Fixed Gun
Fixed Gun refers to two different Age of Empires III objects. The player-built Maltese Fixed Gun was introduced in Definitive Edition: Knights of the Mediterranean as stationary artillery for holding a lane, coastline or approach. Campaign and Scenario Editor Fixed Guns are separate emplacements with mission-defined access and values.
Recorded values
- Civilization · Age
- Maltese · Fortress Age
- Construction
- 30 seconds · one builder
- Hit points · footprint
- 2,250 · 4×4.5
- Line of Sight
- 36
- Bombard attack
- 300 Siege damage · 5 area of effect
- Attack multipliers
- ×0.75 vs. Cavalry · ×0.45 vs. Shock Infantry · ×0.25 vs. Villagers · ×0.15 vs. Artillery · ×0.1 vs. Siege Troopers · ×5 vs. Fixed Gun · ×6.67 vs. Gatling Camel
- Range · firing interval
- 14–34 · 6 seconds
- Strong against
- Infantry · ships · buildings
- Weak against
- Cavalry · Culverins · siege units
Function
The Maltese building is available in the Fortress Age and costs 100 Wood, 600 Coin and 5 population in the current listed profile. It has 2,250 hit points, a 4×4.5 footprint and 36 Line of Sight. Its 300-damage siege bombard attack has a 5 area of effect, a 6-second firing interval and range 14–34. A Grand Master builds it or a Fixed Gun Wagon establishes it; the wagon is free and builds 4.5 times faster, but is lost if construction is interrupted after it begins.
Placement & timing
Use the gun to punish ships, infantry or buildings that must cross its firing area. Its minimum range of 14 leaves a close-range dead zone, and its immobility makes it vulnerable to cavalry, Culverins and siege units. Place it behind a unit screen or near other defenses, and protect a wagon while it completes the emplacement. Campaign guns use separate scenario rules.
Practical direction
The current profile reflects Definitive Edition patch 15.59076, which reduced the population cost to five; update 14.43676 changed the population cost and reduced range from 35 to 34. Use the mission or release-specific entry when referring to the scenario emplacement.
A stationary artillery piece with a close-range weakness
The Maltese Fixed Gun deals siege damage over an area and is especially useful where ships, infantry or buildings must enter its firing lane. Its attack has a minimum range of 14, so an enemy that closes inside that distance can be difficult for the gun to hit. The structure cannot reposition after construction. Use infantry or cavalry to screen the dead zone, and avoid placing it where Culverins or other siege can fire from outside its reach. Its 5 population cost is part of the current Definitive Edition profile; older update values differed.
Choose between the Wagon and the Grand Master
The Grand Master can construct a Fixed Gun, while Home City shipments can provide a Fixed Gun Wagon. The wagon is consumed when its construction begins, so escort it and choose a site before committing. The faster construction helps establish a defensive position quickly, but the gun still needs field units to prevent an opponent from surrounding it. A free emplacement is not a free battle win: it occupies population, cannot chase a retreat and can be lost to a direct counter.
Read the attack profile before assigning a target
The 300 Siege damage is modified by target-class multipliers: the Fixed Gun deals 75% of that listed damage against Cavalry, 45% against Shock Infantry, 25% against Villagers, 15% against Artillery and 10% against Siege Troopers. Its listed multipliers are much higher against another Fixed Gun (5×) and a Gatling Camel (6.67×). Combined with the 14-unit minimum range, this profile rewards firing on targets the gun is meant to pressure—ships, buildings and suitable infantry—while mobile units screen or remove enemy siege. Do not treat the headline damage as equal damage against every target.
Keep Maltese and scenario guns separate
The Maltese building belongs to Knights of the Mediterranean and has the cost, population, attack and construction route listed here. Fixed Guns placed in campaigns or the Scenario Editor may be unbuildable, have different values or be governed by an objective. Do not apply the Maltese Grand Master or Home City Wagon rules to a mission emplacement. Follow that scenario’s objective and distinguish the player-built Maltese building when comparing screenshots or older campaign guides.