Falconetti Gunners — Heavy Wall‐Gun Sharpshooters
1 | Overview
- Tier / Era: ★★★★★ Golden (Season III Soldiers of Fortune)
- Unit type: Heavy gunpowder infantry (wall‑guns / light cannons)
- Unit size: 10 -12 gunners
- Leadership: ≈ 300
- Battlefield role: Long‑range, high‑penetration snipers that delete heroes and armoured units from relative safety, but require setup time and absolute protection from flanks.
Falconetti Gunners lug miniature cannon‐muskets capable of piercing the thickest armour on the battlefield. Once braced, they unleash thunderous volleys that one‑shot cavalry and vaporise reckless heroes. Treat them like tripod‑mounted laser rifles: place them well, screen them zealously, and they will rule lanes — but lose their angle or bodyguards and they fold instantly.
2 | Core Traits & Abilities
| Ability / Trait | How it works | Battlefield use |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy Guns (2 s) | Kneel, plant monopods; but cannot move. | Core firing stance — always deploy before shooting possible |
| Precision Volley (16 s CD) | Ordered shot focusing a single target/unit; ignores shields, massive headshot multiplier. | Instantly punish exposed heroes, Shields, Mass Blobs and any kind of unit it hits |
| Armour‑Piercing Rounds | Base attacks deal blunt damage with high penetration. | Shreds Reapers, Fortes, shield walls regardless of block. |
| Immobile | Cannot dodge or parry; while deployed they are stationary. | Demands a protective screen and terrain awareness. |
3 | Strengths
- Extreme single‑shot damage — highest burst of any non‑artillery ranged unit (before Lionroar crew)
- Long effective range (110 m) — outrange most bows and match artillery lines of sight.
- Shield‑piercing — their rounds ignore block, ideal for cracking turtle formations.
- Psychological pressure — canons flying, aoe CC and knock down and kill‑feed entries force enemy heroes to hug cover.
4 | Weaknesses
- Setup time — must kneel before firing; caught mid‑deploy they die quickly.
- Tiny squad size — losing even 2 gunners cuts output drastically.
- Zero mobility while deployed — cavalry, assassins or artillery wipes them if screens fail.
- Long reload (≈ 9 s) — wasted volley = long downtime.
5 | Recommended Doctrine Builds
6 | Micro‑Play & Tactics
Firing Routine
- Deploy Guns just behind a shield wall or on balcony parapet.
- Order Precision Volley at high‑value targets (banner heroes, Musket AoE operators, enemy artillery crews).
- After two volleys, Disengage (cancel deploy) and relocate 15–20 m to avoid counter‑battery and shift firing angle.
Tips
- Use cover: low walls let Falconettis shoot over while blocking return arrows.
- Pair with pike braced behind them: stops cav that vault shield lines.
- Respect mortars: immediately undeploy and run.
7 | Allies & Threats
Synergies
- Shield infantry form an unbreakable screen.
- Pike brace against cav dive attempts.
- Scout cav / Outriders to warn about flankers and assassins.
Threats
- Fast shock cavalry (Winged Hussars, Cataphracts) charging from blind angles.
- Artillery & mortars that outrange their firing nests.
- Range and Muskets applying DoT and constant DPS / One Taps.
8 | Commander Checklist
- Deploy → volley → reposition — static nests get deleted.
- Keep a 10 m no‑go zone with pikes or shields at all times.
- Track cavalry icons on the mini‑map; pull back if they disappear.
- Count reloads; call volleys in voice so allies know when to push.
- Resupply after 4‑5 volleys; ammo is limited and expensive.
9 | Conclusion
Falconetti Gunners are the ultimate hero deterrent: place them well and enemy commanders will think twice before peeking a breach. Guard their flanks, rotate firing nests after every salvo, and your cannon‑musketeers will dominate open lanes and capture circles alike. Neglect their security for even a moment and those priceless wall‑guns become scrap within seconds. Master the sniper dance and you’ll hear the roar of Falconettis echoing across every siege you join.