irritated by these monstrosities.

* ''[[LordOfTheRings The Return of the King]]'' Sauron's forces use catapults to attack Minas Tirith with shells that exploded in flames as well as the heads of those who had been killed in earlier fighting.
** And you can't bring up Minas Tirith without mentioning Grond, Hammer of the Underworld - the most BadAss BatteringRam ever conceived.

* The HistoryChannel built a replica of an Indian cannon designed to be mounted on an elephant and a primitive Chinese landmine. Surprisingly, both turned out to be disturbingly effective, though the operator would have been vulnerable to arrows. Flamethrowers are another weapon that may be OlderThanTheyThink.

* Mantlets: Large mobile shields.

* ''YoungFrankenstein''. At one point the villagers use Inspector Kemp as an impromptu battering ram to knock open a door.

** Basic ''[[DungeonsAndDragons D&D]]'' had a magical bench that could act as a battering ram to open doors.

* The board game ''[[http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2778/gondor Gondor]]'', set during [[LordOfTheRings the siege of Minas Tirith]], features siege towers, catapults, the battering ram Grond, and vats of boiling oil.

* Battering rams and screws: For knocking down or breaking through walls and doors.

** Advanced ''[[DAndD D&D]]'' included rules for the use of siege engines including the gallery, hoist, mantlet, rams, sows and ram catchers.
** Basic ''[[DAndD D&D]]'' had a magical bench that could act as a battering ram to open doors.

** Advanced ''{{D&D}}'' included rules for the use of siege engines including the gallery, hoist, mantlet, rams, sows and ram catchers.
** Basic ''{{D&D}}'' had a magical bench that could act as a battering ram to open doors.

* In the [[{{narnia}} Prince Caspian]] movie, the telmarines utilize some sort of perpetual motion trebuchets. needless to say, any one with any grasp whatsoever on physics will be irritated by these monstrosities.

* ''DungeonsAndDragons'' includes rules for the use of siege engines including the gallery, hoist, mantlet, rams, sows and ram catchers.

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* Ballistae: Basicaly a giant bow. Often [[ArrowsOnFire lit on fire]].

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