The Helepolis was a massive siege tower designed by Polyidus of Thessaly in the 300s BC. The siege tower was 130 feet wide and 60 feet tall, clad in iron plates, with an armament of several catapults, most firing 30 kg projectiles, though there was one four 60 kg catapults and two 180 kg catapults on the lower floors. The tower also had four light ballistae on top. The tower was powered by 200 men operating a crank and over 3000 men pushing from behind. The vehicle was capable of forward, reverse, and sideways movement, but could not "steer". The Helepolis met its downfall when it got stuck in a patch of mud at the Siege of Rhodes in 305 BC. The Rhodians won the siege and sold the iron plates and catapults in the Helepolis off after the battle and used the profits the construct the Colossus of Rhodes, a bronze statue that was later listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Battle vs. Da Vinci's Tank (by SPARTAN 119)[]
The Helepolis rolled towards a castle gate, firing its catapults and ballistae as it went. Out from the castle gate rolled out Da Vinci's "Tank". The tank slowly moved towards the Helepolis as a number of large rocks landed around it, one of them missing only by inches.
The "Da Vinci Tank" returned fire with its front cannons, but the balls bounced off the steel plates of the front of the Helepolis. As the two siege engines got closer to each other, two of the ballistae on top of the Helepolis fired. The bolts pierced the armor of the "tank", one of them killing a man inside the "tank", but the war machine kept moving.
A soldier in the upper observation turret fired a matchlock musket out of one of the view ports, hitting an ballista operator on the top of the Helepolis, killing him. The "tank" kept moving forwards, firing it battery of cannon into the side of the Helepolis's wheels. It took a few hits, but soon, the wheels on one side were blown apart or dislodged as the axles were destroyed. The supports on one side being blown out from under it, the Helepolis fell to one side like a felled tree, breaking apart with a thunderous crashing sound as it hit the ground.
WINNER: Da Vinci's "Tank"
Expert's Opinion[]
Da Vinci's Tank won due to greater overall firepower and mobility. Its weapons were marginally more accurate than those of the Helepolis which were only good at engaging stationary targets.