| Artillery Fort
|
| Category: |
Fort
|
| Level: |
1
|
| Turns to build: |
3
|
| Building cost: |
3000
|
| European
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| Indian
|
|
| Middle Eastern
|
|
|
| Requires
|
Wooden Fort
|
| Enables
|
|
|
An artillery fort is a permanent defensive structure, mounting as many heavy guns as the builders can afford to emplace.
An artillery fort has strong walls and parapets with embrasures: gaps for cannons to fire through at attackers. Properly served and loaded with grape or canister shot, guns turn the approaches to the fort into death traps for any attacking infantry.
The fort has to be strongly constructed to withstand repeated pounding by attacking cannons, and by the recoil of its own pieces. Repeated firing by even small cannons, such as nine-pounders, causes tremendous strains on the structure. The other risk to the fort is, of course, fire. While the fabric of the building itself will not burn, the magazine holding the powder and shot for the fort can catch fire and explode.
Historically, it was not unknown for defenders to blow their own forts up, by accident or design. The powder magazine was a dangerous place, and required rigid adherence to correct procedures by everyone if disaster was to be avoided. On one occasion at Fort York, during the War of 1812, the defending British set off the magazine as they withdrew to deny the contents to the American attackers, killing hundreds of the assault force in the explosion.
