What does artillery do?#
Rule of thumb: artillery fires into a battle next door without ever being in it.
A support order adds +2 per gun to a battle in a neighboring province. It works for attacks and for defense. The guns aren't in the battle, so they never take losses from it.
Artillery is weak on its own: it attacks at 1 and defends at 1. Its value is the support.
How do I give a support order?#
- Select the stack with the guns: click it, or tap it on a phone.
- Press Support. The provinces it can reach light up.
- Click (tap) the province where the battle will be.
The order list shows it as SUPPORT, with the bonus it adds. The rest of the stack can still move: draw its path as usual.
Why is support so good against mountains and rivers?#
Rule of thumb: support is added after terrain, so nothing shrinks it.
A river divides an attacker's strength, and mountains multiply a defender's. Neither touches the +2 per gun. Armor going into the mountains is weak, but the same attack with two guns behind it is a real threat. See Terrain & rivers for the numbers.
Can artillery defend?#
Rule of thumb: support a neighbor you expect to be attacked. Guns can't support their own province.
A support order must target a neighboring province, never the guns' own. If a neighbor is attacked, support there adds to your defense. Guns that stay home also count as defenders in their own province, but only at 1 each, so keep infantry with them.
Why didn't my support count?#
- There was no battle in that province. Support only adds to battles fought in its target province. If the enemy didn't come, or you didn't attack, it does nothing.
- The battle was a border clash. When armies swap places they fight on the border, and support never helps there.
- The guns were out of supply. Cut-off artillery supports at half strength.
- The guns were destroyed first. Guns destroyed earlier in the turn can't fire, and guns lost in a battle don't count.
Can guns move and support in the same turn?#
No. A support order uses every gun in the stack that isn't already moving (the Support button shows how many), and those guns stay put. Other units in the stack can still move. Guns that move with an attack fight at their attack value of 1, which is a waste.
Where should I put artillery?#
Rule of thumb: on the front line, next to where the fight will be, with infantry to hold the province.
The guns have to be next to the target, so they sit in a front province. Keep enough infantry with them to hold it, and plan each attack around a province your guns can reach.