Shooting arc & range - esp Artillery... AKA cheating scots

[ravenflight]

Hi all,

In my game against the cheating, conniving, darstardly Marsden Moor scots I came upon a bit of weirdness which I want to ask you lot about. After reading the RAW I think maybe my opponent WASN'T as cheating, conniving OR darstardly as previously thought.

SITUATION:

The Scots have some light guns behind one of their foot BG's angled such that one gun could JUST measure 8" from the target. The other gun was within arc, but if you measured along the arc the range was closer to 10". If you measured closest range to the target it was about 7", BUT went through his BG. My stand was 'you'd have to measure the distance of the line of sight... he disagreed.

Anyway, after re-reading the rules last night I think he may be WEIRDLY correct.

In essence, the way I read the rule, is that so long as you have range (closest point to closest point, even if it goes through your own troops OR an impenetrable force field) and arc (even if the arc as measured is beyond your range) you can shoot.

It seemed VERY odd. What is the point of 'arc' if you're not firing along it?

Thoughts???

[daveallen]

It's difficult to figure out the geometry you're describing here, not least because targets for shooting are individual bases, not BGs. Hence it's impossible for anything other than BWg to be both 7" and 10" range.

My guess is we Scots were up to our old tricks. Usually, I wouldn't argue if one corner of a base was within arc but out of range and another corner was within range but out of arc. However, if the line of sight to the nearer point was blocked I'd be inclined to say the shot couldn't be taken.

Dave

[ravenflight]

It's difficult to figure out the geometry you're describing here, not least because targets for shooting are individual bases, not BGs. Hence it's impossible for anything other than BWg to be both 7" and 10" range.

My guess is we Scots were up to our old tricks. Usually, I wouldn't argue if one corner of a base was within arc but out of range and another corner was within range but out of arc. However, if the line of sight to the nearer point was blocked I'd be inclined to say the shot couldn't be taken.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your comment.

As it stands my opponent didn't take the shot, but that doesn't mean he didn't TRY to cheat his way into another shot .

Anyway - I agree the geometry is difficult to describe, but let me put this question another way.

Please look at the diagram on P108.

If the unit at the bottom of the page had arc (could draw a line to the cavalry, and was within 2 bases) but was within range of the cavalry only by measuring directly forward (was at 5 255/256th" front edge to front edge), but by measuring the distance on arc (measuring along the line that is clear of friends) is something closer to 9" - could those bases shoot? It seems like the RAW say they can. It's not overhead shooting. It's somehow 'going around' the friendly bases that would (IMHO) be blocking the shooters.

(Oh, and my measurements on my original post were assuming the guns were one 'BG' and ranges appropriately - you quite rightly pointed out that it is base by base)

[daveallen]

That's it my head just exploded!

255/256 indeed.

Dave

[ravenflight]

That's it my head just exploded!

255/256 indeed.

Dave

Also known as a bee's dick within 6"... but I've known some pretty stud like bees... I met one once who you COULD say was the John Holmes of bees. In THIS case though, it is only JUST within range of 6",