Age of Empires 4 launches tomorrow, October 28, on PC and Game Pass Cloud Gaming. Xbox UK chose to celebrate a day early by erecting a Trebuchet and launching several other things. A few special guests joined the event as well, including former Game of Thrones actor Hafþor Bjornsson.
RELATED: Age of Empires 4 Trailer Gives An Overview Of The French Civilization
Bjornsson is most famous for portraying Sir. Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane in seasons 4 through 8 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. The 6ft 9in Icelander is also a former basketball player and record-holding professional strongman. He won the gold medal at the 2018 world’s strongest man competition. As such, Xbox UK wants to see how their machine stacked up against one of the mightiest men on Earth. Xbox’s Charleyy Hodson asked Bjornsson to throw a basketball as far as his muscles could manage. He was able to propel the ball an impressive 149 feet. The Trebuchet, however, blew him out of the water by hurling the ball an incredible 201 feet.
In addition to its contest with Bjornsson, the Trebuchet launched several more objects voted on by Age of Empires fans on Twitter. These items included a confetti-filled CRT monitor, a large stuffed sheep, an exercise ball, and a dummy in a suit of armor. However, not everything went perfectly, with the sheep flying straight up and landing 23 feet behind the Trebuchet.
Microsoft commissioned Tod’s Workshop to construct this second Trebuchet. The UK-based company specializes in medieval replicas and has a YouTube channel where Tod shows off some of his work. Today’s Age of Empires 4 video also included a brief segment where Tod went over the construction of the Trebuchet itself.
Xbox Game Studios also brought on Narrative Director Noble Smith and Twitch streamer MangoMel to discuss the Trebuchets in Age of Empires 4. Smith gave a quick overview of the Trebuchet’s history and briefly mentioned the existence of civilization-specific siege engine upgrades. The English, for example, can load their Trebuchet with Shattering Projectiles to increase the area of effect damage. He also teased the existence of the Campaign-exclusive Mongolian Huihui Pao, a colossal Trebuchet that dwarfs every other siege engine in Age of Empires 4.
The video concluded with MangoMel’s “top Trebuchet tips” for Age of Empires 4. Her advice included prioritizing wood and gold production in the mid-game and keeping Trebuchets well protected by other units. She also encouraged players to prioritize civilizations and technologies that grant bonuses to siege weapons and use multiple Trebuchets for increased firepower. Hopefully, these tips will come in handy when Age of Empires 4 releases tomorrow morning.
Age of Empires 4 launches October 28 for PC and Xbox Game Pass.
MORE: Everything We Know About Age of Empires 4
