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Artillery Fire
https://wargame.ch/board/nwc/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16819
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Author:  Richard Bradshaw [ Sat Feb 26, 2022 3:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Artillery Fire

When stacks of infantry are fired upon each unit takes a hit. When it is cavalry, only the selected unit takes casualties. Is it because the horses are of those famous dancing horses that they prance over the cannon balls whilst the Queen of Battle infantry take the lead poisoning all through the ranks?

Author:  Ernie Sands [ Sat Feb 26, 2022 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

:frenchcharge: :mrgreen:

Author:  Bill Peters [ Sun Feb 27, 2022 3:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

Of course and the most famous of all, the Lipizzaner Stallions of the Austrian army could leap into the air and avoid low trajectory fire ;) The Austrian hussars should be exempt from any "pass through fire" as a result.

:frenchlol1:

FYI - I got to see the famous Lippizaner stallions while I was in the Wash DC area in 1982 while serving in the US Air Force. Its rare that they come to the US so when a friend asked me if I wanted to go with her I jumped at the chance. (horse pun) They performed in The Capital Center to a large crowd. A memory of a lifetime.

Author:  Dean Webster [ Sun Feb 27, 2022 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

Interestingly, not only cavalry, but multiple dismounted Dragoons don't get pass through fire either. There's usually only a few hundred of them in a hex at a time, so it's probably not unreasonable, but still, it doesn't seem consistent.

I think artillery can be too effective as it is.

Cavalry already has an increased casualty penalty when fired at, I'm not sure why. I don't see how that can be the case. Infantry units usually have more ranks than cavalry, and are packed more closely together. One shot can quite conceivably take out 1/2 dozen infantry at a time. How a single cannon ball can take out more than one or two cavalry is beyond me.

The only explanation I can think of is that cavalry are taller, and less likely to have shots go high over them, but still, for my mind, cavalry should take less casualties.

Even infantry casualties, particularly at close range, seem high.

Author:  Christian Hecht [ Sun Feb 27, 2022 9:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

Well you could also see it the way that cavalry is just a bigger target and that is why fire is more effective, also because the stand procedure was not charging over the whole battlefield but speeding up on a rather close distance to keep the formation as long as possible. Of course that would also contribute to casualties.

But the different handling in game, well I can only imaging that comes from the early days when cavalry was depicted as complete regiment and not like it is now usually done as squadron. Because the equivalent to a battalion is a squadron. Maybe time for an engine change. not raised casualties but pass through fire should work on multiple squadrons in a hex.

Author:  Dean Webster [ Sun Feb 27, 2022 10:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

Hey Christian, I get the idea that cavalry is a bigger target, but only in the respect that it is taller.

Being bigger physically, for both width and depth, means any type of shot that hits the target is going to hit less cavalry than infantry. Round shot will hit less men passing through, canister will be stopped more effectively stopped by the front rank, but again, there's less men in the front rank.

A cavalry formation is not a solid wall. Even if the horses are shoulder to shoulder, the men on top are not. There will be gaps that a well aimed but slightly high ball is more likely to pass through.

Unless they are standing still, cavalry are likely to be moving faster than infantry even when not at the charge. A moving target is harder to hit, and the faster you move the harder it is.

Even if cavalry are more likely to be hit because they are "bigger", I believe it is offset by the other disadvantages.

I still stand my assertion that cavalry shouldn't have a penalty when being fired at by artillery.

Author:  Garret Fitzgerald [ Thu Mar 03, 2022 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Artillery Fire

cavalry moves a lot faster and is not bunched as closely together.

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