Mortars and Rockets, or Howitzers and Horse/Foot Arty?

[Prussian to the Iron]

What do you prefer? I used to like Mortars and Rockets better, but the accuracy has become so horrible, the range counts for nothing. I still use rockets against large armies though, because the fear factor spreads with the rockets.

Howitzers are way more accurate than Mortars, so I have been switching them out recently. Plus the Horse Arty is amazing when it gets a good flanking position with shrapnel shot....

[Slaists]

I have not even tried the rockets. Just saw them as a-historical and inefficient.

Howitzers? I have not found them useful for anything except "guiding" the enemy towards my center (by bombarding the enemy's flanks) and quickly destroying buildings with enemy troops. Most of the killing is done by direct artillery though.

For a meat-grinder experience, I'd suggest to install the smoke and blood mod and put an integrated artillery line (3 line infantry + 2 puckle guns) across the diagonal of a star fort in some choke point that the enemy attacks often + some trash infantry to guard the backs of the described killer line. AI's armies will melt like snow in the spring... Be warned that after a couple runs it becomes utterly boring.

[A Very Super Market]

I use foot arty for main armies, horsies for scouting forces, and mortars and howitzers in a separate army dedicated for seiges. As in, completely lacking in cavalry.

[Prussian to the Iron]

i thought the rockets were a-historical too, but it turns out they really existed. they are very efficient if you use them against a larger army.


I use foot arty for main armies, horsies for scouting forces

why? i dont think theres a large difference in costs, and if you need to relocate it doesnt take the whole battle to go to another flank with horse arty.

[A Very Super Market]

Well, for speed. And the horsies don't aim to well with their hooves.

Rockets existed, obviously, but they weren't used in much but bombardment. I stick one or two in my bombardment forces, and that is the extent that I use them. Never, in naval battles.

[Prussian to the Iron]

horse arty is fast and just as accurate.

[Chaotix]

It's not as powerful, though.

A 24-lber Foot Artillery can destroy a building in one or two volleys, while it would take Horse Artillery (I think the largest shot is only 6 lbs, right?) much longer.

This makes the foot artillery better for sieges or defense (canister and shrapnel shot are devastating), while horse artillery is better suited for offensive, open field battles.

[Prussian to the Iron]

oh, you see in the AUM mod, there is a 24-pounder horse arty.

but, i also have not been in a fort siege battle for a long time, or in a battle with an enemy in a building.

[Fisherking]

I usually use two foot and two howitzers. Some times if I am feeling evil I will toss in some puckel guns. Rockets and Mortars now have the same accuracy. It is disgusting! Horse Arty is fine if you have the time to manage it but I usually spend the time with light infantry and cavalry.

[antisocialmunky]

Pucket Guns are pretty hilarious if you can funnel the enemy.

[pevergreen]

Mortars. Nothing else is needed.

Rockets look hilarious but do nothing.

[Fisherking]

Mortars. Nothing else is needed.

Rockets look hilarious but do nothing.

Have you played lately?

Mortar accuracy is 15% the same as rockets!

You have trouble staying on the map! They can’t hit anything smaller than a star fort, and even that is not a given.

[pevergreen]

Or is it howitzers? The one that makes a big boom. :grin2:

[Prussian to the Iron]

yeah, i like howitzers now because they tend to hit things smaller than a city on the first try.

[Fisherking]

Howitzers are good at scattering Cavalry but all the Arty takes to much management it gets hard to see what else is going on.

I am usually too busy using my three horse group to take out the enemy guns to watch what mine are doing.

It does get hairy sometimes when the guns target the same unit the horses are going after...

[Skott]

I pretty much just use howitzers only once I tech up to them. Which I do as quickly as I can. I dont bother with anything else mainly after that. :yes:

[Servius]

I haven't played since the most recent batch of changes, but last time I did play, I tried artillery (foot and horse), mortars, and howitzers. Howitzers were the only thing that seemed to have any semblance of accuracy. If the unit doesn't get a solid hit on its target after 5 shots, I'm through with it. That's just pathetic and I can't justify wasting a slot when slots are limited to 20. Another unit of Line Infantry or any cavalry unit will get me more kills and grant me more flexibility than any artillery unit.

I've asked many times if it's just me (if I'm just using them the wrong way) or if their accuracy is poorly represented in ETW, or if they were equally as useless in real life as they seem in ETW. The explanation I most often hear is that their accuracy was better historically, and that direct fire weapons had a lower trajectory so round shot would actually kill a few guys.

Howitzers also seem to have the best mix of special ammo types.

[Discoman]

I loved Howitzers when they had 45-50% accuracy. Now you upgrade and the 24lb Howitzer has 40% accuracy. Howitzers's explosive shells are very effective and can take out 20/30 guys per payload.

Mortars I haven't really dabbed in. Maybe I'll try them out when the next patch comes out.

Cannons are okay. Roundshot is accurate, but not that effective as it only takes out 1-5 men per hit(and its usually one ball that hits) Shrapnel shot is useless because it almost always misses its mark.

I used Rockets once. Besides the pretty colors they were ultimately useless and didn't cause anything more than 5 casualties.

[Fisherking]

If you are going for accurate artillery then just leave it out.

The only reason to have it is to keep the enemy from hiding out in buildings. If you don't think that is true then leave it home, but take lots of Grenadiers.

It all has a base of 40% accuracy. The 12 lb howitzer is 45% while the 24 is only 40% so in this case smaller is better.

The 6lb horse is 50% and the 24lb foot is 55%.

Only the French Guards Artillery is better. Both the 18lb horse and 24lb foot have 65% accuracy.

The big heavy 64lb guns only have 35% accuracy. The bottom of the barrel these days are rockets and mortars with only 15% accuracy. They are a supreme waste of time. They are more likely to hit your troops than the enemy.

What you may remember from earlier patches is all changed. I guess they wanted them useless because of Multiplayer complaints. The special ammunition is even less accurate than round shot, (the % is on round shot only) and shrapnel is always too high and badly timed. If you want kills with it then you need to target the ground.

It is too inaccurate and needs too much management. But then again everything in the game is inaccurate. 40% seems to be the base and anything better is wonderful.

If you read the manual you will see mortars are good because of their accuracy! ROFLOL! That was before the multiplayer exploits!

Artillery in single player is not worth the time to use it properly if you are in a big battle. With the accuracy ratings it gives you not time to manage other troops that also need looked after.

Skirmish mode does not work so light troops take time as do light dragoons, and you need to watch your line if the become involved in melee. You just might want to fix bayonets and throw in some Grenadiers.