Cannons vs Trebuchets (2024)

Anonymous Player

Member

Cannons are typically preferred over trebuchets in scenarios where a long-range attack is necessary.

However, for certain civilizations, such as the Turks and Bohemians, there are bonuses that make cannons more advantageous than trebuchets.

LS_77

Guest

Bombards are usually used as a weapon to fight against trebuchets (among other things), not as a substitute for trebs themselves for killing castles.

I think realistically the only civs who can justify not building trebuchets at all in favor of bombard cannons would be Bohemians, Turks or Burgundians

Robert_2416

Guest

Would like to note bombards as a counter to onagers also!

Bombards also have greater manoeuvrability, but less damage VS buildings.

Haslor

Guest

In any situation in which I can make bbc instead of trebuchets, I always prefer them.

Better mobility, can actually be microed, they also counter onagers and scorpions and could be used decently against rams in some situations (although I wouldn’t call them a counter).

It’s easier making siege workshops rather than castles as well.

Damage is slightly lower and so is range but in general if you can get them, they are the better long range siege unit.

Also none of the civs with special trebuchet bonuses or techs have access to bbc, so that makes the choice easier for me.

crazyyoco

Guest

Trebuchets are better if your opponent has ranged units or monks to convert them.

Trebs are also produced earlier becuse you dont have to wait for chemistry.

Jcpkill

Guest

Bombards are best described as a counter siege – anti building hybrid unit.

Being scaled more towards its counter siege power than its anti building power.

Its the main anti siege onager and anti treb unit for many civs and can tear down castles though it lacks the raw output of trebs so it takes quite a while.

Bbc Is best utilized in conjunction at -border range treb wars where the trebs are forced on the front of castles and are harder to defend while the treb is more important for closer castles.

It is also good for more aggressive cleaning of co*ckroach stle players who keep moving particularly high importance targets around like towers and tcs in their base though eitber works in a situation your winning that hard.

For civs turks make better use of the bbc due to range so sniping is easier as you do it from safe distances in sacrifice to losing building damage as it trades the ut siege engineers for the bbc range.

Alongside producing them quickly and higher survivability in rushes.

Bohemieans play bbc like others do siege onager.

Think of it as a siege onager halb civ.

The others just make more use of the already useful bbc such as portu spanish and burgundians.

They dont really have a new utilitarian use its just the same uses but performed better.

Parko1234

Guest

It seems nobody has mentioned this but trebs auto target buildings only and bbcs will target units first

Its a lot more clicking with bbcs in my opinion.

Its pretty nice to deploy trebs and set and gorget while they pound down every building in range

Tobotimus

Guest

One thing I haven’t seen mentioned is what to make in post-imp if there is no gold to mine and you are relying on relics or market for gold income.

In this instance, a treb will.be more cost-efficient, and are generally more tanky, than a BBC.

Especially vs ranged units when unpacked.

However, your opponent could squeeze out a BBC and snipe your treb, so it depends.

stickycart

Guest

With Burgundians, because of the +25% attack bonus and lack of siege engineers, their BBC ends up having higher DPS against buildings than their trebs.

This chart shows it (lower time = better): https://www.aoezone.net/attachments/1611841627534-png.188805/

total_score2

Guest

RheimsNZ

Guest

IYIyTh

Guest

BBC can also be useful if you master attack ground, but probably below 1500 elo I’d advise against.

Nothing like a few BBC melting a stack of archers in a choke.

russianpolarbear32

Guest

the bests uses for bombard canons are for killing trebs/ arbalest&skirms.

And to produce long range siege without using a castle.

Bonus points because they have sick wheels tho.

superpugh

Guest

peter_j_

Guest

I can never quite bring myself to build both.

I lose a lot