Siege Elephant

The Siege Elephant is an artillery unit exclusive to the Indians in Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties.

Overview
Siege elephant are trained in the Fortress Age at the Castle. It has a siege cannon mounted on to an elephant's back, making it effective against buildings, ships and Artillery. It is by far the most durable artillery unit of the game with the HP of a war elephant.

They have the advantage in mobility compared to many other artillery units as they don't need to stop and set up before following. This allows for quick and destructive attacks against enemy structures. They can also flee losing battles as they are faster than normal cannons. However, despite its brutal strength, the Siege Elephant quickly falls to Hand Cavalry units.

They are categorized as light cavalry, making Axe Riders less effective against them, but also making skirmishers and archers a large threat.

History
"The training of elephants started in the Indus Valley located between India and Pakistan about 4,000 years ago. Elephants had many different military uses both on and off the battlefield. Females were often used as pack animals, while males were equipped and ridden into combat. The thickness of an elephant’s hide was natural protection against projectiles, such as arrows, while its incredible strength allowed it to trample incoming infantry and startle cavalry. Generals and officers often used elephants to gain a heightened view of the battlefield, enabling better tactical movement. The use of war elephants spread west from India as western rulers incorporated them into their armies. The most notable example of this was when the Carthaginian warlord, Hannibal, used war elephants against the Romans in 264 BCE. While elephants were not very effective as siege weapons, many armies tried to capitalize on the beast’s strength or size when attacking enemy fortifications. In some instances, the elephant’s strength and tusks alone were enough to topple a wall. In other situations, light cannon, such as culverins, were mounted on the Howdah, or carriage, that was secured atop an elephant’s back."

Trivia

 * Everytime a Siege Elephant's cannon fires, it pulls its head and trunk up.
 * Unlike camels, in real life, there has not been much success with cannons mounted on elephants, as the loud firing would often scare and cause hearing damage to the elephants' ears.