Monitor
The Monitor is an Industrial Age naval siege ship built to bombard shore targets. Its ordinary attack and long-range ability threaten buildings, while other warships and land artillery can punish it.
Recorded values
- Available
- Industrial Age · European Dock
- Training
- 40 sec · 80 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 1,200 hit points · 50% ranged resistance · 6.5 speed · 38 line of sight
- Mortar attack
- 80 base damage · range 36 · attack interval 5.0 · area of effect 3 · bonus damage: 10.0x vs. Building; 0.2x vs. Villager; 0.1x vs. Dock and Port
- Long-range attack
- 200 base damage · range 70 · attack interval 20.0 · area of effect 10 · bonus damage: 10.0x vs. Building; 0.5x vs. Artillery; 0.2x vs. Villager; 0.1x vs. Dock and Port
- Ability
- Transports land units
Role & counters
The Dock trains Monitors in limited numbers. Their bombardment has a long minimum-to-maximum operating range suited to coastal targets, and the special Long-range Bombardment Attack reaches much farther than ordinary ship fire. Definitive Edition lists a 70-range ability with a 90-second cooldown; the original release used different values.
When to field it
Use Monitors when a valuable Fort, Dock or coastal base can be reached from safe water. Scout for enemy warships and artillery first, since the ship is specialized for siege rather than winning every naval engagement.
Current naval statistics
The Monitor is an Industrial Age siege warship available to European and Asian civilizations through the Dock, with campaign exceptions such as the Knights of St. John. It costs 600 Wood and 200 Coin in Definitive Edition, takes 40 seconds to train, and has a limit of two. It has 1,200 hit points, 50% ranged resistance, speed 6.5, line of sight 38, and can carry up to 50 population in land units. A standard mortar attack deals 80 siege damage at range 36 every five seconds in an area of three. Its 10× building multiplier makes that attack highly specialized for coastal structures.
Long-range bombardment ability
The Monitor's activated Long-range Bombardment attack deals 200 siege damage at range 70 in an area of ten, with a 90-second cooldown and a long firing interval. Its 10× building multiplier lets it damage a structure from far beyond ordinary ship range, while its 0.5 multiplier against Artillery and smaller multipliers against Villagers or Docks limit its value against other targets. Use the ability to begin a siege or finish an exposed building, then move the ship while the cooldown recovers. Do not mistake its long range for a general naval attack that can destroy every target efficiently.
Siege role and coastal use
The Monitor is designed to bombard buildings from the water. It can support a landing by damaging a Fort, Town Center, or military building from offshore, forcing the opponent to divert units from the land battle. Its 50% ranged resistance and 1,200 hit points help it survive ordinary fire, but enemy ships and coastal defenses can still threaten it. Use other warships to protect the Monitor and scout for counter-fire. The two-unit limit makes each ship valuable; keep them behind the naval frontline and use their siege ability on important targets rather than chasing transports.
Population transport and fleet composition
The Monitor's 50-unit transport capacity provides a second role alongside siege. It can ferry land troops to a shore, then support the landing with bombardment. Load units only when the route is reasonably secure; losing a loaded Monitor can remove both a ship and a large part of the army. Combine it with faster warships that can screen against enemy vessels and protect the approach. On maps without meaningful water access, the Monitor is unavailable and its population should be invested in land units instead.
Planning around its limited production
The Industrial Age requirement and two-ship limit make the Monitor a late-game support choice. Its Wood and Coin cost competes with land production and Dock upgrades, and the 40-second training time does not allow instant recovery if it is lost. Research or ship it when the map has valuable coastal targets, a protected transport route, or a fleet composition that can cover it. Keep the two Monitors together for a focused siege, but spread them when one coastal defense could threaten both at once.
Bombardment and target priorities
The Monitor combines a conventional naval mortar attack with a long-range bombardment ability. Its standard attack reaches coastal targets from a distance and applies strong siege damage, while its special bombardment has a much longer range and can hit a broad area. The long cooldown means this shot should be reserved for a valuable target: a Fort, a key Town Center, a cluster of buildings, or another objective that changes the landing. Keep the vessel stationary and protected while aiming, then reposition before enemy ships can focus it. Its slow pace makes a Monitor poor at chasing fast naval units.
Availability and age requirement
The Monitor is an Industrial Age warship available through the Dock for eligible European and Asian civilizations, subject to civilization-specific exceptions. It costs 600 Wood and 200 Coin, takes 40 seconds to build, and the standard naval limit is two. Its high cost arrives late enough that players should first decide whether the map can support a naval investment. On a map where the opponent has no coast or transport route, a Monitor may contribute less than the same resources spent on land forces. In a coastal battle, however, its reach can force the enemy to defend structures that ordinary ships cannot safely approach.
Protecting a transport and siege asset
A Monitor can carry up to 50 units, which makes it a useful transport for a large landing force as well as a siege ship. Loading both roles into one vessel creates a high-value target: if it is destroyed, the player can lose the troops and the naval support together. Scout the landing beach, clear enemy ships, and avoid sailing through a narrow route covered by Fixed Guns. When possible, use another warship to screen the Monitor and transport troops in a separate vessel. After unloading, the Monitor can remain offshore to bombard the fortifications protecting the landing area.
Choosing a bombardment target
Use the ordinary mortar attack when a target is within its firing range and reserve Long-range Bombardment for a target whose removal matters. The special attack has a large area and substantial building damage, but its 90-second cooldown means it cannot answer repeated small opportunities. A Fort or Town Center can be a worthwhile target if the Monitor has a clear line and the fleet can protect it; scattering the shot across low-value structures wastes its impact. Confirm the target is within the current Definitive Edition range before committing, since older versions list different values. Keep enough space from shore defenses to withdraw after firing, and watch for enemy ships that can exploit the Monitor's slower movement.
When a naval investment pays off
A Monitor consumes a large share of the late-game Wood and Coin budget, so it is most valuable when water control can influence the land battle. It can threaten a coastal economy, protect a landing by removing defensive buildings, and carry enough troops to establish a beachhead. Those tasks work together only when the player has scouted the coast and has escort ships or land units ready. If the enemy controls the sea, first rebuild a screen rather than sending a Monitor into a losing fleet fight. If the map is mostly landlocked or the opponent has no important shore targets, spend the resources on a land army, upgrades, or a different naval unit that better suits the immediate need.
Version-specific profile
The Monitor's familiar role remains long-range naval siege, but the exact ability profile changed between the original release and Definitive Edition. The Definitive Edition data lists a 70-range Long-range Bombardment with a 90-second cooldown, while the older game used different values. Apply the statistics for the edition being played rather than combining an old range with current damage or production details. The unit is also subject to civilization and scenario availability; a campaign mission may allow or restrict naval production independently of standard skirmish rules.
Mortar fire and the long-range ability
The Monitor’s ordinary Mortar attack deals 80 siege damage every five seconds at range 36, with a three-point area radius. Before resistance and upgrades, its 10× Building multiplier means 800 damage to a Building per hit; the 0.1× Dock and Port modifier reduces that to eight, so do not mistake its anti-fortification role for a way to demolish naval production. Long-range Bombardment reaches range 70 and deals 200 base siege damage in a much larger radius of ten, but it fires only every 20 seconds and has a 90-second cooldown. Its 10× Building bonus makes the nominal hit 2,000 against a building. Use the ability for a high-value coastal target after scouting, then reposition or protect the ship while it recharges. These are listed attack values before target resistance and upgrades.