12-lber Foot Artillery (ETW Unit)
| 12-lber Foot Artillery (ETW Unit) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Class | Artillery |
| Unit Size | |
| Weaponry | |
| Morale | |
| Melee Attack | |
| Ranged Attack | |
| Defence | |
| Charge Bonus | |
| Accuracy | |
| Range | |
| Ammunition | |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Recruitment Cost | 840 |
| Upkeep Cost | 210 |
| Turns to Build | |
| Unit Limit | |
| Building Requirements | |
| Technology Requirements | |
| Attributes | |
Overview
Despite the name, foot artillery batteries are towed by horses, not men. The artillerymen march alongside their pieces. All guns are smooth-bore, and rated by the size or weight of solid projectile that they fire: a 12-pounder is so called because it hurls a cannonball weighing 12 pounds towards the enemy! It may not do so very accurately, as the casting of barrels and balls means that there is inevitably a gap (wind-age) between a shot and the barrel sides. This means that a cannonball rattles down the barrel when fired, leading to an inherent inaccuracy. As technology advances, other types of ammunition can be fired.
Historically, there was limited standardization between guns, even in the same battery. Parts from one gun would not always fit a sister piece. A gunner would know the quirks of his own weapon intimately. Cunningly, the French attempted to develop a system of interchangeable components for all their guns and field equipment. Jean Baptiste Vaquette de Gribeauval (1715-1789), the inspector of artillery, tried but he wasn’t entirely successful. Even after he had finished there were still more than 20 different types of wheel in use!
Tactics
12-pounders are the first mobile artillery available to almost every faction and, for some time, is the heaviest piece of artillery available. Despite the fact that they can move, 12-pounders should ideally reposition as little as possible, as it takes time to limber and unlimber the cannons and their movement speed is agonizingly slow. Until 24-pounders become available, 12-pounders are the best artillery to use in the front lines, delivering the heaviest payloads.
24-pounders are an improvement over 12-pounders, with no additional weaknesses. Therefore, 12-pounders should be replaced completely by 24-pounders when they become available.
