Teach me about Fed Suns Artillery Units

[markhall]

So I'm not a big user of Artillery.
Been on the recieving end Plenty of times. And respect it as one should.
But I've seldom added it to my forces.

But with the Formation of the LCT and their Light combat teams.
I figure I should get better informed.
So what are the regular used arty pieces on the Fed Suns Roster.

I'm figuring that
Thors,Long Toms will still be common.
Chapperals are sold all over.

Maybe the Demolisher which replaces the guns for arrow IV's

But beyond that I can't think of many units with it.
I doubt we'd have the O-Bakemono.

[Moonsword]

The Chapparal and the Demolisher, along with the Yellow Jacket Arrow IV.  They can buy the tube Padillas from Aldis.  The mobile Long Tom is probably around.  The FS invented the cruise missiles, so justifying installations of those in the right circumstances (mainly defensive) isn't much of an issue, and all the others may well have field guns rather than actual vehicle platforms.

The Thor was pretty much gone from House ranks by the end of the Succession Wars, as was the older Padilla, while the Marksman faded away around the end of the Third.

[Rorke]

There is also of course an artillery variant of the Pilum to be considered.  IIRC packs a Arrow IV system.

[MadCapellan]

I have to imagine the Federated Suns makes use of a lot of simple towed Artillery pieces.  They don't have a huge selection of delivery vehicles.  That said, as have already been mentioned, there are a number of generic platforms going around, including the Mobile Long Tom, Marksman (production restored in the 3060s in Lyran space), Arrow IV Demolisher, etc.  As far as Federated Suns specific platforms, I can only think of a few - the aforementioned Yellow Jacket & Pilum, the Legionnairr variant, and the new LGB-8V Longbow from ONN should be available, as it's converted from Crofton built LGB-7Vs.  Since the Federated Suns doesn't have a lot of unit's with TAG, however, I tend to stick to towed Long Toms and Aerospace Fighter delivered Arrow IVs when I play them.  Long Tom is far superior to Arrow IV when homing missiles aren't an option.

[Moonsword]

I didn't mention the Marksman for the FS because from the fluff in TRO3050U, it's not being sold that widely.

[IndyRI]

I'd have to concur with MapCapellan in speculating a heavy preference for towed Artillery by the FS. Since their military focuses so heavily on combined arms and manuever tactics, artillery likely plays a key part in area denial to allow the infantry and vehicle-heavy RCTs to engage under the best possible circumstances. With a relative dearth of canon artillery designs being used by them, I'd say it would fit their TO&E much better to lean towards more dedicated designs for the purpose.

[markhall]

Never knew about the Pilum before.
It's not a bad design. I could see it fitting in with 2 Demolishers.


The Cruise Missles look like A Game breaker.
A fun moment. But a Game breaker.

Was looking through the Infantry field guns today.  I do like the Idea of them.
I might do a 2 lances of vehicles and one of infantry.
Once I've done a little more research upon it.


The few times I've seen  Fighter delivered Arrow VI it's never been that effective.

What Experience levels do folks fine work best with Arty?
I know the Margin of Error isn't too bad under the Total war rules.

[MadCapellan]

The few times I've seen  Fighter delivered Arrow VI it's never been that effective.

First fighter fires underwing Arrow IV(s).  Second fighter uses underwing to designate target.  BOOM.  Deadly effective.

What Experience levels do folks fine work best with Arty?
I know the Margin of Error isn't too bad under the Total war rules.

Accuracy with artillery sucks, regardless of experience level.  Even with elite gunners, you'll need several turns of spotting to land accurately.  Just account for the scatter and use standard gunners. 

[Moonsword]

My preferred artillery doctrine is very, well, Red Army.  I prefer to bring enough tubes of whatever type that the scatter rules start working for me.  Never gotten to test that but the idea of a battalion's worth of Thumpers makes me giddy.

[PsihoKekec]

Only batallion? Red Army started at regiments comrade!

[Moonsword]

Oh, I'd be happy to take a regiment but I've never been in a game that size.

[Paladin1]

You can get a battalion of Thumpers fairly cheaply too if you use the towed variant and attach it to the Mechanized Infantry Regiments.  I'm trying to pull together enough field gun models to do this as a counter to my Long Tom Battalion, just so that all my forces can have artillery.

Anyway, as for the OP, I'd say that the majority of the artillery out there is going to be towed Thumper or Sniper pieces.  I would expect there to be, comparatively speaking, somewhere around a 2:9 ratio of mechanized artillery units to towed units, especially given the nature of the new LCT.  Realistically, you're probably looking at a blend of about one or two lances of mechanized pieces for every artillery battalion, not to include the ADA units.

[Paladin1]

Oh, I'd be happy to take a regiment but I've never been in a game that size.

I have and it drags on forever.  MM makes things a little better, but it still drags on for what seems like ages.

Most of my big games now though are about a battalion total.  Maybe 48 units if both sides field short battalions.

[markhall]

 

  Realistically, you're probably looking at a blend of about one or two lances of mechanized pieces for every artillery battalion, not to include the ADA units.

Is the LCT not a Artillery Company in support?

[Moonsword]

Yes.

[Paladin1]

Is the LCT not a Artillery Company in support?

Company?  I thought that it was left at a battalion.  I'll have to check.

[Paladin1]

Well so much for that.  I'd go with one lance of mechanized units with two lances of towed pieces and call it even then.

[markhall]

I really don't see myself ever using a Battalion of  Arty.
Just wouldn't feel right.

I think I'll just work on a company and X3 it for Fluff purposes.

[Stormlion1]

I'm currently working out the same problem for Lancers, though I'm going for a mixed company of LRM Carriers, Long Toms, and a spotting vehichle I haven't decided on yet.  It will compliment my Heavy Armor Company I already have.

[mensa12345]

What happened to the Long Tom.  I haven't seen a new mark of those since the original 3026.

[Moonsword]

It's still around.  They're just so big that they're difficult to shoehorn into a chassis.  And recently, the smaller pieces - Thumpers and Snipers - have gotten significantly more dangerous.  Most Long Toms are apparently either fixed guns or towed artillery pieces, not self-propelled guns.

The vast majority of artillery we have units for is Arrow IVs, then Thumpers, then Snipers (although four of those designs are different variants of the Helepolis), and then just two Long Tom carriers I can think of off the top of my head - the Fortress and the Mobile Long Tom.

[Stormlion1]

What happened to the Long Tom.  I haven't seen a new mark of those since the original 3026.

It doesn't need a new version, the Long Tom epitomizes artillery. You get essentially the same gun on a railway car, fixed tower or towed. The Gun though is always the same, at least I think so. Wonder if their was some giant foundry somewhere that pumps them out?

[Jackmc]

I really don't see myself ever using a Battalion of  Arty.
Just wouldn't feel right.

Oh don't under value massed fire from an entire Arty Batt.  Watching what happens to a mapsheet when somewhere between 36-72 rounds arrive on one tur nwill warm your heart. 

Realistically though the most fustrating part of operating a BT Arty Batt is the fact that it's just a Batt.  Usually if you've got a Batt, you've got a RCT, and even with 36 SPA's, the demand for fire support gets pretty deep when you're covering 9 manuvering combat regiments.  I greatly prefer my post-Jihad RCT setup that's running a full Artillery regiment but only a Batt of Mechs. 

 

-Jackmc

[Nebfer]

Only batallion? Red Army started at regiments comrade!

Ah yes the sound of 108 guns in the morning...

[Jackmc]

Ah yes the sound of 108 guns in the morning...

Meh, the FedSuns regiments operate on a 132 unit standard, so if you mount at least two tubes on each SPA that's at least 264 guns firing.

-Jackmc

[Stormlion1]

As I want to represent every arty piece in my Lancers, I think I'll just stick with painting a company up for now. 108 would be overkill and I doubt I'd ever use anything that big unless I was taking Tikinov with Battleforce rules.  :P

[PsihoKekec]

There's no better kill than overkill.

[Devens]

Meh, the FedSuns regiments operate on a 132 unit standard, so if you mount at least two tubes on each SPA that's at least 264 guns firing.

-Jackmc

Only Mechs, Vehicles are shown to operate in the standard 108 form in FM: Federated Suns.

[Jackmc]

Only Mechs, Vehicles are shown to operate in the standard 108 form in FM: Federated Suns.

Has this ben retconend because I was just referencing FM:FS two days ago for a project and it shows that armor regiments follow the mech regiment organization of 108+24.  ie.  Three 36 unit Batts + three Batt Command Lances +1 regiemntal command company for a total of 132 untis.

-Jackmc

[Devens]

Page and source of the retcon please.  My FM: FS shows 108 per regiment.