[Fallout 5] Catapults, Variants, and Wasteland Siege Weapons

Catapults should not be treated as oversized novelty weapons. In Fallout 5, they could become an entire class of improvised artillery used by settlements, raiders, Super Mutants, military remnants, traveling merchants, and eccentric inventors.

Their greatest strength would be versatility. A single catapult could launch explosives, scrap, chemicals, creatures, supplies, traps, propaganda, or even the player.

1. Basic Scrap Catapult

The most common wasteland model, assembled from:

Car suspension springs
Telephone poles
Shopping-cart baskets
Steel cable
Truck axles
Railroad ties
Counterweights made from engines or concrete

It would be inaccurate but inexpensive to build and repair.

Variants

Short-Arm Scrapper

Fast reload
Limited range
Best for defending narrow streets
Launches bricks, scrap, and small explosives

Long-Arm Lobber

Greater range
Slower rotation and reload
Used against distant camps and settlement walls

Reinforced Siege Scrapper

Built with military-grade steel
Handles heavier ammunition
Requires several settlers or an automated winch

Portable Scrapapult

Mounted on wheels or a trailer
Can be moved between settlement defenses
Must be anchored before firing

2. Raider Skull-Slinger

A brutal Raider-built catapult decorated with skulls, chains, road signs, and burning tires.

Its ammunition is intended to terrorize as much as destroy.

Raider ammunition

Flaming corpses
Severed heads
Captured creatures
Bags of blood and radioactive waste
Dynamite bundles
Scrap-filled barrels
Screaming prisoners
Raider propaganda
Cages filled with insects

Enemy settlements could suffer morale penalties after witnessing certain ammunition land inside their walls.

Special variant: The Screamer

Launches a caged captive fitted with:

Noise-makers
Grenades
A radio beacon
Psycho injectors

The captive’s screams attract nearby creatures before the explosives detonate.

3. Super Mutant Meatapult

A massive, crude machine designed around Super Mutant strength.

Human settlers may need a powered winch to operate it, while Super Mutants can pull the firing arm into position manually.

Characteristics

Extremely heavy ammunition
Poor accuracy
Massive structural damage
Can launch objects ordinary catapults cannot lift

Ammunition

Brahmin carcasses
Large boulders
Entire dumpsters
Wrecked motorcycles
Deadly mutant hounds
Mini-nuke barrels
Captured humans
Bags of radioactive meat

Behemoth-Assisted Variant

A Super Mutant Behemoth acts as the loading and tensioning mechanism.

The Behemoth may:

Pull the arm down
Throw ammunition into the sling
Steady the machine
Become enraged if the catapult is damaged

4. Counterweight Trebuchet

The longest-range conventional catapult.

Built by organized settlements, medieval-themed factions, or groups trying to preserve prewar engineering knowledge.

Advantages

Excellent range
High payload capacity
Predictable firing arcs
Effective against walls and towers

Disadvantages

Huge structure
Slow reload
Difficult to relocate
Requires a large crew
Highly visible

Counterweight options

Different counterweights could alter performance:

Concrete blocks: stable and reliable
Engine blocks: heavy but difficult to balance
Water tanks: adjustable launch power
Lead shielding: extremely heavy
Captured Power Armor: rare and valuable
Elevator weights: high-quality prewar components

5. Spring-Loaded Junkapult

A more compact machine powered by vehicle suspension systems, garage-door springs, or industrial coils.

Characteristics

Faster firing cycle
Violent recoil
Moderate range
Higher chance of mechanical failure

Repeated use without maintenance could cause:

Broken cables
Snapped arms
Flying springs
Accidental premature launches
Crew injuries

Mods

Double-coil tension system
Reinforced release catch
Hydraulic reset
Remote trigger
Automatic ammunition feeder

6. Pneumatic Catapult

A high-tech model using compressed air or gas.

It resembles a hybrid of a mortar, pitching machine, and industrial launcher.

Power sources

Air compressor
Steam pressure
Gas canisters
Modified Mr. Handy propulsion systems
Power Armor hydraulic pumps

Advantages

Quiet compared with explosive artillery
Adjustable pressure
Faster reload
Good accuracy

Risks

Pressure-tank rupture
Ammunition jamming
Leaking flammable gas
Catastrophic overpressure

Specialized variant: Whisper Lobber

Used by stealth-oriented factions.

It launches:

Silenced sensor beacons
Smoke canisters
Recon cameras
Hallucinogenic gas
EMP devices

7. Magnetic Rail Catapult

A rare Brotherhood, Enclave, Institute, or advanced scavenger weapon.

Rather than using a traditional throwing arm, it magnetically accelerates metal cargo along a curved launch track.

Ammunition restrictions

Only magnetic ammunition can be launched unless it is placed inside a steel carrier.

Ammunition

Steel spikes
Engine blocks
Saw blades
Scrap clusters
Power Armor plates
Electromagnetic mines
Robot parts
Metal capsules containing explosives

Gameplay identity

High accuracy
Fast projectile speed
Expensive energy cost
Strong against robots and armor
Vulnerable to EMP attacks

8. Nuclear Catapult

One of the most dangerous siege weapons in the wasteland.

It does not necessarily launch intact mini-nukes. Instead, it may fire improvised nuclear payloads made from radioactive material.

Payloads

Mini-Nuke Bundle

Several mini-nukes tied together. Devastating but highly unstable.

Dirty Bomb Barrel

Spreads severe radiation without producing a full nuclear explosion.

Glowing One Capsule

Launches a trapped Glowing One into enemy territory.

Reactor-Core Shell

Creates a prolonged radioactive hazard zone.

Irradiated Scrap Cloud

Bursts above the target and showers the area with radioactive fragments.

Failure consequences

A malfunction could irradiate:

The crew
The settlement
Nearby crops
Water sources
The player

9. Chemical Catapult

Designed to spread hazardous substances rather than destroy structures.

Chemical payloads

Acid barrels
Toxic sludge
Hallucinogenic gas
Nerve agents
Fuel-air mixtures
Adhesive foam
Fertilizer explosives
Mutagenic FEV compounds
Radroach pheromones

Environmental effects

A chemical impact could:

Contaminate water
Kill crops
Force enemies from cover
Cause temporary blindness
Attract creatures
Alter wildlife
Create restricted zones

10. Creature Catapult

A horrifying device that launches living creatures into enemy positions.

Some creatures may be drugged or enclosed in breakable cages.

Launchable creatures

Molerats
Radroaches
Bloatflies
Bloodbugs
Mutant hounds
Feral ghouls
Mirelurk hatchlings
Stingwings
Cave crickets
Robobrains with damaged mobility units

Cage ammunition

The cage opens or breaks upon impact.

Different cage designs could determine whether the creature:

Survives the landing
Immediately attacks
Remains stunned
Releases poison or radiation
Carries explosives

Legendary variant: The Queenmaker

Launches Mirelurk eggs and pheromone canisters into enemy territory, potentially drawing a Mirelurk Queen to the location later.

11. Ghoul Flinger

A catapult built by ghouls who understand radiation better than most factions.

It may launch willing ferals or restrained Glowing Ones.

Payloads

Feral ghoul shock troops
Glowing One containment pods
Radioactive dust
Irradiated bones
Ghoul-attracting sirens
Radiation-emitting scrap

A ghoul faction might be immune to much of the resulting contamination, allowing them to occupy the area afterward.

12. Supply Catapult

Not every catapult needs to be offensive.

Settlements could use catapults to send supplies across:

Rivers
Ravines
Walls
Minefields
Hostile territory
Collapsed city blocks

Supply payloads

Medicine
Ammunition
Food
Water
Repair kits
Radio beacons
Rope lines
Construction materials
Emergency Power Armor batteries

Precision upgrade

A parachute deployment system allows cargo to descend safely.

Poor-quality parachutes may:

Open late
Drift off course
Tear apart
Drop supplies onto enemies
Get caught in trees or structures

13. Rescue Catapult

A questionable emergency transportation device.

The player or NPCs can be launched over hazards when normal routes are unavailable.

Safety equipment

Reinforced launch chair
Harness
Shock-absorbing suit
Parachute
Jet-assisted landing pack
Inflatable crash bag
Power Armor landing protocol

Possible outcomes

Successful landing
Broken limbs
Lost equipment
Landing in an enemy camp
Crashing through a roof
Parachute caught on a radio tower
Companion refusing to participate

Certain companions would react differently. A daredevil might enjoy it, while a cautious companion may lose affinity.

14. Robot Deployment Catapult

Launches robots into combat zones.

Launchable units

Eyebots
Protectrons
Assaultrons in reinforced capsules
Sentry Bot components that assemble after landing
Explosive Mr. Handys
Repair drones
Recon bots

Drop-pod variant

The robot is loaded into a protective shell that opens on impact.

Upgrades could include:

Landing thrusters
Impact cushioning
Stealth coating
Self-destruct charges
Automated target acquisition

15. Cluster Catapult

Launches a large container that separates in the air.

Cluster payloads

Grenades
Mines
Molotov cocktails
Caltrops
Miniature robots
Radroach eggs
Smoke canisters
Flashbangs
Propaganda leaflets

Spread settings

The player can choose:

Tight concentration
Wide-area dispersion
Delayed separation
Airburst
Impact burst
Random scatter

Wind and elevation would affect the final spread.

16. Bouncer Catapult

Launches reinforced spherical ammunition designed to bounce through streets, tunnels, or interior compounds.

Bouncer ammunition

Explosive steel balls
Electrified spheres
Bladed scrap bundles
Cryogenic canisters
Proximity mines
Noise-makers
Gas-emitting balls

A bouncing projectile could:

Ricochet around corners
Roll downhill
Smash through weak doors
Trigger repeatedly
Become lodged inside structures

Bowling Ball Variant

A callback to improvised wasteland weapons, using modified bowling balls fitted with:

Spikes
Explosives
Tracking beacons
Saw blades
Incendiary gel

17. Incendiary Catapult

Specialized for setting targets and terrain on fire.

Ammunition

Burning oil barrels
Molotov clusters
Napalm tanks
Flaming tires
Thermite containers
Phosphorus-like compounds
Gasoline-soaked furniture
Incendiary scrap clouds

Fire should spread differently depending on:

Weather
Surface material
Vegetation
Fuel availability
Wind direction
Building condition

Rain could weaken some incendiaries, while high winds might spread the fire beyond the intended target.

18. Cryogenic Catapult

Constructed from Vault-Tec cryogenic technology or salvaged laboratory equipment.

Payload effects

Freeze groups of enemies
Make structures brittle
Extinguish fire
Freeze water temporarily
Slow mechanical devices
Create slippery ground

Ammunition

Cryo barrels
Frozen creature blocks
Liquid nitrogen canisters
Cryogenic mines
Ice-and-scrap fragmentation shells

A frozen Super Mutant launched into another group could become both ammunition and environmental storytelling.

19. Electrical Storm Catapult

Launches devices that create localized electrical hazards.

Payloads

Tesla coils
Charged capacitors
EMP bombs
Electrified cable nets
Robot-disabling charges
Lightning attractors

Weather interaction

During thunderstorms, a launched lightning rod could dramatically increase the chance of a strike.

The player could deliberately electrify:

Flooded streets
Metal structures
Fences
Power Armor units
Robot clusters

20. Net and Restraint Catapult

Used by slavers, bounty hunters, wildlife researchers, and nonlethal settlement guards.

Payloads

Weighted nets
Electrified nets
Adhesive webs
Chain nets
Barbed restraints
Capture cages
Foam grenades

This would provide a rare nonlethal artillery option.

Captured enemies could be:

Interrogated
Recruited
Ransomed
Imprisoned
Turned over for bounties

21. Wall-Breacher Catapult

Designed specifically to damage fortifications.

Breaching ammunition

Concrete-breaking stones
Shaped explosive barrels
Drilling spikes
Thermite charges
Heavy engine blocks
Fragmenting steel beams
Delayed explosives

A skilled crew could target:

Gates
Guard towers
Power generators
Water tanks
Ammunition stores
Defensive turrets

Settlement walls should suffer localized damage rather than losing a universal health bar.

22. Underground Tunnel Catapult

A low-arc catapult designed for subway tunnels, caves, and sewer systems.

Features

Compact frame
Shallow firing trajectory
Wall-bouncing ammunition
Reduced range
Shielded operator position

Payloads

Gas canisters
Flash explosives
Rolling mines
Feral ghoul cages
Smoke bombs
Sonic devices

This model would be ideal for flushing enemies from underground positions.

23. Naval or River Catapult

Mounted on barges, ferries, and improvised wasteland boats.

Naval ammunition

Depth charges
Harpoon bundles
Mines
Oil barrels
Boarding hooks
Floating explosives
Creature bait
Irradiated chum

The platform would sway, making accuracy dependent on:

Water movement
Weather
Crew skill
Vessel condition
Stabilizer upgrades

24. Vehicle-Mounted Catapult

Mounted on trucks, armored buses, train cars, or tracked construction equipment.

Variants

Truckapult

A mobile Raider artillery platform with limited ammunition storage.

Train Trebuchet

Mounted on a locomotive or flatbed car and used to attack settlements along rail lines.

Tank-Hull Lobber

Built onto the remains of a prewar tank.

Brahmin-Towed Catapult

Slow but accessible to caravans and low-tech factions.

Firing without deploying stabilizers could tip or overturn the vehicle.

25. Hidden Trap Catapult

A concealed catapult activated by:

Tripwire
Pressure plate
Laser trigger
Remote signal
Proximity sensor
Motion detector

Trap uses

Launch the victim into the air
Throw explosives toward intruders
Drop debris behind enemies
Launch a net
Send a warning flare
Throw the victim into a creature pen

A trap could also fling the player into another trap, creating elaborate Raider kill courses.

Modular Catapult Construction

Instead of every catapult being a fixed object, the player should build one through interchangeable components.

Frame

Wood
Scrap metal
Reinforced steel
Military composite
Concrete foundation
Mobile trailer frame

Power mechanism

Twisted rope
Springs
Counterweight
Hydraulic system
Pneumatic pressure
Electromagnetic acceleration
Super Mutant labor

Launch container

Sling
Bucket
Cage
Rail cradle
Magnetic carrier
Reinforced chair
Cargo capsule

Trigger

Manual lever
Foot pedal
Remote detonator
Terminal control
Laser tripwire
Timed release
Automated targeting system

Targeting

Painted angle markings
Mechanical sight
Spotter binoculars
Laser rangefinder
Pip-Boy targeting link
Recon drone
Artillery computer

Catapult Ammunition Categories

Destructive

Rocks
Scrap
Cars
Explosives
Mini-nukes
Engine blocks
Breaching charges

Area denial

Fire
Radiation
Acid
Gas
Mines
Caltrops
Cryogenic chemicals

Biological

Creatures
Corpses
Disease carriers
Eggs
Pheromones
FEV samples

Tactical

Smoke
Flash devices
EMP charges
Recon beacons
Noise-makers
Sensor pods

Psychological

Heads
Corpses
Propaganda
Sirens
Threat messages
Fake nuclear devices

Support

Food
Medicine
Ammunition
Robots
Reinforcements
Rescue lines
Repair materials

Crew and Skill System

A catapult should operate differently depending on the crew.

Crew roles

Commander
Spotter
Loader
Tension operator
Ammunition handler
Repair technician
Radio operator

Crew attributes

Strength
Perception
Intelligence
Agility
Explosives skill
Engineering knowledge
Discipline
Morale

An inexperienced crew might:

Load the wrong ammunition
Misjudge distance
Fire too early
Break the mechanism
Strike friendly units
Drop the payload
Accidentally launch a crew member

A veteran crew could fire faster, adjust for wind, and coordinate several catapults at once.

Manual Aiming

The player should be able to control:

Horizontal direction
Arm tension
Counterweight mass
Launch angle
Fuse length
Airburst timing
Payload spread
Intended impact zone

The trajectory should be projected only when the player has appropriate equipment or perks. Without assistance, players would estimate range through observation and practice.

Weather and Environmental Physics

Catapult accuracy should react to:

Wind direction
Wind speed
Rain
Snow
Dust storms
Elevation
Humidity
Payload shape
Payload weight

A barrel may drift differently from a boulder. A caged creature may struggle during flight and slightly alter its trajectory.

Settlement Defense System

Catapults could be placed on:

Walls
Rooftops
Hills
Guard towers
Elevated highways
Bridges
Barges
Railroad platforms

Settlers could automatically respond to attacks, but the player could establish firing rules:

Fire only outside settlement walls
Avoid explosive ammunition near civilians
Prioritize large creatures
Target vehicles
Fire warning shots
Hold fire until ordered
Use nonlethal ammunition
Preserve rare ammunition

Enemy Countermeasures

Enemies should not simply stand inside the impact zone.

They could:

Scatter when they hear a launch
Seek overhead cover
Destroy spotters
Rush the artillery position
Shoot incoming payloads
Deploy interception drones
Use shields or roofs
Send infiltrators to sabotage the machine
Return fire with their own artillery

Some fast companions or high-Perception characters might shout a warning before impact.

Damage and Malfunction System

Catapults should suffer component-based damage.

Damageable components

Throwing arm
Sling
Winch
Counterweight
Rotation base
Wheels
Targeting equipment
Pressure tanks
Power supply

Possible malfunctions

Short launch
Wild overlaunch
Broken sling
Jammed release
Premature detonation
Counterweight collapse
Machine overturn
Ammunition falls backward
Operator launched accidentally

A poorly maintained nuclear catapult could be more dangerous to its owner than the enemy.

Legendary Catapults

The Last Resort

A settlement catapult designed to launch its residents over the walls during an invasion.

Old Faithful

An ancient wooden trebuchet that appears primitive but is extraordinarily accurate.

The Mutant Express

A Super Mutant machine that launches mutant hounds wearing explosive collars.

Judgment Day

A Brotherhood magnetic catapult that fires Power Armor-sized steel penetrators.

The Mailman

A delivery catapult used by a dangerous wasteland courier service.

The Landlord

Launches eviction notices followed by high explosives.

Free Admission

Throws Raiders directly into enemy settlements.

Heaven’s Door

Launches the player to normally inaccessible rooftops and mountain ledges.

The Garbage Disposal

A settlement utility device that launches trash far beyond the walls—occasionally creating new problems elsewhere.

Return to Sender

Captures incoming grenades or small explosives and mechanically throws them back toward attackers.

Why Catapults Would Fit Fallout

Catapults embody the central technological contrast of Fallout: primitive engineering combined with dangerous prewar science.

One faction may use rope, wood, and rocks. Another may build a computerized magnetic launcher that throws radioactive robots. A third may use the same technology to deliver medicine instead of weapons.

That variety would make catapults more than stationary artillery. They could become:

Settlement infrastructure
Siege weapons
Transportation devices
Creature-delivery systems
Environmental traps
Faction signatures
Puzzle-solving tools
Sources of dark wasteland humor

The ideal Fallout 5 system would let almost anything that physically fits into the launch cradle become ammunition. The question would not be whether the player can launch it—but what happens when it lands.