Hot Air Balloons are unlocked in the Home City and trained from Explorers and Heroes. They reveal a huge area, allowing a player to see the units of enemy players from far away.
Hot Air Balloons cannot be attacked, but they do not persist for very long and it is several minutes before a player can train another.
”
—Hot Air Balloon in-game information
“
Advanced Hot Air Balloons are unlocked in the Home City and trained from Explorers. They reveal a huge area, allowing a player to see the units of enemy players from far away.
Unlike regular Hot Air Balloons, Advanced Hot Air Balloons will persist for an entire game.
”
—Advanced Hot Air Balloon in-game information
Overview[]
The Hot Air Balloon is an invulnerable, attack-less exploration unit that hovers above the ground. There are two types of balloons:
Through the use of the Commerce Age card "Hot Air Balloons" or choosing The Inventor to advance to the Commerce Age in the Definitive Edition available to European civilizations, a player's Explorer gains the ability to release Hot Air Balloons. These balloons will remain active for 20 seconds, and can only be used once a minute, but may be called out an unlimited number of times.
The Industrial Age card Advanced Balloon available to European nations spawns an Advanced Hot Air Balloon at the Home City gather point. This balloon remains active permanently. It cannot be sent a second time upon reaching the Imperial Age.
The Advanced Hot Air Balloon is slower (2.0) and has a smaller Line of Sight (34) than the Hot Air Balloon (3.0 and 44).
They cannot attack, and it cannot be shot down. There is no effective counter for the use of balloons except for downing the enemy Explorer as often as possible.
Hot Air Balloons can be dropped on any area of the map instantly; it does not have to be a location near the Explorer. This means it does not have to fly over enemy walls; it can appear behind them and then begin scouting.
Balloons are capable of capturing herdable animals, or stealing them from the enemy if undefended.
The Explorer gains the ability to use a temporary Hot Air Balloon for reconnaissance; Hot Air Balloons can be called more often and can stay longer in the air
For the next 30 seconds, military building training and research work rate +400%, unit speed +10%
Colegio de San Nicolas
Delivers 1 Large Collection of Books (500 XP); unit Line of Sight +4; building (except Wall) Line of Sight +8; reveals enemy units' positions for 20 seconds
National Servant
Unit (except herded animals) hit points +10%; Padre heal work rate +200%
The Hot Air Balloon and the Advanced Hot Air Balloon can reveal stealth enemies.
History[]
Hot Air Balloon[]
“
Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier are to hot air balloons what Orville and Wilbur Wright are to airplanes. They believed that their balloons were held aloft by smoke, burning hay and even shoes to keep early balloons up. Within just a few years, balloons appeared on the battlefield to scout and observe enemy movements and deployments.
”
Advanced Hot Air Balloon[]
“
During the U.S. Civil War, both the Union and Confederate forces deployed balloons for reconnaissance purposes. Even though their use and efficacy in battle was limited, they did offer a glimpse of the future potential of air power.
In June of 1861, Thaddeus Lowe rose 500 feet above Washington, D.C. as a demonstration to President Lincoln of the value of balloons. Even though the Enterprise was tethered, the sight of it above the capital impressed Lincoln enough to establish a Balloon Corps for the Union Army. Eventually, Lowe oversaw the construction of seven balloons, six of which actually saw service during the war. All of these balloons used hydrogen gas instead of hot air.
”
Trivia[]
When a Balloon dies or is deleted by the player, the balloonist will cling to the balloon's ropes while it goes down, eventually crashing and killing him.
Tar Kilns (+5%)
Town Watch (+3)
Hot Air Balloons
Advanced Balloon
Aerostatic Corps
TEAM Shivaji's Tactics
TEAM Knights of the Round Table
TEAM Mariachi
Colegio de San Nicolas
National Servant
TEAM Spanish Inquisition
Missouri River Expeditions
The WarChiefs[]
