Siege Tower
Siege WeaponBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
Evolution
Siege Tower
Castle AgeThe coach's briefing
Commander, the Siege Tower is a wall-bypassing vehicle. Garrison infantry inside, roll up to enemy walls, and your troops unload on the other side. It has no attack but 175 HP and 100 pierce armor makes it nearly immune to arrow fire. Use Siege Towers to bypass castle walls and get your infantry inside enemy bases. Surprise attacks become possible.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
Prepare your next matchup
Choose both civilizations for a game plan, key threats and an army composition.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
Wall-bypassing transport siege unit
Tactical Playbook
Wall Bypass
Garrison infantry and unload them past walls. Defenders must react to troops inside their base.
Arrow Immunity
100 pierce armor means towers and castles deal minimal damage. You can roll past defenses safely.
Surprise Factor
Enemies often forget to defend the interior. A Siege Tower drop can end games.
Critical Point
-2 melee armor means melee units shred it. Keep it away from cavalry and infantry. It also has no attack.
Understanding The Stats
Siege Towers are niche but game-changing when used correctly. Their wall bypass ability creates unique tactical options.
No Attack
Purely a transport vehicle
Extreme Pierce
Nearly immune to arrow damage
High HP
Very durable against ranged
Siege Speed
Standard siege mobility
Coach's Tip
100 pierce armor is absurd. A castle deals 11-100=-89 = minimum 1 damage. You're almost immune.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| No damage bonus: this unit deals the same damage to every target. | |
Armor Classes
Siege Weapon
Takes bonus from Mangonels and Bombard Cannons. Can be repaired.
Civilizations
* 1 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Siege Tower is a transport unit, not a damage dealer: it costs 100 wood and 120 gold, 36 seconds to train, 175 HP, 0 attack, -2 melee armor, 100 pierce armor, 0 range, 0.96 speed and 8 line of sight. It unloads infantry over enemy walls, resists most ranged attacks and cannot carry mounted units. Update 185872 removes an outdated tooltip claim that garrisoned infantry increases its speed. Its value is access, while its poor melee armor makes it vulnerable on approach.
History & balance
The Siege Tower solves a map problem rather than a unit problem: infantry can cross a wall without breaking a gate. The tower has no attack and its pierce armor protects it from arrows; garrisoned infantry is the transported force, not a speed upgrade. Protect the vehicle from melee units and choose an unloading point that matters.
In pro play
Use a Siege Tower when a wall is the real problem and your Infantry is already strong enough to matter after the drop. Garrison the units before approaching, escort the tower with a force that can punish a melee interception, and choose a section of wall whose interior leads to Villagers, production or a retreat path. The 100 pierce armor means arrows are not the answer, but 0.96 speed and -2 melee armor mean the approach must be planned. Keep a second pressure point active so the defender cannot surround the drop with the whole army. The best use is not always a deep dive: even a threatened unload can force the opponent to abandon an outer fight and reveal the real defensive composition.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is shooting an empty Siege Tower with Archers while its Infantry reaches the back of your base. The official help identifies melee units as the vulnerability and confirms that ranged fire is inefficient. Send Knights or Infantry to make contact before the unload, prioritize the loaded tower and kill the transport before the drop. If contact is impossible, wall the landing zone and move the economy from the path; the tower has 0 attack and cannot create value alone. If you keep losing to Siege Towers without knowing what to produce or when, AoE Coach reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.