How powerful should artillery really be?

**ByzanKing** · 10-22-2008, 19:10

I think the artillery should just be a "support" group to the ground troops. I don't want to see cannons ripping apart an entire army with a few shots before any type of melee battle begins. Plus we all know CA is notorious for having the AI build entire stacks of nothing but artillery, so hopefully the artillery is not to overpowering, i.e.-war elephants. IMHO.

**Megas Methuselah** · 10-22-2008, 22:18

I agree with Byzanking.

**Sabuti** · 10-22-2008, 23:25

I think when Cavalry charge cannons the game should play the song "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden.

**Alerion** · 10-23-2008, 08:49

and then they should die... ^^

seriously... they have to make it impossible to charge an artillery unit that is somehow functioning head on and still succeed... that WAS impossible and that should be impossible... I mean we're not talking onagers here...

**pdoyle007** · 10-23-2008, 09:12

We have to remember that in this era most of the shot fired was solid. Other than howitzers and shrapnel casing there weren't really explosive rounds. More solid lumps of metal fired.

If you move your troops behind a building then they should be safe from grapeshot as it'll be like firing a shotgun against a brick wall. Roundshot can punch through but only in a straight line and not immediately collapse a whole building. Plus that cannon may take 2 minutes to reload when your men can them emmerge from cover and snipe at the crew.

I would also like to see troops show more self preservation, it was common in the era for troops to lie down to minimise casualties and spoil the crew aim. Also use dead ground where the contours of the land meant they were effectively safe.

A head on charge would be stupid, unless it was a whole troop and the cannon had roundshot - as previously mentioned it would fire in a straight line, take out troops along that line but would then be vulunerable to the survivers, grapeshot would be alot more effective but you still couldn't guarentee 100% kill rate. A single gun crew that got pincers between two attacking troops would be in big trouble (hence why protection was still needed for them).

**Alerion** · 10-23-2008, 09:30

of course... so artillery shouldnt be overpowered... but given a unit of 2 cannons ( we dont know yet how many cannons an artillery unit will include) is charged by 40 horses... both cannons fire grapeshot into the attackers... whoever is left (if any) will not be in the mood to charge on....

**Megas Methuselah** · 10-23-2008, 10:12

I suppose if they use grapeshot, it might be another matter altogether. But look at this, the wiki article on the charge of the light brigade:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge_..._light_brigade

Sure, it was disastrous, but the cavalry still managed to drive off the enemy artillery crews(their main target), despite charging through a valley occupied by a large amount of both enemy infantry and artillery on both sides and at the opposite end of the valley.

Lol, keep in mind, though, that the Russian infantry could barely ever hit their targets. Still...