Game Info
Industrial Era Siege Unit. Upgrades from the Cannon.
- Common abilities:
- Indirect Fire: Ranged attacks may be performed over obstacles (as long as other friendly units can see the target).
- Bonus vs Cities (200)
- Limited Visibility (-1)
- May Not Melee Attack
- No Defensive Terrain Bonuses
- Must Set Up to Ranged Attack
Strategy
Artillery is a deadly siege weapon, much more powerful and dangerous than the earlier Cannon for one main reason: its new way of firing. Unlike the Cannon, which still shoots in a linear fashion, the Artillery uses high-yield dynamite-based substances to propel its shells high into the air, using earth's gravity as means of reaching both further away and over any potential obstacles. This ability, called "Indirect Fire", allows it to shoot over obstructions at targets it cannot see (as long as other friendly units can see them).
Other problems of the older siege weapons persist - the Artillery has limited visibility and must set up (1 MP) to attack. It is also vulnerable to melee attacks.
The Artillery is one of the units that completely changes combat tactics in the modern times. Its main feature is its range of 3. That means that the Artillery can shoot at cities from OUTSIDE of their defensive perimeter, allowing the attacker to reduce city defenses to rubble without suffering any damage whatsoever, and that, in turn, forces everyone to reevaluate the way they defend their empires.
This unit is also great for defending cities for the same reason, being able to shoot back at enemy artillery without suffering its vulnerability.
Historical Info
As technology has advanced, artillery has assumed ever greater importance on the battlefield. The 19th century guns of the Napoleonic and American Civil Wars are gone, having been replaced by ever-larger, more accurate and deadlier weapons as the years have passed. The German 88 mm gun is one of the best and most versatile artillery weapons of the Second World War. Originally designed as an anti-aircraft weapon, the gun proved so successful as an anti-tank weapon that variants were created for just that purpose.
Trivia
The in-game model for the Artillery is that of the M2 (redesignated M101) 105mm howitzer, used extensively by U.S. and later NATO forces from 1941 up until the 1970s.