Community call to arms: artillery guide

[Peasant Phill]

This is a call to arms for the Org community to suggest and test as much artillery tactics as possible with a full on community guide as the result in mind.
With Armstrong cannons, Gatling guns and artillery strikes at your disposal, you can make one hellish kill zone.

So figure out a tactic and test it or let someone else test it. Use prior experiences and new insights. Come one we can make a great guide.


First suggestion: cannons and Gatling guns should be positioned at the flanks. This should be obvious for a lot of people but I saw a few videos where Gatling were positioned smack in the middle.
The logic behind artillery on the flanks is that they will have more men in front of them (formations are wider then they are deep) and thus have a higher chance to hit someone.

[Madae]

Placing gatling guns on your flank is a pretty good way to cut your front line into ribbons - unless the flank is on an incline. I always place my gatlings in the middle, flanked on either side by my line of infantry. This way they have a really good kill zone that is capable of hitting the right and left along with the other infantry.

For cannons, there really isn't any need for any good tactic. Place them behind your line where they are well defended, avoid placing infantry close by in front of them (there is red area in front of cannons which I'm guessing is the immediate kill zone and is likely to hit anything in there with a random shot or two). Cannons have been fixed since Empire, and they now accurately fire over your front line troops without taking them out like bowling pins.

In this game, cannons are extremely powerful. I was really surprised, because I was always wary of using cannons in Empire. They weren't very accurate except against buildings, they had a tendency to shoot my troops if on the flank and they didn't really seem to do that much damage to infantry at all. In comparison, 6 cannons in an FOTS army can literally cut the enemy army in half before they even reach your troops. It really is fun watching them blast away at the enemy and rack up the kills/seeing troops fly everywhere. This is in stark contrast to the Empire cannons as I already said. Where I would very rarely bring cannons with me in Empire, I will always have them now in FOTS.

Additionally, these dangerous bonuses apply to enemy cannons as well. The AI doesn't use them for awhile, especially if you're Imperial and fighting against the Shogun, but once they do, and you're on the attacking side (where you have to walk across the field to the enemy), cannons can be dangerous. Not only do you lose a lot of troops on the walk there, but you lose morale, and then you need to line up in front of the enemy while taking gunfire to let your own volley. Don't even think about trying to move gatlings closer to a defending army with cannons - they will target them and take them out very quickly, and since all artillery move very slow in FOTS, it's best to leave them behind.

All in all, artillery is a welcome addition to any army in FOTS - don't leave home without them, and be prepared to see some really great moments of troops flying everywhere..

[Sp4]

Wooden cannons are kinda retarded and useless. Very cheap but also very useless. I suppose if you are defending, you can bring some along. They cannot move, fire relatively fast, run out of ammo very quickly etc etc.

They are more like mortars than cannons, so you can safely place units infront of them.

[rogerman]

I would want to place my artillery in the center, to offer maxium protection once the melee begins. They are to importan to risk on the flanks, or require substancial escorts. I usually place 1-2 line regiments to their immediate rear, and allow them troops to advance just infront of the now silenced guns. Spear units also works like this. This is my firsk Total war game where artillery can be a game changer. Although they are slow and sometimes fire into trees. Their aiming is almost to good BUT I HOPE THERE CAN BE A PATCH CONSERNING that artillery usually target the flanks of the enemy unit. I want my guns to smash the center but that only happens when they miss the flanks somewhat.
Artillery in castle defence is almost useless, try positioning not to high and far away from the approaching enemy regiments - go give they tragectory any change to hit home. On a side not, I haven't yet tried firing point black into advancing enemies using scrapnel shoot - I bet it would be awesome but they timing is critical and difficult to pull of given my high regard for the amazing guns.
True, wood guns are useless. They tend to more stir up my troops and gets them into fighting spirit! I have yet to use the gatlin gun, I must be slow to research?!? But the gatlin tower was a big letdown - I thought they would gut enemies down like pigs to the slaughter but no, one tower did perhaps 10-20 casualities to 2 advancing enemy line regiments and they are almost equal to ONE LEVY GARRISON REGIMENT. Its sad.

[SalmonSoil]

I don't know about single player but in multiplayer I have found cannons incredibly useful. The enemy is almost certain to bring cannons with them as they are incredibly powerful on the attack in sieges. It is essential that you destroy your enemies cannons or force them away from targeting your troops and walls. The only way you can actually reach them is with cannons (cavalry might be possible if the enemy isn't very alert or cautious).

[Peasant Phill]

Naval bombardment should be used just like the old MTW royal bodyguard: as a precision strike to tip the scales in your favour.

Don't use the bombardement to early, you have to wait for the perfect time. Wait until the lines meet and units start to waver. At the moment that a decision is iminent but it could go either way then it's time to call for the bombardement. Pick a good spot (units that are wavering but not quite ready to rout and hopefully not to many of your units around) and order the bombardement. If you picked the right time and the right spot, you can cause a mass rout.

I don't know about single player but in multiplayer I have found cannons incredibly useful. The enemy is almost certain to bring cannons with them as they are incredibly powerful on the attack in sieges. It is essential that you destroy your enemies cannons or force them away from targeting your troops and walls. The only way you can actually reach them is with cannons (cavalry might be possible if the enemy isn't very alert or cautious).

How do you use cannons in a siege? Position them outside of the walls with a some protection?
This seems like a waste of resources. (You can always correct me)

I do agree with the power of cannons. In a battle last night, my single unit of parrot guns were responsible for 881 of the 3000+ kills.

[Nelson]

Wooden cannons are kinda retarded and useless. Very cheap but also very useless. I suppose if you are defending, you can bring some along. They cannot move, fire relatively fast, run out of ammo very quickly etc etc.

They are more like mortars than cannons, so you can safely place units infront of them.

A single AI wooden battery dismounted one of my Parrots as it was unlimbering last night. Another Parrot was knocked out shortly after. I was forced to use the two remaining guns in counter battery so as not to lose the whole thing. Considering the execution I expected to do while playing the Parrots upon enemy infantry I was put off considerably.

The AI got a lot of value from a wooden battery in this fight. Hardly useless.

[Sp4]

Not toally useless I know.. First impressions and all that =p

They have a lower RoF than cannons, are less accurate and cannot move.
On the plus side, they cost bugger all and can probably be spammed for defensive battles when your economy wont permit the big guns =p

[Nelson]

Speaking of wooden guns, I captured a battery of them recently. After overrunning them and cutting down the crew I found that I owned them after the fight complete with their 40 men. I didn’t know that captures were possible.

[Sp4]

That sounds pretty amazing =D

[econ21]

But the gatlin tower was a big letdown - I thought they would gut enemies down like pigs to the slaughter but no, one tower did perhaps 10-20 casualities to 2 advancing enemy line regiments and they are almost equal to ONE LEVY GARRISON REGIMENT. Its sad.

I remember reading that the gatling gun was not so powerful in real life. It wasn't until the maxim gun that machine guns reached the potential we appreciate today.

[Sp4]

I had always wondered why I had not heard of ZE GATRING GUN!!! before a certain movie that kinda made them famous.

[Peasant Phill]

I heard (so take it with a grain of salt) the operators of the Gatling gun were to blame for it's lack of power. The operators would get nervous when ennemies charged in and turned the barrels to quickly which meant that the barrels couldn't cool down enough and the would overheat with malfunctions as a result.

This may be myth though.

[Sp4]

Uh.. undisciplined people ftw >_> =p

[Nelson]

I heard (so take it with a grain of salt) the operators of the Gatling gun were to blame for it's lack of power. The operators would get nervous when ennemies charged in and turned the barrels to quickly which meant that the barrels couldn't cool down enough and the would overheat with malfunctions as a result.

This may be myth though.

I think multiple barrels were a solution to the overheating problem.

It was the size of the Gatling that caused its downfall I bet. It had to be towed and crewed like artillery but without enjoying the advantages of shell firing rifled guns, muzzle or breech loading. Compared to an Armstrong battery the Gatling was a one trick pony suitable only for rifle range anti-personnel work. For all the trouble an army would rather go with the guns.

[Peasant Phill]

Another quick tought:
Has the size of the fleet or the number of guns on your fleet any influence on the naval bombardement in tactical battles?

[andrewt]

I played around 35ish turns as the Saga faction so far. Early on, it seems better to have artillery with more traditional units. The AI routinely fields armies with around 1/3 sabre cavalry and the rest being a mix of line infantries, levy infantries and spear units. These units are inferior to spear levies in a melee and don't really have the firepower to wreck them before they close in, especially after being thinned down by artillery. The spears protect the artillery easily from all the sabre cavalries and the artillery thins out the infantry units.

I'm pretty much playing with a few general units, mostly spear levies and 1 parrott gun in my army. I'm only just starting to recently add line infantry.

[quadalpha]

Another quick tought:
Has the size of the fleet or the number of guns on your fleet any influence on the naval bombardement in tactical battles?

Yes, it affects the number of shots per bombardment (possibly = 0.5 x # of cannons). I don't think it affects delay or accuracy. There are traits for your general that shorten the delay, I think, though I don't know if that applies for a general fighting the battle or commanding the fleet.

[Vladimir]

1. Put them on ships.
2. Stay close to shore.
3. Lure enemy armies.
4. ?????
5. Profit.