Morutaru
Morutaru is Japanese Industrial Age artillery with a long-range bombard attack and a separate Barrage attack. Its ammunition options let it affect a target area from far away.
Recorded values
- Available
- Industrial Age · Japanese Castle; Shogun Tokugawa
- Training
- 38 sec · 3 population · 35 XP per train
- Durability & mobility
- 225 hit points · 75% ranged resistance · 2.5 speed · 44 line of sight
- Bombard attack
- 385 base damage · range 4-40 · attack interval 6.0 · area of effect 1 · bonus damage: 1.25x vs. AbstractWall; 0.5x vs. Ship
Role, availability & values
Morutaru are available through a Japanese Castle or Shogun Tokugawa. The recorded bombard reaches 40 range, while Barrage has a shorter maximum range and a wider area of effect. The unit uses three population and moves slowly.
Matchup & timing
Use the long-range attack to pressure a structure or distant target, and choose Barrage when a group is within its shorter reach. Keep a mobile screen nearby because Morutaru are vulnerable if fast units reach their position.
Bombard and Barrage modes
Morutaru are Japanese artillery available in the Industrial Age through a Japanese Castle or Shogun Tokugawa. They cost 100 Wood and 250 Coin, train in 38 seconds, use three population and have 225 hit points, 75% ranged resistance, speed 2.5 and line of sight 44. The Bombard attack reaches 40 and is suited to long-distance pressure against a structure or fixed target. Barrage has shorter reach and a wider area, making it the option for grouped enemies that have moved closer. Selecting the attack mode changes the unit’s battlefield job; do not order Barrage when the target is outside its range or leave the gun in Bombard mode when nearby troops need area damage. Morutaru move slowly and use valuable population, so protect them from Cavalry and other fast units with a screen. Their long line of sight allows the Japanese player to see targets early, but the army must still establish a safe firing position. Train them when a planned push needs siege or area damage, not as a quick response to a raid. Shogun Tokugawa can provide an alternate access route, while a Castle supports Japanese production. The unit belongs to Japanese content in The Asian Dynasties and Definitive Edition; check the current version’s attack modes and cost when comparing it with European Mortars or other artillery.
Protecting long-range artillery
Morutaru are slow Japanese artillery with a 40-range Bombard attack, 44 line of sight and 75% ranged resistance. Use the long reach to threaten a fixed target while the main army screens the gun, then switch to Barrage when clustered troops enter the shorter range. Their 2.5 speed makes them vulnerable to Cavalry and flank attacks; keep a retreat path and do not advance without protection. At 225 hit points and three population, each unit is a significant investment. Their Industrial Age access through a Japanese Castle or Shogun Tokugawa makes them a planned addition for a later push, not an early emergency unit.
Barrages against clustered units
Barrage is a separate short-range firing option for grouped targets, while Bombard provides the 40-range siege threat. Change modes as the enemy moves and keep the slow artillery behind a screen. Its 44 line of sight helps detect targets, but does not protect it from a flank.
Castle and Shogun access
The Japanese Castle and Shogun Tokugawa provide different access routes for Morutaru, but both are tied to the Japanese army. Preserve the production source and use the unit as a planned Industrial Age siege option rather than an emergency response.
Training and resource commitment
A Morutaru costs 100 Wood and 250 Coin, trains in 38 seconds and occupies three population. Its slow movement means the Japanese army should establish a safe firing position before production completes. Keep population available for infantry and anti-cavalry support.
Japanese artillery support
Keep anti-cavalry units near the Morutaru and avoid sending the guns ahead of the army. A long-range Bombard is only useful while the firing position is protected.
Switching to Barrage
Barrage is intended for targets closer to the gun and clustered in its area. Keep Bombard for distant structures, and switch as enemy units approach. The mode choice is tactical; selecting the wrong attack wastes the unit’s long-range advantage.
Bombard and Barrage have different legal targets
The Morutaru uses two attacks with distinct target rules. Bombard deals 385 siege damage every six seconds at range 4–40, with a 1.25× modifier against AbstractWall and 0.5× against Ships; it is restricted to Buildings and Ships. Barrage deals 19 damage at range 4–28 with an area radius of four, and targets other than Buildings and Ships. This second mode gives the Japanese artillery a way to engage land forces, especially groups that are close enough to fit inside its shorter reach. A Castle or Shogun Tokugawa can provide the unit, while three population and slow 2.5 speed make its position costly to lose. Keep the long-range Bombard for fixed targets and ships, switch to Barrage when enemy troops approach, and move the battery behind a screen rather than asking it to defend itself at close range.