As they climb, they are shot in the skull by archers and fall, hitting their comrades and knocking all to the ground.
The men on the rafts are shot at by archers throughout their trip, and take massive losses. Once they make it, they find the Gondorian infantry waiting for them at the end of the docks.
There are not men on the wall, otherwise they would have been dead already. Remember there are no merlons left, and hundreds of arrows and many onagers are placed on them.
They use shields in transit to great effect. The linepiecers use javelins to soften the gondorians at the docks, and archers do as well. They hook gondorians by the legs using falxes and polearms.
The Gondorians have the advantage of arrow slits/battlements that they can use for cover, meaning that only the onagers can do any real damage to them. The Onagers were moderately depleted by the trebuchets (at least 12 were destroyed in the initial volley), and they can only take out so many men with each shot. They'd have to break through the battlements to hit the men behind them. There are only a few men behind each of the crenels, so only a few men are being smashed.
In addition, you said that the onagers were firing at the gate/walls as well. This means that the full 100 Onagers were not firing at the walls at once. If each shot is taking out 2-3 archers (assuming it hits, and not all shots would), then it would take a sustained barrage of anywhere from 500 to 800 shots to smash all of the archers. With each hit, a crenel is destroyed, but the other men can continue to take cover behind the other crenels, protecting them from arrow fire while allowing them to return fire through arrow slits.
IC: The archers continue to use the walls for cover and fire down on the climbing Haradrim.
The wooden shields of the Haradrim have little to no effect against the Gondorian longbows. Their arrows rip through these petty defenses with ease. The men who reach the dock find that the Gondorians are at the end of the dock, not there to meet them. They must march down the docks first.
The arrows bounce off of the shields of the Outer Guards, but some javelins pierce through the shields. Whether or not they actually hit the man holding the shield, they make the shield useless by sticking a long wooden shaft to its front. The Gondorian Onagers and archers on the eastern wall are moved down the docks as well.
There are not men on the wall, otherwise they would have been dead already. Remember there are no merlons left, and hundreds of arrows and many onagers are placed on them.
They use shields in transit to great effect. The linepiecers use javelins to soften the gondorians at the docks, and archers do as well. They hook gondorians by the legs using falxes and polearms.
The Gondorians have the advantage of arrow slits/battlements that they can use for cover, meaning that only the onagers can do any real damage to them. The Onagers were moderately depleted by the trebuchets (at least 12 were destroyed in the initial volley), and they can only take out so many men with each shot. They'd have to break through the battlements to hit the men behind them. There are only a few men behind each of the crenels, so only a few men are being smashed.
In addition, you said that the onagers were firing at the gate/walls as well. This means that the full 100 Onagers were not firing at the walls at once. If each shot is taking out 2-3 archers (assuming it hits, and not all shots would), then it would take a sustained barrage of anywhere from 500 to 800 shots to smash all of the archers. With each hit, a crenel is destroyed, but the other men can continue to take cover behind the other crenels, protecting them from arrow fire while allowing them to return fire through arrow slits.
IC: The archers continue to use the walls for cover and fire down on the climbing Haradrim.
The wooden shields of the Haradrim have little to no effect against the Gondorian longbows. Their arrows rip through these petty defenses with ease. The men who reach the dock find that the Gondorians are at the end of the dock, not there to meet them. They must march down the docks first.
The arrows bounce off of the shields of the Outer Guards, but some javelins pierce through the shields. Whether or not they actually hit the man holding the shield, they make the shield useless by sticking a long wooden shaft to its front. The Gondorian Onagers and archers on the eastern wall are moved down the docks as well.
The battlements are destroyed. That's what I've been saying. The onagers focused fire on the wall and the merlons on the battlements. There is no cover. That way archers can get at them.
OOC: Are these longbows a special unit? If not, shields could stop them
The Gondorians have the advantage of arrow slits/battlements that they can use for cover, meaning that only the onagers can do any real damage to them. The Onagers were moderately depleted by the trebuchets (at least 12 were destroyed in the initial volley), and they can only take out so many men with each shot. They'd have to break through the battlements to hit the men behind them. There are only a few men behind each of the crenels, so only a few men are being smashed.
In addition, you said that the onagers were firing at the gate/walls as well. This means that the full 100 Onagers were not firing at the walls at once. If each shot is taking out 2-3 archers (assuming it hits, and not all shots would), then it would take a sustained barrage of anywhere from 500 to 800 shots to smash all of the archers. With each hit, a crenel is destroyed, but the other men can continue to take cover behind the other crenels, protecting them from arrow fire while allowing them to return fire through arrow slits.
IC: The archers continue to use the walls for cover and fire down on the climbing Haradrim.
The wooden shields of the Haradrim have little to no effect against the Gondorian longbows. Their arrows rip through these petty defenses with ease. The men who reach the dock find that the Gondorians are at the end of the dock, not there to meet them. They must march down the docks first.
The arrows bounce off of the shields of the Outer Guards, but some javelins pierce through the shields. Whether or not they actually hit the man holding the shield, they make the shield useless by sticking a long wooden shaft to its front. The Gondorian Onagers and archers on the eastern wall are moved down the docks as well.
The battlements are destroyed. That's what I've been saying. The onagers focused fire on the wall and the merlons on the battlements. There is no cover. That way archers can get at them.
OOC: Are these longbows a special unit? If not, shields could stop them
1. I never said that there were merlons to begin with.
2. It would still take 500-800 shots, giving the archers time to shoot many of the Haradrim.
OOC: No. I'm basing their capabilities off of the capabilities of medieval longbows (not English longbows, mind you. Those are for the Ithilien Rangers. ) with a draw weight of 50ish pounds. That's probably enough to break through a wooden shield in a few shots.
Also, I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. School started and cross-country has been taking up most of my after-school time.
The battlements are destroyed. That's what I've been saying. The onagers focused fire on the wall and the merlons on the battlements. There is no cover. That way archers can get at them.
OOC: Are these longbows a special unit? If not, shields could stop them
1. I never said that there were merlons to begin with.
2. It would still take 500-800 shots, giving the archers time to shoot many of the Haradrim.
OOC: No. I'm basing their capabilities off of the capabilities of medieval longbows (not English longbows, mind you. Those are for the Ithilien Rangers. ) with a draw weight of 50ish pounds. That's probably enough to break through a wooden shield in a few shots.
Also, I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. School started and cross-country has been taking up most of my after-school time.
1. Your castle doesn't have merlons? Then they'd die even quicker
2. Not if I was just clearing the battlements above the makeshift ladders
1. I never said that there were merlons to begin with.
2. It would still take 500-800 shots, giving the archers time to shoot many of the Haradrim.
OOC: No. I'm basing their capabilities off of the capabilities of medieval longbows (not English longbows, mind you. Those are for the Ithilien Rangers. ) with a draw weight of 50ish pounds. That's probably enough to break through a wooden shield in a few shots.
Also, I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. School started and cross-country has been taking up most of my after-school time.
1. Your castle doesn't have merlons? Then they'd die even quicker
2. Not if I was just clearing the battlements above the makeshift ladders
OOC: no problem, I will be just as busy
1. Neither did I say that there weren't any. And it's a city, not a castle.
2. Makeshift ladders?
IC: A fleet from Dol Amroth sails down the river and towards the Haradrim near the docks. OOC: OK, good.
The Destroyers sail closer and begin firing their arbalests into the backs of the Haradrim. Many are rapidly cut down by the bolts as Gondorian archers continue their fire.
A few of the larger ships sail back down the river.
) with a draw weight of 50ish pounds. That's probably enough to break through a wooden shield in a few shots.