© Alberto Giorgi
Artillery chart
Wooden bar
To simplify the game, for each type of gauge, we prepares a wooden bar, as long as the maximum range, with reported sectors (First Bounce-Canister-Near-Medium-Far) and the corresponding result of the dice necessary to hit the target. Depending on the type of shot or bullet used, as we will see below, you are entitled to throw more or less dice. For each dice that reaches the value required by the table, a toy soldier is eliminated.
ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF ARTILLERY FIRE
When the battery suffers the elimination of half the number of the cannons, there is a -1 penalty to the shoot. For example in the closest range it will hit with 1 or 2 instead of 1, 2 and 3.
The artillery can never shoot inside the woods or ball against units in skirmish.
Against units with light shelter (forest edges, hedges and barricades), the artillery can shoot to bounce or canister and the target is entitled to the usual rescue shot (1-2) for each shot.
The line of fire is interrupted by hills, forests, buildings, friendly troops.
When the enemies are attacking the artillery for a melee, it is mandatory to shoot with Canister and not Ball shoot even if it is more convenient.
Example
Example of prepared rod for 6 lb batteries. With the dice's values on the rod, you will avoid going to check the list every time (this representation is not to scale).
Artillery fire 0 elevation (rebound)
O rise
Covered units and enfilade fire
Tis is the most common and important aiming of the period. At 0 rise, the ball fired by the cannon would bounce several times at human height until the end of the range. To calculate the losses caused on the enemy you roll as many six-sided dice as there are soldiers crossed by the rod. For every 1, 2 and 3 in the near sector, 1 and 2 at medium distance and 1 in the long one, a soldier is eliminated. If the same unit falls simultaneously in two sectors, the closest one always prevails.
Above, we can hit three soldiers with 1, 2, or 3, and three soldiers with 1 and 2.
Different targets
When the artillery hits the Column on enfilade fire instead on the front, it rolls twice as many dice. The trajectory must enter from one side and exit from the other without crossing the front or rear line. The infantry deployed in line formation always undergoes only one roll of the dice. The artillery cannot shoot to open order infantry. The shaken units are not considered in open order but in closed formation. The unit sheltered carries the "saving throw" shot for each hit.
In this case, we have one rebound shooting (1, 2, or 3 to hit) against infantry protected by a light cover (which tries the saving throw for each loss suffered) and six dice (1 or 2 to hit) against the infantry in Column because stricken on enfilade. The skirmish infantry is not hittable by rebound shoot.
Canister
Canister fire
Cannon and Howitzers shooting a canister roll four and two dice respectively and hit with 1, 2 and 3 against the closest unit within their respective sector. The main target must always be the closest and, in any case, the most threatening.
The firing area, which is a rectangle of the width of the base of the cannon (also diagonally), must not cross allied troops. With a reduced battery (one or two real cannons) it always rolls four dice but with -1 of penalty at each useful outcome and then causes a loss for each dice with which it draws 1 and 2.
Empty area
Example
The Canister cannot be carried out if in the direction of fire there are allied troops even if they are at a lower ground level line.
Although at a higher level, as in the hill, you can not shoot with the canister "above" a friendly unit to hit an enemy unit. When guns shoots to an open formation, it takes advantage of the "protection of the open order" but suffers anyway four dice throws (with the saving throw for the open order).
The light formation does not "interrupt" the canister completely and in addition to the four dice just launched, regardless of the outcome, a further 2 dice shots
of the are directed to the rear unit (half the shots of the canister).
Then 2 dice for a battery of 4 guns and 1 only for a howitzer.
Howitzer
Howitzer
Behind barricade, or wall
Against artillery
Howitzer can fire archery climbing over barricades, bushes, or trenches, and enemy cannot defend themselves with the saving throw (except for the open order). The howitzer always rolls two dice against any unit that will result in a loss for every 1 or 2 draws.
In this aiming, the Howitzer can choose two shoots (1 and 2 to hit) against the battery deployed to fire, that can attempt the saving throw (for the open order) for each loss suffered, having to get 1 or 2 to save themselves. If hit, will have to identify the damage suffered. Cannons, artillery, towing, caissons. See rules Artillery vs. Artillery.
In this aiming, the Howitzer can choose two shoots (1 and 2 to hit) against the Line behind the barricade (which cannot use the saving throw) or two shots (1 and 2 to hit), against the skirmish infantry that can attempt the saving throw (for the open order) for each loss suffered, having to get 1 or 2 to save themselves.
Special arc fire
Same elevated position
Elevated position
Rebound effect
In this second case, the enemy is elevated but is up to the same terrain level. With an arched shoot, the battery can hit only one group, eventually taking advantage of the rebound only on the same unit.
NB: The cannon, unlike the howitzer, can make the arched shot only if it shoots from an elevated position compared to the troops friends but can not climb over protections not being the shot sufficiently arched.
The possibility of rebounding is valid only on the hit unit. And must get 1,2,3 from near, 1,2 from a medium distance, and 1 from far away.
Artillery Vs Artillery
Identify the damage
After hitting the artillery, whether it is attached to the tow or placed at fire, we must identify the damage caused and to do so we must roll an additional six-sided dice. With 1 and 2 is hit a gun, with 3 and 4 a gunner, with 5 a tow, and with 6, there is an explosion of an ammunition tank which causes confusion and immobilizes the artillery for a move. This cannot perform any action of movement, coupling or release towings or fire. You "mark" the battery with a "fire" marker to remember that it is immobilized.
Artillery target
Artillery behind protection
Against limbered artillery, the rebound shot is as in normal fire based on distance and eventually protection. Against an unlimbered battery, the target, if hit, rolls the protection dice with 1, 2, saving for the open order without cover. If eventually, lightly covered 1, 2, 3, and for hard protection like a trench 1, 2, 3, 4.
With Howitzer or arched shoot with a Common shell, being allowed to carry behind the obstacles, the target cannot defend themselves for the protections but the affected battery will be entitled to the rescue shot (1, 2) for the open unlimbered deployment.
Artillery against square
Against a square, the canon, with a raise 0 or arched shot rolls three dice, and Canister four dice. The howitzer rolls 2 dice both with an explosive ball and Canister. If the same Square falls simultaneously in two sectors, the closest one prevails. Under 6 soldiers, the square break.
Cannon Vs Buildings
A cannonball versus a construction would not have been as destructive as you think. Often the balls would have crossed the walls without causing structural damage. At other times they would have bounced or would have been stuck in the facade between the bricks. For this reason, to shoot down a building, numerous cannon balls would have been necessary. Buildings can be small (up to an area of 30 cm) or standard. A small building needs 200 points to collapse while a standard building needs 400 points. At the beginning of the game you can assign different values for each construction. Although the target would be easy enough to hit, the number of bounces and the distance would reduce the penetration force.
The artillery has to roll the dice as always following the usual table with differences based on distance. If the shot is successful, the result of the six-sided dice simultaneously gives us the consistency of the damage. The result is multiplied by the pounds of the cannon.
The damage inflicted is verified and the building score is reduced. A close-range shot of a 6lb caliber with a result of 3 will give 3 x 6 =18 damage points inflicted while 4lb would not cause significant damage. If the 2 had been drawn, the close range shot would have been successful but would have caused only 12 points of damage for the 6lb. For each positive result one soldier of the garrison is hit and the defender rolls a saving throw (1-4) for the protection.
Cannon Vs Bridges
The artillery can directly hit the bridges, instead of the troops on them, aiming at the pillars/supports, pulling a dice with the standard artillery table. If the shot is successful, the player determine the damage consistency in the same way used for buildings. To collapse a bridge of boats requires 50 points, for a wooden bridge 100 points, while for a masonry bridge 200 points.
Howitzer Vs Buildings
In the case of the HOWITZER as always pulls 2 dice and eliminate a soldier with 1 and 2. With each 2 also sets a fire to the building (with 1 only one soldier is hit and with 2 one soldier is hit and a fire is trigged on the building).
When, with a shot of Howitzer, you start a fire on a building, above it is placed an indicator that represents a small fire or, for lovers of realism, flame-shaped cotton/smoke red, yellow and gray. Once the fire triggers, it will increase by a flame with each move. In the meantime the howitzer can continue to start other fireplaces. When the building reaches three flames, the fire propagates to the adjacent building. The next turn after the three flames, the building collapses and is replaced with a model of ruins. Collapsing kills all the units inside. The infantry, to cross the ruins, suffers the cost of uneven ground (4 cm).
The Howitzer can set on fire only pontoon and wood bridge and will need 3 flames to make them collapse.
Extinguish fire
The defender may attempt with one or more companies to extinguish the fire while it is in progress. These can defend themselves in close combat but cannot shoot outside. Also in this case the reactivity test will be carried out for each company.
Each company involved rolls a six-sided die.
If the defender passes the test, the company extinguishes the fire
If it does not pass, it does not extinguish the fire and the next move the fire increases by a flame
If the building collapses because it is completely burnt or destroyed by the cannonballs, the garrison is eliminated.
Shrapnel and Congreve
SHRAPNEL for British Artillery only is a type of bullet used by British artillery to achieve a canister effect at a distance. Being a bullet can be fired from barrels of different caliber and the range varies depending on the cannon used. Each battery rolls two dice that will cause a loss with 1 and 2 from the second sector until the end of the maximum flow rate. With a reduced battery (one or two real cannons) rolls two dice with a -1 penalty (causes a loss only with 1). Do not overrides the protections. It can shoot at troops in open order, but they roll the saving throw dice.
CONGREVE ROCKETS are a type of artillery rockets that require a specific fire apparatus and specialized troops. They were occasionally used by Britain in the last phase of the Napoleonic Wars. Each model represents two rocket launchers. They strike from 40 to 160 cm with 1, If the rocket hit the unit loose 2 soldiers and the unit risk to be shaken (it pulls one reaction die to remain in formation)
Congreve canister pull two dice and hit with 1, 2 and 3.
© Alberto Giorgi