The Cannoneer is a ranged light infantry unit, based on the Abus Gunner, that is effective against all infantry due to their ranged attack, that causes siege damage. In comparison, Cannoneers have lesser ranged and siege attack, multipliers, resistance, and cost only coin, but are trained five seconds faster, have a slightly increased hand attack, range in siege combat and take only one population space.
They are cheaper compared with most of mercenaries and are available in the Commerce Age, making them a serious threat if players manage to mass Cannoneers to raid enemy settlements. However, like all light infantry units, they can be taken down by heavy cavalry like Hussars; counter-skirmishers can defeat Cannoneers due to their multipliers against light infantry, but considering that they are also infantry, they will be vulnerable against the Cannoneers' siege damage. Spies will be especially effective to counter Cannoneers due to their high multipliers against mercenaries, as long as they are not taken down by them. In any case, it is recommended to combine Spies or counter-skirmishers with heavy cavalry to handle Cannoneers.
The United States can get Cannoneers through the "Poker" Home City Card, in the pool of random mercenaries shipped, which also randomly enables them in Saloons.
The player gains +10% XP from training units and other players receive -10% XP from defeating them; Sansculottes gather resources from Crates 50% faster; food from Berry Bushes and Cherry Orchards 25% faster; wood from trees and Mango Groves and coin from mines 20% faster; food from huntable and Herded animals, Mills, Farms and coin from Estates 15% faster
"Cult of the Supreme Being" is available upon revolting to Revolutionary France.
Delivers 13 random mercenaries; adds up to 3 random mercenaries to training at the Saloon; costs 3,500 coin
Indiana Mobilization
Delivers 1 Carbine Cavalry for each shipment sent so far this game including this one; unit train time (except Heavy Cannons), technology research time, and age-up time -10%; costs 250 food, 250 wood
Originally, Cannoneers had 30 ranged damage. With update 43871, Cannoneers have 28 ranged damage.
Cannoneers have ×1.5 melee vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.5 vs. cavalry and shock infantry, ×1.5 ranged vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry, ×0.5 vs. cavalry and shock infantry.
With update 13.58326, Cannoneers have ×0.5 melee multiplier vs. heavy cavalry and hand shock infantry and ×2.5 ranged vs. light cavalry and ranged shock infantry.
It is the first mercenary unit that can be hired from Taverns and similar buildings in the Commerce Age, with the Irish Brigadier being the second one.
The Cannoneer and the Irish Brigadier are the only two mercenary units to take one population space.
The Cannoneer is tagged as rifle infantry, but it does not wield a rifle. This is probably due to balance reasons, as Cannoneers are based on the Abus Gunners, which are also considered Rifle infantry.
Instead, the Cannoneer is armed with a heavy musket (that is fired from a hook gun), as stated in the History section. Essentially, the heavy musket is a wall gun, a scaled-up version of the army's standard infantry musket used in the 16th through 19th centuries by defending forces to break the advance of enemy troops.
History[]
“
It was not at all uncommon for European adventurers and soldiers of fortune to pledge themselves to foreign rulers in exchange for vast sums of money. Cannoneers represent the vast number of European mercenaries who used advanced weaponry such as early muskets to carve out a niche in foreign lands, such as the Kongolese Kingdom, where military technology was not yet quite as advanced.
TEAM Senegalese Riflemen
Liberation March
Fencing School
Outlaw Combat
Feudal Armies
Loyal Warriors
Hire Cannoneers
TEAM Yongle Infrastructure
Western Reforms
Acupuncture
TEAM Infantry Hitpoints
Dutch States Army
TEAM Coffee Consumption
Temenyas
Ignatian Spirituality
Hire Band of Cannoneer Mercenaries
Wanderlust
Royal Fencing School
Cult of the Supreme Being
Improved Mercenaries
Adler von Lübeck
TEAM Scout Infantry
Conservative Tactics
Sahelian Kingdoms
Road Building
TEAM Inca Bridges
Dravidian Martial Arts
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
Zamindars
Infantry Hitpoints
Schiavoni Swords
Onin War
Bakufu
Moccasins
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
Squires
Guerrilla Tactics
Plan of Miramare
TEAM Mariachi
Colegio de San Nicolás
National Servant
Bastimento
Pok Ta Pok
Matrakci School
Topçular
TEAM Gunpowder Infantry Hitpoints
Hire Band of Cannoneer Mercenaries
Ransack
Dueling School
Peninsular Guerrillas
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
TEAM House of Bernadotte
German Mercenary Contracts
Continental Rangers
Poker
Indiana Mobilization
Hamilton's Own
The African Royals[]
