Artillery question

[ExChairman (OP)]

I am planning to attach several artillery battalions to Brigade/Division level but not give them to a special unit.
Do I get it right that they still will fire at random enemy units, but not in support of a specific unit?

[Froggiest1982]

Do I get it right that they still will fire at random enemy units, but not in support of a specific unit?

Cut from FFD rules

...Forward Fire Direction allows a front-line unit (more on that later) to direct the fire of bombardment units from a formation in a support position....

Following the above the bombardment unit should be in a support position already and will then follow the rules of the supported formation as per below.
PLEASE NOTE: despite the above rule, FFD works only for orbital bombardment now with a ratio of 1:6 fighters and 1:1 ships for guiding capability per FFD deployed.


Cut from Ground Combat base rules

Each front line friendly formation randomly targets a hostile formation. Friendly units with front line defence can target hostile front line formations. Friendly units with front line attack can target any hostile formation, although support and rear echelon are less likely given their smaller weighted size. In fact, the more formations that are pushed into front line positions, the less likely it is that rear areas will be attacked.

Support and Rear Echelon formations that contain formation elements with bombardment weapons can be assigned to support front line formations that are part of the same organisation. Formations in a support position with light bombardment weapons will fire with the front line formations (see next paragraph). Formations in a support position with medium/heavy bombardment weapons or formations in a rear echelon position with heavy bombardment weapons will fire in a subsequent phase - see below.

...each friendly individual unit (a soldier or vehicle) in that formation engages a random element in the hostile formation...each unit in each element providing supporting bombardment will engage either the hostile formation being targeted by the friendly formation they are supporting...if the hostile formation is targeted, each unit in the supporting artillery element engages a random element in the hostile formation, ...if a hostile supporting element is targeted, all fire is directed against that element.

***IMPORTANT PART***
Supporting medium artillery will choose between hostile forces in Front-Line or Support field positions (and will ignore any elements in Rear Echelon field position for purposes of relative size), while heavy artillery can select targets in any field position. In other words, if the enemy has supporting heavy artillery in a rear echelon position, you will only be able to target those elements with your own heavy artillery (or ground support fighters, or orbital bombardment support).

This should pretty much answer your question.

EDIT:
Support Rules

Support can only be provided when the supporting formation is a superior formation in the hierarchy of the supported formation, or is directly subordinate to a superior formation in the hierarchy of the supported formation and does not itself have any subordinate formations (an independent artillery formation for example). Supporting formations must be on the same system body as the supported formation. In combat, the support relationship will only function if the supporting unit has suitable bombardment units and is in a support or rear echelon position and the supported unit is in a front line position.

[Icekiller]

FFD's direct fire from fighters and ships in orbit, not artillery.

[Froggiest1982]

FFD's direct fire from fighters and ships in orbit, not artillery.

I know that, 6 fighters or 1 ship per FFD.
The rules there are a bit different and I reported them as they are. But thanks for clarifying as could have led to confusion and I should have included the info, so I am editing to make it complete for future.

What I think it happened is that Steve changed FFD and not update the original post.

[Droll]

FFD's direct fire from fighters and ships in orbit, not artillery.

I know that, 5 fighters or 1 ship per FFD.
The rules there are a bit different and I reported them as they are. But thanks for clarifying as could have led to confusion and I should have included the info, so I am editing to make it complete for future.

What I think it happened is that Steve changed FFD and not update the original post.

The most important detail is that FFD is not useful for ground based artillery

[Froggiest1982]

FFD's direct fire from fighters and ships in orbit, not artillery.

I know that, 6 fighters or 1 ship per FFD.
The rules there are a bit different and I reported them as they are. But thanks for clarifying as could have led to confusion and I should have included the info, so I am editing to make it complete for future.

What I think it happened is that Steve changed FFD and not update the original post.

The most important detail is that FFD is not useful for ground based artillery

Mate, I know that and I already corrected and thanked Ice for the details I omissed which actually led me to analyze the rule again for a deeper evaluation.

In saying that I really would like to highlight that no where I said that you need FFD but I was referring only to the support position, but I understood could be misleading if you havent played enough hence my corrections and edit on the support formation.

This bring me to the point that beside the wrong interpretation of my post due to poor reporting on my side, I actually think that the most important part is why it's not working even if said that it should?

So I opened a post/request for Steve to change the original rules post as it is misleading.

http://aurora2.pentarch.org/index.php?topic=11895.0

[jscott991]

I'm having a very similar problem.

I have 142 heavy bombardment (artillery) attached to each of my infantry division HQs.   They are set for rear echelon.   I have never seen those artillery units fire.   Not one time.

What could the issue be?

[Barkhorn]

I believe you have to set their formation to support a front line formation.  They can still be in the rear echelon.

[jscott991]

Edit:
I figured it out, I think.

It will be a while before I fight again to see if it worked.