Grande Batterie, did you ever tried to use it?

[Rooie]

Grand Battery (Grande Batterie, meaning big or great battery) was a French artillery tactic of the Napoleonic Wars. It involved massing all available batteries into a single large, temporary one, and concentrating the firepower of their guns at a single point in the enemy's lines. (quote wikipedia)

Somebody tried this already? I should be really fun blasting away whole units at the same time! I am goiing to try toninght with my 3-4 units of French Guard artillery and 2-3 units of 24 pound howitzers. Share the experience!!!!

[pauli]

it requires artillery that doesn't consistently miss the broad side of a barn at 200 yards.

[fluffstalker]

it requires artillery that doesn't consistently miss the broad side of a barn at 200 yards.

lol. This pretty much ruins this tactic for me . With smoke mod it looks brilliant, amazing, but not that effective. Its much better to try to set up your artillery for enfilade shots.

Either that or use mortars. Mortars/Howies are the only artillery that can consistently cause casualties, deployed en masse like this it works as well, but its rather ahistorical. Field guns were the cannons used like this, but they dont work very well in the game. Roundshot doesnt bounce enough, and shrapnel shot seems to home in on birds flying in the sky.

[Arn]

EDIT: never mind.

[Gabriel Anton]

My lines usually look like



CCC--IIIIIIIII----AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA----IIIIIIII----CCCCCCC
CCC -------IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII----------------CCCCCC


Blast away until they get very close, and after the last shot of canister run up my infantry to defend the guns (while making the guns cease fire obviously)

[fumle]

I tried it many times up whit to 9 units of artillery focusing at on single point, it is indeed very effective as you kill soo many amounts of soldiers in the unlucky target units that the few left of them routs.
Howitzers whit explosive shells seems to be the most efficte. However i think 1 volleys of shrapnel shots from 5-9 cannon groups whould also crush a entire regiment easly.
I noticed that it is best to target the ground for a more devasteting effect, also large cavalry groups are destroyed in a single barrage. (infatri have far less loses than cavalry).
i think 9 artellry pieces is a bit too much for a snigle army, however they are indeed very fun to use^^

[mini]

mine is mor like \_/ with an even bigger inner angle. My inf is almost parall with the arty, just a slight bit upwards on the outside.
Cannist shot on and let them come. one volley and it's rout.

[Ascarona]

mine is mor like \_/ with an even bigger inner angle. My inf is almost parall with the arty, just a slight bit upwards on the outside.
Cannist shot on and let them come. one volley and it's rout.

Artillery school tactic

[mini]

Artillery school tactic

? I never went to any military school sorry.

[Pink Beard]

Oh seriously now... since when do we need to go to a military school to learn how to point the barrel of the gun towards the enemy and left-mouse click...

[MrOsterman]

Oh seriously now... since when do we need to go to a military school to learn how to point the barrel of the gun towards the enemy and left-mouse click...

Well there is an art to things like placement, organization, target priority, shot type... just, sayin'.

[aeoleron9]

I think the school refers to this:
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=238822

It's a nice tactic, but imo abit exploiting the BAI because they never charge in, and they don't even target the arty. They'd charge right in front of the arty and start shooting at the line infantry...not a good idea when I have canister shot.

[SirVulf]

I've done it with 6 artillery units and just using early cannonballs doesn't really do squat. I've had the following layout:

LLLLLL IIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII cccc HHHH HHHH HHHH HHHH cccc IIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII LLLLLL
---------------------- IIIIIIIIIIII gggggggg MMMM gggggggg IIIIIIIIIIII
------------------ CCCCCCCC ------- GGGG ------- CCCCCCCC

Legend:

L - Light Infantry
I - Line Infantry
c - Artillery/Cannon
H - Howitzers
M - Mortar
g - Grenadiers
C - Cavalry
G - General

I usually and up moving the light Infantry lines pretty far forward, then move the line infantry up far enough for the artillery shot to go overhead. The rear Line infantry usually gets put into side/rear defensive positions. Cav I usually try hiding in tree lines as a surprise attack to an advancing enemy's sides. I generally like the Hussars, but have been working with the Dragoons lately too. Formations are usually dependent on how active the enemy is, whether he advances or not.

I've found cannonballs are the worst, and even with 2 or 3 chevrons, won't do diddly. Best was shrapnel shot and percussion shot. I can't stand Carcass shot or Limejuice wtfever shot... they're both equally worthless.

Now I've been keeping it to 4 howitzer units or 2 howitzers and 2 mortars. The above example was pretty much just a singular event with that much arty. And it proved inefficient.

I've found that at the beginning you'll have way more infantry vs artillery, but towards the middle your use of artillery becomes more effective once you have shrapnel or explosive shot.

[Rooie]

Last night i tried to use a grand battery.......................WOW!!!! My neighbours are still complaining about ringing ears (i put the sound on max). What a show is was. I tried it in single battle mode and used different configurations in types of cannon and or howitzers. If you have experienced big guns it will be a massacre. Even the bugs wont spoil the fun................blod and gore rule!!!

(use the blood mod!!!!!!!!!!)

Everbody thanks for sharing and have fun!!!!