French artillery

[kokonut666]

Hello

I've noticed that even though Napoleon was an artillery officer and the French artillery corps was feared for its effectiveness, in ETW, my French armies are always outgunned. In Egypt, the dreaded Ottoman had the better 12-lbs earlier and 18-lbs at Damascus. In battles, my puny 7-lb howitzer is not match for the British 3-in, not to mention the Russian unicorns.

Any ideas and tips to get better guns now that I just start Napoleon Europe campaign? Cities? Building? Research?

[Dynamo11]

To be fair there is limited things you can do. The Artillerie de Pied are a very late game unit which is the only advantage Napoleon has as far as artillery is concerned.
Just focus on cavalry who can mop up the arty much easier.....

[skimyy]

Yeah and you can only recruit 4 of those babies (artillerie de Pied) so I don't know what CA was thinking when they were designing French Armies.
Probably didn't want game balance to be jeopardized or something.

[Zetto]

I dunno, I went through the whole european campaign as France on H/H with 6-pounders and 18-pounders, not such a big deal, enemies didn't have anything better, brits in particular never fielded heavy guns against me (fought off a couple of British landings, both at Hannover of all places). I usually try to sneak around and hit enemy arties with cav, even when I'm outgunning them, I still prefer my arties shooting up infantry/cavalry, not have an arty duel with dumb AI

[Player2]

in campaign i aim to take 6 Artillery pieces 2 field 2 howitzers 2 mortars in mp thats unrealistic but in campaign that will out gun everyone

[Nyxos]

You don't need big guns to be effective, Napoléon was feared because he knew how to use artillery better than anyone else.
You just have to be inventive, move your artillery a lot and find the best firing positions.

[Fotchimus]

You don't need big guns to be effective, Napoléon was feared because he knew how to use artillery better than anyone else.
You just have to be inventive, move your artillery a lot and find the best firing positions.

This pretty much. I prefer horse artillery so you can run it to where you need it quickly.

[trk]

mass them - 3 or 4; they can be quite effective that way and personally I suspect that cannister is really defined as too powerful in this game. wait a little bit after the start of a battle and use cavalry to eliminate the ai cannon

[JaM]

depends... light arty can fire faster.. so you can move to the range and shot enemy battery to pieces... what was most important for this Era was unorthodox use of artillery by French generals. Artillery was used as another type of armed force, not just like support weapon... for example at Eylau they attacked enemy infantry with artillery unit - they just moved arty in range fired several salvos, then moved closer and closer, until they were just 150m from Russian position, when they started to use canister shots... that one attack killed almost 5000 Russian soldiers and decided the outcome of battle...

[Royce]

I have had some good sucess with cannon's in NTW. Possibly when you gain chevrons they get much better. I change shot for close range seems to work well. Although I'm with you Napoleen was noted for his awsome cannon and the game really doesn't reflect that as well as it should.

[Daria]

Nyxos is right. It doesn't matter if the enemy has better artillery, if you have more cannons and/or a better position.

[Smokey_MkII]

I wouldn't let the fact the other factions get heavier bore weapons earlier trouble you. The Ottoman and Mameluk weapons are of a deceptively low quality statistically when accounted against the weight of their bore. When facing the other European armies, tactics will allow you to consistently score higher casualties and break units (the other principal use of artillery I feel) against the AI or a less skillful human opponent. I was quite pleased during one seige against the Mameluks to see they had 8 nine-pounders against my four six pounders. The additional range they have can complicate things, but they're less accurate. By setting my troops and cannon at the crest of a slope the enemy artillery would often bounce over me or stop dead on impact. The lack of adequate support available to defend these cannnon meant I could mop up as soon as the enemy line advanced, leaving them behind. Here cavalry superiority is essential. I often leave the furthest enemy cannon alone if I judge they are having difficulty hitting me - use the lay of the land to help judge where is safe. Finally, although I am currently developing my tactics, I so far have found that the best offense is a good defense. Occupy a position where enemy fire is ineffective, but your guns can trouble their line. If you can put your guns beside some impassable - unflankable - terrain, then all the better. This forces the opponent to march on you. Hold the line, preferably on a slope, then switch to canister. If your guns are placed to allow firing across your line, you'll devestate that just in front of your ranks.

[kokonut666]

i did find the 6-in howitzer in later period. by seeing le FUSIL's guide, it be said that French artillery is pretty balanced and has more type of guns. so thanks everyone for sharing.

[isoul]

Althought I am not an expert I believe that French cannons weren't so advanced compared to other cannons of that era. All connons had the same drawbacks which derived from primitive design and construction methods/means. I just believe that it was the tactics that gave Napoleon the reputation he had.

The concept of moving artillery batteries around the battlefield and following the battle line as it advanced, the doctrine that artillery is a separate weapon that can be used to engage its own targets, the idea that artillery wins a battle were all very innovative for that time for other armies to face. Don't forget that stuborness was a characteristic of the military at that time... many believed that infantry's main weapon was the bayonet and many armies favored cold steel rather musket fire!

[Player2]

like who the Ottomans? i pretty sur the French British Prussians and Austrians used musket fire not cold steal

[Red Hue]

in campaign i aim to take 6 Artillery pieces 2 field 2 howitzers 2 mortars in mp thats unrealistic but in campaign that will out gun everyone

Be sure and tell me if I am wrong, but aren’t mortars still on 10% accuracy?

I only used them once after Lusted “fixed” them in ETW. I couldn’t even get them to hit a star fort.

I would rather use round shot that takes out a file than wait for a lucky hit on some untargeted unit.

[Nyxos]

mass them - 3 or 4; they can be quite effective that way and personally I suspect that cannister is really defined as too powerful in this game. wait a little bit after the start of a battle and use cavalry to eliminate the ai cannon

Just wanted to add that spreading artillery can be quite effective 'cause you get cross fire and you can cover more ground without shooting your own guys.

Also, I think that cannister shot should be much more powerful at close range (under 20 meters), because I have the impression that they are shooting over the enemies heads instead of in their formation.

Cannister shot is really a scary weapon on a battle field, especially if it's fired into a tight formation.

For more goodies on artillery, go check out this thread
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...rtillery+guide

[Dzhon]

for example at Eylau they attacked enemy infantry with artillery unit - they just moved arty in range fired several salvos, then moved closer and closer, until they were just 150m from Russian position, when they started to use canister shots... that one attack killed almost 5000 Russian soldiers and decided the outcome of battle...

I think that was Friedland. Eylau was where Augereau's corps blundered into massed Russian batteries due to heavy snow and got decimated...aided in part by French counter-battery fire that could hear, but not see, what they were shooting at.

I've usually found that, while the enemy has heavier cannons, the quality/accuracy of French gunners means that I almost always win the opening artillery duel.

[Zetto]

Also, I think that cannister shot should be much more powerful at close range (under 20 meters), because I have the impression that they are shooting over the enemies heads instead of in their formation.

Well, canister is terribly inaccurate, so...

[JaM]

Dzhon: you are absolutly correct. i always mix those two battles... dont know why...