Professional Gunners
Professional Gunners is an early artillery durability upgrade. It adds hit points to artillery, helping expensive siege pieces survive return fire while they support an army or attack defenses. The improvement affects artillery health; it does not increase their range or damage.
Research profile
- Age
- Commerce Age
- Civilization
- Europeans; Federal Americans; Japanese
- Research location
- Arsenal (Europeans and Federal Americans) ; Golden Pavilion (Japanese)
- Research time
- 30 seconds
- Food cost
- 400
- Wood cost
- 100
- Effect
- Artillery hit points +10%
Effect
The technology is available in the Commerce Age at the Arsenal for Europeans and Federal Americans, and at the Golden Pavilion for Japanese. Research takes 30 seconds and costs 400 Food and 100 Wood. The recorded effect is a 10% hit-point increase for artillery.
Research condition
Available in the Commerce Age at Arsenal (Europeans and Federal Americans) , Golden Pavilion (Japanese). Research time: 30 seconds. Cost: 400 food, 100 wood. Civilization-specific building access can vary.
Research decision
Research it when artillery is already part of the plan and keeping those pieces alive is more valuable than spending the resources on immediate units. Positioning and screening still matter: the added health does not prevent cavalry or enemy siege from reaching the guns.
Access by civilization
European and Federal American civilizations research Professional Gunners at the Arsenal after sending the Advanced Arsenal Home City Card; Sweden has the technology available by default. Japanese players research it at the Golden Pavilion. The Italians use their Milanese Arsenal card route, while the Japanese TEAM Sengoku card is associated with access to the upgrade. These access rules matter when planning the shipment deck: an Arsenal alone does not guarantee the technology is available.
What the health bonus changes
The 10% hit-point increase applies to artillery. It can help a Falconet, Culverin, or other artillery piece endure return damage while firing, but it does not change its range, attack, rate of fire, or packing speed. The upgrade is most useful when artillery is already a central part of the army and the opponent can answer it with ranged fire. Continue to screen the guns from cavalry and hostile siege.