Light Cannon
Light Cannon is Haudenosaunee, Maya artillery in Age of Empires III, available from the Industrial Age; Revolution (Maya); obtained through Siege Workshop (Haudenosaunee), Artillery Foundry (Maya), Fort, American Citadel.
Recorded values
- Available
- Industrial Age; Revolution (Maya) · Siege Workshop (Haudenosaunee) ; Artillery Foundry (Maya) ; Fort; American Citadel
- Training
- 45 sec · 4 population · 40 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 150 hit points · 75% ranged resistance · 3.0 speed · 36 line of sight
Role, availability & values
Production is available through Siege Workshop (Haudenosaunee), Artillery Foundry (Maya), Fort, or American Citadel. It has 150 hit points and 75% ranged resistance. It moves at 3.0 speed and uses 4 population. Training costs 100 Wood and 300 Coin; it takes 45 seconds to train. Attack profile: Bombard attack: 70 damage at range 32; every 6.0 seconds; area of effect 2.
Matchup & timing
Use Light Cannons as long-range anti-ship, anti-building and anti-artillery weapons: their range-32 shot has 3× against Ships and Buildings and 2× against Infantry and Artillery. The six-second interval rewards careful target choice. Keep a screen nearby and position them before contact, since Cavalry can close during the long reload.
Industrial Age artillery profile
The Light Cannon is a four-population artillery unit available to the Haudenosaunee in the Industrial Age and to the Maya through their revolution. It costs 100 Wood and 300 Coin, takes 45 seconds to train and has 150 hit points with 75% ranged resistance. Its speed is 3.0 and its line of sight is 36. The Bombard attack deals 70 damage at range 32, has a radius of two and fires every six seconds. Its multipliers are 3.0× against Ships and Buildings and 2.0× against Infantry and Artillery. That broad profile combines anti-building and anti-artillery work with useful splash damage against infantry, though its firing rate is slow.
A hybrid between Falconet and Culverin
The unit's range and damage profile combine traits associated with a Falconet and a Culverin. Its 32 range reaches farther than many standard artillery pieces, and the 2.0× Artillery multiplier lets it engage enemy guns. The 3.0× Building multiplier also makes it valuable during a siege, while the 3.0× Ship bonus allows it to threaten vessels from shore. Its splash can damage nearby units, but the six-second reload and smaller area make it less efficient against massed Infantry than a Falconet. Treat infantry damage as a useful secondary role; use Aenna or Forest Prowler units as the Haudenosaunee army's infantry backbone and let Light Cannons prioritize guns and structures.
Timing, mobility and protection
The principal limitation is timing: the Haudenosaunee cannot build Light Cannons until the Industrial Age, later than European artillery access. That delay matters in a fast match, so the unit should be planned as a late-game support weapon rather than an early answer to pressure. It has fewer hit points than a Falconet or Culverin and moves at speed 3.0, so cavalry and other units that can reach its position are dangerous. Its strong ranged resistance does not protect it from melee attacks. Keep a screen in front, spread guns so one attack cannot catch the whole group, and use the 36 line of sight to identify threats before the enemy reaches the cannons.
No limber delay in current Definitive Edition
Light Cannons historically used Bombard and Limber modes, but update 61213 removed Limber mode. Their current profile remains in Bombard mode and does not require a transition before firing or moving. Earlier guides that describe a mode switch refer to an older ruleset. The removal makes the unit more immediately responsive, but it does not make it fast: its speed is still 3.0 and it should move with a protected army. Its firing rate also remains much slower than a Falconet's, so do not infer that mode flexibility makes it a direct replacement in every fight.
Production routes, upgrades and cards
Haudenosaunee Light Cannons are trained at the Siege Workshop, while the Maya can train them at an Artillery Foundry after revolting; Forts and the American Citadel are also listed production routes. The Field Cannon upgrade costs 250 Food and 250 Coin in the Industrial Age and adds 25% hit points and damage. Legendary Field Cannon costs 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin in the Imperial Age, requires Field Cannon and adds a further 50% to the upgraded unit. Siege Discipline can help the Haudenosaunee mass the guns without the usual population pressure. The Inca can receive four Field Cannons through Thunderbolts of Illapa. For Maya, Light Cannons replace Falconets, Culverins and Horse Artillery in the Artillery Foundry, making them a defining part of that revolution's artillery roster.
How to choose targets
The Light Cannon's attack has several strong multipliers, but its long reload means target choice matters. Against a building, the 3.0× modifier makes each shot a meaningful siege contribution; against enemy artillery, the 2.0× modifier lets it contest guns at long range. The same gun also deals 3.0× to Ships, which can support a shoreline defense, and 2.0× to Infantry with a radius-two splash. Against a dense infantry group, the splash is useful but the low firing frequency and relatively small area make it less effective than dedicated anti-infantry artillery. Avoid firing at a single low-value unit when a structure or enemy gun is in range. Keep multiple cannons focused on one important target so their slow volleys are not wasted.
Population and late-game investment
At four population, each Light Cannon occupies a substantial share of the army cap. The Haudenosaunee can use the Siege Discipline card to reduce that constraint when building a large artillery force, but the player still needs enough population for Aenna, Forest Prowlers and units that protect the guns. The 100 Wood and 300 Coin cost competes with upgrades and other military production, and the 45-second training time makes replacement slower than replacing ordinary Infantry. Plan a small protected battery rather than training cannons continuously without an escort. Field Cannon and Legendary Field Cannon investments improve a surviving group, but their expensive upgrades are most valuable when the guns will stay active through the rest of the match.
Preserve the battery between volleys
The six-second firing interval creates a vulnerable pause after each shot. Keep the cannons behind a screen during that reload and move them only when the route is clear. Their current Bombard mode avoids the old limber transition, but a 3.0 speed and four-population cost still make them difficult to replace after a cavalry raid. The 75% ranged resistance helps against enemy volleys, yet it cannot keep a gun safe from hand attacks or a concentrated assault. If the opponent fields Culverins, use terrain and allied units to disrupt their line rather than trading shots at a disadvantage. Once the counter is removed, the Light Cannon can return to its long-range work against buildings and artillery.
Field deployment
Use the 36 line of sight to set up behind the front before the enemy reaches the battery. A Light Cannon can then choose between a long-range shot at a building, an enemy gun or a ship. Its slow reload makes careless target switching costly; keep the cannons focused and let the faster units protect them while they fire.
Haudenosaunee and Maya artillery
The Light Cannon is Industrial Age artillery available to the Haudenosaunee and to Maya in their Revolution. It costs 100 Wood and 300 Coin, trains in 45 seconds, uses four population and has 150 hit points with 75% ranged resistance. Its speed is three and sight 36. The Bombard attack deals 70 damage at range 32 every six seconds, hits an area of two and carries 3× damage against Ships and Buildings and 2× against Infantry and Artillery. Haudenosaunee train it at a Siege Workshop, while Maya use an Artillery Foundry; Forts and American Citadels can also provide access. The long range supports defensive and offensive sieges, but the four-population cost makes its escort an important part of the army plan.
Protect the long-range gun
Use Light Cannons to remove buildings, artillery or clustered Infantry from a safe firing position. They are slow and have only 150 hit points, so keep a screen between them and fast Cavalry or melee units. Their ranged resistance helps against projectiles, but Siege attacks remain a serious threat. A 32-range gun can fire from behind a defensive line, yet forward placement still requires scouting and an escape route. Train them when the army can protect the production queue and when their large target bonuses match the opponent’s assets. Maya access is associated with the Revolution, so it should not be treated as a normal Maya production option before that path is chosen.