Mangonel
Siege WeaponBase values, before Blacksmith upgrades. The Blacksmith raises attack and armour for infantry, cavalry and archers — Blast Furnace, for instance, gives "+2 Attack for infantry & cavalry". Late in a game, the real numbers are higher.
Evolution
Mangonel
Castle Age
Onager
Imperial Age
Siege Onager
Imperial AgeThe coach's briefing
The Mangonel is your answer to massed archers. It fires stones that deal splash damage, devastating tightly grouped units. It has minimum range - units close to it cannot be targeted. Watch for friendly fire, it will damage your own units. Protect it with infantry against cavalry.
STRONG AGAINST
You win these trades cost-effectively.
WEAK AGAINST
Avoid these fights or bring support.
Prepare your next matchup
Choose both civilizations for a game plan, key threats and an army composition.
Strategic Analysis
Tactical Identity
The Mangonel is your **anti-mass unit**. When enemies group their archers or infantry together, Mangonels punish them with devastating splash damage.
Tactical Playbook
Archer Destroyer
Mangonels counter mass Crossbowmen. One good shot kills multiple archers. Force spread formations or suffer heavy losses.
Siege Push
Use Mangonels to clear defensive positions. They outrange Town Centers and can force Villagers to flee.
Cut Trees
Mangonels can attack-ground to cut trees, creating surprise attack paths or escape routes.
Critical Point
**Cavalry will delete you**. Knights close distance fast and your 3 minimum range means you can't fight back. Always have Pikemen or Monks protecting your Mangonels.
Understanding The Stats
The Mangonel is a fragile but devastating area-of-effect weapon that requires careful positioning.
Splash Damage
Deals 40 damage in an area. Multiple units hit means massive total damage.
Minimum Range
Cannot attack units within 3 tiles. Cavalry exploit this weakness ruthlessly.
Anti-Building
Solid building damage for early siege. Useful for destroying walls and production buildings.
Fragile
Low HP means you die quickly to focused fire. Keep them protected.
Coach's Tip
Your 50 HP is very low. A Knight with 10 attack kills you in just 5 hits. Never leave Mangonels unprotected - one Knight dive ends your siege push.
Mechanics & Bonuses
Attack Bonuses
| Target | Bonus Dmg |
|---|---|
| Building | +35 |
| Siege Weapon | +12 |
Armor Classes
Siege Weapon
Takes bonus from Mangonels and Bombard Cannons. Can be repaired.
Key Upgrades
Civilizations
* 46 civilizations have access to this unit.
AoE Coach analysis
Context & meta
The Mangonel line — Mangonel, Onager, Siege Onager — is the answer to units standing too close together. A single shot at 40 attack, then 50 and 75 through the upgrades, can settle an archer engagement, which is why the presence of two or three of them changes how both armies are allowed to stand. The price is a body that cannot defend itself: 50 HP, 0.6 speed, a minimum range of 3, and damage that hits friendly units as readily as enemy ones. Fourteen of the fifty-three civilizations reach the Siege Onager, and for several of them it is the piece the entire late game is built around.
History & balance
The Mangonel line exists to punish density, and every number says so: 40 attack, +35 against buildings, a 3-to-7 range with a minimum distance, 0.6 speed and 50 HP. Everything that makes it terrifying against a clump leaves it helpless alone, which is exactly what the official help means when it names close range as the weakness. Its damage does not distinguish between armies either — a shot fired into a melee costs its owner as much as its target — so the unit tests positioning rather than production. The Onager (60 HP, 55 attack) and the Siege Onager (70 HP, 75 attack) keep the same shape and raise the stakes on both sides of that trade.
In pro play
The Mangonel is bought for one job: breaking tight groups. Its 40 attack, with +35 against buildings, justifies 160 wood and 135 gold only when it fires into a clump, so it belongs behind the front line and never in front of it. Its 3-to-7 range carries a minimum distance, which is exactly why the official help marks it weak against anything at close range — a unit that closes inside 3 is safe. Move it with the army rather than after it: at 0.6 speed, a Mangonel left behind is a Mangonel lost. Take the Onager upgrade (60 HP, 55 attack) once the composition is stable enough to protect it.
How to counter it
Light Cavalry (especially Hussars with full upgrades) dive Mangonels — three Hussars kill a Mangonel before it can fire twice. Bombard Cannons outrange Mangonels (12 vs 8) and destroy them safely. Petards detonate stationary siege. The micro counter is unit spread: hold Alt+Right-Click to move with formation gaps so a single Mangonel shot can't hit more than 2-3 units. The macro counter is producing your own Mangonels — a Mangonel war becomes a positioning duel where the player with better terrain wins.