Slitherine

During a recent game, enemy battlegroups moved out of the arc of fire from a heavy artillery batttlegroup deployed in a u shaped field fortification leaving it with no targets. We know that artillery in FF can not pivot (page 57) but the question was asked if the artillery follows the similar rules as battlewagons (firing from either long edge) in that they can fire from any section of the field fortification either as single base or as the whole battlegroup. We could not find anything in the rules regarding artillery but we noted that foot can move in FF to face a flank/rear attack. Our decision was as nothing was in the rules covering this situation, the artillery had a fixed arc to the front of the FF. It was noted that in future heavy artillery would be deployed outside any FF to ensure that it has a chance to keep targets throughout the game.

Did we have the correct decision?

I believe so as that's the way we have played it - artillery is more immobile than foot.

Look on the bright side - although no targets, you are forcing the enemy to react to your plan!!

Don

quackstheking wrote:I believe so as that's the way we have played it - artillery is more immobile than foot.

Look on the bright side - although no targets, you are forcing the enemy to react to your plan!!

Exactly.

(Of course, you do need a plan that exploits this).

(A plan, a plan, my kingdom for a plan).

Thanks for the replies.

It was a very expensive plan costing 110 pts ( 18 pts FF, 50 pts Heavy Artillery & 42 pts supporting infantry). It was yet another game where the infantry came out of the FF to get involved in the game. I wait to see if in our future games the Italian Wars French will send their Swiss in against the Spanish FF as in real life!, I doubt it.

Another question on that, if the FF had been a straight line rather than a U shape could the Artillery then moved 90 degrees and been able to shoot?

and what is the benefit of U shaped FF over straight lines?

Irmin wrote:Another question on that, if the FF had been a straight line rather than a U shape could the Artillery then moved 90 degrees and been able to shoot?

No

and what is the benefit of U shaped FF over straight lines?

Protects the flanks of the defenders.

Indeed the U shape has the advantage of making the artillery very secure.

I wait to see if in our future games the Italian Wars French will send their Swiss in against the Spanish FF as in real life!, I doubt it.

Once I have finished the Spanish I will take them on again so you will probably be using my French so I have no doubts that you will hurl the Swiss against the FF and roll nothing but impossible dice as usual

Having used the Spanish against the French in Gush, POW Renaissance and Maximillian to very little effect it will be interesting to see if FOGR is any different. Oh, there are dice involved so that's a no then.

Having used 1522 French against Spanish in both DBR and FoGR I can say that it's a much tighter game in FoGR.