Heated Shot (Age of Empires II)

Heated Shot is a technology in Age of Empires II that can be researched at the University. By lighting arrows and heating cannonballs, this technology greatly increases tower and castle attack against ships by 125% and 25% respectively.

The first arrow of towers cause +225% damage to ships, even without Heated Shot. Note that it only concerns the first shot; the additional arrows (which are affected by Fletching/Bodkin Arrow/Bracer upgrades) also get some additional damage to ships: 5 for Town Centers, 7 for Watch Towers, 9 for Guard Towers, 10 for Keeps, and 11 for Castles. Bombard Towers get a 40 bonus damage to ships.

It is highly unrecommended to stay close to building fire with ships, Camels, Mamelukes and Petards (as Camels, Mamelukes and Petards are classified as ships); even ungarrisoned towers and castles can kill a fully upgraded Heavy Camel in 2 to 6 hits.

Civilizations bonuses

 * Chinese:  Heated Shot cost is 10%/15%/20% cheaper in Feudal/Castle/ Imperial age.

History
''Coastal gunners who engaged ships learned to heat their cannonballs in furnaces until they were red hot. If a heated shot lodged in the woodwork of a sailing ship, it could set the ship afire. The wadding in the barrel of the gun had to be sufficiently thick to not burn away before the cannon could be fired. If the shot burned through the wadding too quickly, the gun could go off before being properly aimed. In such a case the gun might explode rather than fire. Heated shot that plunged through decks was especially dangerous. It could lodge deep in the ship where the crew could not reach it with water before fire had taken hold. If fire reached the powder magazine, the ship would explode.''