
The essential city assault artillery - don't leave home without it.
Trebuchet is a Ranged Artillery unit in Total War: Three Kingdoms. They can only be recruited by Strategist Heroes. They are an essential unit for any campaign that includes rapid expansion into enemy territory by force. They excel in taking out towers and walls, demoralizing enemy troop formations and lighting cities ablaze with Flammable Rounds from very long range.
Overview[]
When laying siege to walled settlements, the most valuable attack weapon is the Trebuchet unit. Trebuchets allow the attacker to immediately assault the settlement rather than waiting for one or more turns for the construction of battering rams, siege towers or sappers. Trebuchets can attack with impunity under most siege conditions and can virtually eliminate any advantage that walls and towers might provide a defending enemy force. It is advisable to have at least one (preferably 2) Trebuchet units in your attacking armies as soon as you can afford the recruiting cost and upkeep.
Trebuchets below level 3 are wildly inaccurate but they level up quickly. They are well worth the expense if your campaign is focused on military expansion because it allows you to expand very quickly.
Trebuchets are also excellent in field battles. If protected from enemy attacks, they can easily rack up over a hundred kills before their ammunition runs out. Trebuchets are vulnerable to melee attack due to their small number of men per unit and their poor fighting skills, and so they are best protected by infantry and cavalry. Thanks to the arced nature of their projectiles, trebuchets can safely attack from behind other units without fear of friendly fire.
NOTE: Strategist characters with the Resourcefulness skill unlock "Flaming shot" which is the Trebuchet ammunition type "Flammable Round." "Flaming Shot" however, is also the ammunition type seen on the unit panel in-game for "Fire Arrows" for Archers. "Fire Arrows" are unlocked by the Composure skill. Be aware the two uses of "Flaming Shot" should not confused. In short, Resourcefulness is for flaming artillery ammo, Composure is for fire arrows.
- Type: Light Artillery
- Base cost to recruit: 1060
- Base unit upkeep: 320
Description[]

In-game (vanilla units)
Trebuchet units are indispensable for any army on the offensive, smashing city walls and towers whenever you are ready to begin the assault. They reign supreme from long range and can be effective against clustered enemy troop formations. In open field battles, they will draw enemy units forward if their army doesn't have their own long-range artillery, so be prepared to protect them with your archers and battle line troops.
Total War: Three Kingdoms Units | |
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Earth | Bandit Warriors・Chen Peacekeepers・Dao Swordguard Cavalry・Handmaid Guard・Imperial Household Cavalry・Jaizi Raiders・Jian Cavalry Captain・Jian Sword Guard Cavalry (Total War: Three Kingdoms)・Messengers of Heaven・Mounted Sabre Defectors・Mounted Sabre Militia・Northern Sabre Cavalry・Northern Sabre Cavalry Captain・Northern Veteran Sabre Cavalry・Qiang Raiders・Sabre Cavalry・Tiger Cubs・Virtuous Noblemen・White Wave Horsemen・Xiongnu Noble Cavalry・Yellow Dragons・Yellow Turban Horsemen |
Fire | Bandit Raiders・Cataphracts・Destroyers of Treachery・Heavy Cataphracts・Heavy Tiger and Leopard Cavalry・Heavy Xiliang Cavalry・Imperial Lancer Cavalry・Jade Dragons・Lance Cavalry Captain・Lancer Cavalry・Mercenary Cavalry・Mercenary Cavalry Captain・Mounted Lancer Defectors・Mounted Lancer Militia・Northern Lancer Cavalry・Northern Lancer Cavalry Captain・Northern Veteran Lancers・Peasant Raiders・Qiang Marauders・Raider Cavalry・Righteous Vanguards・Southern Elephants・Tiger and Leopard Cavalry・Tyrant Slayers・War Elephants・Xianbei Riders・Xiliang Cavalry・Xiongnu Cataphracts・Xiongnu Cavalry |
Metal | Arm of the Supreme Peace・Axe Band・Axe Throwers・Bandit Warriors・Black Mountain Marauders・Bringers of Peace・Camp Crushers・Chanters・Chosen of the Eight Immortals・Chu Infantry・Dao Swordguard Captain・Dao Swordguards・Exemplars of the Tao・Fists of the Bandit Queen・Followers of the Flame・Hidden Axes・Huanglao's Paragons・Imperial Guard Captain・Imperial Guards・Imperial Sword Guard・Jian Infantry Captain・Jian Sword Guards・Liyang Daring Infantry・Mercenary Infantry・Mercenary Infantry Captain・Might of the Valley・Nanman Warriors・Nanman Warriors Captain・Nanzhong Champions・Northern Sabre Infantry・Northern Sabre Infantry Captain・Northern Veteran Sabre Infantry・Pearl Dragons・Peasant Volunteers・Peasant Warriors・People's Warband・Qiang Warriors・Qingzhou Assault Infantry・Rapid Tiger Infantry・Ravine Warriors・Redeemed Outlaws・Sabre Defectors・Sabre Infantry・Sabre Militia・Scholar-Warriors・Tiger Warriors・Valley Tribesmen・Venerable Wu・Warriors of Xu・Warriors of the Left・White Tiger Warriors・White Wave Veterans・Wuguo Axe Throwers・Wuling Fighters・Xu Raiders・Yellow Sky Heralds・Yellow Turban Warriors・Yellow Turban Warriors Captain・Youxia・Yue Remnant Warriors・Zhanmajian Infantry |
Water | Archer Captain・Archer Defectors・Archer Gang・Archer Militia・Archers・Archers of Jing・Archery Masters・Bandit Hunters・Black Mountain Hunters・Chen Royal Guard・Crossbowmen・Defenders of Earth・Dongzhoubing Marksmen・Fire Archers・Fury of Beihai・Heavy Crossbowmen・Heavy Mounted Archers・Heavy Repeating Crossbowmen・Hidden Vipers・Horseback Huntsmen・Imperial Palace Cavalry・Imperial Palace Crossbowmen・Javelin Throwers・Juggernaut・Men of the Forest・Mercenary Archers・Mercenary Archers Captain・Mounted Crossbows・Mounted Marksmen・Multiple Bolt Crossbow・Nanman Slingers・Nanzhong Elephants・Northern Mounted Archers・Northern Mounted Raiders・Onyx Dragons・Peasant Archers・Poachers・Qi Crossbowmen・Qiang Archers・Qiang Hunters・Repeating Crossbowmen・Sanjiang Poison Darts・Territorial Archers・The Land's Chosen・Thunder of Jian'an・Tiger Slingers・Trebuchet・Watchmen of the Peace・White Horse Fellows・White Horse Raiders・White Tiger Raiders・Wuling Slingers・Xianbei Horse Archers・Yaoguai Hunters・Ye Vanguard Crossbows・Yellow Turban Archers・Yellow Turban Archers Captain・Yi Archers・Yi Marksmen |
Wood | Azure Dragons・Bandit Gang・Black Mountain Outlaws・Bringers of Righteousness・Chu Spearmen・Defenders of Hebei・Defenders of the Empire・Dongzhoubing Defenders・Fervent Defenders・Gallants of the People・Guardians of the Land・Heavy Ji Infantry・Heavy Spear Guards・Imperial Defenders・Imperial Gate Guards・Infantry of Jing・Javelin Spear Guards・Javelin Spearmen・Ji Defectors・Ji Infantry・Ji Infantry Captain・Ji Militia・Militia of Virtue・Nanman Spearmen・Northern Ji Infantry・Northern Ji Infantry Captain・Northern Spear Guard Captain・Northern Spear Guards・Northern Veteran Ji Infantry・Northern Veteran Spears・Peasant Band・Peasant Spearmen・Protectors of Heaven・Qi Guardsmen・Qiang Polearms・Qingzhou Halberds・Qingzhou Spears・Reclaimers・Sanjiang Poison Spears・Shields of the South・Spear Guards・Spear Warriors・Spearmen Gang・Stalwart Shields・Territorial Spearmen・Tiger Guard・Warriors of Ye・Wolf Pack・Ye Vanguard Spearmen・Yellow Turban Spearmen・Yellow Turban Spearmen Captain・Yue Tribesmen・Zealots of the Way |