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Weak light artillery. En masse, good against other artillery.
—In-game description

The Hand Mortar is an artillery in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties that is unique to the Chinese and can be trained at the Castle once the Fortress Age is reached or (prior to the Definitive Edition) as part of the Mongolian Army. It is a weak but very cheap artillery that only takes up one population.

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Overview[]

The Hand Mortar has a high ranged resistance and it complements it with a bonus against artillery. They also out-range most artillery, with exception of the Mortar, Morutaru, and the Culverin (which has equal range), and most other units. It is a relatively weak artillery unit and deals a base damage of 5 points per shot, but has large multipliers against buildings, ships and artillery.

The Hand Mortar is ineffective against all forms of infantry and cavalry, and should not be left exposed. However, it is difficult to destroy by shelling, and with its low cost, it is an effective "meat shield" to protect the Chinese army, which is usually massed in large numbers, from enemy artillery fire. Due to its mediocre range compared to other mortars, it should be positioned outside a city's fortifications and attached to a Territorial or Old Han Army.

The Hand Mortar is best used in massed numbers against buildings, ships or other artillery. When positioned at the flanks, the Hand Mortar should be guarded by infantry or cavalry.

Upgrades[]

Hand Mortars automatically get +0.75x multiplier against Walls in the Industrial Age.*

Age Upgrade Cost Effect
Age IV tech tree aoe 3
Honored siege Honored Hand Mortar 250 food
250 wood
Upgrades Hand Mortars to Honored (+25% hit points and attack)
Imperial Age
Exalted siege Exalted Hand Mortar 1,000 wood
1,000 coin
Upgrades Hand Mortars to Exalted (+50% hit points and attack); requires Honored Hand Mortar

Further statistics[]

Unit strengths and weaknesses
Strong vs. Artillery (when massed), ships, buildings
Weak vs. Infantry (especially Arrow Knights), cavalry, shock infantry, Culverins
Improvements
Hit points Professional gunners Professional Gunners (+10%)
Tar kilns Tar Kilns (+5%)
Attack Smokeless Powder Smokeless Powder (+5%)
Heated Shot Heated Shot (+50% multiplier vs. ships)
Som ajuran engineers Somali Ajuran Engineers (+20% multiplier vs. Frontier Fortification)
Line of Sight Gunners Quadrant Gunner's Quadrant (+6)
Town Watch Town Watch (+3)
Speed Trunion Trunion (+15%)
Apache Endurance Apache Endurance (+5%)
Train time Immigrants Immigrants (-10%)
Cost Mapuche Ad-mapu Mapuche Ad-mapu (-10% coin cost)
Golden liberty Golden Liberty (-5% coin cost)
Other Merritocracy Meritocracy (-20% upgrade cost)
Penalties Coffee Trade Coffee Trade (-10% speed; Dutch only)

Home City Cards[]

Click for a list of Home City Cards related to the Hand Mortar

Changelog[]

The Asian Dynasties[]

  • Initially, The Hand Mortar is trained as part of the Mongolian Army, with 20.0 attack damage, ×4.0 multiplier against Buildings, ×2.0 multiplier against Ships, ×2.0 multiplier against Artillery, and 3.0 movement speed, and 4.0 Max Speed. With Patch 1.01, Speed is 3.0 and Max Speed is 4.0, All cannon attacks' damage reduced to 5.0, and all cannon attacks' multiplier have been changed: multiplier against Buildings isx16.0, multiplier against Ships is x14.0, and multiplier against Artillery is x6.0.

Definitive Edition[]

  • The Hand Mortar is no longer trained as part of the Mongolian Army.

Knights of the Mediterranean[]

  • With update 13.58326, Hand Mortars have a 1.25x multiplier vs. walls in the Fortress Age, which is increased to 2.0x upon reaching the Industrial Age.

Trivia[]

  • The Hand Mortar is the cheapest artillery unit in Age of Empires III.
  • Despite the model featuring two men carrying the weapon, the Hand Mortar only uses a single population slot.

History[]

The earliest use of exploding bombs dates back to 1044, when bombs were encased in paper and generally used to create a distraction, or to startle soldiers and cavalry horses. The first Chinese hand mortar used specifically for firing iron-cased bombs was found in 1413. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the hand-thrown bomb became more common in battle, and eventually the Chinese began to use it as mortar ammunition, replacing spherical stones as the projectile of choice.

The hand mortar was highly mobile and its fuse could be shortened and lengthened in accordance with the kind of bomb it was firing. Because of the diversity of bombs developed by Chinese and Korean armies, a hand mortar could cause a wide variety of effects, making it a very adaptable, and very dangerous, siege weapon.

Gallery[]

Military units in Age of Empires III
AOE3Icon Age of Empires III
CommonExplorer · Militiaman · Crossbowman · Pikeman · Halberdier · Musketeer · Skirmisher · Grenadier · Hussar · Dragoon · Cavalry Archer · Falconet · Culverin · Mortar · Heavy Cannon · Caravel · Galleon · Frigate · Monitor
Flag BritishDE BritishLongbowman · Ranger· Rocket
Flag DutchDE DutchRuyter · Fluyt
Flag FrenchDE FrenchCuirassier
Flag GermanDE GermansLandwehr** · Doppelsoldner · Uhlan · War Wagon
Flag OttomanDE OttomansBashibozuk** · Janissary · Azap** · Nizam Fusilier· Abus Gunner · Humbaraci** · Deli** · Great Bombard · Galley · Spahi
Flag PortugueseDE PortugueseCassador · Organ Gun
Flag RussianDE RussiansStrelet · Cossack · Oprichnik
Flag SpanishDE SpanishRodelero · Lancer
WarchiefsIcon The WarChiefs
CommonWarrior · Canoe · War Canoe · Ironclad · Horse Artillery · Petard · Spy
Flag AztecDE AztecsAztec War Chief · Coyote Runner · Otontin Slinger · Puma Spearman · Arrow Knight · Eagle Runner Knight · Jaguar Prowl Knight · Warrior Priest · Skull Knight · Tlaloc Canoe
Flag IroquoisDE HaudenosauneeHaudenosaunee War Chief · Aenna · Tomahawk · Forest Prowler · Kanya Horseman · Musket Rider · Ram · Mantlet · Light Cannon
Flag SiouxDE LakotaLakota War Chief · Cetan Bowman · Club Warrior · Wakina Rifle · Axe Rider · Bow Rider · Rifle Rider · Tashunke Prowler · Tokala Soldier
Revolution RevolutionRevolutionary · Gatling Gun
DynastiesIcon The Asian Dynasties
Flag ChineseDE ChineseShaolin Master · Disciple · Sentry · Irregular · Chu Ko Nu · Qiang Pikeman · Changdao Swordsman · Arquebusier · Steppe Rider · Keshik · Iron Flail · Meteor Hammer · Flamethrower · Hand Mortar · Flying Crow · Fire Junk · War Junk · Fuchuan
Flag IndianDE IndiansBrahmin · Sentry · Irregular · Rajput · Sepoy · Gurkha · Urumi Swordsman · Sowar · Zamburak · Mahout Lancer · Howdah · Flail Elephant · Siege Elephant
Flag JapaneseDE JapaneseSohei Archer · Sentry · Irregular · Yumi Archer · Ashigaru Musketeer · Samurai · Naginata Rider · Yabusame · Flaming Arrow · Morutaru · Daimyo · Shogun Tokugawa · Yamabushi · Shinobi · Fune · Atakabune · Tekkousen
Age3DE Icon Definitive Edition
CommonCaptured Mortar · General · Sloop · Steamer · Battleship
Flag IncanDE IncaInca War Chief · Jungle Bowman · Plumed Spearman · Chimu Runner · Bolas Warrior · Huaraca · Maceman · Chincha Raft
Flag SwedishDE SwedesCarolean · Hakkapelit · Leather Cannon
Flag American act3 aoe3de United StatesMinuteman · State Militia · Regular · Sharpshooter · Carbine Cavalry · Gatling Gun · Quaker Gun · Gunslinger · Cowboy · Owlhoot
Flag MexicanDE MexicansPadre · Insurgente · Soldado · Salteador · Chinaco · Desperado · Cuatrero · Bandido
Revolution RevolutionBarbary Warrior · Californio · Cetbang Cannon · Corsair Marksman · Cowboy · Cruzob Avenger · Cruzob Infantry · Cuerudo · Filibuster · Gaucho · Jagunço · Javanese Spearman · Llanero · Morochuco · Mounted Granadero · Revolutionary Sharpshooter · Trek Wagon
The African Royals
CommonLevied Spearman · Levied Bowman · Levied Gunner · Javelin Rider · Desert Warrior · Desert Archer · Desert Raider · Battle Canoe · Cannon Boat
Flag Ethiopian aoe3de EthiopiansRas · Oromo Warrior · Gascenya · Shotel Warrior · Neftenya · Sebastopol Mortar · War Dhow
Flag Hausa HausaEmir · Fulani Archer · Raider · Lifidi Knight · Maigadi · Xebec
Knights of the Mediterranean
Flag ItalianDE ItaliansPavisier · Bersagliere · Schiavone · Papal Guard · Papal Lancer · Papal Zouave · Papal Bombard · Galleass · Leonardo's Tank
Flag MalteseDE MalteseGrand Master · Hospitaller · Sentinel · Fire Thrower · Order Galley · Fire Ship
* added in the Definitive Edition   ** in Knights of the Mediterranean
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