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Mortar

Brief History

The mortar is an artillery piece used to shoot shells, normally explosive or incinidary into an enemy's position.. It has a shorter barrel with a hard angle, used for shots into the unknown or above trees, cliffs or other obstacles. It generally shoots at encampments or city walls during a siege, but can be shot at other thing.

Mortar In-Game

The mortar is an artillery unit used for taking down enemy buildings. It has the best land unit range and bombard attack, but can only be used against buildings and ships. It can be trained from all European artillery foundries. It is inaccurately depicted as having the best range artillery in the game, however, historically, this was not the case.

Cost: 100 wood, 350 gold. (russians have a card that makes it cost 100 wood, 175 gold)

Speed: 2 on Fire mode, 3 on limber mode

Obtainable In Industrial Age, Fortress Age for some pseudo-mortars such as Hand Mortar. Knights of Saint John receive Mortars in the Fortress Age also.

Mortar's Stats
Name Damage Range Rate of Fire
Mortar 400 30 4
Howitzer 500 30 4
Imperial Howitzer 875 30 4

Variations: Chinese have a hand mortar which can attack all units, is one pop but is much weaker. It has amazing multipliers for it's weak damage. Japanese have morutaru. Almost as strong, yet faster.



  • Commonly used in the end of a game, to finish off enemy buildings.
  • MUST have meat shield, because it cannot attack enemy units. A villager can kill a mortar.
  • Commonly surrounded with dragoons, pikemen and haliberders. This is because most people attack cannons with cavalry.
  • Mortars should be used in small numbers only. They cost 4 population and too many and you can't kill enemy units enough for your mortars to survive.
  • In a water map (Carribean, Amazonia, Hispanola, Great Lakes, Saguenay, Amazonia) can be used to destroy enemy ships very well, despite their negative multiplier, they have longer range and do roughly the same damage as a culverin. Place near fishing boats in a map like Hispaniola and you will control the all powerful whale, the fastest gathering source of coin in the game.
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