How to Break Artillery

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Alice1
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Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2020 2:29 pm

How to Break Artillery

Post by Alice1 »

It seems the wall I've currently hit comes down to an inability to figure out an infantry strategy to defeat/break a large clump of artillery (Objective 3 of Scenario 24 to be exact, but the principles should be fairly universal) I've been able to deal with small batteries before by smart positioning and overwhelming force and/or counterbattery fire. but in this case I don't have much friendly artillery to work with and I'm faced with an entire field of enemy guns plus several infantry regiments. Normally I would just focus on the infantry first and then slowly move against the artillery, but, for one thing, they're too close together, and for another the artillery is literally sitting on the objective.

Anyone have some general tips here? (Or specific if you think I'm drastically misreading the scenario)

Thanks,
Alice
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RebBugler
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Re: How to Break Artillery

Post by RebBugler »

If I remember right, I cleared them from the objective by just moving one or two units up to a fence line near them and fired away. Since they weren't supported by infantry or cavalry they limbered and fled.
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Alice1
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Re: How to Break Artillery

Post by Alice1 »

If I remember right, I cleared them from the objective by just moving one or two units up to a fence line near them and fired away. Since they weren't supported by infantry or cavalry they limbered and fled.

Yeah, they are technically supported by some infantry, but I dont have much trouble routing the foot troops, it's just that once I do I can never move up to the artillery without getting lasted by cannister and routed. I had thought of trying to come in from the flank, and when I do I'll look for the fence you talked about

Thanks.
DarkRob
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Re: How to Break Artillery

Post by DarkRob »

If I remember right, I cleared them from the objective by just moving one or two units up to a fence line near them and fired away. Since they weren't supported by infantry or cavalry they limbered and fled.

Yeah, they are technically supported by some infantry, but I dont have much trouble routing the foot troops, it's just that once I do I can never move up to the artillery without getting lasted by cannister and routed. I had thought of trying to come in from the flank, and when I do I'll look for the fence you talked about

Thanks.
I haven't played this game in like forever, but isn't artillery canister range 200 yards? If so, the rifle musket should be able to out range it and still be effective. Ive found, at least in SOW Waterloo, that artillery becomes very skittish once their gun crews start getting picked off.

And while Gettysburg doesn't have skirmishers the way Waterloo does, if memory serves, regiments themselves could take a skirmish formation. In Waterloo, artillery fire has a drastically diminished effect on skirmishers outside of canister range, and even inside of it compared to what it can do to a line unit.

So it might be worth a shot to TC a bunch of units to force them into a skirmish formation and place them in a skirmish line opposite the gun line but outside of canister range and see what happens. Your units might still take more losses, but in theory, the cannon will begin to withdraw much sooner because gunners don't like being shot at. They don't see it as being in their job description.
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