Light Artillery

gozerius · Post by **gozerius** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:32 pm

I've used them successfully with my later medieval armies. I tie them into the main infantry line with an IC to help move them. The whole line moves together up to 6 MUs from the enemy with the LArty alternating with spearmen. The LArty lays down a healthy barrage (they only have to get lucky once), then the spears charge the disrupted enemy. The only drawback is that the main line moves extremely slowly, especially if you blow a couple CMT rolls. Keep the mobile stuff behind the line to guard against an envelopment.
The biggest challenge is sticking to the plan and not getting drawn into splitting the line until it's time to charge home.

jonphilp · Post by **jonphilp** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 10:55 pm

Message from a club member who is having dificulty in joining the foum.

I have no problems with Artilleries lack of mobility in this set of rules. The Cheiroballista are the exception that proves the rule - nearly all artillery in this period once deployed was not moved again. (As Marsden makes clear in chapter 7 of Greek and Roman Artillery - Historical Development.) The problem I have with it is that all Greek and Roman light and heavy artillery ( but not some of the realy large pices used in sieges) was mounted on a universal joint which means they had in theory a 360 degree arc of fire. This is not represented in the rules and thus makes them a waste of points.
To represent this ability they should have the ability to fire at least three base widths over at maximum range and two at effective range

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:15 am

jonphilp wrote:they should have the ability to fire at least three base widths over at maximum range and two at effective range

Definately

Strategos69 · Post by **Strategos69** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:10 am

jonphilp wrote:Message from a club member who is having dificulty in joining the foum.

I have no problems with Artilleries lack of mobility in this set of rules. The Cheiroballista are the exception that proves the rule - nearly all artillery in this period once deployed was not moved again. (As Marsden makes clear in chapter 7 of Greek and Roman Artillery - Historical Development.) The problem I have with it is that all Greek and Roman light and heavy artillery ( but not some of the realy large pices used in sieges) was mounted on a universal joint which means they had in theory a 360 degree arc of fire. This is not represented in the rules and thus makes them a waste of points.
To represent this ability they should have the ability to fire at least three base widths over at maximum range and two at effective range

My concern is not the lack of mobility but being completely stationary. If they had that 360 degrees arc of fire, why not just letting turning while stationary? If you modify them so that they have to pass a CMT to turn and if they move they can't shoot, that good fix part of the issue. Thus troops would have one turn to get out of range of the artillery and the artillery could not react easily, which I would fear if they could turn too easily.

Even though the idea is nice, I would prefer to amend the special rules of heavy artillery to those of the arc of fire, because that way artillery would have two special rules (arc of fire and movement) instead of only one (no movement but turning) and that can be problematic. By the way, don´t you feel that artillery rules should be grouped together in the special rules section?

philqw78 · Post by **philqw78** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:17 am

Strategos69 wrote:My concern is not the lack of mobility but being completely stationary. If they had that 360 degrees arc of fire, why not just letting turning while stationary?

What would this improve. They could then shoot, after turning and CMT, the same arc but to their rear or 90 degrees either side with 1 base on a much smaller arc.