A. SCA Siege Engine Criteria
1. There are two (2) types of siege devices – the active Siege Weapons and the passive Siege Structures.
For the purposes of this document, and to avoid confusion:
a) Siege Engines shall be defined as those designed to deliver missiles larger than the already
established small arms ammunition.
b) Siege Structures will be defined as devices such as towers or ramps that are used to support
personnel but are not fitted with active weaponry.
2. Siege Engines will be broken down into two (2) categories
a) Type–A engines are those which are designed to deliver the large ammunition to a range
of between forty (40) and eighty (80) yards. Type–A engines can use all approved ammo classes.
Type–B engines are those designed to deliver ammunition larger than small arms ammo to a range
of between forty (40) and eighty (80) yards.
b) Type–B engines may not use anything above small siege ammunition. For the purposes of
administration, any device not designed to deliver these types of ammunition will not be considered
a siege engine, but may, at the discretion of the Deputy Society Marshal for Archery and the Society
Marshal, be considered the functional equivalent of combat archery equipment.
3. Unless specifically exempted, all engines should have a maximum range of eighty (80) yards. This
is especially important in direct–fire weapons, where range in excess of this often results
in safety concerns involving extreme minimum–range impact. Any engine whose range will exceed
eighty (80) yards must show proof on request that the extra force necessary to propel ammunition
that distance will not cause excessive impact at minimum range.
B. General Siege Engine Regulations
1. Engines and their projectiles shall be inspected by a warranted marshal prior to being used at that
event, and after any modifications are made to the engine during the course of an event.
2. Direct fire engines shall not be discharged against personnel within a range of fifteen (15) feet.
3. No engine will be discharged while any non–crew person is within the range of moving parts;
(i.e., a trebuchet will not be discharged while a fighter is standing anywhere in the path of the arm,
front or back). Markers will be set up to identify areas of potential injury if the range of the moving
parts is not easily identifiable (i.e., an area in front of a trebuchet with very long arm should be
clearly marked as dangerous to avoid injury caused by the arm or sling as it pivots forward of vertical).
4. Engines must be equipped with a safety device sufficient to prevent accidental firing if they are to be
relocated while braced. Any engine without such a device shall only be relocated while unbraced.
5. Except for man–powered trebuchets, all siege engines will be fitted with an appropriate mechanical
trigger mechanism which shall be used every shot.
6. Engines may not use compressed or ignited gasses or liquids, or combusting materials of any kind, to power projectiles.
7. Engines will attempt to visually and functionally recreate their period counterparts. Engines shall be
powered in a manner that functions consistent with their period counterparts. When period power methods are
unsafe, or not feasible (such as gunpowder), alternative sources of power may be used.
8. Any material approved for use in devices on the battlefield may be used in the construction of engines,
provided the materials are sufficient to assure the safety of the engine. For safety, the following materials
have special requirements:
a) Turnbuckles and Eye Bolts – when used in or attached to the source of power for an engine, these
items shall be rated to withstand one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the forces produced (i.e.
If the cable attached to a turnbuckle will support one hundred (100) pounds of tension, the turnbuckle
will be rated at one hundred fifty (150) pounds static load). Hardware store and home center hardware
is often of low quality and rating.
b) Steel Cable – while steel cable is useful for such functions as safetying a throwing arm, it will
not be used as a bowstring for any type of siege engine.
c) Pine – when used as the throwing arm for a catapult or trebuchet, pine arms shall be secured against
breakage with a minimum of glue–soaked sisal or jute cord wrapping (two–inch (2") wraps
every six (6) inches) over a section of rope glued to the arm along the full length of the arm. This will
keep the arm from leaving the engine should it break.
9. Type–A engines will:
a) have a minimum footprint of eighteen (18) square feet.
b) be able to deliver a large siege missile at least forty (40) yards.
c) have a mechanical cocking device, such as a winch or windlass. These engines may not be cocked by hand.
d) have as a minimum a crew of three (3) people.
10. Type–B engines will:
a) have a minimum footprint of twelve (12) square feet.
b) be able to deliver a small siege missile at least forty (40) yards.
c) have a mechanical cocking device, such as a winch or windlass. These engines may not be cocked by hand.
d) have as a minimum a crew of two (2) people.
11. Man–powered engines will be considered Type–B engines and must meet the requirements stated, with the exception that they shall not be required to have a mechanical release or cocking device.
12. Only devices meeting the above criteria will be considered siege engines.
C. Siege Structures will:
1. be able to support one (1 ) fully armored combatant every five (5) square feet.
2. be equipped with railings or walls at least thirty–six (36) inches tall and able to support the weight of a combatant if more than three (3) feet from the ground
3. be structurally stable (i.e., a wheeled siege tower should have a base big enough and wheels large enough to safely carry crew over the terrain of the field).
4. Battering Rams – battering rams and battering structures are permitted, but should be
built sufficiently strong to withstand repeated impacts and light enough to be safe when carried or if dropped.
D. Siege Ammunition Standards
1. No ammunition may exceed one (1) pound.
2. Ammunition shall be constructed of the following materials:
a) Open–cell foam
b) Closed–cell foam
c) Tennis balls (may be punctured)
d) Golf tube or similar semi–rigid, shatter–resistant tubing such as Siloflex (PVC is NOT included in this definition)
e) Cord
f) Duct and filament tape
g) Film canisters, PVC reinforcement rings
3. Siege projectiles will be capable of killing through shields (provided that the scenario rules permit this).
Unless specifically stated by scenario rules, any ammo other than four–tennis ball clusters,
one–pound rocks, or javelins will not be capable of killing through shields. Siege ammo may be
capable of damaging structures, depending on the scenario rules. All siege projectiles are capable of
damaging other engines and siege structures (refer to scenario specifics for number of hits for each
ammo type required to destroy an engine or siege structure)
4. Large siege ammunition: intended to simulate large, heavy projectiles normally used as anti–structure
missiles; (i.e., two hundred fifty (250) pound sandstone rocks used in large trebuchets).
a) One pound rocks. These will be constructed of fabric spheres filled with light or
medium density foam, taped with filament and duct tape to protect. These shall not
exceed 1 pound. They shall be a minimum of six and one half (6.5 inches) in diameter.
5. Small siege ammunition: intended to simulate smaller, lighter projectiles used as light anti–structure
and anti–personnel missiles; (i.e., ballista javelins and ten (10) pound stones as used in perriers).
a) Four –tennis ball clusters – secured with filament tape and duct tape (punctured and tied with cord also acceptable)
b) spliced golf tube javelins – splices secured with cord and filament tape, single tennis ball head tied on and taped with filament and duct tape. The tubes may be reinforced with medium density foam (such as pipe insulation) in order to prevent crush damage. Film canisters, PVC rings, and similar non–brittle, non–metallic lightweight reinforcements (securely attached) may be used at the butt end of the javelin. Non–rigid fletchings may be used. Javelins will be at least forty–eight (48) inches and clearly marked with a yellow spiral the length of the shaft.
c) Other javelins – materials such as Siloflex or similar semi–rigid, shatter
resistant tubing can be used, as long as the minimum diameter is equivalent to golf
tube and the rest of the construction meets the standards for spliced tube construction.
Avoid excessive weight. PVC is not shatter–resistant and is not considered legal for
ballista javelins.
6. Specialty siege ammunition: intended to simulate specialty ammunition; (i.e., flaming oil pots or flaming
javelins): or effect weapons; (i.e., diseased animal corpses or the heads of decapitated messengers). Specialty
missiles will have damage determined in the scenario rules. Most effect weapons will have little or no damage
potential, and therefore should be used sparingly. Specialty Siege Ammunition may be used as long as it doesn’t
exceed the weight or construction materials limitations of the approved ammunitions.
E. Inspections
1. Engine Inspections
a) An equipment inspection station shall be designated at any event allowing siege engines.
This inspection range shall at minimum consist of a field with a firing line and range markers
at forty (40) and eighty (80) yards from the firing position.
b) Preliminary inspection of the engine shall be made before any shots are fired. This inspection
should be to check for structural integrity of the components of the engine.
c) An operational demonstration phase of the inspection shall, at minimum, consist of four (4) shots
from the engine, configured for the maximum power it will use on the field at that event. These
four (4) shots shall deliver the ammunition between forty (40) and eighty (80) yards without
mechanical failure.
d) Static inspection for stability of the engine, and mechanical observation of the framework and
the mechanism shall be made after the firing.
2. Structure Inspections
a) Siege structures should be inspected before being allowed to participate in an event. Inspection
should include at a minimum structural integrity, stability, condition of hardware, condition of
any safety devices (barriers, walls, etc…). Inspection will ideally be made with a maximum
load of armored combatants on board the siege structure. Inspection will include a demonstration
of mobility if the structure is designed to be mobile.
3. Ammunition Inspections
a) Siege ammunition must be inspected before being allowed to to be used in an event.
Inspection should include at a minimum: weight, structural integrity, stability, and
condition. Inspection of weight will ideally be made with an accurate scale, but accurate
comparison weights may be used at the discretion of the marshal–in–charge.
F. Crew Requirements
1. Siege crews are classified as non–contact combatants.
2. Crews must be authorized in armored combat as fighters or combat archers.
3. Crews must be armored AT LEAST to the minimum requirements for non–contact combatants.
G. Miscellaneous
1. New and experimental weapons types and ammunition shall be required to undergo the same approval
process as any other battlefield object. This process involves the Kingdom Earl Marshal and the Society Marshal.
2. Current information on new weapons approval procedures is delineated in the Marshal’s Handbook.
3. Definitions
- Ballista – a two–armed torsion or tension powered arrow or rock throwing direct fire siege engine
- Catapult – a single armed torsion or tension powered rock throwing indirect fire siege engine.
- Crew – any member of a siege engine’s operating team, including operators, alternate crew,
ramp haulers, ammunition handlers, spotters, etc.
- Closed Cell Foam – stiff, resilient foam similar to sleeping pads
- Direct fire – delivery of a missile in a straight, flat trajectory directly into the target
Indirect fire delivery of a missile in a high, arcing trajectory ending at the target
- Effect Weapons – mostly novelty missiles with no real damaging ability, such as simulated animal parts.
- Eye Bolts – hardware resembling a bolt formed into a circle on the non–threaded end
- Footprint – ground area covered by an engine, measured as width x length in feet.
- Javelin – spear–type missile
- Light–density Foam – foam under 1.5 pound per cubic feet
- Mechanical Cocking Device – A device used to brace an engine (such as a winch or windlass)
- Mechanical Trigger Device – A device used to hold the engine in a braced state and to activate (shoot) the weapon.
- Medium–Density Foam – foam between 1.5 and 4 pounds per cubic feet
- Onager – see catapult
- Open Cell Foam – light, spongelike foam such as upholstery or pillow foam.
- Perrier – a man–powered trebuchet
- Siege Engines – missile–launching devices designed to deliver missiles larger than the already established small arms ammunition.
- Siege Structures – devices such as towers or ramps that are used to support personnel but are not fitted with active weaponry.
- Specialty Ammunition – special–purpose ammunition such as simulated flaming missiles.
- Trebuchet – a gravity or traction powered sling type rock throwing indirect fire siege engine
- Turnbuckle – hardware consisting of 2 eye bolts fitted to a threaded barrel, used for adjusting the length of cables
- Winch – a winding device, usually geared and equipped with a ratchet.
- Windlass – a winding device, usually consisting of a spool with double crank handles,
a set of pulleys and hooks, but not normally equipped with a ratcheting device.
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