I wrote a simple program to simulate the cannon ball bounce some time ago. After a million shots, the conclusion was that aiming 7 inches from the front of the target unit was optimal. For three ranks of infantry it works out to the same target point, but for small units there is a small difference.
I don't think it's as simply as a general rule. My program definitely found optimized distances for various base size and number of ranks. 10" from the back is a better general rule without wanting to refer to specific distances for each size and rank size
The problem with a rule of thumb measuring rom the front of the unit is it doesn't scale for deeper units. 7" from the centre is good for units with few ranks, but against deeper units doesn't make much sense. To make that same rule of thumb work for deeper units, remember that undershooting is just as wasteful as overshooting. So the centre of the unit becomes the best place to measure from. It gets a bit weird with base sizes and angles, but effectively if you fire 8" or 10" from the center of the unit you're maximizing your average hits. For units a few ranks deep this works out to be identical to your rule of 7" from the center, but for deeper units it pushes it back a bit and reduces the hits lost to undershooting (which don't produce any more overshoot due to the deeper units).
As an empire player I’ve got all the other artillery but the canon and I didn’t understand how it worked with regards to the artillery dice having never seen one before I just skipped picking up a box of a canon and you’ve made me confident to get a couple many thanks steam tanks are awesome
Let's see your take on battlefield positioning of the cannon. I still subscribe to putting them on the extreme flank angled toward the centre of the enemy's line to maximise targets in your firing arc, however there is a school of thought that supports putting them in amongst your line to support with grapeshot.
Pretty sure youre not allowed to target a point that may hit either a lone character or a friendly unit. Youd have to position the initial point somewhere different so theres no way of it accudentally making contact woth a friendly unit.
Played a game on Tuesday and used the Great Cannon without an Engineer near it for the first time in a long time...What I've learned: I will not be using a cannon ever again without an Engineer 🤣 1st turn, Cannon misfires and I roll a "2" on the chart, out of commission till turn 3. 3rd Turn, Cannon missfires and I roll a "3", out of commission until Turn 5. My cannons generally do very well and I absolutely love them in this edition, not because they are better or do more damage (which they do not), there just seems to be more viable targets for Cannons in this edition like large monsters and Dragons.
Nice video ty! How do flame cannons work? Can they put the template past units, impassable terrain, forests and such before the artillery die roll? Basically: How do they draw line of sight to the point where they put the template down first.
Can you explain please about empire engineer master of ballistic rule? Can i use reroll of single artillery dice once per turn only for one war machine, or for each war machine i have on the battlefield in enginer's command range?
I mean it's not a meme. for ranged units it's essential. For normal infantry if you've drilled u want to abuse it. if u don't everyone is generally going things like 7x3 , 8x3 rather than what SHOULD be normal like 5x4 5x5 etc.
@@sclarke6969 Why should 5x4 be normal? I've played Warhammer since 3rd ed and just accepted these funny little units that were deeper than they were wide. But that isn't how armies formed up historically. Hoplites would fight around 8 ranks deep, but hundreds wide. Viking and Anglo shieldwalls might be 5 deep, but against several hundred wide. Deep ranks only helped a little, but letting the enemy around your flanks was deadly. There are issues with linehammer, especially around drilled making this silly ultra-wide, 1 rank units. But setting a new normal around 7*3 or 8*2 is just fine. It looks better and looks a little bit more like how armies actually fought.
Personally I'm surprised it took you so long to learn of this trick! Also I miss the old days when you had to guess the range from your war machine, good artillery commanders could eyeball the range and still hit their target insanely often
My first time using a cannon, I rolled 3 misfires! One initial misfire, engineer re-roll misfire, then the final roll of 1 for a destroyed cannon. Typical luck for me!
I will take tge volley gun and use my master engineer to purposefully get box cars on the missfire table. And watch the enemy commander on his dragon steed evaporate.
Stadistically speaking th zone where its more common to hit is 10"-12" but since we usually want more to undershoot and not overshoot this is stadistically speaking correct not only based upon experience I tend to create a table for cannons on the old warhammer mostly to speed up thingsand i came more or less to the same result so seen this confirm it before testing it wich makes my happy
Thank you for TOW tactic content please do more
Thank you! More Old World Tactics to come, I just needed to play a few games before I started doing this kind of content o7
I wrote a simple program to simulate the cannon ball bounce some time ago. After a million shots, the conclusion was that aiming 7 inches from the front of the target unit was optimal. For three ranks of infantry it works out to the same target point, but for small units there is a small difference.
I don't think it's as simply as a general rule. My program definitely found optimized distances for various base size and number of ranks. 10" from the back is a better general rule without wanting to refer to specific distances for each size and rank size
I have been doing 6 inches and it usually works
@@tomsutton2042 That's what she said.
The problem with a rule of thumb measuring rom the front of the unit is it doesn't scale for deeper units. 7" from the centre is good for units with few ranks, but against deeper units doesn't make much sense. To make that same rule of thumb work for deeper units, remember that undershooting is just as wasteful as overshooting. So the centre of the unit becomes the best place to measure from. It gets a bit weird with base sizes and angles, but effectively if you fire 8" or 10" from the center of the unit you're maximizing your average hits. For units a few ranks deep this works out to be identical to your rule of 7" from the center, but for deeper units it pushes it back a bit and reduces the hits lost to undershooting (which don't produce any more overshoot due to the deeper units).
This is so old school it warms my Longbeard heart!
“Swords!?? Swords Black Adder!!? Only girls fight with swords! WE FIGHT WITH CANON SER!!”
As an empire player I’ve got all the other artillery but the canon and I didn’t understand how it worked with regards to the artillery dice having never seen one before I just skipped picking up a box of a canon and you’ve made me confident to get a couple many thanks steam tanks are awesome
Heresy!
Cannons are the bread and butter of Empire shooting!
I really hope dwarves get a new rune in there arcane journal that gives them +1 wound to their D3 damage rolls or lets them reroll the D3.
Let's see your take on battlefield positioning of the cannon. I still subscribe to putting them on the extreme flank angled toward the centre of the enemy's line to maximise targets in your firing arc, however there is a school of thought that supports putting them in amongst your line to support with grapeshot.
Pretty sure youre not allowed to target a point that may hit either a lone character or a friendly unit. Youd have to position the initial point somewhere different so theres no way of it accudentally making contact woth a friendly unit.
Played a game on Tuesday and used the Great Cannon without an Engineer near it for the first time in a long time...What I've learned: I will not be using a cannon ever again without an Engineer 🤣 1st turn, Cannon misfires and I roll a "2" on the chart, out of commission till turn 3. 3rd Turn, Cannon missfires and I roll a "3", out of commission until Turn 5. My cannons generally do very well and I absolutely love them in this edition, not because they are better or do more damage (which they do not), there just seems to be more viable targets for Cannons in this edition like large monsters and Dragons.
Nice video ty! How do flame cannons work? Can they put the template past units, impassable terrain, forests and such before the artillery die roll? Basically: How do they draw line of sight to the point where they put the template down first.
Love this videos! Wanna see more battle reports!
Can you explain please about empire engineer master of ballistic rule? Can i use reroll of single artillery dice once per turn only for one war machine, or for each war machine i have on the battlefield in enginer's command range?
With the like shoot on steam tank 2 and 4 i thin for me problem is how thick is potnt?
For me is problem with the ege of the base?
So another advantage to linehammer is that the maximum number of casualties you will take from a cannon is 1?
Yep, that’s one reason why napoleonic wars where fought in lines.
Cannons gor to target big targets.
Can the line hammer meme die now? Hellblasters and ratling guns will eat you alive. Shooting isn't amazing this edition but it'll eat a line alive.
I mean it's not a meme. for ranged units it's essential. For normal infantry if you've drilled u want to abuse it. if u don't everyone is generally going things like 7x3 , 8x3 rather than what SHOULD be normal like 5x4 5x5 etc.
@@sclarke6969 Why should 5x4 be normal? I've played Warhammer since 3rd ed and just accepted these funny little units that were deeper than they were wide. But that isn't how armies formed up historically. Hoplites would fight around 8 ranks deep, but hundreds wide. Viking and Anglo shieldwalls might be 5 deep, but against several hundred wide. Deep ranks only helped a little, but letting the enemy around your flanks was deadly.
There are issues with linehammer, especially around drilled making this silly ultra-wide, 1 rank units. But setting a new normal around 7*3 or 8*2 is just fine. It looks better and looks a little bit more like how armies actually fought.
I feel like I should have joined a grumpy Englishman's patreon to get such great advice.
Thanks
What if you shoot through the unit diagonally? Do you pass theough models or ranks?
Personally I'm surprised it took you so long to learn of this trick!
Also I miss the old days when you had to guess the range from your war machine, good artillery commanders could eyeball the range and still hit their target insanely often
step 1: deply cannon paralell to the deployment line
step 2: pivot for free and grape shot the enemy on turn one without having moved an inch
More of this type of thing
First!!! Looking forward to another great video!!!
My first time using a cannon, I rolled 3 misfires! One initial misfire, engineer re-roll misfire, then the final roll of 1 for a destroyed cannon. Typical luck for me!
Never played oldworld, but im curious, can you hit multiple rows by placing the target between the models?
Im afraid not.
There are other war machines to hit big blocks such as mortars, helfire rocket batteries or hellblaster volley guns
It is the dice box!🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙
I will take tge volley gun and use my master engineer to purposefully get box cars on the missfire table. And watch the enemy commander on his dragon steed evaporate.
But more importantly take an Engineer so you can reroll a poor artillery dice result.
i wish skaven had a cannon...
Imagine, it could shoot lighting or something and be powered by warpstone!
Stadistically speaking th zone where its more common to hit is 10"-12" but since we usually want more to undershoot and not overshoot this is stadistically speaking correct not only based upon experience
I tend to create a table for cannons on the old warhammer mostly to speed up thingsand i came more or less to the same result so seen this confirm it before testing it wich makes my happy
Early squad assemble
*pretendts to take notes in bretonian*