Of Castles and Cannons

**Naja** · November 24, 2006, 04:19 PM

Once your opponent is able to build Grand Bombards and Basilisks, is there really any point in building Citadels? Should I try to build up Mortars or Trebuchets to snipe them behind my walls? If it is still feasible, what are some good strategies to defend late-game castles against gunpowder artillery?

On another note, has anyone noticed a bug with the cannon towers? I've never noticed them firing explosives against any troop units. I still see it firing ballista arrows.

**VaultDweller** · November 24, 2006, 04:39 PM

See bug #23 listed here.

**jimbob** · November 24, 2006, 04:39 PM

All castles are basically useless when you discover you only actually need to breach the outer wall. Once you're on top of that, you can by-pass the other walls by walking along the top of the walls, all the way into the inner circle. The multi-ringed castles might as well not exist for all they use they are.

The cannon towers are bugged. Cannon towers fire ballistas, and ballista towers fire cannonballs.

**scottishranger** · November 24, 2006, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by jimbob

The cannon towers are bugged. Cannon towers fire ballistas, and ballista towers fire cannonballs.

Hm I have never noticed that for me, everything works there for me.

I generally build two units of mortars in every settlement. I destroys most anyseige equipment given a bit of time.(WHich I normally do). Plus if they breahc your gates the mortars can rain iron death upon the tightly grouped masses.

**jimbob** · November 24, 2006, 05:03 PM

It's in the confirmed bug list.............

**savage_rabbit** · November 24, 2006, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by jimbob

All castles are basically useless when you discover you only actually need to breach the outer wall. Once you're on top of that, you can by-pass the other walls by walking along the top of the walls, all the way into the inner circle. The multi-ringed castles might as well not exist for all they use they are.

It's very easy to defend the stairwells that connect the walls. One unit of heavy infantry can hold masses of enemies at bay for a very long time, especially if they are backed up by some other unit. The stairwells useful for withdrawing troops that are caught on a wall that has already been breached.

Are you saying, however, that the AI does not defend the stairwells?

**Naja** · November 25, 2006, 03:31 PM

Pardon me for asking, but I am more interested in strategy. What are some good ways to fight attacking armies that have gunpowder artillery when you're defending a castle? Are castles even relevant after gunpowder?

Thanks.

**MasterAdnin** · November 25, 2006, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Naja

Pardon me for asking, but I am more interested in strategy. What are some good ways to fight attacking armies that have gunpowder artillery when you're defending a castle? Are castles even relevant after gunpowder?

Thanks.

More or less, no. You have gun powder units being created in Cities, so there is no real point in castles, although they still have more unit variation. Although say you, in the beginning of the game, have a ratio of 1 castle for every 3 cities, later in the game, you should increase the ratio like, 1 castle for every 6 cities, and so on. This will create effective ratios, yet you will still have strong armies.

Salaam,
adnan

**imb39** · November 25, 2006, 04:01 PM

For the English, you need castles. Gunpouwder will never eliminate the longbowman in this era.

**Ambrosius** · November 25, 2006, 04:16 PM

i dont build any sortof towers - ballista or cannon - anymore.
i find that they are more of a hindrance than a help. i win all of my siege battles, and when i sally out with my men either to attack the besieger or to mop up their routing units, i lose dozens of my men to friendly fire from the damned cannon towers. so i just stopped building them.

i believe there is a bug where huge wall settlements fire cannons anyways, even without gunpowder being discovered or any cannon/ballista towers being built. can anyone confirm this?

**centrelink4** · November 26, 2006, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by Naja

Once your opponent is able to build Grand Bombards and Basilisks, is there really any point in building Citadels? Should I try to build up Mortars or Trebuchets to snipe them behind my walls? If it is still feasible, what are some good strategies to defend late-game castles against gunpowder artillery?

Well you cant defend against normal arty (catapults etc) so I dont see you defending against gundpowder.

Towers - not much damage, wont shoot what you want them to so they will be shooting something useless whilst getting demolished themselves, and bugged to boot.

Arty - cant be placed on walls so cant fire back. The exception is things like mortars and trebuchets. The problem with them is:

a) space, youll find you cant really fit them in behind your walls properly (so you end up with one treb or mortar to try and stop 4 cannons for example)

b) accuracy, if you hit something you do alot of damage but this is a matter of luck, it may take 4 or 5 shots or more to score a hit and, unlike field battles, you wont have the benefit of the 'accidental hits' (you know where you say shoot at the enemy catapult but it 'misses' and lands smack in the middle of the enemys heavy cav and kills almost all of them). However the beseiger has a much better chance of hitting somewhere along the wall.

c) Weak walls, with one shot from the beseiger you can find your gate or wall is breached. So given b) above the walls wont stand up long enough for you to have a chance of silencing their guns.

**Daveman** · November 26, 2006, 09:27 PM

My ballista towers shoot ballista bolts but I haven't yet built any cannon towers. I know it's not shooting cannonballs because the sound is clearly not a cannon shot...and I can see the bolt drive through the infantry and horse when it hits...it may be a confirmed bug but that doesn't mean it happens to everyone every time.