Raise the Ladder The Assault Ballista can attempt to raise a ladder to the enemy battlements in the Shoot phase. To do this, the controlling player must first nominate a point on the battlements within range and which at least one crew member and the machine have Line of Sight to. Roll To Hit as usual - if a hit is scored, the grapple has struck home; if the machine misses, there is no further effect. When the grappling hook hits, a single siege ladder within 6" of the wall base below the target point is moved forwards to the wall and raised immediately. All ladder carriers drop their ladder as it is raised. Any one of the carriers can grab the top of the ladder and ride it to the top as it ascends. This model is then placed as if they had climbed to the top of the ladder that turn - which means that they count as charging into combat against a defender at the top of the tower if there is one. Furthermore, the defender will receive no benefit from defending an obstacle in the turn that a ladder is raised in this way.
Piercing Shot If a shot from this siege engine hits a Battlefield target, then they will sufffer one Strength 9 hit. Additionally, if the target has a Strength of 5 or lower, they will be knocked Prone and flung D6" directly away from this model. Any model the target passes over will also be knocked Prone and suffer one Strength 6 hit. If the target comes into contact with a piece of impassable terrain, or a model that is Strength 6 or higher, then it will immediately stop and be knocked Prone. Both the target and the Obstacle or model (if it has a Defence value) will suffer one Strength 6 hit.
