Storming was nearly always a losing proposition. Storming a city was rather easier than storming a castle, but both were difficult. Easier and more common was to starve them out or negotiate or otherwise persuade the defenders to give up.
But storming did happen. The best descriptions I've read come from the Crusades, most especially from Villehardouin for the Fourth, Joinville for the Seventh, and a variety of sources for the First. Ladders were used, and it was bloody. Also key were towers, used mainly to sweep the walls, but if you could get close enough you could run a board out and get onto the walls that way. I almost said use a ramp to the ramparts, but you'll notice that I did not. <grin>
By far the best tactic was mining. Basically open up a new door. Worked well at Ascalon. Also at Helm's Deep.
But storming did happen. The best descriptions I've read come from the Crusades, most especially from Villehardouin for the Fourth, Joinville for the Seventh, and a variety of sources for the First. Ladders were used, and it was bloody. Also key were towers, used mainly to sweep the walls, but if you could get close enough you could run a board out and get onto the walls that way. I almost said use a ramp to the ramparts, but you'll notice that I did not. <grin>
By far the best tactic was mining. Basically open up a new door. Worked well at Ascalon. Also at Helm's Deep.