Catapults vs Cannons

**dynamo** · February 20, 2009, 08:42 AM

Which do you think is more effective against enemy troops? (cannons are obviously better for walls) For some reason my gunpowder stuff never really does much damage, yet I can snipe their generals with flaming balls of pitch somehow.

**Silent Assassin** · February 20, 2009, 08:48 AM

IMO there is not much difference except that cannons have more range and are a bit more powerful and here I'm talking about the regular cannon

**John-117** · February 20, 2009, 08:58 AM

if you are using mangonels, it does shotgun damage. if you are using bombards, it is deadly accurate. it depends on what oyu are using. trebuchet versus bombard? bombard wins. trebuchet vs serpentine? trebuchet wins.

**claudius2007** · February 20, 2009, 09:12 PM

No way. Serpentines are by far more accurate than trebuchets unless you are playing some mod. With 3 serpentines you are almost guaranteed to hit the enemy general.

**Old_Scratch** · February 20, 2009, 09:54 PM

Serpentines are the most effective long range artillery against infantry, period. IMO, grand bombard and higher is better at anti-infantry than all non gunpowder artillery. The bombard is decent, and has good range, but the trebuchet has some good options too that equal them out in my opinion, like the fling cows option.

So, in brief, I'd choose cannons way ahead of catapults or similar against infantry. Just one thing to remember, don't bother with flaming or explosive shot when using cannons. It's highly inaccurate and it won't allow the cannon balls to skip along the ground. The skipping action does the most damage.

**Walternat0r** · February 21, 2009, 03:15 AM

I actually did a custom battle, grassy plain hard difficulty, with all pre-gunpowder vs all gunpowder artillery. It was 4 ballistas 4 catapults 4 trebuchets and 4 mangonels vs 4 serpentines 4 mortars 4 culverins and 4 bombards. I just set them on fire at will and left them too it.

Pre-gunpowder kicked gunpowders arse lol, 3 ballistas and 2 catapults left by the end when the remaining gunpowder units ran away

**Don in the North** · February 21, 2009, 03:17 AM

serpentines are killer. im finding them more usefull than basilisks (cept for seige).
absolutely decimate infantry , especially when they are in rows behind one another.
to me, catapaults/trebachets are just a placeholder untill i get cannons, so i dont really use them much in the start of my empire, maybe for assaulting castles i cant afford to seige for extended periods of time.
by the time gunpowder is invented, i basicly destroy all the seige workshops for quick cash and focus on cannons.

**Kinshejsi** · February 21, 2009, 10:00 AM

Cannons have a lot longer range than catapults, catapults are more accurate yes but can only fire once or twice before the enemy charges.
Cannons can fire from miles away, I never give them flaming amunition, just fire at the center of their army and you got a lot of change to hit them, plus it's very demoralizing.

**Vince Noir** · February 21, 2009, 10:24 AM

Culverins. These things are insane!

**Muagan_ra** · February 21, 2009, 10:47 AM

It's all about Ribaults. I've seen them carry out some utterly unspeakable carnage.

@ Vince Noir; Culverins, too.

I think cannon-type weapons are better in a general sense, because of the range and lower trajectory. They are much better for mowing down rows of infantry. They also have a rather satisfying "boom".

**axnsan** · February 21, 2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Muagan_ra

They also have a rather satisfying "boom".

**Viking Prince Olaf** · February 21, 2009, 06:49 PM

I agree with the boom Axnsan!

I also like the advantages though, i'm not going to rule out pre-artillary because guys, some people like em so just leave it.

But in my opinion gunpowder has major advantages over pre-artillary,
first of all boom....

, second morale, have you ever seen those Aztecs RUN THAT FAST!!!!

, then the lower trejactory wich almost certainly means your not going to overshoot them near as much as trebuchets or catapults...

They do more damage to walls, id like to say more accurate but no matter how much research you do it all comes down to opinion, my favorite though is Mangonels as I just love those LiL' guy's,...they just crack me up when they spread napalm all over those cacks and they start running for the hills.....