Catapult

Orcish catapults[]

This section concerns content related to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.

Main article: Catapult (WC1 Orc)

Destruction and mayhem were its purpose, and those who were its target would reap only death. Chaos reigned supreme as the ground shook with the approach of these gruesome machines. Walls and buildings proved no barrier to the devastation of the orcish catapult. Although they were sluggish and huge, the orc forces would prove unstoppable when commanding these devices.^[1]

This section concerns content related to Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness or its expansion Beyond the Dark Portal.

Main article: Catapult (Warcraft II)

Sharpened horns, crimson with blood of those unfortunate enough to be caught in their path, heralded the advance of the orcish Catapult. Approaching on the battlefield, its grim visage was enough to make the weak human troops flee in stark terror. These cumbersome, wheeled machines launched deadly incendiary shot which exploded upon impact. The sheer destructive force of these great engines of war made them feared and respected throughout the land.^[2]

This section concerns content related to Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos or its expansion The Frozen Throne.

Main article: Catapult (Warcraft III)

The orcish catapult has always been a standing asset to the Horde. Capable of hurling fiery projectiles over great distances, the catapults have been the doom of many Alliance regiments.^[3] Catapults served as the Horde's greatest siege weapon until the advent of the demolisher.

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

Many destroyed orc catapults from the First War and the Second War can be seen all over Azeroth and Outland, one of them even being exhibited in the Ironforge museum. The Rageroar clan still makes use of the war machines.^[4] Catapults were also used at the Forsaken Front in Silverpine Forest.

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Under lady Sylvanas Windrunner leadership, orcish technology advanced to an extreme in which their newly built catapults became weapons of mass destruction. As seen during the beginning of the Fourth War, a few dozen of them were able to fire from hundreds of miles away in the coast of Darkshore, and burn down Teldrassil, a World Tree the size of an island, in mere hours.

Orc catapult from the First War.
Orc catapult from the Second War.
WCII Orc catapult unit.
Human using an orc catapult to shoot down a zeppelin
Orc catapult from the Warcraft II cinematics.
WCIII Orc catapult unit.
Orc catapult from the Warcraft III cinematics.
Orc catapult in World of Warcraft.
Orc catapult in World of Warcraft.
Post-Northrend orc catapult in World of Warcraft.
Destroyed orc catapult in World of Warcraft.
Catapult prop.
Alterac Pass catapult prop.

Forsaken catapults[]

Main article: Forsaken catapult

Catapults are used both as blight-spreaders and siege weapons by the Forsaken.

Forsaken catapult.

Human catapults[]

This section concerns content related to Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.

Main article: Catapult (WC1 Human)

The catapult brought fiery death to all who stood in its way. Capable of destroying any target in its range, the projectile from a catapult could smash the toughest of defenses, or through the sides of buildings. This behemoth was large, slow, and difficult to maneuver, but the power that it held made it an essential part of Human forces during the First War.^[5]

After the First War, humans favored the ballista instead which was a joint collaboration of the Alliance forces.

Human catapult from the First War.
WCI catapult unit.

Dwarven catapults[]

Despite the many technological advances of the dwarves, like the siege tanks, some catapults are still used by the Wildhammer clan and the Earthen.

Wildhammer clan catapult.
Earthen catapult.

Mantid catapults[]

Types[]

This section concerns content related to the original World of Warcraft.

In the RPG[]

This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Catapults and trebuchets use a lever arm to hurl a projectile in an arcing ballistic trajectory toward their target, yet that simple mechanism is employed in many different manners on the battlefield.^[6]

Spring catapults[]

A spring catapult lacks the axle used by many similar weapons and instead uses a windlass and pulley system to draw back its flexible lever arm. Once a projectile is mounted in the sling at the end of the arm, the arm is released to hurl the projectile at the target. Spring catapults are easy to construct and are often built from scratch by tinkers and engineers on the battlefield.^[6]

Torsion catapults[]

The lever arm of a torsion catapult is mounted in an axle made of a twisted skein of leather or sinew. Once winched back into place, the basket on the end of the lever arm is loaded with a projectile that can be fired downrange.^[6]

Siege catapults[]

A larger version of the torsion catapult, the siege catapult is made to hurl large payloads far behind the enemy's front lines.^[6]

Toy catapults[]

Originally intended as a mass-produced siege weapon that could be carried in a soldier’s backpack, these catapults can be reduced to the size of a child’s toy upon command. Unfortunately, they proved too fragile and expensive to truly catch on. One orcish army drained its entire treasury to create a kind of “catapult cavalry” unit equipped with these tiny weapons, only to lose the whole unit (and their weapons) in a single ambush. Unaware of their true powers, the victorious opponents took the “toys” home to their children. No one is sure how many of these items are now scattered around the world, gathering dust on a child’s bedroom shelf. This is a shrinking spike stone siege catapult that effectively has the shrinking property twice. The siege weapon can be made to shrink to approximately a foot in size, enabling it to be easily packed away with its commander’s gear.^[7]