Synopsis

A survey of devices that transform energy into mechanical force, enabling them to overcome fortified positions or fixed defenses impervious to standard assault. These engines stretch from humankind's earliest ranged weapon – the simple slingshot – to the laser cannons and satellite-disabling robots of our modern age. Each is conceived to breach obstacles: castle walls, entrenched armies, even the boundaries of outer space. When faced with formidable challenges, ingenuity turns to siege machines.