DBA-HX 3.0 (1700 - 1850)

Just fought a 12 element per side Spanish War of Succession battle between Britain and France using the DBA-HX 1700-1850 adaptation.
Played really well. These are certainly the rules I will be using for the WSS battles.

Yeah! Now you tell me! I found that one out the hard way  Old Marlborough nearly cashed in his chips

The original intent was meant to describe the evolution of artillery from
guild to a formal arm of the military, a point not requiring separate combat factors.
I understand the confusion.

The line beginning with
Note, for game purposes, all artillery is no longer classed as foot, but form a separate classification – Artillery.
– should be deleted.

DBA-HX 3.0 (1700 - 1850) Rules query #2

Very early in our test game we discovered that Artillery is very fragile, after all bar one of the batteries on the table had been destroyed following a couple of rounds of counter-battery fire during the opening bounds. This was down to the fact that Artillery is destroyed in combat when beaten or doubled, so that there is a 30 in 36 chance that one or other of the contestants in an artillery duel will be destroyed. This seems to make counter-battery fire much more effective than our own, admittedly limited, reading suggests that it was.

We are therefore wondering whether, in future, to change the 'beaten' combat outcome for Artillery from "Destroyed" to "Destroyed if in close combat otherwise silenced if in distant combat and its total is at least 2 less." [Clearly there is a final "otherwise no effect" but this result is always implied in DBx systems.]  The outcome "silenced" is borrowed from HFG where it is assigned the following meaning:

"Silenced elements remain so until the end of the immediately following bound. Until then, they cannot shoot in distant combat, support or make a tactical or march move. This represents a temporary unwillingness of troops behind defences to expose themselves, or artillery crew depleted, driven from or repairing guns. If a marker is needed, a small puff of dust coloured cotton wool, a casualty figure or a shell hole are all suitable. Opponents of silenced troops can charge or press forward as if unsuccessfully shot at."

Notwithstanding that idea, we recognise that there is likely to be a solid game reason for the current combat result, which is the reason for raising the question here.

DBA-HX 3.0 (1700 - 1850) Rules query #2 - follow up

Thanks. I'm also keen to avoid anything that departs too far from the underlying principles of DBA3 so very happy to drop the idea of introducing a new outcome type.

For that reason, it might be better to avoid using two different combat factors for each type of Artillery, depending on the range. Instead perhaps keep the combat factors in the table exactly as written and instead add a line to the Tactical Factors table to read: "-2 If Artillery and either located in a city or fort or in other circumstances and shooting at targets beyond 3BW".

This approach also has the virtues that:

(a) the effect of increased range is quite properly a Tactical Factor;
(b) it would simplify the text by allowing you to dispense with the note at the top of page 4 which presently reads "Note; Artillery shooting factors and close combat remain (+4), but are reduced (+2) if located in a city or fort"; and
(c) it would allow you to simplify your combat outcome text to read "All Artillery - If shot at by enemy all of whom are beyond 3BW, recoil, otherwise destroyed". [Such enemies can only be other artillery.]

The disadvantage is that it applies the same range factor, 3BW, to both light and heavy artillery but I could happily rationalise that by assuming that we're really talking about whether the target is in canister range or not, which is probably similar for both types.

DBN discourages counter battery fire (much frowned on by Wellington and others) by only making a double or more result have an effect, in which case the loser is destroyed. There is no effect for beating but not doubling. This applies if an artillery unit hasn't moved and is fired at by another artillery unit. Base combat factors are +3/+3.

Cheers

Simon