Bombard Tower
Defensive - ImperialBase values, before building technologies. Masonry and then Architecture each give buildings "+10% HP, +1/+1 Armor": late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
Prerequisites
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Try it freeDescription
"Powerful gunpowder tower that fires cannonballs. Available from the Imperial Age, it deals massive damage to buildings and units alike."
Strategic Analysis
Strategic Role
The Bombard Tower is the most powerful static defense in the game. Its cannonball deals 120 damage, devastating to all units. Not all civilizations have access to this technology.
Key Tactics
Anti-Siege
Bombard Towers can destroy Rams and Siege Weapons quickly. Place them where siege attacks are likely.
Building Destruction
Use Bombard Towers offensively by building them near enemy structures. They can destroy buildings from range.
Chokepoint Control
A Bombard Tower at a narrow passage can stop entire armies. The splash damage is devastating in tight spaces.
Warning
Bombard Towers are very expensive and have a slow rate of fire. They cannot handle large swarms of cheap units efficiently.
Stats Analysis
Bombard Towers deal devastating damage per shot but fire slowly. They excel at killing expensive units and destroying buildings.
Attack
120
Massive damage per cannonball. One-shots most infantry and severely damages cavalry.
Cost
100W + 125S
Expensive, requiring both wood and stone. A significant investment for each tower.
Rate of Fire
Slow
Fires approximately every 6 seconds. Fast units can dodge shots.
Placement Tip
Place Bombard Towers at chokepoints or near valuable targets like Town Centers. Their splash damage is most effective in tight areas.
Timing Tip
Research Bombard Tower in Imperial Age if you have access and expect siege warfare. They require Chemistry technology.
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Other Buildings
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Context & meta
Bombard Tower is the Imperial Age cannon defense, built for 100 wood and 125 stone over 80 seconds after the University prerequisite. It has 2,220 HP, 120 attack, 3 melee/9 pierce armor, 8 range, 10 line of sight and no garrison capacity. The official help says it has a powerful ranged attack, is strong against everything in range and weak against long-range Siege Weapons. Its 120 attack makes each shot matter, but the static defensive investment is fixed in place; its strength is the zone it makes unsafe, not a mobile army.
History & balance
Bombard Tower is the gunpowder endpoint of the defensive tower path, with the official help assigning line-of-sight upgrades to the Town Center, attack and range to the Blacksmith, and HP, armor and ship attack to the University. The building data fixes the Imperial age, University prerequisite, 100 wood/125 stone cost and 80-second build time. Its design history is a shift from arrow control to cannon control: the tower no longer needs a garrison to threaten everything in range, but it also asks the player to invest heavily before its static zone exists.
In pro play
Place Bombard Towers where an opponent must move through the 8-range zone: a narrow approach, a valuable resource or a structure that anchors the defense. The 120 attack and high 2,220 HP make a single tower meaningful, while 10 line of sight helps it see the fight it is meant to control. Do not spend 100 wood and 125 stone on a tower that protects nothing; the 80-second build time and fixed footprint reward preparation. Combine the zone with an army that covers the long-range Siege Weapon answer, then make the opponent choose between detour and cannon fire.
How to counter it
The classic mistake is to throw Cavalry or Infantry into the Bombard Tower's firing zone and call the lost units a trade. In practice, the counters are long-range Siege Weapons. Trebuchets outrange the tower with a 4-16 range and +250 against buildings, so they can dismantle the static defense from outside its 8 range; the tower cannot move to close that gap. Bring the answer before the push, protect the firing engine and attack from beyond the zone. If you keep losing to Bombard Towers without knowing what to build or when, that is exactly what AoE Coach does: it reads your match-up and gives you the counter composition and timing.