Gun Mahout

Unit Information

Game Strategies

History

In the Extended Edition, this unit/building is affected by a damage bug. Missing -34% damage vs Armed Caravans, Armed Supply Wagons, and Armed Merchants. Missing +50% damage vs Civilians. Missing +15% damage vs Ranged Cavalry. Missing -5% damage vs Sparse. Missing +100% damage vs Heavy Infantry. Missing additional -34% damage vs Sparse. Missing +20% damage vs Siege (including but not limited to Artillery Weapons). Missing -5% damage vs Heavy Cavalry. Missing -50% damage vs Citizens. Notably also takes substantially less damage from Light Infantry and Foot Archers than intended.

Gun Mahout
Indian and Persian Unique Elephant
Base cost	120 Food 70 Wealth
Ramping cost	3 Food 3 Wealth
Build time	16 seconds (245 frames)
Hit points	185
Line of sight	10 tiles
Movement speed	25 (1.9 tiles/second)
Attack strength	22
Attack range	0-9 tiles
Attack speed	40 frames
Armor	8
Population points
Built at	Stable
Prerequisites	Gunpowder Age
Hotkey (Stable)	M
Upgrades from	Mahout
Upgrades to	Culverin Mahout
Special abilities	Has both melee attack and ranged attack* Can attack while moving (ranged)

The Gun Mahout is an Indian and Persian unique Elephant of the Gunpowder Age, available to upgrade from the Mahout and are trained at the Stable.

Unlike other unique units, Gun Mahouts do not replace any standard unit, but are a standalone unit entirely exclusive to the aforementioned nations.

Overview

When Mahouts become Gun Mahouts, they gain +5 hit points, +1 attack strength, and +1 attack range.

Mahouts have exceptionally high armor for a unit of their age, which can make them very resilient. The unit's new ranged attack also allows it to fire while moving, much like 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, and can kill each sub-unit in a squad of Elite Pikemen in a single hit from any angle -- although this is prevented if the latter's armor is boosted by a Patriot or General.

Gun Mahouts fare slightly worse against the newly introduced Gunpowder Infantry than the previous Light Infantry, narrowly winning fights when outnumbered 2:3 but no longer able to match evenly when outnumbered 1:2. Foot Archers continue to be a strong counter, even though Crossbowmen have no upgrade in the Gunpowder Age.

In a head-to-head fight against Light Cavalry Gun Mahouts are slightly disadvantaged, losing an even-numbered fight against Elite Light Cavalry by a small margin. Against Heavy Cavalry they're conversely slightly advantaged, winning an even-numbered fight against Heavy Knights by a small margin. They continue to convincingly beat Ranged Cavalry in even-numbered fights, although this advantage is diminished compared to the previous age because Dragoons gain more base stats with their upgrade.

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 early Towers provided by the unit's high armor value.

Given their high cost and eccentric combination of matchups, it can be difficult to find an effective role for Gun Mahouts on the battlefield except against masses of enemy Heavy Infantry. In almost all other roles, other units perform similarly or better but at a lower cost.

Notes

• Gun Mahouts, along with Mahouts and Culverin 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

• Gun 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.
• Gun 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.