I was reluctant to try Carriage Ballistae [CB] because I have found that artillery generally sucks, except during a siege. However, Carriage Ballistae will rock your world.
Playing as WRE, I try to have one or two in every line up. They are quite vulnerable, so you have to protect them. However, I have had many many battles where the CB rack up 275 kills (two hundred seventy five, that is no typo) and move up to sliver chevron on the first battle! I believe it is an error that they move up so easliy in chevrons, but they often get two or three exprience points in each battle.
While they are devastating to infantry, they also will severely damage that pesky heavy cavalry in a skirmish. I use them to cut down general's units to half or more in very short time.
Just make sure you are have the CB on manual control and skirmish back toward your lines, and preferably guard them with some cav. Otherwise, they are toast. And never-ever engage other missle troops with them.
If you are defending, you can also place them behind your infantry; they will take out the occaisonal i-man with friendly fire, but not too many. Bridge defenses are touchy, you have to have them off to one side and back, because they are vulnerable.
Oh, and don't auto-resolve battles with them, they always get cut to pieces.
If you have not tried them, do so.
The Cortez tip-of-the-day
