Which artileery do you prefer

[RazAlgul]

Well...I haven't noticed any of this threat.....just chat about the range bla bla...so I open this thread and see what comes of it.

I am in about 1720....have carcass shot researched, thus am able to build 6lb,12lb horse artillery, 12lb Howitzers and 12lb fixed arty.

While I have been heavily using the Howitzer lately I think they are worse then the Demi-Cannons I used before. I even considered to go and use the 6lb and 12lb Horse arty instead of the Howitzers, since the special shots have rather short range.

What type of arty do you prefer???

in Siege Howitzers are great...but on an open battlefield I think Horse Arty will be better.

Pls share your experience and ideas.

[Maidel]

Until Darth modded the range of the howitzers these were WAY the best artillery. As I posted in a thread around version .8 or so, 4 units of howitzers, 4 cavalry and the rest line infantry was utterly unbeatable in previous versions. The line infantry was compressed into a fairly heavy line and the howitzers just pounded away with either explosive or percussion shells until the enemy was demolished.

Now hes changed it, ive been playing around and in a full stack army I am deciding between 2 cannons and 2 howitzers and 1 cannon and 3 howitzers.

As the AI often charges pretty early on having lots of long range artilery seems a little pointless, so the cannon is there to blast out any annoying enemy cannons and the howitzers are there to bombard any enemy units with round shot if they are in houses, or wait for them to come closer and fire across my lines (they have a minimum range) with explosive shells. Often best used at just the right time to take out annoying cavalry divisions as they charge me.

Often when the cannon has finished taking out the enemy artliery I pack it up and make it retreat - I have far more casualties from friendly fire than I ever gain from using the cannons long term.

[RazAlgul]

I generally kept away from 6lb and 12lb horse arty cause of the small caliber and prefered the howitzer due to the fact that it can shoot over my lines....but with they ranges shortened, I think about going with the cannon and use the V shape formation with canister shot....with maybe 1 Howitzer for long range Carcass spray or Exp shot against buildings with units.....how is the reload rate for the 6lb and 12lb in comparison with the 12lb howitzers??

[Maidel]

Never saw an issue with the reload rate. Then again ive never bothered (past a few tests) using the horse artiliery due to the limber/unlimber bug meaning that 90% of the reason for using them was possibly lost at a critical time.

If you like micromangement of cannons - use them, up close they are devestating - i just always forget to retarget them at vital points in the battle, just when the enemy hits my lines and they have tracked an enemy unit into combat and proceed to decimate my own line infantry with canister trying to hit the enemy behind them...

[pauli]

vanilla? large mortars. period.

darthmod? as the spanish i was using 3/6lb horse guns, as they don't significantly slow down my army.

the elevation issues (ie, overshooting lower targets, just like infantry... don't they have artillery school to prevent this sort of idiocy?) limit the effectiveness of arty for me.

[anaztazioch]

well i use mostly demi-cannons, mortars and "gatling guns"
I dont like howitzers, worst unit in game IMO. Why give lots of damage, when i can take my time with mortars before getting enemy walls down in siege

[iricund]

Once I have shrapnel shot available to me I'm very quickly becoming a big fan of cannon - favouring the Horse Arty over the heavier calibres. A nice long range mauling from the shrapnel, followed by a whiff of cannister to have the enemy rethink approaching my lines. It's a wonderful combination.

[Maidel]

I dont like howitzers, worst unit in game IMO. Why give lots of damage, when i can take my time with mortars before getting enemy walls down in siege

I dont get it... They fire over troops, only about 5% chance of friendly fire as they have a minimum range (no more fragging your troops in the back when you arent looking) and they get percussion shells later in the game which take out up to 100 troops with one shot on the commander edition.

I dont see the draw back, they have better accuracy than mortars and have carrages so can be moved, only thing they dont have is canister.

[JaM]

btw, small caliber artilery were very fast to reload - for example Swede "leather" guns were able to fire4 rounds per minute where standard musket used at that time (Gustavus II Adolphus) were only able to fire 2 times. Later in 18.century light guns were even more popular.

[anaztazioch]

I dont get it... They fire over troops, only about 5% chance of friendly fire as they have a minimum range (no more fragging your troops in the back when you arent looking) and they get percussion shells later in the game which take out up to 100 troops with one shot on the commander edition.

I dont see the draw back, they have better accuracy than mortars and have carrages so can be moved, only thing they dont have is canister.

I never putcannons behind my troops, unless they are intented to get friently fired.
+ mortars never gave me any FF

[Silius Saurus]

They all have their strong points, but I love my horse arty; I guess it's the General Patton in me. There's nothing like seizing the high ground and laying down some hot death on the bad guys, and horse arty makes it easier. Bugging out when the bad guys are flanking you, repositioning and firing again also is a strong point, too. Once I learned how to fire obliquely to the enemy's line of advance, my kill #'s with arty went up up up.

The destructive power of the shellfire from a Howitzer can't be discounted, either.

I love 'em all. It's the Napoleon in me.

[anaztazioch]

well everyone is napeloeon vs ETW AI >.>

[RazAlgul]

hmm...maybe I will have to rethink my Howitzer/Demi Cannon strategies...I guess I will try to replace the Howitzers for now with the 3lb and 6lb H-Arty and see how they do in actual combat.....hmm.....hearing about the Puckle Guns...I am really looking forward to them....

[Liu Kang]

Personally, i always try to get two puckle guns and two howitzers in my armies. If you get light infantry simply place the puckle guns into your front line and place the light infantry infront right at the start and get them to immediatly place stakes (I never move to meet my enemy, i wait for them to come). When the enemy get close enough you just sit and watch as those bullets tear through your enemy forces, the stakes protect them from direct cavalry charges (If you have PG on your front thats the enemies obvious strategy). NEVER EVER place Puckle Guns behind your own troops, first time i did that i noticed that three quarters of my line infantry were killed off, and thats when i found out Friendly Fire was on.

Howitzers are great if you have access to the carcuss shot and the percussive shell. Whilst you only have time to fire off one Percussion Shell, its still enough to tear right through your opponents and watch as your biggest threat immediatly retreats before the fight even starts

If im low on cash i just get Mortars instead of the Howitzers, if cash is really a problem then horse artillery replace the puckle guns for me...

[RazAlgul]

What is the fire rate of the puckle gun compared to the Horse Arty, Howitzers and Mortars???

[Maidel]

I never putcannons behind my troops, unless they are intented to get friently fired.
+ mortars never gave me any FF

Its not when they are behind they do the worst damage!

Ive put them in the --V-- shape that some people have reccomended and ive put them in the __c__ or --c-- formation - none of them work unless you are willing to babysit them through the entire battle.

Examples:

1) had the cannons in the --C-- position between my units. Saw an enemy cavalry unit approaching, quickly switched to canister, cavalry charged the full length of the battle away from my cannons down my lines - cannons tracked them all the way and when they were WAY out of cansister range, proceeded to fire a full set of canister into each other, three cannons took each other out....

2) had the cannons slightly INFRONT of the infantry - knew I couldnt get away with them being in line, cavalry again, switched to canister, got off one shot, cavalry kept comming - bye bye cannons....

3) had them in the V shape - thought great - protections against everything. Cavalary again threatened the line, switched to canister, cavalry were aiming straight down the V shape. Then, as I clicked the canister button they turned off and attacked one of my units on the edge of the V and BAM full 4 cannons of cansister into the side of the V....

And last but certainly not least...

4) Cannon on a hill top - set with round shot aiming at a distant cavalry unit- I thought I couldnt go wrong with this! Throughout the battle the cannons continued to fire on that unit as it slowly tracked behind my lines, cannons turned a full 180 degrees (lost one cannon to its mate...) and then, as the cavalry approached, my cannons procceded to bounce all their cannon balls up the slope (despite the enemy being all the way up and down the other side of the hill) and they promtly slaughtered my general....


They are so bugged I dont understand how anyone uses them effectively. One unit I can cope with and 3 howitzers who dont friendly fire me and I basically baby sit it through the entire battle.

[RazAlgul]

Well using cannons is a rather tough job...but it is rewarding to see that the first rushing unites routing in mid rush....turning away.....also....don't ever use the cannons in close combat...never had any luck using the cannister shot....too unreliable and unpredictable.....I always use them as long shot...the way arty is meant to be used......shower some carcass/exp shots in front of a moving army...if lucky...you make a huge mess of the incoming rush....if unlucky....you at least shower them and get a few lucky kills....also in siege..they are the best thing to have.....land battles depend..they are great against inf but bad against cavalry....I always keep at least 1 inf behind the cannons.....if the cavalry gets close...they get shot up by the Inf in 2-3 rankse behind the cannons....with Howitzers..I place them in front of the howitzers to provide cover...also always keep a spare Cavalry close to Cannon/H etc.....just to be on the safe side.....I noticed it is very useful to have a unit of Grenadiers guarding the Arty.....they are small in numbers...but can manage to defend them agains a cavalry/inf charge

[Bob the Insane]

I have really taken to the 6lb horse artillery because of it's manouverability and it decent reload times...

In an infantly battle a line of 3 horse artillery units set to cannister shot is brutally effective for cutting down advancing infantry...

[Liu Kang]

Its not when they are behind they do the worst damage!

Ive put them in the --V-- shape that some people have reccomended and ive put them in the __c__ or --c-- formation - none of them work unless you are willing to babysit them through the entire battle.

Examples:

1) had the cannons in the --C-- position between my units. Saw an enemy cavalry unit approaching, quickly switched to canister, cavalry charged the full length of the battle away from my cannons down my lines - cannons tracked them all the way and when they were WAY out of cansister range, proceeded to fire a full set of canister into each other, three cannons took each other out....

2) had the cannons slightly INFRONT of the infantry - knew I couldnt get away with them being in line, cavalry again, switched to canister, got off one shot, cavalry kept comming - bye bye cannons....

3) had them in the V shape - thought great - protections against everything. Cavalary again threatened the line, switched to canister, cavalry were aiming straight down the V shape. Then, as I clicked the canister button they turned off and attacked one of my units on the edge of the V and BAM full 4 cannons of cansister into the side of the V....

And last but certainly not least...

4) Cannon on a hill top - set with round shot aiming at a distant cavalry unit- I thought I couldnt go wrong with this! Throughout the battle the cannons continued to fire on that unit as it slowly tracked behind my lines, cannons turned a full 180 degrees (lost one cannon to its mate...) and then, as the cavalry approached, my cannons procceded to bounce all their cannon balls up the slope (despite the enemy being all the way up and down the other side of the hill) and they promtly slaughtered my general....


They are so bugged I dont understand how anyone uses them effectively. One unit I can cope with and 3 howitzers who dont friendly fire me and I basically baby sit it through the entire battle.

Try the --C-- formation again, but this time have Light Infantry set up Stakes infront of the cannons (Make sure while they do it that the cannons arent set to Fire at Will else you'll loose a couple of soldiers immediatly... The only thing Light Infantry is useful for is them stakes



RazAlgul, the puckle gun fires of like once every twenty seconds but when it begins to fire its basically a machine gun firing for at least five to ten seconds non-stop (Just watching the smoke coming out the gun is great).
They have longer range than the Light Infantries and Sharpshooters and if used wisely they can do A LOT of damage. If anyone remembers that scene at the end of Last Samurai, well all i can say is that you should be prepared to watch that happening IN game! Though you wont be feeling sorry for the Cavalry this time Its even better when you have the blood mod on and your watching closely

[Feanaro]

I generally prefer the cannons. Howitzers and Mortars are great for sieges but cannons have the most direct utility, for me. The indirect firing guns are poor at counter-battery work and have limited ranged with their good shells.