Microsoft’s highly-awaited Age of Empires 4 will launch today at 8.30PM IST and can be purchased for PC on Steam, Windows Store and Xbox Game Pass. As a part of the game’s promotion, the Age of Empires team invited Game of Thrones actor Icelandic professional strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who plays The Mountain (Ser Gregor Clegane) in the show, to compete against an actual 18-feet-tall trebuchet, with the launching arm weighing 500kg and a range of 200 feet. Ser Gregor is 6 feet 9 inches tall himself.
The trebuchet is one of the medieval siege weapons to make its foray into the game franchise for the first time.
The location for the event was Berkeley Castle, UK, and was hosted by Charleyy Hodson from the Xbox On team. First, there was a voting round prior to the main event in which fans were asked on Twitter what items they would like to see launched from the trebuchet. During the live event, Björnsson was asked to compete with the trebuchet to see whose throw covered the most distance. The objects chosen and then thrown in this ‘competition’ were a basketball, a CRT monitor, a stuffed sheep, an exercise ball, and a full-sized armoured human dummy. Here’s how it went.
The trebuchet is one of the medieval siege weapons to make its foray into the game franchise for the first time.
The location for the event was Berkeley Castle, UK, and was hosted by Charleyy Hodson from the Xbox On team. First, there was a voting round prior to the main event in which fans were asked on Twitter what items they would like to see launched from the trebuchet. During the live event, Björnsson was asked to compete with the trebuchet to see whose throw covered the most distance. The objects chosen and then thrown in this ‘competition’ were a basketball, a CRT monitor, a stuffed sheep, an exercise ball, and a full-sized armoured human dummy. Here’s how it went.
The Age of Empires IV trebuchet created for the video is courtesy of the efforts of Tod’s Workshop, creator of historical reproduction weapons and artifacts.
You can build your own trebuchets in the game but make sure they are protected. The enemy trebuchets in the game can also be converted to your side by a priest. Talk about the power of faith!
