Some Thoughts on Artillery

A couple of thoughts and suggestions on artillery since my last game
watching my "priority on call" heavy artillery battery ignore calls for
fire from my 'specialist' Forward Observer for 3 turns.

I havent tried out these yet (next week hopefully) and would appreciate
some feedback.

1) Registered Targets and Final Protective Fire (FPF)
All operations are covered with fire plan overlays and registered
targets.
Obviously more when you are in defence or assaulting a position than
when
advancing to contact, but obvious defensive positions are registered for
rapid engagement.  This isnt really reflected with the current "call for
fire" rules in DSII.

Calling Fire onto Registered Targets gains a +2 bonus on the call, with
die
types as detailed in DSII rules.  Forces receive d4 registered targets
in
meeting engagements, d6 when attacking and d6+2 when in a defensive
position.

In attack/defence scenarios, the defending player also gets a FPF
target. 
This is the "enemy on the wire, save us PLEASE" fire mission.  In real
life
(as I remember it), this is the absolute priority mission for the
Battery
and guns are loaded and layed on the FPF firing solution at all times
when
not engaged in another mission.  Call for a FPF mission overrides all
other
calls for fire (except the guns firing over open sights in the defence
of
their own position).

The defender may plot a single FPF target within 6" of one of his main
position (be reasonable about this).  Calling for fire on the FPF gains
a
+4 die mod.

2) Deceptive Rounds
Isn't it annoying that you finally get you call for fire in and then the
unit under the markers simply buggers off ?  I know that this is
adjusting
rounds etc...but I have a cunning plan....

Some guns/tubes/whatever can also send a few errant rounds to try and
deceive the Enemy's combat data systems.

A Battery may utilise one or more of its guns to fire these errant
rounds. 
Each gun so employed may not be used in resolving the fire mission, but
can
place 2 (maybe one ?) artillery markers as per a normal mission.  When
revealed, these markers do not cause any damage or a "under fire" marker
(not enough rounds). They are used to simply spoof your Enemy as to
where
your fire is going to land- he may still work it out though

- Hopefully, these suggestions may make your artillery support more
effective.  If not, well the guns might be firing on someone else's FPF
after all !

Happy Fire-planning and thanks in advance for any comments,

Paul O'Grady
paulog@one.net.au