What ordonnance for what situation?

[Xipe Totec]

My favourite artillery tactic is to use a group of howitzers firing carcass or better still quicklime. Target the ground just in front of units behind walls or just in front of an occupied building. Casualties inside buildings are especially impressive: I routed a full unit of line infantry yesterday with the first volley of 5 howitzer batteries shooting carcass. It is less accurate post-patch 1.3, but still gets the job done in a massed volley. Also very effective if you fire at a unit walking parallel to the line of your army: one howitzer volley of carcass can destroy a line infantry unit in that case.

Once I get howitzers large battles are all about winning with artillery and taking minimal casualties. The infantry guards the front and I prefer curassiers to guard the rear and flanks. Devastating artillery barrages force the enemy to charge my lines even when outgunned. This always results in them being shot to pieces by my infantry which is ready for 3 volleys as soon as they arrive. Lots of chevrons all round for the infantry means they just get more accurate and faster at reloading.

Percussion shells make howitzers utterly devastating. I don't like mortars because they are now so innacurate you can sit there for hours waiting to hit something. Some factions e.g. Marathas can't get howitzers though so you have to live with it. Ottomans get large howitzers early which are even better, but their infantry suck for most of the game.

The early exploding shell shot is good at the right range, especially against cavalry and a group of infantry units in one area. It fails at long range however as the shells mostly explode prematurely above the target. If only they would learn to use longer fuses! At some point advancing infantry 'gets under the radar' and is too close for howitzers or mortars to hit at all. Let the muskets do the job and target something else.