(Answered) Direct-Fire artillery damage

[shadowvfx]

I've never fully understood how the artillery systems (Arrow IV & Long Tom) deliver damage to their targets.

Do they hit a target like any other weapon, or do they hit a 'hex' and affect damage to the surrounding hexes? The damage says 20/10, but I always wondered how that damage is distributed.

Example:
Years ago my friend used Arrow IV. He targeted Mech A and rolled to hit as if he was firing a standard weapon system. The way he interpreted the damage is as follows: Mech A takes 20 dmg to EACH section of the mech's front armor (except the head) and any mechs standing in adjacent hexes received 10 dmg in the same way.

I now know that this can't possibly be right. It would make artillery WAY too overpowered. But, this has lead me to question just how damage and targeting with direct-fire artillery should be calculated. I've looked it up in TW, but I still don't completely get it.

Help!?

[Xotl]

Your friend is incorrect.  Artillery deals area effect damage (see TW page 113), which means against 'Mechs or vehicles, this comes in 5 point "groups" the way LRMs do, so 20 points becomes four 5 point groups just as if an LRM 20 had rolled a 12 on the Cluster Hit Table.  So the 'Mech in that hex would take four 5 point groups, and 'Mechs in adjacent hexes take two 5 point groups.