Mobile Battering Ram (SC'19)

Written by Steve Tremblay

There are few cultures more known for quality construction, overcoming problems and coming to a fight overly prepared than the dwarves.

More than a century ago clans of dwarves living on the island of Athias perfected a method of knocking on a foes door that would remain unmatched to this day.

The mobile battering ram was built for all-purpose destruction of gates and walls and capable of transporting many more soldiers as it traveled to its destination.
The ram itself was normally 20-30 feet long, built of heavy wood, steel and sometimes stone. Many times, the front end was designed to look like a fist or head of a hammer decorated with the sigils of the dwarf clan that built it.
The ram portion hung from an A-frame built upon a much larger wagon with benches built on the sides so those moving the weapon could trade out shifts resting and pushing. Typically some form of roof was added to protect against dropped objects or flaming oil.
Large steel rods with swivel mounts connected the ram to the top frame with sturdy non-moving bars that hung low to the ground on either side allowing many dwarves to help create momentum and swing the ram.

4-8 large wheels helped propel the ram platform over ground obstacles that would inevitably litter the access roads to the dwarves' destination. Normally only one ram would be deployed in an attack on a structure but multiple could be sent to larger fortresses if more than one entrance presented itself. Several hundred troops escorted each ram to help navigate poor road conditions, protect from ambush attacks and assist with moving the behemoth forward.

Naturally, enemies discovered that the only way to truly defend against this weapon was to keep it safely away from their walls. They began flooding fields with water or littering the area with enough fallen trees or trenches to make the approach impossible. Frequently it also blocked a main avenue of escape so had to be used with caution.

This war relic has not been forgotten but few have been seen used in recent decades so most stories of their devastation are being passed down though generations.