Firing Priorities

[sueznick]

The firing priorities seem a little strange as described in the English version of the rules. Given that priority is given to the nearest unit amongst those directly to the front before those not directly to the front this suggests that an artillery unit with a target directly in front of it at long range would fire at that target in preference to another target not directly in front but at close range. Surely the priority should be to fire at the nearest target, choosing one directly in front if there are several targets at the same distance?

[gibbyj]

I guess it depends on your take on the situation as a god but in the heat of battle, possibly the straight ahead shot is the easiest.
In these rules if you want to pick your target, get the artillery on a hill, attach a general or pay to move them to the appropriat angle.

I haven't found it to be a problem in any of the games I've played.
cheers
Jim

[sueznick]

Thanks for the reply. I haven’t found the priority to be a problem in a game yet, it just doesn’t seem logical. I would tend to go for something like fire at the target in the closest range band, choosing the target straight in front if there is one in that band or the nearest otherwise,

[hcaille]

Indeed this point is not very clear

You select the target based on the range band.
So if you have a target at canister range not in front and another just in front of you at long range, you select the target at canister range.

[sueznick]

Thanks Hervé, that makes perfect sense.

[gibbyj]

Hi Herve,
That would seem to contradict your answer to a question I posed on the French forum.
Link below.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=601

cheers
Jim

[Roundie]

What happens when the closest frontal target is a battery with a infantry line behind it (to give it Flank support). The battery is not a formed target, so does the battery block the shot on the line and therefore you must choose another formed unit in the firing batteries fire arc?

Or do you just target the part of the line that sticks out past the edge of the battery? What if its a column and is completely shielded by the battery?

cheers
Wayne

[RogerGreenwood]

We have had this discussion before. If you look under 'visibility', troops do not block visibility. The formed troops behind are the target. As the author points out in another post, the guns are widely spaced. Maybe an unlucky hit takes one out, but this is not sufficient cause to include it in the rules.
If you really want to hit the guns, then put a general with them and get ricochet into the unit behind.

[hcaille]

You can target an infantry unit that his behind an artillery as it doesn't block visibility or fire.
Artillery first target choice is massed infantry.

[prussianhussaruk]

As the rules only seem to allow the fire of artillery through detached skirmishers, I think the situation that you allow above needs to be added to the rules. I can see this causing a problem in games.

Don