The Stone Thrower is the first siege unit available in Age of Empires. It is the only siege unit that can be built at the Siege Workshop during the Bronze Age. They are the very first siege unit to appear in Age of Empires series and are the predecesor of the Mangonel in Age of Empires II.
As a heavy stone throwing siege weapon, Stone Throwers deal 28 bonus damage against buildings (38). However, against towers, Stone Throwers deals only 10 bonus damage (20) after accounting for building armor.
From the Iron Age, it can be upgraded into the Catapult, then the Heavy Catapult.
Upgrades
- Alchemy increases attack by 1 point
- Ballistics increases the accuracy
- Engineering increases the range by 2 points
Template:Siege Workshop TechTree (Age of Empires)
Civilization bonuses
- Hittites: Stone Throwers have 50% more hit points
- Sumerians: Stone Thrower rate of fire is doubled (same rate of fire as a Ballista)
- Macedonians: Stone Throwers cost 50% less and are four times more resistant to enemy conversion
History
The stone thrower was an artillery weapon based on the principle of the lever. The stone thrower fired a heavy missile, usually a large stone or stone wrapped in burning oily rags. The missile was placed in a large basket at the end of the throwing arm. Tension was built up on the other end of the arm while the throwing basket was held taut against a fulcrum. When released, the throwing arm swung up and forward until checked, throwing the missile. Stone throwers were used primarily against fixed positions, especially cities and fortifications. Stones were used to knock down walls to open the way for an infantry assault. Fireballs set wood rubble on fire, burning out the defenders. Small stone throwers were also used on the battlefield to disrupt massed enemy formations, although the enemy rarely offered easy targets within range. The stone thrower was invented around 400 BC by Greeks seeking to capture an island fortress off the coast of Sicily.
Gallery
Units in Age of Empires | |
---|---|
Civilian | Villager · Trade Cart |
Other | Priest · Slinger · Artifact |
Civilian ship | Fishing Boat · Fishing Ship Trade Boat · Merchant Ship |
Infantry | Clubman · Axeman Short Swordsman · Broad Swordsman · Long Swordsmen · Legionary Hoplite · Phalangite · Centurion |
Archer | Bowman Improved Bowman · Composite Bowman Chariot Archer Horse Archer · Heavy Horse Archer Elephant Archer |
Cavalry | Scout Chariot · Scythe Chariot Cavalry · Heavy Cavalry · Cataphract War Elephant · Armored Elephant Camel Rider |
Siege | Stone Thrower · Catapult · Heavy Catapult Ballista · Helepolis |
War Ship | Scout Ship · War Galley · Trireme Catapult Trireme · Juggernaut Fire Galley Light Transport · Heavy Transport |
Scenario Editor-only units | |
Chieftain · Donkey · Explorer · General · High Priest · Horse · Mercenary (removed) · Penguin · Pharaoh · Raft · War Chest |