siege warfare
Noun
Meaning
siege warfare (uncountable)
Warfare in which the defender is trapped in a position (such as a fort or castle) while the attacker bombards and/or barricades them from outside.
Synonyms
Examples
Belisarius proved more capable at siege warfare than his rival Witiges had been at Rome and the Ostrogoth ruler, who was also dealing with Frankish enemies, was forced to surrender but not without terms.
John built up a strong team of engineers for siege warfare and a substantial force of professional crossbowmen.
It also reintroduced siege warfare, as armies seeking to use railway lines in enemy territory were forced to capture fortresses which blocked these lines.
Over time, the legions effectively handled challenges ranging from cavalry, to guerrillas, and to siege warfare.
Stephen's personal qualities as a military leader focused on his skill in personal combat, his capabilities in siege warfare and a remarkable ability to move military forces quickly over relatively long distances.
The balance was that, while siege warfare was extremely expensive and very slow, it was very successful or, at least, more so than encounters in the field.