Elephant Rockets

[PBI]

I've heard people mention these units and there seems to be an entry for them in EDU and in descr_projectiles, but I've never seen them in the game. Do they exist, and if so, how do I get them?

[_Tristan_]

Notably there is a cheat code that can create them in the console

You have to open the console and type "vindaloo" (I think that's the one)

other codes you might want to try are "george", "madras" or "houston"

Maybe someone else has the definite answer, I can't remember

[Old Geezer]

What is the cheat to make the witches fly on broomsticks? Could it be "Baba Yaga"?

If you do a search you should find it. It is not the kind of cheat that most of us cheaters use every day.

[ReiseReise]

They are in Timurid armies.

The player can also hire them as mercenaries.

pool Arabia
regions Jedda_Province Mosul_Province Baghdad_Province
....
unit Elephant Artillery Mercs exp 0 cost 3125 replenish 0.02 - 0.04 max 1 initial 0 events { gunpowder_discovered }

Cheats:

For kicks, I suggest everyone try out the "Elephant Rocketeer" unit. It's a cheat but a total riot to use. They are what happens when you glue a rocket launcher onto an elephant.

create_unit Caen "Elephant Rocketeer" 2 9 3 3

Replace Caen with whatever city you want. 2 is # of units. Feel free to change the number. The other numbers specify full experience and upgrades.

You can use "Elephant Artillery" if you want cannons instead of rockets.

Also,
Select a Unit or Settlement and Use...
'george' Mercenary Monster Ribault
'houston' Mercenary Rocket Launcher
'istanbul' Mercenary Monster Bombard
'madras' Elephants
'rogan' Elephant Artillery
'vindaloo' Elephant Rocketeer

[FactionHeir]

They are in Timurid armies.

Nope. Timurids have elephant artillery (mounted serpentine) and foot rocket launchers, not elephant rocket launchers.

[ReiseReise]

Shows you how often I actually make it to the Timurids before I get bored

[Ferret]

Shows you how often I actually make it to the Timurids before I get bored

I never have

[Rhyfelwyr]

Also I think those mercenaries you highlighted are the standard Elephant Artillery mercs.

I've never actually seen these Elephant Rockets in-game before.

Elephant Artillery are ridiculous enough anyway IMO. Or even elephants if you take them to the Americas...

Seriously, its worth sticking at a campaign for.

[Ramses II CP]

AFAIK elephant rockets aren't actually in the solo campaign anywhere.

[Old Geezer]

No elephant rockects in game. Even P. T. Barnum didn't have elephants firing rockets off thier backs. A moderator had best close this thread or PETA will descend upon us with wrath incalculable (is that a real word?).

[ArtistofWarfare]

You know, I saw this thread and it naturally peaked my interest...

But I never expected to see factual information in here stating that there actually are Elephant Artillery in the game lol. I know the OP is inquiring about Elephant Rockets...but nonetheless, Elephant Artillery?

Are these as totally overpowered and just laughable as they sound?

I can picture the guy who just reached the Americas bringing half a stack of Elephant Artillery with him and firing it upon Aztecs with wooden shields lol.

Come on now...

p.s.- Again, this Elephant Artillery is a standard unit (even if it's a mercenary)? As opposed to a unit that is unlocked via cheat?

[Ramses II CP]

It's a standard mercenary unit available in the Jedda and Baghdad area. Obviously it's somewhat absurd, but they can be fun, and they aren't too overpowered. They recharge too slowly for you to get a half a stack of them.

Only available after gunpowder, the cannons in their head are the same as serpentines IIRC.

[ArtistofWarfare]

It's a standard mercenary unit available in the Jedda and Baghdad area. Obviously it's somewhat absurd, but they can be fun, and they aren't too overpowered. They recharge too slowly for you to get a half a stack of them.

Only available after gunpowder, the cannons in their head are the same as serpentines IIRC.

Unbelievable lol...

Thanks for the reply. Hey, as long as they're not too overpowered...but still- I believe that we're talking about a complete and utter fantasy unit, correct?

Any record of artillery equipped Elephants during the high and late middle ages?

I don't even see what the point would be...isn't artillery inaccurate enough when stationary?

[WhiskeyGhost]

I guess its more of a bonus fun unit then anything, kinda like if someone were to mod in Bear Cavalry, or Gorilla Infantry, or a War Dogs unit. They'd be fun to see and use, but aside from the last one, none of them are really worth the cost to benefit ratio.

Also, yeah, it would be not only hard to aim a cannon on an elephant, but either put too much strain on the animal, or cause it to rampage out of fear every time it fired.

[ArtistofWarfare]

I guess its more of a bonus fun unit then anything, kinda like if someone were to mod in Bear Cavalry, or Gorilla Infantry, or a War Dogs unit. They'd be fun to see and use, but aside from the last one, none of them are really worth the cost to benefit ratio.

Also, yeah, it would be not only hard to aim a cannon on an elephant, but either put too much strain on the animal, or cause it to rampage out of fear every time it fired.

Still, I KNOW the Aztecs would have cried "bs" on that one if they saw it headed their way in reality lol.

Either that or as you said- The elephants would have. I don't see motivating an elephant to walk around while artillery is fired out of the top of his head as an easy task.

Thanks for the reply though...good stuff.

[Ramses II CP]

Uhm, no, no historical record of such a beast to my knowledge. It's flatly impossible if you want my opinion, and in any event as history records it would be far more accurate and useful to have the elephants, like horses, pull cannon into a static position to fire.

I doubt it would add much to the morale problems of troops facing elephants either, the elephants themselves are frightening enough.

[ArtistofWarfare]

Uhm, no, no historical record of such a beast to my knowledge. It's flatly impossible if you want my opinion, and in any event as history records it would be far more accurate and useful to have the elephants, like horses, pull cannon into a static position to fire.

I doubt it would add much to the morale problems of troops facing elephants either, the elephants themselves are frightening enough.

Exactly- I see the elephants useful for transporting artillery, among many other things.

I don't see any benefit to stationing the artillery on the top of his head though...lol.

[JCoyote]

Uhm, no, no historical record of such a beast to my knowledge. It's flatly impossible if you want my opinion, and in any event as history records it would be far more accurate and useful to have the elephants, like horses, pull cannon into a static position to fire.

Actually it was done, though the particular "artillery" we are talking about here are not cannons in the wall-demolishing sense. In this case, the definition of artillery is important, meaning a weapon too large or heavy to be fired when held by hand. The few elephants purported to have been equipped with cannon were given something more akin to a ballista replacement. (Which is exactly what was being done, as ballista had previously been used mounted to elephants.)

So in a way what we are talking about is something closer to a musket on steroids than what we imagine as a cannon, and used in a role closer to what a .50 caliber machine gun, automatic grenade launcher, or light 20mm cannon would be used in today.

And in point, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the role of those handful of artillery elephants was actually to tow larger cannon, with the light guns up top held at ready in case of ambush or to help establish or hold a position until the bigger guns could be readied, though that is conjecture and very clearly based on contemporary tactics not historical ones.

But yes, there were some artillery elephants historically, though briefly and I doubt they made the impact they make in this game.

[FactionHeir]

Necromancy is bad. Especially if its with material that is not for the Citadel.