Revision 2

Overview

Siege weapons in Kingmakers are medieval machines that players can place and deploy during battles, particularly during castle assaults. The confirmed siege weapon types include trebuchets, ballistae, and archer towers. These weapons occupy a unique role in the game because they sit at the intersection of the strategy mode and the destructible environments system. While the player has access to modern weapons like grenade launchers, RPGs, and even air strikes, siege weapons provide a medieval alternative that can be operated by AI-controlled troops and positioned for sustained, automated attacks.

Siege weapons are part of the broader strategic toolkit alongside fortifications, troop formations, and guard placements. In the strategy mode overhead view, players can place siege equipment at desired positions, assign troops to operate them, and coordinate their fire with infantry assaults and modern firepower. The combination of medieval siege machinery with modern military hardware creates battlefield scenarios unlike anything in other strategy games.

Siege Weapon Types

Trebuchets

Trebuchets are large siege engines that use a counterweight to launch heavy projectiles over long distances. In Kingmakers, trebuchets are the primary tool for breaking through castle walls and fortifications from range. Their arcing trajectory allows them to fire over obstacles and hit targets behind cover. Trebuchets were the most powerful siege weapons of the medieval era, capable of hurling stones weighing several hundred pounds, and the game reflects this destructive capability through the destructible environments system. A well-placed trebuchet shot can breach a wall section, creating an opening for infantry to storm through.

Historically, trebuchets were a defining feature of medieval siege warfare. They could demolish fortifications that would otherwise require months of starvation to overcome. The real Glyndwr Rebellion involved multiple castle sieges, including the captures of Harlech and Aberystwyth, making trebuchets a period-appropriate choice for the game's arsenal.

Ballistae

Ballistae function as giant crossbows that fire large bolts at high velocity. Compared to trebuchets, ballistae have a flatter trajectory and are more effective against individual targets or tight groups of soldiers rather than fortifications. They offer a faster rate of fire than trebuchets and can be repositioned more easily. In the context of Kingmakers, ballistae serve as anti-personnel siege weapons, useful for thinning out defenders on walls or targeting enemy officers.

The historical ballista used torsion springs (typically twisted sinew or animal hair) to power two arms that launched projectiles. In-game, ballistae can be placed on elevated positions or behind friendly lines to provide covering fire during assaults.

Archer Towers

Archer towers are defensive structures that can be placed to provide elevated firing positions for archers. While trebuchets and ballistae are primarily offensive siege tools, archer towers serve a dual purpose. They can be used defensively to protect key positions, chokepoints, or the player's base, and they can also be placed forward during an assault to provide suppressive fire. Archers stationed in towers have improved range and accuracy compared to ground-level units, and the tower itself provides protection against return fire.

Siege Weapon Comparison

Placement and Strategy

Siege weapons are placed through the strategy mode interface. When the player switches to the top-down strategic view, they can select and position siege equipment on the battlefield. Placement considerations include line of sight, distance to the target, terrain elevation, and proximity to enemy forces. Placing a trebuchet too close to the front line risks having it destroyed by a cavalry charge; placing it too far back reduces accuracy and increases the time for projectiles to reach their target.

Once placed, siege weapons can be operated by assigned troops. The player does not need to personally man each weapon; the AI-controlled crew will fire at designated targets or engage enemies of opportunity. This frees the player to fight on the front lines with modern weapons while their siege equipment works autonomously in the background.

Interaction with Modern Weapons

One of Kingmakers' defining gameplay dynamics is the coexistence of medieval and modern military technology. Siege weapons fill a niche that modern weapons sometimes cannot. Trebuchets can demolish walls from positions of safety, where an RPG would require the player to be within direct line of sight. Archer towers provide sustained, automated fire without consuming the player's modern ammunition supply. Ballistae can pin down enemies in positions where gunfire might be less effective due to the armor and penetration system.

At the same time, modern weapons outclass siege equipment in many scenarios. An attack helicopter can destroy a gatehouse faster than a trebuchet, and a grenade launcher has far more flexibility than a ballista. The strategic decision of when to rely on medieval siege machinery versus modern firepower is a core part of Kingmakers' tactical depth.

Role in Castle Sieges

Castle sieges are one of the game's signature encounters, and siege weapons play a central role. A typical castle assault might begin with trebuchets softening the outer walls while ballistae target defenders on the battlements. Once a breach is created, infantry (supported by the player with modern firearms) storm through the gap. Archer towers positioned outside the breach provide covering fire during the assault.

The destructible environments system means that siege weapons have real, physical impact on the battlefield. Walls crumble, towers collapse, and the rubble from destroyed structures can block or create new pathways. The AI pathfinding system updates dynamically as the environment changes, so soldiers (both allied and enemy) recalculate routes when walls are breached or buildings fall.

Post-Launch Plans

The post-launch roadmap includes plans for expanded castle siege content. While the specifics of new siege equipment have not been detailed, the developers have mentioned "epic castle sieges" as a priority for post-Early Access development, which may include additional siege weapon types, larger and more complex castle layouts, and new siege-specific scenarios.

Resource Cost and Recovery

Siege weapons are not consumable items. Once a trebuchet, ballista, or archer tower is placed, it remains on the battlefield until destroyed, captured, or recovered. This means that the upfront cost of placing siege equipment, paid through kingdom building resources and the time spent in the strategy mode interface, pays dividends over the duration of an engagement rather than being a single-use commitment. Damaged siege weapons can sometimes be repaired by assigned troops, depending on the extent of the damage and whether the structural frame survived.

Trebuchets in particular are slow to construct and slow to relocate, so their value scales with how long an engagement lasts. In short skirmishes, a modern RPG or grenade launcher finishes the same wall faster. In prolonged castle assaults that stretch across in-game days, trebuchets become the more efficient option because they continue to fire while the player handles other parts of the battle.

Counter-Siege Considerations

Siege weapons are a two-sided system. Enemy commanders place trebuchets, ballistae, and archer towers against the player's positions just as the player does against theirs. Defending against enemy siege equipment is one of the more demanding tactical problems in strategy mode. Enemy trebuchets can breach the player's walls from beyond direct line of sight, so the response usually requires either a cavalry sortie to overrun the crew, a precision strike with a modern weapon, or a counter-battery placement on a flanking ridge.

Archer towers placed by the enemy create chokepoints in their own right. Storming a castle whose approach is covered by two or more archer towers without first neutralizing the towers means the assault force takes sustained ranged damage from elevated positions. The most efficient counter is usually an air support strike called in from the strategy view, which destroys the tower and any crew inside before infantry begins the approach.

Comparison with Modern Weapons by Use Case

Tips

• Place trebuchets behind your front lines and out of cavalry charge range.

• Use ballistae to target enemy officers or densely packed formations before an infantry assault.

• Archer towers work well at chokepoints, such as bridges, narrow passes, or breach points in castle walls.

• Combine siege weapons with modern firepower for maximum effectiveness. Let trebuchets breach the wall while you use the RPG on the gatehouse.

• In co-op, assign one player to manage siege weapon placement in strategy mode while others fight on the ground.