How to use artillery effectively?

[TheHolyRoman]

I've never been able to really utilize anti-infantry artillery (e.g. scorpion) in an effective way, both on the campaign and battle map. On the campaign map, I never like having them in a stack, due to the decreased movement points. And on the battle map, sometimes I can get in some good morale hits, but generally I find they're like the peltasts of peltasts: a minor annoyance to the enemy, though can be effective if utilized correctly. Just, I'm not sure how to use them effectively. After the enemy gets too close, they often kill more of my men than the enemies, so I just leave them sitting or firing ineffectively at some skirmisher unit in the back.

[_Tartaros_]

This is how i use them:
Frist of all, they are used to break walls and are (like scorpions) a long range weapons to kill heavy troops like Bodyguards, elephants or cataphracts.
They are also a good addition to defend a city or a bridge. you simply have to hold the enemy at one spot and pepper them with siege equipment.

[Sar1n]

My tip is to position them a bit further behind your line than usual archers, on the flanks rather than in center, and command them to fire across your line on the other flank once the enemy closes in, so the bolts have enough clearance to fly over your troops rater than hitting them. Another tactic is to create a firing port using two units in schiltrom (not sure if there will be any such units in EB2) positioned just close enough to engage any unit trying to get through, and placing the artillery safely behind it, firing through the gap and into units that engage the schiltrom troops.

Tall artillery units like Onagers from RTW or catapults from M2TW are not limited by this, and are best placed right behind defensive infantry unit, firing over it.

[RubiconDecision]

Remember that artillery in a battle are not accurate and the enemy is likely mobile. So you aim for the center as then if the aim is off, some unit likely takes damage and might rout. Aiming for the front means not hitting them, some shots going short, and potentially wasted.

Artillery has better range so a way to harass the enemy who isn't mobile but hiding within a forest/grass. One can deploy horse archers to flush them out and high tail it back, then act as scouts so you can target with your artillery. Don't hit them by accident. They should be off to the side.

Remember that the ballistics are affected by the elevation of your artillery versus the enemy's location too. Which means the initial lobs of whatever payload will lob high or low, plus if they're higher than you are, then shortening the range of the payload. Think shooting an arrow uphill to the enemy affects the arc of the arrow's parabolic flight, similarly a catapult or onager is going to sight in differently by the crew. This isn't like artillery shelling, but very crude tension adjustments or payload adjustment plus recoil, all of which is historically interesting.

As the enemy is routing, you can fire at the back of the routers, and kill some. Then halt artillery fire, chase them with light cavalry and heavy cavalry to gain some experience.

Artillery has limited use on the battlefield. Broadcast firepots can do a lot of damage and cause routing but a mishap could injure your own units. Obviously if you've got mobile cavalry darting around harassing the enemy due to speed, then you shouldn't be also firing artillery as you have a chance of hitting your own troops.

In MTW2, all projectiles have an accuracy value for a structure (wall, tower, gate) versus an accuracy value for units. So some projectiles are better at hitting structures (hitting the broad side of a barn) versus pinpoint accuracy in a unit (think ballista) plus whatever damage was configured for them. All of which means it's moddable, but if your artillery is too accurate, it takes the fun out of a miss, or the amount of damage is too great, or results in too many casualties, or destroys a structure too soon.

[TheHolyRoman]

These are good points for the battle map, and I've tried most of them. But I still find I prefer a regular missile unit instead.

Does anybody use artillery in non-siege intended stacks, despite the movement loss?

[Sar1n]

These are good points for the battle map, and I've tried most of them. But I still find I prefer a regular missile unit instead.

Does anybody use artillery in non-siege intended stacks, despite the movement loss?

I do, but that's because I don't make separate siege and field stacks...just general purpose armies, and sometimes fast response/rebel killer all-cavalry stacks (6-10 units at most). Anyway...arty can be useful in field, generally in combination with defensive infantry like pikes. I prefer to be on the defensive in battle, and arty is best tool to dislodge camping AI army.

[RubiconDecision]

Artillery is notoriously inaccurate on robotowers, so what I do is target the robotowers anyway since units will hang around behind them and a good portion of the misses will HIT the units instead. If you targeted the units, chances are you'd miss them.

See how that is sweet?

Using firepot projectiles on the robotowers then annihilates whole units standing around with thumbs up their asses behind the gates.

A function of the Battle AI (BAI for short) is to fall back with defending units if outnumbered, but bring up a very mobile cav unit to dart around behind the robotowers to trigger them to fire upon the attackers as they approach. But if there is a breach of the wall, then to move units up to stop the invaders from coming across. More than three breaches makes the defender units to fall back, using ranged attacks on the invading attacking army's approach, then ultimately using skirmishers and letting the longer range (and weaker archers) to head for the settlement square.

So artillery can be used successfully against the defenders by not targeting them, but some structure like the robotowers, and the overspray and misses end up severely harming the units. Hell, you might get a lucky shot off, and kill the commanding general.

Even though it's ineffective, if you have ammunition left for your artillery, and you broke down some walls or took the walls with ladders, then you can bring up the artillery since you command the gates, and then fire artillery into the main square, aiming for the middle units, and since they miss often, accidentally hit some powerful units standing around back there. That's pretty great when you can get it to work, but micromanaging the artillery placement to find a sweet spot to aim for. All of the buildings get in the way of targeting, but every now and then...accidental bullseye on another unit that was standing around the central unit you were aiming for. You're taking advantage of the inaccuracy of the artillery.

You speed up the timescale, let your soldiers rest, then meanwhile the artillery is blasting away and the AI defensive units are scurrying around and tired, and then move up your ranged units (hopefully you brought some) and keep up that bombardment, then your fresh troops attack the demoralized defenders. Oh the joy.