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I’m had this topic on my list for a long time, but I never really found the time to think about it. Still haven’t, which I realized could be part of the reason why I never took it off the bench. I mean, these aren’t the easiest things to put in your story. That problem stems entirely from what they are.
Siege weapons (A.K.A. Siege Engines) are what you think they are. Giant devices used when one is laying siege to a castle or town. Trebuchets and catapults help get projectiles over walls. Ballista could be used to take out distant, large targets or multiple soldiers. Probably even take out gates and doors. You have siege towers to help get your people over walls too. You have battering rams used in a variety of ways that range from many soldiers carrying it to elephants. Modern versions include cannons and howitzers. The list keeps going with a wide variety of devices.
In Beginning of a Hero, I introduced Fritz Warrenberg who was a gnomish inventor and the siege weapon teacher. This wasn’t done with any plan, which is a shame because I could have flushed out my own knowledge here. Not that I could go anywhere with them since there’s the inherent problem. These are MASSIVE weapons that an adventurer wouldn’t be carrying around. Siege weapons are designed entirely for large scale battles involving a heavily defended target. A wandering swordsman isn’t going to drag around a catapult in case they need one. This means you’re focal characters aren’t likely to interact with these things very often. At best, they will help an army using them or, at worst, have to face them in battle.
This doesn’t mean that siege weapons should be ignored either. They have an important place in military history and strategy. Even in a world of magic, armies will create large weapons to overcome and overpower enemies. After all, walls being used as defensive barriers is universal. With those existing, you’re inevitably going to have someone create ways to circumvent or destroy them. Looking at some of the more basic ones, you can see how a fictional world would have the same as us too. Catapults and trebuchets are like giant, mechanical slings. Ballistae are enormous crossbows. You don’t have to be a genius to think about making a few basic weapons larger. Might need help doing it, but the desire is easy to spark.
Now, where can a fantasy author use them? One thing our genre loves to do is sieges on fortified areas and large scale battles. I’m looking at you Helm’s Deep and Battle of Five Armies. These two tropes have been infused into the genre since the modern inception, which is where siege weapons can shine. Whether it be the heroes having to find ways to stop them or making sure they aren’t victims of friendly fire, these enormous action scenes can be accentuated by this addition. You don’t have to go into detail with them either, but having them used in the background and established as a presence can help. If done right, it’s the fantasy equivalent of the opening scene from ‘Saving Private Ryan’.
Another positive to introducing the existence of siege weapons is showing the level of technology. While not as advanced as modern devices, they are still complicated and use some levels of mechanical knowledge. Gears, pulleys, levers, and the like are all implemented in many of these weapons. This allows you to introduce non-military uses of these creations such as dumbwaiters and clocks. In the grand scheme of the plot, these might not mean much. Yet, they can really make an impact for world building and open the door for future advancements. For example, a mechanical golem can be introduced without question.
So, what do you think about using siege weapons in fantasy?
Legends of Windemere 
Such a great topic! I’m glad you used them in your series and mentioned how they were used in LoTR. In the latter, I appreciate how Jackson showed the heaviness of the equipment by the characters used to operate them as well as the scale of them. I haven’t mentioned siege weapons in anything, but you’ve given good tips to aid in their use should I ever decide to use them. Would a battering ram be considered a siege weapon?
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Battering rams would be siege weapons. I think it’s really anything big used to defend or destroy a fortification.
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Love a good battering ram. 😄 Especially one with a back story like Grond.
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I introduced the Trebuchet as part of my security system on my Stream of Consciousness Saturday feature. I love these old-time destruction monsters. Can you imagine seeing a large boulder arcing down toward your castle? It would give you the shivers for sure.
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I remember that. A classic that really should be brought back.
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😊
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Definitely you have to have the right circumstance (a siege) for siege weapons. There must have been a lot of counter-engineering between the people who designed castles for strength and to minimize weak points, and weapon designers who had to overcome the defenses.
I guess in the right circumstances, you could have something like ballistae on wheels, like with canons, if characters were hunting something big, like giants or rocs or dragons.
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A large hunting party might use a mobile ballista. My guess would be a world with different rules and fauna could lead to a variation of siege weapons used for large threats.
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Great post. They can also be used from inside the walls to shell the army outside. Because they’re defensive installments, they could be much bigger with no need of moving them. Protecting a harbor, river, etc.
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True. Think people forget that. Not sure if I mention it in the Wednesday post.
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Bummer. Hope I didn’t spoil anything.
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I love trebuchets, if only for the name. I had occasion to interview the president of the Maine Large Pumpkin Growers Association and he mentioned they were going to throw a 1000-pound pumpkin with a trebuchet. He sent me the video – the machine did a great job, and lobbed that pumpkin pretty far!
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I’ve seen those videos. Lots of fun.
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I used them in my Elemental Worlds duo. In the world of Aeris, there was a siege in which the protagonist and his allies were faced with these weapons.
I’ve not used them since, though, even though I’ve had one big battle.
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They really are hard to fit into a story even with battles. Ungainly in so many ways.
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