Conan Exiles Trebuchet Guide: Ready the Cow-tapult

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Emily has thousands of hours clocked in survival games, from ARK: Survival Evolved to 7 Days to Die; she loves the diversity of the genre. Initially skeptical about the theme of Conan Exiles, she quickly became addicted to the game and now recommends it to every survival fanatic she meets. Right now, she's probably in the Tundra on a seemingly endless quest to find a Baby Sabertooth.

Trebuchet Overview

The Trebuchet has 5000 HP
You must be level 25 to make a Trebuchet
You can learn it via the Engineer Knowledge
It weights 50 lbs
The trebuchet has 15 inventory slots
There are three types of ammo for the trebuchet
You must build the trebuchet in stages

What is a Trebuchet?

Trebuchets have littered games and movies for decades, but you may be surprised how many people aren’t familiar with the weapon. The origins of the siege weapon are unknown as some say it was from the Middle Ages and others from Ancient China.

The discrepancy is likely related to semantics. In Conan Exiles, the trebuchet is a classic compound machine you may have seen in movies. It uses a counterweight and lever system to launch projectiles at great distances.

However, the game gives you more control over the trebuchet than any other game I’ve seen. You get to control the angle, counterweight, type of ammo, and rotation of the trebuchet, which is exciting and intimidating.

How to Get a Trebuchet in Conan Exiles

Trebuchet Engieern Conan Exiles — Image by Emily Medlock

Requires:

Apprentice Mason (Knowledge)
Carpenter (Knowledge)

To learn the Trebuchet recipe, you need Engineer knowledge, which you can learn as soon as you’re level 25. You don’t have to go to an NPC or stele to learn the Treubchet; all you need is 3 points and to be level 25.

The Engineer knowledge teaches the following:

Siege Foundation
Trebuchet Base
Trebuchet Frame
Trebuchet Arm
Siege Boulder

How to Build a Trebuchet

Trebuchet Conan Exiles — Image by Emily Medlock

The trebuchet is not built in a traditional Conan Exiles way. To create it, you must follow steps, making each step on the previous step. Thankfully, it all starts on the Carpenter’s Bench.

Step 1: Foundation

30x Shaped Wood
25x Brick
15x Iron Reinforcements

The first step is to go to any Carpenter’s Bench (after you have Engineer) and build the Siege Foundation. You can place the Siege Foundation on the ground, but I prefer to build a foundation for it. I do this so that it is easier to place because the Siege Foundation is enormous and needs a large area of flat ground.

Step 2: Base

500x Wood
150x Stone

The next step is the Trebuchet Base. You also have to build this on the Carpenter’s Bench. Once you build it, you can only place it on the Trebuchet Siege Foundation. You cannot put it on any other type of foundation.

Step 3: Frame

500x Wood
150x Stone

To make the Trebuchet Frame, you must build it on the Trebuchet Base. This will take around 30 minutes, so be prepared to wait or keep yourself busy during this time. Gathering wood and stone for the next step is a good idea if you want something to do.

Step 4: Arm

500x Wood
150x Stone

The Trebuchet Arm is the last step. When you build this on the Trebuchet Frame, the trebuchet is complete and ready to use. But before you launch anything, you must prepare the finished trebuchet.

How to Use a Trebuchet

Conan Exiles Trebuchet Guide — Image by Emily Medlock

Using the trebuchet is no easy task. But of course, you don’t need to understand the mechanics (which I’ll go over soon) to use it. You just need to know how to load and launch this siege weapon.

Step 1: Load It

To load the trebuchet, interact with the arm. Once you do, you will see an option to make ammo. You may only be able to make Siege Boulders for now, which will be fine. Once you make the ammo, place it in the small box at the top where you would typically place a thrall or food.

Step 2: Add Counterweight

Now, interact with the side mechanic to add a counterweight. If you do not add a counterweight, the arm will not pull back and thus will not launch. Something such as a stack of stone will be good for practicing.

Step 3: Fire

The final step is to fire. You don’t need to worry about angling and rotation just yet, as right now, you’re learning how to fire the trebuchet, not about trajectory. The firing lever is on the opposite side of the loading lever. Pull it once you’re ready, and watch it go!

Understanding Trebuchet Mechanics

The Trebuchet mechanics are not straightforward, and the game does not do a good job of explaining them. As in, it doesn’t at all. But that’s one of the fun things about Conan Exiles; you only get a tutorial on what you look up.

That’s why it’s so important for guides like this to be available. Some people love to go in blind, but others are frustrated by the lack of guidance. I find myself in the middle, but I think everyone should be able to do what they want in this sense without judgment.

Loading

Reload Treb Conan Exiles — Image by Emily Medlock

Loading the trebuchet describes crafting and placing ammo into the weapon. It’s super easy because you can interact with any part of the trebuchet to do so, even though the “Reload” wheel is in the back.

But the Reload wheel is what you press when you want to reset the trebuchet so you can add more ammo, counterweights, and everything. You have to click the back wheel, not just anywhere.

Counterweight

Loading Treb Conan Exiles — Image by Emily Medlock

The counterweight is what allows the trebuchet to fire via gravity. By interacting with the trebuchet, you can add anything that weighs anything to the counterweight area. The Load Ratio lets you know how much counterweight you have.

While it may seem backward, the heavier the counterweight, the further the projectile will travel. The maximum counterweight you can have is 100 lbs but don’t always use it all because you may want to control exactly where your projectile will hit.

Angle

The angle of the trebuchet affects how far and how high the Trebuchet fires. You can change the angle with the Firing Angle lever on the side of the trebuchet. The choices are in 5-degree increments from -25 to 80.

The higher the angle, the further the Trebuchet fires. Again, don’t go whole hog because accuracy is vital with the trebuchet. I suggest practicing with the angles and counterweight to find out what works for where you’re trying to hit.

Rotation

The rotation of the trebuchet affects the direction that the Trebuchet fires. This is the most straightforward part of operating a Trebuchet. To change this, head to one of the arms on the side.

Now push it like you’re in the Wheel of Pain. It goes faster with two people, but even with one, it’s a reasonably fast way to rotate the trebuchet. This was a lifesaver when I found it out because I realized placing the trebuchet in the right direction wasn’t necessary.

Trebuchet Ammo

Loading Treb Options Conan Exiles — Image by Emily Medlock

There are only three types of ammo for the trebuchet. Each of them serves a different purpose, so I would avoid going straight for the big guys until you know what you want to do with the trebuchet.

Siege Boulder

150x Stone

The Siege Boulder is an excellent choice because it is so easy to make at 150 stone each. It can take down Tier 1 buildings, kill players, and destroy certain types of benches and stations.

However, it cannot destroy tier 2 or higher structures and has a small AoE. So it’s really not great for general raiding on big bases or defending against it. But it can work in a pinch if you don’t have what you need for other ammo.

Ironstone Siege Boulder

75x Ironstone

Ironstone is a really great option if you live near Iron mines. Otherwise, it is rarely a better choice than the regular Siege Boulder. It is stronger than the Siege Boulder when battling players but doesn’t do much regarding structures.

To unlock this ammo, you must complete the Raider Journey, which is another reason I don’t recommend this ammo. To unlock it, you must follow the following steps:

Build a Trebuchet
Make a Siege Boulder
Launch the Trebuchet
Get an Alchemist Thrall
Make Orbs with the Thrall at the Alchemist’s Bench
Unlock the Explosives Knowledge
Make a Trap
Lure an Enemy Into the Trap

Demon-Fire Barrage

2x Explosive Jars
10x Twine

The Demon-Fire Barrage is an amazing explosive you can use to destroy bases in Conan Exiles. To make it, you need to first make Explosive Jars with Tar, Dragonpowder, and Earthenware Jug.

The Dragonpowder is the only complicated ingredient because you need Demon Blood and a ton of Steelfire. So make sure you prepare the ingredients plenty ahead of time if you want to stock up on this ammo. You need the Explosives Knowledge to learn this ammo recipe.

Trebuchet Alternatives

Whether you’re raiding a base or defending against a base, there are other options that are much quicker and cheaper than building and operating a Trebuchet. I rarely stray from my top three choices.

Thrall Pack

A pack of thralls to defend is one of your best bets after the enemies have broken through a wall. If you’re attacking, you can only bring one or two, so they’re not much help, which is why they are better for defending.

That said, if you have friends, each player having a thrall or two can make a huge difference, especially if those thralls are max level. I suggest making sure you get top-tier Fighter and Archer thralls.

Orbs

Orbs are the number one way to attack a base because all walls take explosive damage. If you use any type of explosive, you will damage the building, no matter what tier the structure.

You can even use grease to make the explosion bigger. Grease orbs are easy to make, which makes the Demon-Fire Orbs go much further. If I could recommend one tool for raiding, it would be orbs.

Explosive Arrows

Explosive Arrows are also a great bet for raiding. You can combine them with Oil Arrows or Grease Orbs to make larger explosions and do more damage to any structure. This adds up fast.

While 100,000 HP seems like a lot, if you rapid-fire orbs with your friends, you can break through reasonably fast. Of course, if you expect to get through in seconds, you probably shouldn’t be raiding because there is no raiding driveby in Conan Exiles.

FAQs

Question: What is the Best Trebuchet Ammo in Conan Exiles?

Answer: Demon-Fire Barrage is by far the best Trebuchet ammo in Conan Exiles. However, it is not easy to make which is why if you’re playing around, Siege Boulders are your best bet.

Question: How Long Does it Take to Build a Trebuchet?

Answer: With standard settings, it takes just over an hour to build the trebuchet in full if you don’t count the time you need to get the materials. So it will take at least two hours from start to finish (even gathering including).

Question: Are There Other Siege Weapons in Conan Exiles?

Answer: No, not yet. There is no catapult or any other siege weapon in Conan Exiles. The trebuchet is the only one, which is why fans sometimes call it a catapult.

Are Trebuchets All That?

Trebuchets serve little to no purpose in PvE. They’re fun to play with (after all, there’s nothing like trying to “yeet” yourself into oblivion), but their purpose is to attack other players or their bases.

Because they take hours to set up, building a Trebuchet is not ideal for attacking bases as you’ll likely receive an early counterattack. But they are a good option for defending your base.