12-lber Howitzer Foot Artillery

12-lber Howitzer Foot Artillery
Belongs to	Most European and American Factions
Type	Foot Artillery
Guns	4
Firepower	27
Range	350
Accuracy	45
Reload	25
Morale	3
Tech requirement	Explosive Shells
Produced from	Military Governor's Barracks/Great Arsenal or higher
Shot Types	Round Shot; Explosive Shells; Carcass Shot; Quicklime Shells; Percussion Shells
Cost	630 SP/790 MP
Upkeep	150
Turns to Train	1
Unit Cap	None

12-lber Howitzer Foot Artillery are a type of artillery in Empire: Total War.

Description

Howitzers send shells plunging into enemy formations and over defences, making cover irrelevant.

Howitzers are something of a misfit in the world of artillery, combining elements of both mortars and field pieces. Stubby-barreled and mounted on limbered field carriages, howitzers are capable of delivering a range of ordnance via indirect fire.

By angling the barrel and changing the propellant charge used, howitzers have impressive flexibility in shell trajectories. Experienced crews can lob ordnance with great accuracy into a “beaten zone”, making life utterly miserable and very short for anyone within it. As foot artillerymen, howitzer gunners walk into battle alongside the draft animals, giving them limited battlefield mobility.

General Information

Even a small battery of well-utilized howitzers can help tip the balance of power in a player's favor. Their medium-long range and ballistic trajectory allow them to be deployed in the safety of an army's rear without dramatically reducing its effectiveness. The Explosive Shells (and later Carcass Shot, Percussion Shells and Quicklime Shells) make it an effective tool against mass of infantry or cavalry, while Round Shot can be used to take down walls safely at a distance.