A few questions about...huge guns.

[TriviAl]

A disclaimer first: Sorry if this has been covered hundreds of times elsewhere!

I have been using artillery/cannon stacks in my last few games, mostly to bombard cities, and I'm trying to wring the maximum benefit from them. As far as I know they make an attack against their targets defense, with a cities population/improvements having a value of 12.

A few questions:

Does the distance the stack is from the target have any effect?

Do the usual terrain/city size/fortification bonuses apply?

Does being unable to 'see' the city make a difference (if 2 squares away on flat terrain)?

Does anyone know the target is decided?

Thanks very much to anyone who can help!

 

[The Last Conformist]

Distance doesn't matter. Normal defense bonuses apply. I don't think seeing the target or not matters, but don't actually know.

The target is picked randomly. 50% chance of unit, 25% of improvement and 25% pop IIRC. If there's no, f'rinstance, improvements to destroy, that porportion of shots automatically miss.

 

[TriviAl]

Thank you very much for the prompt answer. I'd just started wondering about it during those long 'b' pressing sessions that artillery stacks makes for... still, blowing up those resisters before taking the city seems to make my life a lot easier!

 

[Dr Jimbo]

Originally posted by TriviAl
Does being unable to 'see' the city make a difference (if 2 squares away on flat terrain)?

I suppose you colud trust that when you don't get any message, you've taken points of a defender. But I always try to sent a fast unit forward to 'observe' - I like to see those guys go from green to yellow to red, and it gives you an indication of how many defenders there are.

 

[TriviAl]

Seeing the defenders is a good idea... will have to start using heavy scouts.

I have been using 2-3 well protected stacks of 20 artillery, for a larger city I tend to 'soften it up' for a few rounds before attacking it. Like to get it <size 6 before taking it, to minimize the resistance. Where possible they sit on a hill/mountain, but sometimes have to sit on a plain, scouts would seem to be the answer...

 

[Dr Jimbo]

Getting them down to size 6 is a good idea. Once you're at cavalry or above against equivalent era defenders (or even with knights, I suppose), if you can see that all the defenders are down to 1 or 2 points, you can usually take them, even in a metropolis. By seeing how many defenders they've cycled through before the injured guys come to the front, you can avoid attacking when you're one fast unit short of taking out the last defender. Be warned that conscripts can sometimes appear unexpectedly, if you've only enough artillery to take them down to 2 points each.

 

[TriviAl]

I had suprise like that quite recently - used tanks to take out a load of bombarded/redlined Iraqois infantry and found healthy ancient age units under them - archer and horseman I think... fortunately it was a planned/prepared for war so had enough firepower to plough on through. If it's a war I've started then I tend to go for massive overkill...

I don't normally have problems killing off the weakened defenders either. Just like to bomb the cities small to minimise the flip/riot headaches a foreign metropolis can give. Always find the most awkward warfare between Sanitation and Replacable parts. Did that once and now try and avoid it like the plague!

 

[Galcador]

Can anyone confirm/deny whether Radar Towers add to defence against bombardment? If yes, does this apply to population and improvements as well as units?
I always take out the radar towers first if they're within range.