For the Napoleon: Total War unit, see Shaturnal Camel Gunners (Napoleon: Total War).
Shaturnal Camel Gunners are a type of missile camel cavalry in Empire: Total War.
Description[]
These camel troops are armed with large-bore long muskets, and all of them are crack shots.
Like many desert troops, these men have learned the trade of killing in a hard school. The desert is unforgiving to those who are weak, and a man who cannot fight well is unlikely to survive the constant feuding and banditry that his neighbours will visit upon him. The scarcity of resources has also taught these men the value of making every shot count. When a bullet and a shot's worth of gunpowder must be stolen, taken as loot or bought at enormous cost, a wise man makes sure that he only shoots at something he can kill.
These gunners carry very large musket, with the bore the width of two thumbs on a grown man. Such a weapon is too large for any foot soldier to carry around in a desert, which is why these men fight as mounted infantry: riding into battle, the dismounting to deliver their devastating fire. Any wound from them is likely to be fatal, even an apparently minor one in a limb: musket balls often have bubbles and flaws when they are cast which causes them to burst inside a target, causing horrendous injuries.
General Information[]
Shaturnal Camel Gunners are unique in that they are the only missile cavalry to have 90 range, allowing them to deliver volleys at a greater distance than any other mounted cavalry (and most infantry). Despite their low accuracy, a volley from a regiment of camel gunners can be devastating, especially against enemy cavalry. For the same reason, shaturnal camel gunners are also good against stationary infantry, particularly melee infantry. On the other hand, they have very poor melee statistics and are very fragile in a close quarters battle with almost any enemy. Despite the description, these men cannot dismount, and fire while on the saddle. Also, their muskets are low velocity and low powered, meaning when they fire, their rounds will drop on the enemy, meaning the rounds will less likely miss. They pay for this additional power with a very slow reloading rate.
Unlike musket-armed horse troops, these units can only fire when stationary, making them less responsive to use.