Puckle Guns (ETW Unit)

Puckle Guns (ETW Unit)
Class	Artillery
Unit Size	24 men
Weaponry	Puckle guns
Morale
Melee Attack
Ranged Attack
Defence
Charge Bonus
Accuracy
Range
Ammunition
Region	Global
Recruitment Cost	1140
Upkeep Cost	280
Turns to Build
Unit Limit
Building Requirements	Ordnance Board
Technology Requirements	None
Attributes	Slow Moving; Can Hide in Woodland;

The Puckle gun is a tripod-mounted repeating heavy musket or small cannon, capable of rapid fire.

Overview

It achieves its rapid-fire capability by using pre-loaded breech chambers that are rotated into line with the barrel, fired and then a new chamber is positioned for the next shot. All this is achieved mechanically, by the operator revolving a handle at the back of the piece. As long as loaded magazines are available for the piece, a puckle gun can be kept in rapid fire action!

Historically, James Puckle’s “defence gun” was not a huge success, partly because the engineering of 1718 simply wasn't up to the task of producing components with fine tolerances. His gun had promise, though, as it could fire shots around three times faster than a well-trained fusilier. One odd feature of the design was the two versions offered to potential customers: a round barrel fired conventional bullets for shooting at Christian (but not Protestant) enemies, while a second barrel was offered that fired square bullets (that allegedly did more damage) for use against Turks and similar unwelcome infidels. The British Royal Navy never bought any, and other users were equally reluctant to part with their money. Puckle’s career as a gunsmith ended in failure for him and his investors.

Details

The Puckle Gun is most effective at close range, since at longer ranges many shots do not hit the target. It is useful for repelling cavalry charges and massed infantry attacks, due to its sustained fire. Puckle guns reload more quickly than the other artillery types, aiding them in their ability to produce sustained fire. Unfortunately, their range is also far inferior to any other artillery type, restricting them to close combat.