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Post by [GG] Lord Ashram on Mar 19, 2006 19:39:58 GMT -5
Welcome to week one of The Art of (Napoleonic Total) War, our weekly column about all things NTW.
The topic for this week will be artillery on the NTW battlefield. Or, to be more specific, how to properly place your artillery to get the most out of it. Enjoy, and please feel free to offer your own insights afterwards!
Being a good artillery commander in Napoleonic Total War is more than just plunking down a few twelve pounders and shooting the enemy up. There are a few subtle tricks to using artillery that are essential to getting the most out of these oft-limited, but deadly, weapons.
The main rule of artillery reflects that of real estate; location, location, location! The number one thing to remember is altitude of location. Quite simply, an artillery piece becomes more effective, particularly at counter-battery fire, the higher it is placed. You will find that when cannon exchange fire with each other, the one with the more elevated position will often quickly win the duel. The piece can then go on to engage elite infantry and enemy cavalry unthreatened.
The second fundamental of location is reverse slope. While it will often feel most natural planting your artillery on the very top of a ridgeline or hill, it is actually often safer, as long as you have altitude on enemy artillery, to place your own artillery slightly behind the top of a hilly spot. This reverse slope will actually shield the artillery from counter-battery fire, as enemy shells either fly overhead or hit the ground in front. So don’t be afraid to back those guns up a touch if you can protect them.
The third rule is what I will call the “length” of location. When you are choosing a target, you always want to make sure to fire in a way that your shots not only hit a valuable unit, but also bounce through it to hit anther unit behind. Ideally, you want to shoot down the length of an enemy target, not through its often-narrow center. While the center of your own line might feel like the safest part of the field for your artillery to sit, it will often be more effective at the extreme flank of your line, and preferably on the least threatened flank. From that position the artillery piece can fire down the length of attacking enemy lines, smashing three and four units at a time and reducing the enemy front to a charnel house. Cannister in particular can cause a mess of the enemy flank, as its close hitting power is capable of tearing through a few enemy units before the enemy general can react.
And this discussion of length brings me to another topic… this sometimes underestimated, ALWAYS effective artillery piece is also my favorite piece: the four pounder. While it certainly doesn’t have the range of the long-distance-champ twelve pound gun, or the well balanced nature of the eight pounder, the four pound “galloper” gun has something the biggies don’t; maneuverability. While it might not be as effective in the earlier portions of the battle when the enemy is at further than arms length, it really comes into its own when the armies get close. Don’t be afraid to push a far flank out a bit with some lights and cavalry just as an excuse to get a four pound gun on their flank firing down the length of their lines. The ability to continuously move the four pound gun into exact position, along with its huge amount of ammo, can cause hundreds upon hundreds of enemy casualties if smartly done with support of light infantry and cavalry.
And those are my basic tips of artillery usage in Napoleonic Total War. Remember to always pay attention to the elevation of your artillery, to hide it behind a bit of slope, and try to always be firing down the length of enemy lines, rather than through the skinny centers. Don’t forget to consider canister, as it can quickly chew holes in specific parts of the enemy line to leave them vulnerable to a morale-crushing cavalry charge very quickly. And last but not least, don’t leave out the smaller four pounder, especially when attacking; its quickness and large quantity of ammo can, if properly used, mow down enemy soldiers like wheat before the scythe. Good luck, and see you, maybe through the sights of my four pounder, on the field!
The topic for this week will be artillery on the NTW battlefield. Or, to be more specific, how to properly place your artillery to get the most out of it. Enjoy, and please feel free to offer your own insights afterwards!
Being a good artillery commander in Napoleonic Total War is more than just plunking down a few twelve pounders and shooting the enemy up. There are a few subtle tricks to using artillery that are essential to getting the most out of these oft-limited, but deadly, weapons.
The main rule of artillery reflects that of real estate; location, location, location! The number one thing to remember is altitude of location. Quite simply, an artillery piece becomes more effective, particularly at counter-battery fire, the higher it is placed. You will find that when cannon exchange fire with each other, the one with the more elevated position will often quickly win the duel. The piece can then go on to engage elite infantry and enemy cavalry unthreatened.
The second fundamental of location is reverse slope. While it will often feel most natural planting your artillery on the very top of a ridgeline or hill, it is actually often safer, as long as you have altitude on enemy artillery, to place your own artillery slightly behind the top of a hilly spot. This reverse slope will actually shield the artillery from counter-battery fire, as enemy shells either fly overhead or hit the ground in front. So don’t be afraid to back those guns up a touch if you can protect them.
The third rule is what I will call the “length” of location. When you are choosing a target, you always want to make sure to fire in a way that your shots not only hit a valuable unit, but also bounce through it to hit anther unit behind. Ideally, you want to shoot down the length of an enemy target, not through its often-narrow center. While the center of your own line might feel like the safest part of the field for your artillery to sit, it will often be more effective at the extreme flank of your line, and preferably on the least threatened flank. From that position the artillery piece can fire down the length of attacking enemy lines, smashing three and four units at a time and reducing the enemy front to a charnel house. Cannister in particular can cause a mess of the enemy flank, as its close hitting power is capable of tearing through a few enemy units before the enemy general can react.
And this discussion of length brings me to another topic… this sometimes underestimated, ALWAYS effective artillery piece is also my favorite piece: the four pounder. While it certainly doesn’t have the range of the long-distance-champ twelve pound gun, or the well balanced nature of the eight pounder, the four pound “galloper” gun has something the biggies don’t; maneuverability. While it might not be as effective in the earlier portions of the battle when the enemy is at further than arms length, it really comes into its own when the armies get close. Don’t be afraid to push a far flank out a bit with some lights and cavalry just as an excuse to get a four pound gun on their flank firing down the length of their lines. The ability to continuously move the four pound gun into exact position, along with its huge amount of ammo, can cause hundreds upon hundreds of enemy casualties if smartly done with support of light infantry and cavalry.
And those are my basic tips of artillery usage in Napoleonic Total War. Remember to always pay attention to the elevation of your artillery, to hide it behind a bit of slope, and try to always be firing down the length of enemy lines, rather than through the skinny centers. Don’t forget to consider canister, as it can quickly chew holes in specific parts of the enemy line to leave them vulnerable to a morale-crushing cavalry charge very quickly. And last but not least, don’t leave out the smaller four pounder, especially when attacking; its quickness and large quantity of ammo can, if properly used, mow down enemy soldiers like wheat before the scythe. Good luck, and see you, maybe through the sights of my four pounder, on the field!
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