Puckle Guns: Great for taking down buildings?

[Rhuarc]

So I was mopping up another tedious 'siege' (of Naples I think) where the AI (Spain) had once again moved its remaining 4 full strength line infantry units into settlement structures, making them nothing more than fat juicy targets for my artillery. I had along 2 24lb howitzers and 2 puckle guns. As usual, I moved my arty into position to level the buildings while my infantry sat down for lunch. While my howitzers went to work on the town hall, I got bored waiting for the howitzers to actually hit anything and decided to bring up the pucke guns on another of the 'defended' structures, just to see if they could do anything.

Wow! It must be a little-known fact that puckle guns used depleted uranium for ammo, cause they knocked down all three of the remaining 'defended' buildings while the howitzers were still firing on the town hall. Sure the town hall is a whole lot stronger, but still. I thought of them only as rapid-fire muskets, but the game must treat them as true artillery in terms of what they can damage. However, with their rapid fire rate, higher accuracy, and quick re-load time, they took down the structures in short order. I think every two or three hits added a percentage of damage to the buildings, and they spew out a lots of bullets per load. I was quite impressed, watching these 'gatling guns' shred the buildings. I don't know if this was intended by the game designers or not. Got me wondering if they could bring down fortification walls too, although I haven't tested this yet- wall cannons would probably destroy them before they could really do anything.

Anyway, if for no other reason, they drastically reduced the time it took me to finish this foregone conclusion of a seige, so I thought I would share.

[Megas Methuselah]

Their range is much shorter than the typical cannon or howitzer, though.

[Miracle]

Got me wondering if they could bring down fortification walls too, although I haven't tested this yet- wall cannons would probably destroy them before they could really do anything.

I tested them against a Western Artillery Fort in a custom siege battle. Each volley did 4% damage on the stone walls. The wall cannons are an issue given that they outrange the puckle guns. To counter this, provide a distraction for the wall cannons. Meanwhile, sneak in a puckle gun or two and blast away.

Obviously, their stone-smashing ability is probably a bug. CA will probably change their firepower to 0 or 1.

Their range is much shorter than the typical cannon or howitzer, though.

Their range is 150 which is barely enough to avoid riflemen on walls (I think).

[Dead Guy]

Also noticed this, they're very good at occupied houses and such. Too bad I can't get them to not suck at anything else, cannister is just so much better?

[Slaists]

Also noticed this, they're very good at occupied houses and such. Too bad I can't get them to not suck at anything else, cannister is just so much better?

And Shrapnel is so much better than canister...

[Khorak]

Well this is pretty ironic, since I found them distressingly poor at taking down infantry.

[Rhuarc]

Well, I think it all comes down to two things: accuracy and reload time.

Its all about how much firepower can be delivered on target in the shortest time. Puckle guns, although not as powerful, beat out cannons/howitzers, pound for pound, is this regard. Of course, what other arty has that puckle guns don't is range (plus explosive shot, etc.). So if you can move your guns as close as you like- short of being in range of infantry- then puckle guns win hands down.

This would be the case with any fixed, defenseless target- like buildings, AI formations hiding uselessly behind walls, fortified AI artillery that can't fire on anything not directly in front of it..well you get the picture.

[Ordani]

Well this is pretty ironic, since I found them distressingly poor at taking down infantry.

Like most other artillery, they do alright in mass, though poorly alone. Not remotely worth losing LI for, of course, but not totally useless. I generally keep some in my city-assault army specifically to waste all the militia holed up in houses since my other artillery never plays a significant role anyway.