The strength of a defended city was in its walls, and the weakest point was the entrance. When the Lamanites attacked Noah, they attempted to breach the defenses at the gate (Alma 49:18–19); but naturally, the strongest defenses and largest number of troops would defend this vulnerable point. Rather than facing the Lamanite army at the entrance, therefore, Moroni had his soldiers scale the walls in the dark.
This tactic has an eerie parallel to the Aztec taking of the city of Quetzaltepec between 1454 and 1468 when Moteuczomah Ilhuicamina died. Ross Hassig explains: “When the Aztecs tried to conquer the six-walled fortress of Quetzaltepec, scouts were sent at night to find a way to enter, as was standard practice, but the found none. As a result, the Aztecs constructed wooden ladders, used them to scale the walls, and conquered the fortress.” As already noted, Moroni used tactics that became standard practice in later Mesoamerican warfare. (See commentary accompanying Alma 43:18–20; 58:17–20). While he may have originated these strategies, perhaps they were already known by his time. However, during Moroni’s lifetime, Maya archaeological evidence shows increased intercity warfare and a greater concentration of walled cities. The tactics for attacking walled cities may have just been developing around Moroni’s time. Whether he was their originator or not, he was certainly effective in employing these tactics.