Mortar

Mortar
First Appearance	Age of Empires III
Artillery
Cost	100 Wood 350 Coin
Age Available	Industrial Age
Building	Artillery Foundry
Base Hit Points	300
Pop. Use	4
Speed	3.0 (Limber) 1.2 (Bombard)
LOS	44
Resists	75% vs. Ranged
Siege Damage	500
Siege Multipliers	x0.5 vs. Ship
Siege Range	40
R.O.F.	6.0
Train Time	45 seconds
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The Mortar is an artillery unit in Age of Empires III.

Overview Edit

The Mortar can be used effectively against buildings and ships, but it is unable to attack land units. They deal greatly inferior damage to Petard, though they can attack from great range and aren't suicide units, giving them more strategic value in a greater number of situations.

They play similarly to the Trebuchet from Age of Empires II in that they have very long range and must be packed up to move and fire.

UpgradesEdit

HowitzerEdit

Howitzers are an upgrade of the Mortar available once Industrial Age is reached. They feature significantly improved hit points and damage.

• Hit Points: 375
• Bombard Attack: 625
• Cost: 250 Food, 250 Wood

Imperial HowitzerEdit

Imperial Howitzers are second, more serious upgrade of the Howitzer available, once the Imperial Age is reached.

• Hit Points: 525
• Bombard Attack: 875
• Cost: 1500 Coin, 1500 Wood

Home City CardsEdit

Mortars can get card upgrades to make them more effective in their combat capabilities, the have Dutch Coehorn Mortars (TEAM card: 20% damage bonus) and the Russians can field Unicorne Mortars (card: Coin cost -50% (175 Coin), 20% damage and training time -50%). The Portuguese have Rangefinding that increases the range and LOS by 10, enabling to attack from safer positions and reduces the need to move them a lot. The Spanish can also augment their mortars with the use of Unction, increasing the damage.
This is a list of shipments that benefit Mortars.

GalleryEdit

A Mortar in Bombard mode.

A Mortar in Limber mode.

A(n) (Imperial) Howitzer in Limber mode.

Mortar firing a huge shell following a reload.

A mortar fixed on top of the Monitor.

Mortar from 1864 on a railroad, during the US Civil War.

Mortar of 18th century

Add a photo to this gallery

HistoryEdit

"A mortar is an artillery piece with a short barrel and a large bore that fires massive projectiles in a high arc. The name "mortar" probably refers to its resemblance to the mortar of a mortar and pestle. The high arc of a mortar's fire reaches emplacements and buildings that are screened by terrain or walls or other permanent defenses. The projectile a mortar fired was filled with gunpowder and fitted with a fuse that was lit right before firing the mortar. The artillery crew had to carefully measure how long to make the fuse for the mortar to explode at the right moment (usually on impact). This made mortars much better at firing on buildings and fortifications than on fluid groups of moving troops."