The area \( A \) of a triangle can be calculated using the formula:
\[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \]
For a triangle with a height of 18 cm and a base of 12 cm, the area would be:
\[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 12 , \text{cm} \times 18 , \text{cm} \]
Calculating this gives:
\[ A = \frac{1}{2} \times 12 \times 18 = \frac{1}{2} \times 216 = 108 , \text{cm}^2 \]
Therefore, the area of the triangle is \( 108 , \text{cm}^2 \).