| Improved Ironworking | |
|---|---|
| Requires | The Warpath DLC
None |
| Building Needed | Gunsmith |
| Leads To | None |
| Stream | Military, Native |
| Effects | |
| |
Improved Ironworking is a Technology in Empire: Total War. It is available only with The Warpath Campaign DLC.
Description[]
New ironworking allows the manufacture of small arms, reducing the upkeep costs of gunpowder-armed units. Mastering the craft not only frees a tribe from relying on Europeans for iron goods, but also ensures a guaranteed supply of metal and weapons in times of trouble. The introduction of guns has dramatically altered warfare: the best way to keep past is for a nation to own and control their own means of making firearms. During the seventeenth century, many Native Americans became proficient gunsmiths, as metalworking skills became increasingly important, for both hunting and warfare. Owning a firearm was a mark of prestige for a warrior, and he would personalise his weapon with decorative beaded buckskin and brass studs. Damaged firearms could also be repaired, and barrels shortened to make them less cumbersome for use on horseback. It is a short step from such work to creating entire original arms.