The Armour Archive

ok heres what i was thinking.
1.i like seige engines,
2.i dont have one.
3.i dont have the space or skill to build one (as of yet).
so what i am working on is basicaly a large pole 4-5 ft long a hook at the top with a sling capable of hurling stones about the size of a softball.set up similarly to a trebuchet.except that the engine part itself would be me.
keep in mind this is just an idea, and i am hoping for a little constructive criticism.
has anyone ever seen or heard of this? or are there rules against it?


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se fray stent feste !

Its called a staff sling. Very period, pretty effective from what I hear, but I don`t know what rules govern there use for SCA use.
Good luck!
John

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"and the springfieldians heroicly slaughtered there enemys while they prayed for mercy!"

I believe that SCA combat rules do not allow for "human powered" seige weapons, for use in *combat*. If you want to throw rocks at a target, at an approved range, that should be fine.

-Donasian.

if thats the case what about trebuchets where people pull on ropes to act as the throwing force?

staff slingsd rule.
i have one at my parens place i use to throw the dogs ball, you can get a lot of range with the things with some practice.

and yea, arent traction trebs man powered?
if they alow compat archery i dont see hwt this shouldnt be alowed

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What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee:

Traction trebs are super cool, but if you want to take a seige weapon into combat, the rules immediately get very sticky. You have to have things like a mechanical arming mechanism, two restraints on the firing mechanism, etc. Most of these things simply cannot be done with a human powered seige weapon.

As always, check your Kingdom marshal's handbook for more details.

-Donasian.

ive tried the handbook but its kinda sketchy.
mainly outlining the very basic rules for seige weapons.
so i asked the earl marshal.will know soon i hope.

I did some experiments with staff slings earlier this year when I had access to a large field for testing. They can be quite effective with dense projectiles, though I imagine only about 100-150 feet for something lighter like a tennis ball. The cords on a modest 6-foot staff sling extend almost 20 feet from the operator after firing. This would mean at least a 30-foot safety radius around each slinger. I really wonder how well this would go over in armoured combat; any opponent gets within 30 feet and you're dead. I think the other posters are right about this though; the SCA really needs to lay down some bake on this one.

I've thought about something like a jai-lai ball slinger...

Greetings,

Actually, a traction treb is the only device that does *not* require a trigger, mechanical cocking device, etc. However, you will need to build a support base for the arm - can't have every yahoo with a stick claiming they're a siege engine - that covers a minimum footprint. There is a minimum crew requirement, too (usually 3), but this can include the meat pulling the ropes .

Staff slings are also often legal (depending on Kingdom), but the most you can chuck is a tennis ball, which does arrow damage (blocked by a shield).

As for actually building an engine - you'd be surprised how easy a simple engine is. And there are several sites showing people building them in their apartments or in the parking lot outside... Make it break down and they pack and store pretty small, too.

Hope this helps,
Ulsted
(The proud poppa of 6 balistae and 7/8th of a treb - I've really got to finish that up)