The Hussite Wagon’s current design in Age of Empires II radically diverges from its historical reality. In the game, it functions more like a lumbering, medieval “tank,” similar to the Korean War Wagon, rather than the defensive, fortified structure it was historically. This significant difference is precisely where a design change is proposed.
The suggestion is to transform the Hussite Wagon from a mobile combat unit into one that requires unpacking, much like a Trebuchet that’s unpackable and packable. In its packed state, the Hussite Wagon would be an unarmed wagon requiring protection, making it vulnerable and valuable. Once unpacked, the unit would transform into a temporary defensive structure, effectively a “tower” or makeshift building. From this fortified position, it would then fire shots and cannonballs, aligning its function much more closely with its historical use as part of a Hussite wagon fort (or Wagenburg). This change would shift the Bohemian strategy toward closer to its historical roots and approach to open warfare.
In context of in-game this would turn the Hussite wagon push into a creeping mobile tower push as the enemy unpacks wagons and setups towers, then repacks them as they make ground slowly pushing into your base and critically would be cheaper in-terms of stone cost.
As one of the components of tve Austro Hungarian tank, the developedr of the first tak, its only natural Bohemia got tanks/s
But more seriously the unkt was designed to make it remain an static unit (the way the old profilescworked it meant that you got much better dps while staying quiet and was terriblein hit and run) but it proved to be too unviable so devs made it more Tank-ish
Fun > Realism
I would want them to function like the Battle Fortress in Red Alert 2 series. You deploy five foot units inside, and all they shoot simultaneously from the inside while protected.
You want maximum firepower? You put five Elite Janissaries.
You want more range? You put five Longbowmen.
You want to have some protection from cavalry? You put two Kamayuks, and the other three is up to you.
This would be the most fun and versatile unit. Still can’t believe how they did miss the opportunity. They could have made it balanced too by decreasing the wagon’s stats and the firepower of garrisoned units or something.
They just seem like a bit overpowered in their current state.
It’s a real shame arson doesn’t apply to them and more importantly being made from wood doesn’t take damage from chemistry, you get a real bonus in the early aggression in castle then as soon as your enemy gets chemistry they get bonus damage to you and suddenly your wagons aren’t that powerful.
