

Celtic Ballista
War is not always about glory. Sometimes it is simply about killing the enemy.At close targets, a ballista could be aimed effectively but accuracy came at a cost in range; it could fire around 500 metres. The machine used two torsion springs with levers inserted into twisted ropes made from animal sinew, giving incredible power for its size. Firing either solid shot or bolts, it was equally effective against infantry or cavalry, but could also be deployed to destroy light fortifications during sieges. Originally developed by the Greeks around 400BC, and based on the oversized Oxybeles composite bow, ballistae were widely used by many cultures of the period, including the Romans. Later Roman versions included adjustable caps that enabled crews to quickly alter the tension of each sinew bundle to provide balance and therefore improve accuracy.
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Unit Name Celtic Ballista |
Main Unit Key Cel_Ballista |
Land Unit Key Cel_Ballista |
Naval Unit Key barbarian_transport_small |
Soldiers 40 |
Category Siege Engine |
Class Field Artillery |
Custom Battle Cost 1580 |
Recruitment Cost 700 |
Upkeep Cost 85 |
Missile Damage 170 |
├ Engine ballista_medium |
├ Missile Weapon rome_ballista_medium |
├ Projectile stone |
├ Missile Damage 90 |
├ Missile Ap Damage 80 |
└ Base Reload Time 18 |
Accuracy 5 |
Range 420 |
Reload 4 |
Shots Per Minute 3 |
Ammunition 20 |
Melee Attack 9 |
Weapon Damage 23 |
├ Melee Weapon rome_shortsword |
├ Melee Damage Base 20 |
├ Melee Damage Ap 3 |
├ Armour Piercing No |
├ Bonus vs. Large 0 |
├ Bonus vs Elephants 0 |
└ Bonus vs Infantry 5 |
Charge Bonus 5 |
Melee Defence 8 |
├ Base Defence 8 |
├ Shield none |
└ Shield Defence 0 |
Armour 27 |
├ Armour cloth |
├ Armour Defence 27 |
└ Shield Armour 0 |
Health 60 |
├ Man Entity rome_infantry_medium |
├ Man Health 55 |
└ Bonus Hit Points 5 |
Base Morale 35 |
Abilities
Celtic Ballista- Quick Reload
Improved reloading for an extended time.
Shots per minute
Exertion: fatigue
Attributes
- Cannot Run
This unit cannot run and will only move at walking pace.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Light Transport- Very poor hull strength
- Very slow speed
- Weak ramming
- Very accurate
- Very long range
- Fast rate of fire
- Lower damage than other artillery
- Easily destroyed
Requires Buildings | |
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Woodworker
(barb_craftsmen_wood_2) Level 1 ![]()
Carpenter
(barb_craftsmen_wood_3) Level 2 |
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Builder's Hall
(barb_craftsmen_wood_4) Level 3 |
Faction Availability | |
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Grand Campaign | |
Samnite Wars | |
Caesar in Gaul | |
Hannibal at the Gates | |
Imperator Augustus |