Direct Fire Extreme Range Artillery

[Xochi]

I have another question for you guys (Big surprise dun dun dun.) In the 2.3.1 Errata it states:


"Under “Direct Fire”, replace the first paragraph with the following:
If an on-board artillery attacker has a valid Line of Sight to its target, the attacker may attempt to deliver a direct-fire attack against the POI or target unit. Direct-fire attacks may not employ spotters, and apply the Direct-Fire Artillery modifier as shown in the Artillery To-Hit Modifiers Table. In addition, a direct-fire on-board artillery attack must also apply the standard weapon attack modifiers for intervening terrain, attacker movement modifiers and—if the target is a unit—the target’s type and movement modifiers. (Immobile target modifiers are never applied to a direct-fire attack: use a +0 target movement modifier for immobile targets of direct fire artillery attacks.)"

However in the AS book in the second paragraph it states in the second sentence:

All other artillery weapons are considered to be at Short range for direct-fire onboard
artillery attacks.

I know that the errata does replace the first sentence, but does this also erase the second one? The reason why I ask is because also on page 42 to change the wording to:

To-Hit Number: Artillery attacks do not use range modifiers, instead applying a +4 to-hit modifier to all attacks, except for Artillery Cannons (which use standard range modifiers) and when using Extreme range.

So my question is are direct fire standard artillery attacks (not cannons) at short range unless its extreme, or do you ignore all range modifiers unless its extreme and use the +4 for direct fire and another for +1 AoE?

It makes a huge difference because a BA unit at long range under the first rule set is Base + 0 + AoE + TMM + BA + Terrain (so on average a 8 with no intervening terrain or a 5 if short range POI) or under the other rules as  Base + 4 + AoE + BA + TMM + Terrain (a 12 on average with no intervening terrain or a 9 to hit the ground POI in short range with a direct fire).

At Extreme it would be Base + 6 + AoE + BA + TMM + Terrain (12 on average or an 11 for POI for either ruleset)

Also this would determine if Short Range Targeting computers would work with the direct fire action.

Thanks!

[DarkJaguar]

Arty ALWAYS had a +4, it also used to have a +7 in place for indirect attacks.  So to your example
 

It makes a huge difference because a BA unit at long range under the first rule set is Base + 0 + AoE + TMM + BA + Terrain (so on average a 8 with no intervening terrain or a 5 if short range POI) or under the other rules as  Base + 4 + AoE + BA + TMM + Terrain (a 12 on average with no intervening terrain or a 9 to hit the ground POI in short range with a direct fire).

Before Errata, shooting at BA (I don't know why you wouldn't shoot at the ground under it...) would have been 4+(skill)+4(Artillery Mod)+1(Battle Armor)+X(TMM), for a total of 9 minimum on a TMM 0 target.  Shooting at BA now post errata is 4+(skill)+4(Artillery Mod)+1(AOE)+1(Battle Armor)+X(TMM) for a total of 10.  However, if you shoot at a POI in either of these instances, it it 1 less minimum, because you're removing the BA target modifier (For 8 and 9 respectively). 

Additionally however, a missed shot with an artillery does not deal 0 damage.  It scatters, and may in fact still hit the targeted unit.  'Considered to be short range' would mean that SRT (short range targeting) would function however, if the rules are consistently applied, as an attack that is 'considered to be' a ground to air attack, is in actuality, a ground to air restricted attack.

Also, reading back over your post.  I believe the AS Pg.42 and AS Pg. 73 rules sets are different rules for standard and advanced artillery, so you would use one or the other.

[Xochi]

'Considered to be short range' would mean that SRT (short range targeting) would function however, if the rules are consistently applied, as an attack that is 'considered to be' a ground to air attack, is in actuality, a ground to air restricted attack.

But it explicitly states does not use range modifiers. So which is it? Do we use short range or do we use direct fire? Or do we use direct fire modifier that can be augmented with a SRT?

[Xochi]

Yeah that seems to actually be the big mess is that standard rules got a entire new section, and doesn't refer to the advanced artillery anymore.

So under standard targeting computers do not work, but under advanced they do for direct fire only. and the +4 direct fire modifier always applies.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

I think for anyone to help you with interpreting the rules we need to know which rules are you asking for help with?

Standard rules artillery or Advanced (optional) rules?  They don't overlap at all.  Advanced rules replace the standard rules entirely if they're in play.

[Xochi]

Tai, DJ pointed that out and I think we actually figured it all out. I had not noticed that standard rules got an entire new section added to it for artillery.

So then it boiled down to can you use SRT with a direct fire attack at a unit. As far as we can tell, it does. So if some one goes stationary lets say and you have a direct fire attack with SRT, it would be better to target the unit than the POI.