| Unit Information | Game Strategies | History |
 In the Extended Edition, this unit/building is affected by a damage bug.
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The Culverin Mahout is an Indian and Persian unique Elephant of the 
Enlightenment Age, available to upgrade from the Gun Mahout and are trained at the Stable.
Unlike other unique units, Culverin Mahouts do not replace any standard unit, but are a standalone unit entirely exclusive to the aforementioned nations.
Overview[]
When Gun Mahoutss become Culverin Mahouts, they gain +5 hit points, +1 attack strength, and +1 attack range.
Culverin Mahouts have exceptionally high armor for a unit of their age, which can make them very resilient. The unit's ranged attack can also be used while moving, much like with typical Ranged Cavalry. They move as slowly as most Heavy Infantry -- slower than all other cavalry -- and are more expensive than other units.
Despite their high health, attack strength, and high armor, the damage modifiers conferred as Ranged Cavalry cause Mahouts to perform significantly differently than one might expect from their base stats.
They continue to be highly effective against Heavy Infantry, although they are no longer able to boast a one-hit-kill against the sub-units in a squad of Fusiliers without other damage bonuses such as from flanking damage.
Against all cavalry units their matchups continue to erode slightly because other units continue to gain more stats with each upgrade compared to what the Culverin Mahout receives. In a head-to-head fight against Light Cavalry they're slightly disadvantaged, losing an even-numbered fight against Hussars by a small margin. Against Heavy Cavalry they maintain only a minute advantage, narrowly winning an even-numbered fight against Cuirassiers. They do at least continue to beat Ranged Cavalry fairly convincingly in even-numbered fights.
Like other Ranged Cavalry they deal significant damage against civilian targets, potentially making them formiddable raiders that are able to kill Citizens in two hits just like other Ranged Cavalry, whilst maintaining their unique resilience against low-damage structures such as Cities and Towers provided by the unit's high armor value.
Culverin Mahouts have two key advantages compared to their Mahout and Gun Mahout predecessors which actually has little to do with the unit itself. In the Enlightenment Age:
- Crossbowmen, the most effective units against the Mahout line, upgrade to Musketeers and lose their enormous damage bonus against Culverin Mahouts in doing so.
- Light and Heavy Cavalry are the only remaining units with a favorable matchup against Culverin Mahouts, yet they both have an atrocious matchup against the newly available ranged Heavy Infantry in the form of Fusiliers.
With these unit types removed and nullified respectively, in direct combat there is no easy combat counter to the Culverin Mahout left. This can allow them to be highly effective shock troops if supported appropriately, able to lead a charge with a reckless abandon that not even Heavy Cavalry can typically muster. Although they remain more expensive than other units, their uniquely favorable position within the game's complicated set of matchups is often sufficient to make them cost-effective even outside of specialist roles.
Notes[]
- Culverin Mahouts, along with Mahouts and Gun Mahouts, do not have a functional melee attack independent of their ranged attack (contrary to what their attack animations imply). Although there is an attack animation and accompanying SFX, this melee attack does not deal any additional damage when used alongside the unit's ranged attack.
Trivia[]
- Culverin Mahouts will not utilise their "melee attack" if set to the stand ground stance, even if enemy units are within melee range. Instead, they will exclusively use their standard ranged attack unless their stance is changed or they are specifically told to attack a target.
- Culverin Mahouts, along with the rest of the Elephants, are the units with the most armor in the game, even surpassing Main Battle Tanks, which have a point less.
