Indirect & artillery fire

Soviet fires follow a fixed pre-game schedule that can only be lifted or shifted; US fires use a target list, requested one turn and arriving call turn +2 (reference points) or +3 (targets of opportunity), with supporting fires needing approval rolls (e.g. 155mm 4+, 4.2in mortar 5+). Range and deflection errors are diced in 50 m/25 m steps except for once-per-game final protective fires. A template ellipse covers targets; one die per vehicle gives suppression or kill by target type (kill of tanks on 6).

Fire on known reference points (listed target numbers) and receive it the second turn following the request, or, 2) Fire on a target of opportunity by adjusting from a known reference point and receive it on the third turn following the request.

Each battery section places one 1" impact marker in a closed (one spot) or open (line) sheaf. The markers attack every stand under them, friend or foe, and any stand that moves in during the turn. Indirect missions are plotted by an FO or HQ with LOS, arrive 1 (US, late UK), 2 (German, early UK) or 3 (others) turns later, and need 'to arrive' and 'to deviate' cohesion rolls. Deviation is 1D8 direction and 1D8/2 inches. Mission types are support, pre-registered (-2, 1-turn call), adjusted, barrage (+2 CRT) and multi-turn duration, and the number of FOs depends on nationality.

Indirect artillery fire arrives some turns after it is successfully plotted depending on the nationality as follows

A side with three or more guns including a bombard totals 1 per field gun and 2 per bombard (+2 for an expert gonner) plus 1d6; beating the enemy by 3+ places the 'Vex us with shot' verse on their Chronicle. In battle guns cannot move, fire last without needing orders, and crews flee if enemies come within 4". Rain or snow stops all gunpowder weapons.

This is more an attack on his foe’s morale rather than one on his men’s bodies, and will only have effectiveness against their army morale

Roll 4+ to call (availability +1 for Excellent). Roll 1d6 per stand under the template: unarmoured in the open die on 6 and are suppressed with a QC on 4-5; armoured or covered stands are suppressed with a QC on 6 and suppressed on 4-5. The template remains, and any stand touching it while moving is attacked. On-table mortars are always available but hit one stand. Smoke may be placed instead to block LOS.

Artillery templates remain until the Attacker's next artillery phase. Any stand that touches the template during movement resolves an immediate attack as above.

The first Order Points of the turn order the battery and fix an Observing team. Next turn a Range In marker is placed in LoS and deviates d10 inches, with direction taken from the d10's point. The player fires for effect there or returns the marker and rolls deviation again next turn. Every Team within 4 inches (+1 inch per extra gun) takes RFPs by weight (1/2/3), as does any Team ending activation in the radius; the barrage continues on a 4+ each turn. Smoke, mortars (direct hit on 8+) and forward observers have their own rules.

Fire for Effect (FFE) - Resolve the barrage at the current marker location, OR return the marker to its original position.

A brass screw in the muzzle flies and stays where it falls; half (rounding up) of the men within three inches are dead, a gun wholly inside the radius is destroyed and one partly inside disabled for two moves. Men behind a wall, house or entrenchment are unharmed. Rifle fire is simulated by one shot per five stationary infantry in line.

Half, or, in the case of an odd number, one more than half, of the men within three inches of this shell are dead

They use the Solid Shot procedure but must re-roll successful 'to kill' rolls, may only fire at targets over 12", count as -1 hasty shot, and always cause a reaction test even without casualties. They cannot be pushed and take two movement actions to set up.

It may only fire at targets over 12", counts as -1 hasty shot, but always causes a reaction test even if no casualties are inflicted.

The dragon's breath is a 9" x 2" triangular flame template; a 5" windage bar is placed on the target and one die rolled, 1-5 giving the flame's direction and 6 a misfire. A wizard's fire ball (once every other turn, 24" range) is located with a 6" grid and a 2.5" burst circle; all figures under it die except heroes and anti-heroes, saved on 5-6.

It is used by placing a 5" windage bar on the target and rolling one die. A cast of 1 to 5 will determine the direction of the flame, a cast of 6 results in a misfire.

Roll two dice per live gunner; each 3+ (Guard artillery 2+) is on target. Roll the on-target dice on the Artillery Fire Table, needing a number set by gun type, ammunition and target formation, with each success killing a figure. Canister skips the pre-roll. Fire must go to one target, guns may handpush 1" before or after firing, and off-board batteries fire the same way.

Artillery rolls dice twice, once to determine the number of hits, and again to determine the damage caused by those hits.

Light mortars (40", 3FP) can target enemies they cannot directly see provided any friendly figure has line of sight to the target.

If you have any figure with line of sight, mortars can fire at enemies they cannot directly see.

An artillery unit may divide its FP dice among any number of targets in range, for example 2 and 3 dice from FP 5. All targets are announced before rolling. Off-table Chinese guns (event card) need a spotter within 6 inches.

Artillery enjoys the unique ability to spread their Firepower dice among as many targets as they like within range.

Artillery shoots only if it did not move, using range bands from the army lists; each model rolls a d12 for H, 2H or 3H, combined with small arms on the CRT. Ballistae and catapults can shoot over adjacent friends, and elevated shooters can shoot over friends at twice the distance. Artillery never recoils and is lost on a flee result.

Use one D12 per artillery piece to ascertain whether a hit (H), 2 hits (2H) or 3 hits (3H) have been scored.