TOTAL WAR WIKI

War Elephants (ETW unit)

War Elephants
War Elephants
Category: Elephants
Class: Elephants
Men: 10 / 20 / 30 / 40
Melee attack: 25
Charge bonus: 26
Defence: 7
Morale: 10
Turns to train: 3
Recruitment cost: 1230
Upkeep cost: 300
Requires
Building (minimum level)
Etw ind town military lvl5 artillery.png

Army Council

These troops ride into battle on the backs of elephants, beasts who very presence spreads terror throughout enemy ranks.

Like many animals, elephants can be trained to ignore the sights, smells and, above all, hellish noises of a battlefield. They can also be trained to fight, goring men with their tusks and trampling others underfoot. Elephants make superb platforms for men to fight from, giving them an automatic height benefit over many opponents.

There are risks to using elephants in warfare. They do panic, and if they stampede they will cause terrible damage to everyone, friends and foe alike. Indian elephants, however, are relatively tractable beasts, and there is a long history of using them as beasts of burden.

There is also a long history of using unusual animals in combat, from elephants to war dogs, and even seals and dolphins in more recent times. Elephants at least stand a chance of survival, unlike the Russian mine dogs of the Second World War, who were trained to look for their dinners under enemy tanks. This doesn’t sound too bad, until you learn that the dogs were carrying explosive packs on their backs. Dinner time on the battlefield was always terminal for the dog and his target tank.

Abilities

Resistant to heat fatigue
Scares enemies
Scares horses

Available for:

Mar east war elephant musketry howdah icon pike.png
Maratha Confederacy

External links