Howitzer

Let's rain some fire!

### Experience Value

Leang: 52, 69 (Veteran), 92 (Elite), 123 (Heroic)Fai & Tao: 39, 56 (Veteran), 82, (Elite), 118 (Heroic)

Bao: 38, 55 (Veteran), 81 (Elite), 116 (Heroic)

### Experience Required

Leang: 156 (Veteran), 208 (Elite), 277 (Heroic)Fai & Tao: 117 (Veteran), 169 (Elite), 247 (Heroic)

Bao: 57 (Veteran), 82 (Elite), 121 (Heroic)

### Ground Attack

115 (Fai, Leang & Tao)50 (splash damage)

38 (Bao) (Incendiary Shells)

30 (Bao) (Thermobaric Shells)

25 (Bao) (ECM Shells)

### Notes

Can create a firestorm in groups of 5 or more (requires Flame Combustion upgrade)

### Upgrades

Reactive Shells (not available to Fai)Black Napalm (not available to Fai and Tao)

Radioactive Shells (Tao)

Improved ECM Technology (Bao)

Flame Combustion (Bao)

Thermite Shells (Bao)

## Introduction

The **Howitzer** is a Chinese self-propelled artillery gun deployed by Generals Bao, Fai, Tao and Leang.

## Overview

The Howitzer is a self-propelled mobile artillery gun tank with a small tank chassis and small tracks to move. Its main weapon is an artillery gun armed with shell warheads depending on what general it is serving. To fire the pellet, the gun will rise up to about 70 degrees from ground level and the gunpowder inside will be ignited and cause an explosion to push the shells out of the gun to the target.

Here are three variants of Howitzer's ammunition:

* Leang: HE shells just like vanilla ZH, deals a decent damage per shell (can fire three shells at a time).
* Bao: Shells are loaded with flammable powder/napalm to leave a fire circle that deals damage overtime.
* Tao: Replaces the HE shells with uranium shells that leave a small radiation field upon impact.

Also known as the Inferno Cannon in the original *Zero Hour* game (although the name and incendiary ammunition were replaced to make the unit more generic and adapt to the general commanding it), the PLZ-05 is a 155mm artillery vehicle whose firepower and firing range give satisfying results on the battlefield. Their self-propelling ability can buy them precious time to quickly deploy, fire and relocate to another site when needed. A whole battery of these units can even finish off the enemy without needing to send your own troops to the slaughter. The Howitzer's firing range is long enough to outrange most defensive structures and open the way for your army to take care of the rest. Its firepower is high enough to kill infantry in about two shots, its shells can even penetrate through a tank's plating. Its reasonable price of 1000$ allows you to produce many of these (you will need Howitzers in groups for the best effect). Feel free to stick it to defensive purposes as well: it will be a good substitute to the Artillery Battery until the latter is ready to be built.

However you must pay attention to a few flaws: the Howitzer takes a long time to be built, it must deploy before firing, it is quite slow, (mostly due to the cannon's weight) and poorly armored so any unit bearing AT weapons will kill it easily. Furthermore, it won't resist a swarm of enemies and its poor accuracy will not help it against fast moving units. Also watch out for ECM/EMP or pilot killers like Jarmen Kell or Assassins.

## Leang's Howitzer

Inspired by the Karkadann's concept (some spies managed to sneak into Huchum's main base at Jerusalem and steal his super artillery gun's blueprints although most of them were killed in the process) and as inventive as she can be, Leang ordered a modification on her own PLZ-05s to increase their firepower. Two more cannons were added on the turret with special recoil systems to prevent malfunctions. With a whole line of Howitzers multiplied by three cannons each, Leang trusts that victory is assured.

## Upgrades

**Reactive Shells**

* Equip the Howitzer with ramjet assisted shells, increasing its range by 25%. Available at the Propaganda Center at Rank 3.

**Black Napalm**

* Available to default to General Bao, arm the Howitzer with napalm shells that consumes the target in flames. Groups of Howitzers can create a firestorm.

**Radioactive Shells**

* Available to General Tao at Rank 1 and the War Factory, arm the Howitzer with radioactive shells that leaves behind fields of radiation on impact.

## Assessment

Pros:

* High firepower.
* Long firing range, can safely destroy basic base defenses from a safe distance away.
* Does not need to deploy before firing.
* Most effective in groups.
* As effective for defense as for offense.
* Reasonable price ($1,000).

Cons:

* Slow and sluggish.
* Poorly armored.
* Cannot outrange long range base defenses without the Reactive Shells upgrade.
* Vulnerable to anti-tank units.
* Poor accuracy against fast moving units.
* Rather slow rate of fire.
* Quite long creation time.
* Vulnerable to depiloting and hijacking.

## Quotes (In English)

The Howitzer reprises the Inferno Cannon's VO.

### When Selected

* Inferno cannons loaded.
* Hehehehe...
* Let's rain some fire!
* Everything will go up in smoke!
* When do I get started?

### When Ordered to Move

* Yes, definitely!
* Getting there.
* This will do...
* Let's get moving!
* Agreed.
* That's a good start!

### When Ordered to Attack

* Engulf them in flames!
* This will be good!
* Let's light them up!
* Fire from sky!
* Let the fireballs fly!

## Quotes (In native Chinese language)

All variants of the Howitzer uses the same quotes.

### When Selected

* 等待命令。
* 我们的炮弹总会很多的。
* 对，这是中国自行火炮。
* 炮兵要能动才算灵活。

### When Ordered to Move

* 哪里去？
* 前进，前进。
* 马上移动。
* 记住，打他们的时候要狠。

### When Ordered to Attack

* 进攻！
* 开始猛烈的射击！
* 打！

## Trivia

* The Howitzer pilot's accent doesn't sound Chinese; probably closer to a Mongolian accent. Also, some people jokingly labelled it as "Jarmen Kell's Chinese cousin".

## Gallery

The PLZ-05 in real lifePLZ-05 battery deployed and readyLooks familiar, doesn't it?