TEOTWAWKI hit seven very long months ago. Food shipments ceased, zombies rose from the ground, and . . . you know how the rest goes. You and your local community came together to repel the invading hordes. All was safe, all was good, well, as good as “good” could get under such circumstances. Then you and your buddy are sucking down some homebrew, stumbling out of the pub, when your buddy looks up, pauses, and screams “INCOMING!”
Got trebuchet?
What the heck is a “trebuchet” you ask? Read (source):
medieval siege engine, a weapon employed either to smash masonry walls or to throw projectiles over them. It is sometimes called a “counterweight trebuchet” in order to distinguish it from an earlier weapon that has come to be called the “traction trebuchet.” All trebuchets were made from wood.
The counterweight trebuchet appeared in both Christian and Muslim lands around the Mediterranean in the twelfth century. It could fling three hundred pound (140 kg) projectiles at high speeds into enemy fortifications, at times including corpses infected with various diseases including the black plague, in an attempt to infect the people under siege, as a medieval variant of biological warfare. Trebuchets were far more accurate than other forms of medieval catapults.
That thing just looks wrong! It’s unlikely that zombies could accomplish such a complex task such as building a trebuchet, but you never know. If they did they’d likely fling each other over the city walls, all infected and crap. Blech - zombies!
These trebuchets were real bad news way back in the day. So much so that castles would often circle the ground with a wall far enough away so the trebuchet couldn’t reach. But YOU, and your homies, you can handle it. Hell, build one now and be the envy of all your neighbors.
“Look Nancy.”
“What’s he doing?”
“He’s building a trebuchet.”
“A what?”
“A trebuchet. Our neighbors are so cool.”
- Ranger Man
BTW: This place offers plans for sale: www.trebuchetplans.com
Also, what the heck is up with this game? www.rctankcombat.com Radio Controlled “tank combat” - lol
10 responses so far ↓
1 SurvivalTopics.com // Apr 9, 2008 at 7:03 am
When the FBI and IRS raid your home to save your children from home schooling this sort of artillery could come in handy.
2 ryan // Apr 9, 2008 at 7:45 am
It could throw rocks which is good but I think there are better uses for flamable liquids.
3 vlad // Apr 9, 2008 at 11:11 am
Incoming fire cures claustrophobia.
4 Dave Fargone // Apr 9, 2008 at 4:28 pm
During the mid-90’s there was a trebuchet group out West. They would toss big old Buiks around. They didn’t have a web site at the time. They were called the something Society. Has anybody heard of them or know of their where abouts ?
5 johnzilla // Apr 9, 2008 at 4:55 pm
They use trebuchets all the time in the annual Punkin Chunkin contest. Check ‘em out:
http://www.punkinchunkin.com
6 3rd man // Apr 9, 2008 at 8:34 pm
The weired thing is my neighbor just built one that is about 6 foot tall. I think it was a boy scout project. Just weired!
7 Anonymous // Apr 10, 2008 at 3:58 am
3rd man - why is that weired? I think that is an excellent project to build with a kid. Get a life and don’t be so worried about what other people think - or do.
8 Guy // Apr 12, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Trebuchets are virtually useless unless you intend to seige a fortress or some fixed target. If your intention is to defend a homestead or community you would want something mobile that you can rapidly deploy. Its very likely that a attack would come from a mobile force (whether they are on foot, horseback,bike, or even motorized vehicles). By the time you’ve manged to position, load and target your trebuchet, the advancing force would almost certianly moved or worse over run your position. trebuchets also have incrediable slow firing rates.
I think a more practicle investment would be a armed vehicle fueled with alchol or woodgas that can be deployed quickly and can engage a target while on the move. The vehicle could be equiped with small arms or even light weight cannon fire.
Even crude artillery or mortar fire would be more effective than using trebuchets.
9 Angry Mike // Jul 26, 2008 at 12:32 am
Just keep the 12 guage ready with slugs. They’ll stop even if they dont want to.
10 AleMaker // Aug 3, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Now THAT is sexy.
…but what happens if you have to move it?
Doh.
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