Setting The East Ablaze - newbie question

[Dakiwimike]

Hi

Had one game of STEA and bought the rules straight away because it was such fun.

However, one thing we couldn’t figure out during the game, and which I still can’t after reading the rulebook again is how do you do direct fire using artillery pieces?

It seems there are two possibilities- either the same as indirect opportunity fire but initial no roll for accuracy or do you use the same procedure as for rifle grenades (ie. aim at a figure and if you hit you get all under the burst circle) but using a larger circle?

Thanks

Mike

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

Dakiwimike

I was puzzled by this too, but Ignatieff (the author) clarified it for me in a PM and now it makes sense. Here is my Q&A with the great man himself. (Me in blue, Ignatieff in red)

We played our first game of StEA yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed it, with the possible exception of the Mad Baron player who was probably given too hard a task by my scenario setting for the forces at his disposal.  I have a few more queries which came out of the game I hope you will have time to help me with please.  They mostly concern artillery, which is the part I struggled with most.

1) On-table artillery.  I think I got this wrong on the day as umpire, and caused the Baron too much frustration as a result.  The rules do not explicitly say that artillery can be used for direct fire, although reading it again, that should probably have been inferred.  We played it that on table artillery still needed to roll 2 above their class factor for fire to arrive (which didn't happen anywhere near frequently enough for the Baron's liking), and then used the blast radius template/mechanism to determine the outcome. So, in effect, all artillery fire was treated as indirect under 10.18.  In the cold light of day, I do not think that the roll against class rating was needed for on table artillery.  Is that correct please?

That is correct.  As long as you can see it on table you can shoot at it.  Just throw on the to hit table

2) On the assumption that on table artillery can fire directly (i.e. where there is line of sight from gun to target), the weapons table in 10.7 should presumably be used. Field artillery get one dice, and the roll is dependant on range/modifiers to determine if a hit is scored.  As I read it, a hit then takes you to the table in 10.15 where the field gun line would be used to determine the result against different target types (vehicles and heavy weapons).  If I am right so far, how is direct artillery fire against infantry or cavalry resolved?  My guess is that, having scored a hit, the blast template is placed over the aiming point as for indirect fire.  However, the rules do not say that (unless I have missed it!), and it may be that it is only the targeted figure (infantry or cavalry) that is killed.  I assume that isn't the case though, as firing on close order infantry (say), should logically produce more casualties than against (say) spread out irregular cavalry, which suggests to me that the blast radius template should come into play here.  Can you clarify this please?

Pick a target figure, and if you hit that figure is dead.  All other figures in a 1" radius throw to save.  (I think its a 5/6 to save, don't have rules in front of me)

3) Still with on-table artillery, is a miss a miss, or does the shall land somewhere? (Blast radius template again?)

just a miss.  We did debate this, but it slowed things down too much

Hope that helps.  Ignatieff also posted to correct a typo in the rules about off table artillery, which is also worth a look:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=110756.0

[Sir Rodney Ffing]

Oooh... that is colourful.

[Ignatieff]

Thanks chaps. I will clarify in the next iteration of the rules. (Not hap ring any time soon mind you!)

[Dakiwimike]

Thanks guys, that makes sense.

Mike

[juergen c. olk]

thanx ..we had same problem..