Mortar
The Mortar is long-range siege artillery for destroying buildings and ships. Its Bombard attack is powerful against static targets but inefficient against ordinary troops.
Recorded values
- Available
- Industrial Age; Fortress Age (Knights of St. John and Europeans with the Advanced Artillery Home City Card) · Artillery Foundry (Europeans and Federal Americans) ; Palace (Africans)
- Training
- 45 sec · 4 population · 45 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 300 hit points · 75% ranged resistance · 3.0 / 1.2 speed · 44 line of sight
- Bombard attack
- 500 base damage · range 4-40 · attack interval 6.0 · area of effect 1 · bonus damage: 1.25x vs. AbstractWall; 0.75x vs. Ship
Role & counters
Mortars must deploy to fire and pack up to move, so their position should be chosen before the fight. Definitive Edition Mortars also have a weaker Barrage attack against nearby land units, a change that did not exist in the original release. Access and statistics vary by edition.
When to field it
Use Mortars behind a protected frontline to remove Forts, Walls or production buildings. Guard them from Cavalry and keep Culverins or other answers ready if enemy artillery appears. Do not move into firing range before the path and screen are secure.
Current statistics and availability
The Mortar is a four-population Industrial Age Artillery unit for European, Federal American, and African civilizations. It costs 100 Wood and 350 Coin, takes 45 seconds to train, and has 300 hit points with 75% ranged resistance. Its movement speed is 3.0 when deployed and 1.2 while packed, with line of sight 44. Europeans and Federal Americans train it at the Artillery Foundry; Africans can train it at the Palace after researching Imported Cannons. Knights of St. John and European civilizations with the Advanced Artillery Home City Card can access it in Fortress Age. The unit's high population and Coin costs are balanced by its long reach and specialized siege damage. Its slow packed speed means the army must protect it while it relocates, then give it room to deploy before a bombardment begins.
Bombard attack against buildings and ships
The Bombard attack deals 500 siege damage every six seconds, with an area effect of one and a range from four to 40. It targets buildings and ships only. Its multiplier is 1.25 against Walls and 0.75 against Ships, so the nominal damage is modified by the target class. That range lets the Mortar damage a Fort, Wall, or military building from beyond ordinary defensive reach. The Industrial Age adds a further bonus against Walls in the current rules, strengthening its role against fortifications. Because the attack will not select ordinary land units, the Mortar cannot be used as a general artillery piece while the enemy army approaches. Keep it behind the frontline, use screening units to block Cavalry, and focus fire on high-value structures instead of spreading volleys across several targets.
Barrage attack and patch distinction
Knights of the Mediterranean update 13.58326 added the Barrage attack to all Mortars by default. It deals 30 siege damage every six seconds in a radius of four at range four to 30. Barrage targets units rather than buildings and ships, but has only a 0.4 multiplier against Artillery, Cavalry, Shock troops, and Villagers. This means a Mortar can now contribute limited self-defense against approaching land units, but its damage is too low to replace unit-killing Artillery. Older Definitive Edition guides may describe the Barrage as a Swedish card-based ability or say Mortars cannot attack land units; those statements describe earlier versions. Use Bombard for structures and ships, and Barrage only when the target is outside Bombard's allowed classes or the Mortar needs to defend itself.
Siege positioning and protection
A Mortar's long range and high building damage make it a siege specialist, not a frontline unit. Advance behind a screen of Infantry or Cavalry, unpack at a safe distance, and focus on one fortification at a time. It is expensive and uses four population, so losing several Mortars to a Cavalry charge can decide a late-game push. Its 75% ranged resistance helps against ordinary ranged attacks, but does not make it safe from melee units or dedicated anti-Artillery. Arrow Knights, Cavalry, Shock Infantry, and Culverins are notable threats; Culverins can remove it from outside its preferred engagement. Send mobile units ahead to scout the defensive line, and avoid setting up within reach of hidden Culverins. Once a structure falls, pack and reposition before the opponent can counterattack.
Upgrades and civilization variants
Portuguese and Spanish can research Howitzers for 250 Food and 250 Wood, increasing Mortar hit points and damage by 25%. They can then research Imperial Howitzers for 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin, adding 50% hit points and damage and requiring the prior upgrade. Italians instead use Galilean Mortars: the upgrade costs 400 Food and 400 Wood, grants 25% hit points and 35% attack, and reduces Coin cost by 50%; Imperial Galilean Mortars add 50% hit points and damage for 1,500 Wood and 1,500 Coin after the first upgrade. Other improvements include Professional Gunners for hit points, Smokeless Powder for attack, Trunion for speed, and Heated Shot for increased damage against ships. Imported Cannons is the African access condition, not a direct combat upgrade. The exact upgrade tree depends on civilization, so do not assume one nation's Mortar technology is available to another.
Home City cards and production access
Advanced Artillery is a key shipment for European and Federal American players: it sends a Mortar and enables Mortars and Horse Artillery to be trained from the Fortress Age. Other shared cards can ship two or three Mortars, with availability varying by civilization; Team Mortars also exclude several civilizations. Engineering School reduces training time for Mortars and many other Artillery units, while Team Artillery Hitpoints improves Artillery hit points for its eligible civilizations. Africans follow a different route through Imported Cannons at the Palace, with their own influence-based costs and Improved Cannon Trade option. A shipment can provide the first Mortar before normal Industrial Age production, but it does not remove the need to protect the siege force. Build the deck around the map and likely timing: an early fortress siege may justify Advanced Artillery, whereas a land battle with no important targets may need other shipments first.
Version differences and intended use
The original Age of Empires III Mortar could attack only buildings and ships and had a 0.5 multiplier against ships. Definitive Edition later added specialized Barrage behavior, with Knights of the Mediterranean making the current Barrage available to all Mortars by default. The current Bombard attack uses a 0.75 multiplier against ships, and its Wall bonus changes by age. These changes mean a strategy written for the original game may understate the Mortar's ability to defend itself or misstate its ship damage. Across versions, its main role remains the safe destruction of fortifications at long range. Use it to open a route through Walls or remove a Fort, while relying on regular Artillery to win the field battle and protect the siege line.
Moving, deploying, and selecting targets
The Mortar's movement profile reflects its firing setup: it moves at 3.0 while packed and 1.2 while deployed. Move with the army while packed, choose a safe firing position, and then let it attack from its long range. A minimum range of four means the target cannot be immediately beside the weapon, which is another reason to keep screening troops nearby. Bombard's range reaches 40, while Barrage reaches 30 and can target land units. Focus Bombard on important structures such as Forts, Walls, or military buildings; the small area effect rewards deliberate target selection. If the opponent sends troops toward the siege line, the Barrage can contribute damage but should not be expected to win the engagement. Reposition after the target falls so the enemy cannot use a known firing lane to counter the next volley.
Choosing Mortars for a siege
Mortars are suited to a slow, protected push where the player has time to establish a line and remove fortifications. Their range is a major advantage over Petards, which must approach and sacrifice themselves, while the Mortar can continue attacking from a distance. The tradeoff is low effectiveness against units and substantial cost in Coin and population. Bring general-purpose Artillery or Infantry to fight the defenders and let the Mortar concentrate on structures. If the opponent has no important buildings in reach, four population spent on Mortars may be less useful than additional combat units. On water maps, the long-range Bombard and ship multiplier can make them relevant against ships; on land, watch for Culverins and mobile Cavalry. The correct value of a Mortar depends on the target it can reach and the army protecting it.
Why the high arc matters
A Mortar's high-angle shell is intended to reach buildings and fortifications that are difficult to approach directly. Walls can screen a structure, yet the Mortar's long range lets a protected army attack from outside the ordinary defensive line. This differs from fast demolition units that must touch a building and from general-purpose Artillery that spends most of its time fighting enemy troops. The crew can stay behind allied units and continue firing while the battle is contested. The setup takes time, however: move the Mortar to a safe position, deploy it, and keep the enemy from reaching its minimum range. Use it when the siege target justifies its Coin and population investment.
Quick reference for the current version
For current Definitive Edition rules, use Bombard for buildings and ships and Barrage for land units. Bombard deals 500 siege damage at range four to 40 every six seconds; Barrage deals 30 damage at range four to 30 and has weak multipliers against several unit classes. A Mortar costs 100 Wood and 350 Coin, uses four population, and has 300 hit points with 75% ranged resistance. Protect its slow deployed position with mobile units, and do not confuse the current Barrage attack with older pre-update descriptions.
Long-range siege against buildings
Mortars are artillery designed to attack buildings from a distance. Their siege role lets an army pressure Town Centers, walls and production structures without relying on melee troops to reach the target. Deploy them behind the front line, keep a screen nearby and choose a firing position that does not expose them to Cavalry or enemy artillery. Their slow movement and specialized attack make them poor choices for chasing mobile units.
Protect the guns and select a target
A Mortar investment pays off when the army can hold the field long enough for repeated shots. Focus on structures that weaken the opponent’s production or control of the map, and avoid spreading damage across several buildings unless the opponent is forced to respond. Pack or reposition when the enemy approaches with a counter, and retreat behind anti-Cavalry units rather than sacrificing the artillery. Exact availability and firing statistics vary across civilizations and versions, so consult the relevant unit profile.