Medieval-style fortifications were largely made obsolete by the arrival of cannons on the 14th century battlefield. Fortifications in the age of black powder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb and disperse the energy of cannon fire.

The primary weapons that rendered traditional castles obsolete were heavy gunpowder siege cannons. Starting in the 15th century, advancements in metallurgy and gunpowder chemistry allowed for the creation of cannons that could fire large iron or stone projectiles with enough velocity to shatter vertical stone walls. Prior to this, castles relied on height and thin walls for defense, but these were easily toppled by the kinetic energy of cannon fire. The Fall of Constantinople in 1453 famously demonstrated that even the most formidable medieval walls could not withstand sustained bombardment. In response, military architecture shifted from the tall, thin walls of the medieval castle to the "Trace Italienne" or star fort. . These fortifications featured low, thick, angled earthwork ramparts designed to deflect cannonballs and provide overlapping fields of fire for the defenders' own artillery, effectively ending the era of the high-walled aristocratic castle.