In Stronghold: Warlords from the developers of Firefly Studios players get to try their hand at building, managing and defending castles of different peoples once again. In addition to familiar mechanics and weapons like trebuchets and ballistae, the game also features new siege weapons like mortars. In this text we will go into a little more detail about these siege weapons and explain to you how they work.
Trebuchets - When Pigs Can Fly
Trebuchets are ancient siege weapons that can hurl objects in a high arc towards their target like a catapult. These massive siege weapons can be used in different ways in Stronghold: Warlords. On the one hand, the trebuchets can be loaded with huge stones in a classic way to cause massive damage to approaching enemy troops, solid stone walls or buildings. Alternatively, you can also produce grenades to hurl at your enemies and start small fires that can become large fires.
However, if you are aiming for a more cunning approach, you can, for example, also load the siege weapons with sick pigs, cows or water buffaloes. When these projectiles hit, they explode in a cloud of poison that can kill their enemies within seconds. It is also important to note here that the time to load the trebuchets is different depending on what you want to shoot. A pig, for example, is lighter and can be brought to fly faster than a massive stone or a buffalo. So you have to act tactically to use these siege weapons effectively.
Grenade Launcher - The Paving the Way on the Ground
Even if you could think that ancient grenade launchers would be good to bring down a wall, they are rather used in Stronghold: Warlords to eliminate enemy infantry. Because compared to trebuchets, grenade launchers have a lower damage overall, but can be reloaded much faster.
The projectiles you can shoot with the launchers fly in a slight arc and do damage on the first contact. However, they do not explode. Instead, the grenades bounce off the ground again and fly a little further. Their damage is then lower, but they can still knock down enemy units in the second ground movement. So it pays off for you if you don't just have the direct target in mind, but always plan what collateral damage you can do with a grenade launcher.
Ballista - Slow but Deadly
Ballistas will be at your disposal again in Stronghold: Warlords. The devices for shooting massive arrows are perfect for dismantling other siege weapons such as the grenade launcher or trebuchet or for defending against armored units such as the samurai.
However, ballistas are very slow and can be attacked by fast, light units rather if you do not secure them accordingly. But if you protect them well, they can tear great holes in your opponent's troops.
How do you like the possibilities of siege weapons in Stronghold: Warlords? How would you use them more: aggressively or defensively to protect your castle? Write a comment and let us know your opinion.
