Artillery tactics

[Tim Child]

Version 2.0 allows Art to choose which target to shoot at - any within arc, shoot through Ps, etc.  This seems to encourage the massing of Artillery - able to choose to concentrate the shooting and "pick on" enemy at a distance and with relatively high factors.  Particularly interesting against (S) troops.

However, up close and personal, Art are easily overrun and killed and a block of, say, 4 massed Art therefore becomes something of a weak point in the line.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to protect them without completely sacrificing their shooting, other than by (a) TFs (too fixed - vulnerable enemy won't sit in front of the gun-position), or (b) putting them on a hill in the backfield and shooting over the heads of friends (getting a hill in a sufficiently forward position is not exactly guaranteed).

Tim Child

[LawrenceG]

Other troops that sit behind them and come forward through them when the enemy gets too close?

[arnimlueck]

and remember to put some other troops in contact because groups consisting entirely of train do not prohibit march move towards them...

[adrianmgclarke]

Hi - just seen this

Have you ever tried artillery in a PF'd BUA with a tower in the enemy's deployment area?  The trick is to leave your opponent somewhere to deploy.  As you'll be the defender, it helps to constrain the invader's deployment options.  Manoeuvring under the walls of the BUA is a lot easier for you than him!

Adrian Clarke

[Barritus]

G'day Adrian

I don't have the rules with me, but I'm pretty sure you can't place the BUAf in the invader's deployment area. Having said that, just outside could still be a real pain. I've been looking at the possibilities of exactly that with a Knights of St John army - navy on one flank, bombard in a tower on the other flank, and Kn (S) dismounting as Bd (S) up the middle...

[LAP1964]

I don't have the rules with me, but I'm pretty sure you can't place the BUAf in the invader's deployment area.

As long as it's not touching an enemies rear base edge it's OK.  
Are you thinking about ambushing? As you can only do that in a Fortified BUA.

I've been looking at the possibilities of exactly that with a Knights of St John army - navy on one flank, bombard in a tower on the other flank, and Kn (S) dismounting as Bd (S) up the middle...

Not playing on a very wide table then ?
LES

[Valentinian Victor]

Roman armies with Art(F) are laughing as they can place them behind troops and fire over them. And as they are classed as (F) there are few movement penalties so you can move a group including the Art(F) without too much worry.

Late Romans benefit from having the ability to field 4 Art(F) which are not based on having a minimum number of Blades, and they are an absolute when using the inert led Late Romans.

[Barritus]

I don't have the rules with me, but I'm pretty sure you can't place the BUAf in the invader's deployment area.

As long as it's not touching an enemies rear base edge it's OK.  

Where does it say that?

Are you thinking about ambushing? As you can only do that in a Fortified BUA.

I probably am - the permutations of these rules drive me spare sometimes.

However, I also note that unless in ambush (or baggage), all troops must be deployed within 800 paces of their own general. As in normal deployment the armies start 640 paces apart, that would prevent non-ambushing troops in a BUAf from deploying in the enemy deployment zone. As players should be clever enough to use the Scouts stratagem, that might raise problems.

I've been looking at the possibilities of exactly that with a Knights of St John army - navy on one flank, bombard in a tower on the other flank, and Kn (S) dismounting as Bd (S) up the middle...

Not playing on a very wide table then ?
LES

Heh. I admit I haven't done the maths, but I was figuring on taking as wide a Sea as possible, as well as as much terrain to go on the other flank as possible.
[/quote]

[LAP1964]

As long as it's not touching an enemies rear base edge it's OK.  

Where does it say that?

Page 19,BUA,(b) .
LES

[Barritus]

Man, these rules need an index.

[Valentinian Victor]

There is a tactic which some consider cheese but is legal within the strict interpretation of the rules.

You put all your artillery in a position where at least three of thme can get a shot on the same target element. When your opportunity to fire comes, you nominate your target element then use the other artillery to not support but to inflict the -1. So in effect, if you have 3 art(O) you fire the center one at an eligible target, say a Bd(S)), which is an initial factor of 4:4. Then you say your supporting the shooting by the other two art, but not adding the +1 for one supporter, but forcing him to take two -1's (which according to Phil is legal). So the final result is 4:2 to the art and the Blades (S) grade does not count. Even better against Bw(S) as the final factor is 4:0 if beyond 240p (or Art(F) behind other infantry thus preventing any return shooting), so almost a guaranteed quick kill. Same tactic works against other non-Art(F) that are not hiding behind infantry.

[gibby]

I don't think you have an option to take the +1.
You only get the +1 if you are behind the shooter or behind a supporter IIRC.

cheers
Jim

[John Hickman]

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to protect them without completely sacrificing their shooting

Tim Child

Put them on top of Elephants 

[Tim Child]

True, I'm beginning to wonder about getting some bolt-shooter Art(O) for the LMI, so that at least I'm not outranged by those pesky El(X)! 

Tim Child