Mastering the Siege Tower in Civilization VI: A Comprehensive Guide
The Siege Tower in Civilization VI can be a game-changer, especially during early warfare. It provides a significant combat bonus when attacking cities, effectively acting as a mobile ramp to breach enemy defenses. Understanding how to use it correctly is key to conquering your rivals.
The Siege Tower doesn’t attack directly. Instead, it is a support unit that provides a combat strength bonus to attacking melee units. To effectively use a Siege Tower, you need to:
- Build or Obtain a Siege Tower: It’s available to build once you research the Apprenticeship technology.
- Positioning is Key: This is the most crucial aspect. The Siege Tower must be on the same tile as the melee unit that is attacking the city. It’s not enough to have the Siege Tower adjacent; they must share the same tile.
- Declare War and Attack: With your melee unit and Siege Tower stacked on the same tile adjacent to the city, initiate your attack. The attacking melee unit will receive the bonus combat strength provided by the Siege Tower, making them much more effective against the city walls.
Remember, the Siege Tower is vulnerable on its own, so always protect it with your melee units. It doesn’t have any defensive capabilities and can be easily destroyed by ranged attacks.
Maximizing Your Siege Tower’s Potential
Beyond the basic mechanics, consider these strategies to maximize the Siege Tower’s effectiveness:
- Early Tech Rush: Prioritize researching Apprenticeship early to gain a military edge over civilizations that neglect siege technology.
- Flanking Bonuses: Combine the Siege Tower bonus with flanking bonuses from other units for devastating attacks.
- Target Prioritization: Focus your Siege Tower-boosted attacks on cities with weaker defenses.
- Upgrade Path: Keep your melee units upgraded to maximize the benefit of the Siege Tower’s combat bonus.
- Combined Arms: Use ranged units to soften up the city defenses before launching your melee attack with the Siege Tower.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Siege Towers in Civ 6
Here are 15 common questions about Siege Towers in Civilization VI, answered for clarity:
How does the Siege Tower’s combat bonus work?
The Siege Tower provides a significant combat strength bonus specifically when a melee unit on the same tile attacks a city. This bonus is added to the attacking unit’s combat strength, making them more effective at damaging city defenses.
Can ranged units benefit from a Siege Tower?
No. The combat bonus provided by the Siege Tower only applies to melee units that share the same tile when attacking a city.
Can I move a Siege Tower through enemy territory without declaring war?
Yes, you can move a Siege Tower through enemy territory before declaring war, assuming you have Open Borders or haven’t met the civilization yet. However, once war is declared, moving it through their territory will subject it to attack.
What happens if my Siege Tower is attacked?
Siege Towers have no defensive capabilities. If attacked, they are vulnerable and can be easily destroyed. Always protect them with your melee units.
Can a Siege Tower damage city walls on its own?
No. Siege Towers cannot directly attack. Their sole purpose is to provide a combat bonus to melee units attacking cities from the same tile.
Does the Siege Tower bonus stack with other combat bonuses?
Yes! The Siege Tower bonus stacks with other combat bonuses such as flanking bonuses, promotions, and Great General bonuses. This allows you to create extremely powerful attacking forces. The Games Learning Society explores many strategies like this.
Can I use multiple Siege Towers to boost a single melee unit?
No. Only one Siege Tower can provide a bonus to a single melee unit at a time. Stacking multiple Siege Towers on the same tile as a melee unit will not increase the combat bonus.
What technologies are required to build a Siege Tower?
You need to research the Apprenticeship technology in the Ancient Era to be able to build Siege Towers.
Is there a limit to the number of Siege Towers I can build?
No, there is no specific limit to the number of Siege Towers you can build. However, you are limited by your production capacity and the strategic resources available to you.
Does the Siege Tower bonus apply when defending a city?
No, the Siege Tower bonus only applies when attacking a city. It does not provide any defensive bonus when your cities are under attack.
Can I use a Siege Tower against Encampments?
No, Siege Towers only work against cities. They do not provide any bonus when attacking Encampments or other fortified locations.
Can I airlift a Siege Tower?
No, Siege Towers cannot be airlifted by other units. They must move across the map using their own movement points.
What are the best civilizations for using Siege Towers effectively?
Civilizations with early combat bonuses or unique melee units, such as the Aztecs, Scythia, or Sumeria, can benefit greatly from using Siege Towers. Furthermore, you can check out the GamesLearningSociety.org for any discussion.
How do I counter enemy Siege Towers?
The best way to counter enemy Siege Towers is to target them with ranged units before they can reach your cities. Also, focus on destroying the melee units protecting them.
Are Siege Towers worth building in the late game?
In the late game, more advanced siege units like Bombards and Artillery become more effective. Siege Towers can still be useful for supporting early attacks, but their effectiveness diminishes as technology advances.