another question

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Griefbringer

So a historically accurate method to deploy artillery battery on the map would be to have them in line right next to each other, with possibly even several pieces in the same hex? That said, gaming-wise that makes them more vulnerable to counter-bombardment.

yes, that would be correct.

Unfortunately, the design of the game makes on-map arty ridiculously easy to spot since it insists on putting smoke over the pieces (even if not actually located). No need for counter-mortar radars etc in WinSPMBT - they exist in the 1930s...

Maybe some day I'll get deep into the spaghetti and fix that little design "quirk".

I think I will try to stick to using artillery as an off-table asset, much easier that way. In any case, my needs for on-table indirect fire support are usually better catered by mortars, and those tend to come with 2-3 pieces per unit, providing for appropriately dense deployment with the whole section in a single hex.

That is why mortar elements are that way. Those who love "individual" mortars because thay allow each to be directed onto different targets - are merely using another design "quirk" from the original game (which had to fit a 640K IBM PC of stone age vintage). Each piece in SP as-designed is its own Battery Command Post. Not true, even today with cellular radio nets and individual computers available on each field piece - totally impractical in real life.

And your description is how I tend to do it too. On-map non-SP arty is rather too vulnerable. Mortars can be reasonably easily picked up and moved, or even shuffle off a couple of hexes themselves, arty needs larger trucks to shift them and these are very vulnerable.

Andy