Mangonel

Not to be confused with Mongols, the civilization.


 * "Wheeled siege weapon used to attack a small mass of units." - Age of Empires II Description

The Mangonel is a ranged Siege Unit primarily used against large groups of enemies. Its high attack and splash damage makes it a powerful unit, although this is offset by its low accuracy, minimum range, and tendency to harm friendly units caught in its blast.

Tactics
The Mangonel unit is best employed in groups of three to ten, behind large buildings, walls, or towers in order to avoid being attacked by melee units. Its powerful attack can be devastating to most groups of enemy units, but it is best to watch the fire of friendly units in order to avoid friendly fire. Mangonels require more management than scorpions and are more dangerous to use. Using the Attack Ground command is useful for Mangonels if one can predict the movement of enemy troops.

It is usually paired with ranged units since it is less likely that those units would be affected by the Mangonels attack, or in other cases with melee units for protection against enemy melee units, when pairing with melee units is important to set those units in defensive stance just in order to prevent the melee units to be driven away from the mangonels and avoid to be hitted by the player's own mangonels

Mangonels are a perfect way to deal with masses of foot archers or with closed formations of units since they deal area damage.

Compared with the Scorpion

 * In most circumstances, a single mangonel will do more damage than a scorpion. However, scorpions does damage in a straight line while mangonels attack a single, small area. this means that in larger numbers, scorpions do more damage than mangonels unless the mangonels are micromanaged properly.
 * Scorpions do not damage friendly units, but mangonels do. This means that mangonels are more dangerous to use in a melee battle.
 * Scorpion bolts reach their targets faster than mangonel payloads.
 * Mangonels have slightly more hitpoints.
 * Scorpions need less micromanagement than mangonels against AI since computer controlled units will make a beeline for their target, ensuring that the scorpion will hit them anyway.
 * Scorpions cannot attack ground, making them impossible to micromanage against an agile unit. In contrast, a cleverly managed mangonel may hit fast moving units.

Civilization bonuses

 * Aztecs: Mangonels are created 15% faster.
 * Chinese: Technologies that benefits Mangonels are 10%/15%/20% cheaper in Feudal/Castle/Imperial age.
 * Celts: Herdables cannot be stolen within a Mangonel's Line of Sight. Mangonels fire rate 20% faster.
 * Slavs: Mangonels are 15% cheaper.

Team Bonuses

 * A team containing Celts: Produce Mangonels 20% faster.
 * A team containing Teutons: Mangonels are more resistant to conversion.
 * A team Containing Koreans: Mangonels +1 range.

The Forgotten Changes

 * A team Containing Koreans: Mangonels minimum range reduced (instead of +1 range).
 * Celts: Imperial age unique technology Furor Celtica gives to Mangonels 40% more hp instead of 50%.

History
"The mangonel was an improvement on the ancient catapult that was used to throw stones and other missiles, usually in a siege attack against a fortified position. The mangonel usually fired directly at a target, using a bar to stop the throwing arm when it was vertical. This threw the missile directly forward. Mangonels were used to fire one large stone or a basket of smaller stones. They were often assembled on the spot for use, but were also built on wheeled frames for easier movement."