Mangonel

Overview

A stone-thrower whose area attack can punish clustered units and structures.

Availability and investment

Mangonel becomes available in Castle Age. Its listed production context is Siege Workshop. The listed cost is 160 Wood, 135 Gold and the training time is 46 seconds. This tells you when it can first join an army and which resources must be reserved alongside Villager production, upgrades, and other military lines.

• Upgrade path: Mangonel → Onager → Siege Onager

Combat profile

The available combat values are included here so the numbers can be read as a profile rather than an isolated list. Hit points and armor describe how long the unit can remain exposed; attack and any bonus damage describe what it threatens; range, reload, accuracy, and movement describe how reliably it can engage or disengage. A value shown for a whole upgrade line applies to the listed stages as recorded, so compare the stage names instead of treating the line as one base unit.

• Attack: 40
• Hit points: 50
• Melee armor: 0
• Pierce armor: 6
• Range: 7
• Line of sight: 9
• Reload time: 6 seconds
• Movement speed: 0.6
• Accuracy: 100%

Field use

Protect the siege engine while it closes on its target. Its value comes from creating pressure against structures or clustered forces, so give it an escort and a clear objective instead of sending it forward alone.

Armor classes and counters

Armor-class bonuses are separate from base attack and the target’s melee or pierce armor. The class list below shows the unit’s documented combat categories and bonus-damage relationships; use it to judge matchups instead of relying on the unit label alone.

• Armor class: Siege weapon
• Mangonel deals +4 bonus damage to units in the Monk class
• Mangonel deals +12 bonus damage to units in the Siege weapon class
• Mangonel deals +35 bonus damage to units in the All Buildings class
• Mangonel deals +40 bonus damage to units in the Heavy siege class

Related unit plan: Mangonel escort and ground-fire plan

Mangonel: Mangonels threaten grouped units and can break structures, but their slow movement and vulnerable crew make them dependent on an escort. Their area attack is especially valuable when a ranged army needs to dislodge another compact formation Move Mangonels with Pikemen or Monks that can deter cavalry, and keep Archers nearby on open maps to discourage enemy ranged units. Watch the fight directly and use ground targeting only when you can predict the enemy’s path. Advance behind the screen, then focus fire on a compact unit group or a building that blocks the push Cavalry can close the gap quickly, and a careless shot can hit your own army. Do not leave Mangonels alone, fire blindly into a mixed melee, or push them beyond the escort’s ability to protect the retreat