Trebuchet vs. Mangonel

[gyrobot]

Basically it goes down to this

Ballista: Anti armor/Charging soldiers, the AT gun of the time
Manogel: Field piece artilerry, meant for troops bunched up and in camps and you just need something with Collateral on it
Trebuchet: Taking out towns, castles and fortresses without hesistation.

 

[Ninja]

Was it useful to build a mangonel on a tower? Or a trebuchet?
In Lord Of The Rings 3, they have trebuchets on the towers of Minas Tirith...

 

[Corinthian Hoplite]

Eh.. they also had Mûmakil...

 

[Cirdan]

If they could get Mûmakils in real life, I'm sure they would have used them though. Trebuchets on towers wouldn't have been used, because a) they'd require a huge firing platform. That's alot of space ontop of towers, and space on top of towers is expensive b) keeping a trebuchet permanently would require maintenance, which is expensive and c) what's the point? You're not going to be able to accurately counterbattery the enemy's artillery anyway.

 

[Rongar]

Trebuchets on towers wouldn't have been used, because a) they'd require a huge firing platform. That's alot of space ontop of towers, and space on top of towers is expensive b) keeping a trebuchet permanently would require maintenance, which is expensive and c) what's the point? You're not going to be able to accurately counterbattery the enemy's artillery anyway.

I agree that tower, is not the place for  a trebuchet . But trebuchets were far more accurate than other medieval catapults.   I have read (can't refer now) that on distance 160-180 meters most of trebuchets have assured accuracy about 5*5 meters and was used for counterbattery fire (especially light variants). As i've heard tests in Middelaldercentret showed that a skillful magister tormentorum is able to  strike any  immobile target within range after short zeroing in on.

Trebuchets were very usefull for sieges until they are shooted down by counterbattery fire. But because of long reloading time (up to 2+hr) they was't very usefull for assults. Assult is time for mangonels and ballistas.

 

[bladeofudun]

Trebuchet. It had much more power, greater range, and a good team could batter one part of the wall again and again. It also stood outside the range of any defense, so it's team was relatively safe. I just want to know one thing...

Who brought the rocks?

 

[alexyoo93]

Trebuchet.

It uses gravity to it's advantage. It has a longer range and more power so it would easily take on castles.

 

[Rongar]

It also stood outside the range of any defense, so it's team was relatively safe.

If there is only one trebuchet in the World.
Also archers using high power composite bows could shoot down crew with volley fire while they prepared thier stupid machine.

 

[Balinux]

I think the trebuchet had a much much greater range than that.

 

[Rongar]

I think the trebuchet had a much much greater range than that.

Somewhat like 150-200 meters against 130-150 meters. It's is catastrophic difference

 

[Balinux]

I thought it was from 200 to 300 metters...

 

[Æsir]

@Tankai: Yep. That's right. Well.. I'm 99% sure that is right.

 

[Rongar]

Yes, I agree. Some extremal or modern variants could. But It cost them recharge speed and ammo wight.
I don't think that regular medieval variants do that.

 

[Balinux]

You mean like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVADKznOhY 

 

[Rongar]

You mean like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wVADKznOhY   

Vandals. They have burned and thrown musical instument.

 

[SaracenX]

Trebuchets beat torsion any day.