Editor's Note: Mike Ruttle brings his outstanding series on tactics in From Valmy to Waterloo to a close with this installment.

The most potent arm of a Napoleonic Army was the artillery. The evolution of infantry and cavalry tactics in the eighteenth century was insignificant compared to the advances which occurred in artillery. Properly handled, the field artillery eclipsed all other troops for sheer destructive capacity. It does not diminish the importance of the other arms to appreciate that the guns controlled the space on the battlefield like no other troops could, and thus provided the leverage for unhinging the enemy's line. Their influence is way out of proportion to their numbers.

The ascent of the artillery arm foreshadowed the ascendance of Napoleon Bonaparte, himself an artilleryman. The factors which were to propel the artillery to preeminence were at work long before Napoleon was born. However, Bonaparte had the great luck to inherit the finest artillery corps in the world, and the vision to integrate it into a military system which was unique to France. Due to its overwhelming success, the name of Napoleon is now used to identify this Army, its strategy and tactics, and the very era of European history. This indelible stamp continues to draw the attention of students of history.

To be sure, there is much more to Napoleon's military system than just the handling of the guns; but everything the Emperor did at every level of a campaign was designed to bring the enemy to battle, where his adversary's army could be destroyed. The instrument of that destruction was always to be his beloved cannon. Their job: Carve a hole in the enemy line. The breakthrough and exploitation was the task of the infantry and cavalry, but the guns would pave the way.

In From Valmy to Waterloo, the artillery batteries are easily the most significant troops on the field, and rightly so. There are arguments that can be made that an elite cavalry or infantry formation is more powerful than a battery of artillery. However, if you are assembling a division, and could base it upon only one of the following;

1. the Saxon Garde du Corps,
2. a battalion of the Coldstream Guard, or
3. a battery of 8 French 12 pound field pieces,

One of the most distinctive aspects of this rules system is its treatment of artillery fire. The core concept of the treatment is the "beaten zone." Tank and artillery officers know what this means. Templates are provided which delineate the size of the beaten zone for the various calibers of the cannon. Fire effectiveness is a function of the fire value, number of guns, range, disorder and smoke. The vulnerability of the target is a function of its density, terrain, cover and formation. ALL units in the beaten zone are affected. Dense regimental, brigade and division infantry formations can be made to suffer severely as a result.

As with infantry units there is a huge variety in artillery batteries. Just because you have been handed a stand of miniature cannons does not guarantee supremacy over your adversary. They may be four conscript 4 pounders with civilian drivers, i.e., not especially terrifying. Then again they might be a battery of 12 pounders from the reserve of a French Corp; i.e., as terrifying as it gets.

Know Your Troops

Again you must know your troops. The beaten zones of 4 pounders, 6 pounders, 8 pounders, and 12 pounders are all different. (British 9 pounders are treated as eights.) The fire ratings are also different. These are a function of gun caliber, training, experience and doctrine.

The difference between nationalities is significant. French fire ratings are superior to all the rest as are their relocation numbers. The existence of regimental batteries, battalion guns, civilian drivers and limbering restrictions occur in many allied armies, depending upon the organization adopted by the particular nation.

All of these considerations affect the destructive capacity of the guns. A good commander must be familiar with these characteristics and have a realistic understanding of what his guns can do, and what the enemy batteries can do to him.

A battery of 4 pounders judiciously committed can easily be the margin of victory. You do not need to have the big guns for every situation. They are a scarce commodity anyway. The artillery provide leverage so the you can move the enemy, and it is a task well within the capability of 4 or 6 pounders. That having been said there is no better tool for unhinging an opposing line than a well placed battery of 12 pounders.

Combined Arms

Combined arms on a Napoleonic battlefield is a concept which is truly founded on the artillery. Without the cannon there is no combined arms. Without infantry or cavalry support, there soon will be no cannons. Artillery is lethal to troops within its field of fire. Unfortunately for them it also means that they are impotent everywhere else, and that makes it extremely vulnerable. Field artillery must always be supported by infantry and or cavalry on its flanks and rear unless you want it to become a trophy for your opponent.

When fighting with cannon the most critical decision is their placement. Proper positioning is especially vital for many armies which do not have the relimbering and relocation capabilities of the French. An ill considered position is potentially disastrous because the guns are not being effectively used. Mistakes with a cavalry regiment or an infantry battalion are very rarely decisive. But a mistake with the big guns has impact far beyond that of any other unit. These guns do your heavy lifting, and if they are not employed in doing that, at the very best the initiative has passed to the enemy. If your opponent is good, you may never get it back.

Once in position it is possible to adjust the facing and position by relocation. The relocation probability varies from time to time and country to country. The French are the best, and the allies vary widely. Only the later British rival the French in this regard. Relocation also includes prolong. If a battery prolongs 1/2 of its prolong movement it can still fire for full effect. There is a significant erratum regarding prolonging. Due to the emergence of a technique employed by many French players (and you know who you are!) batteries can no longer move by prolong further than 100 meters from the initial placement. To move farther the battery must relimber.

This change will stop the rolling tide of divisional, corps and grand batteries. There is no way to deal with two 8 gun Corp batteries of French 12 pounders if they are permitted to move up and fire each turn without penalty. They are horrible enough without being mobile. With "rolling prolong" they may as well be motorized assault guns. More importantly there is no historical justification to endow Napoleonic artillery with Sturmgeshutz qualities. Even Senarmont at Friedland advanced his batteries by limbering and moving forward in waves.

Battalion guns are unusual. Typically they are 4 pounders attached to a battalion in 2 gun sections. They are a pain to play with if you think about them too much. A section of battalion guns is unlikely to hit very often and so for speed of play, do not even bother shooting them until their battalion deploys into line. They may then prolong the full line move of the infantry and still fire.

This means that you are not using these guns as you would any other battery. Their primary utility is when you have closed to canister range with enemy infantry. Casualties from canister cause disorders, and in a fight between opposing infantry lines, this extra ingredient is potentially decisive for the individual battalions. Do not waste time on them but do not ignore them either.

Horse Artillery

Horse artillery is a personal favorite. They are very mobile and therefore they get used quite often to salvage a deteriorating situation. This rescue squad role tends to enhance one's appreciation. These batteries must be used aggressively. This does not mean that they are to be left hung out to dry. Exploit targets of opportunity. Get off a round or two, and then get out. Escaping is their forte, so make sure they escape! If these batteries are not moving very much, then you have your horse guns in a spot where foot guns would be serving you better.

The line artillery battery is typically a 6-8 gun brigade battery of 6 pounders. This is the workhorse of most armies. A divisional commander will usually have two or three of these batteries with which to work. While no one likes to lose cannon, these are the ones to do so with if you have to part with some. These batteries should be placed so that the enemy has remain in their field of fire. When the battle rages furious, it is usually best to keep shooting until the bitter end.

If you are trying hold or take ground, it is often better to permit the crews to be driven off, and then to retake the abandoned guns and recrew them. This allows the battery to do maximum damage. That is often necessary to either stop or carry the assault.

Batteries of the 8, 9 or 12 pound class are big guns. These must be cared for lovingly. In the French Army the 12 pounders were affectionately known as "The Emperor's Beautiful Daughters." After watching them in action, you will quickly understand why.

The big guns are almost always a Corp asset and deployment decisions regarding them is usually made by the Corp or Army commander. A divisional commander is fortunate if he is assigned a single battery of the big guns.

It is virtually impossible to capture a battery of big guns with a frontal assault. The canister fire sweeps the front clean in very short order. What is not killed, runs and hides. Not even magic dice can help you if you attempt it.

Therefore, if you have such a battery in danger of being taken, it necessarily means that flank or rear support has been compromised. If this occurs, the battery must be moved. These weapons are too valuable to lose to an indirect assault. The danger should be apparent in plenty of time to move to a safer location. If it is Russian, relimbering is literally dicey, and extra care is required. If you keep rolling high, c'est le guerre.

Target Selection

Target selection often seems arbitrary when there are many targets from which to chose. The most common error in this regard is the natural tendency to try to silence enemy artillery with counterbattery fire. This is almost always a mistake. Unlimbered artillery are open order targets with additional negative modifiers to hit. It takes a long time to put enemy guns out of action with your own artillery.

If you have formed infantry or cavalry to shoot at, ignore the enemy guns. Put them in the beaten zone as a bonus if you can, but it is rarely advisable to pass up a shot at an infantry battalion or cavalry regiment in favor of shooting at an unlimbered battery. Following this advice requires discipline. The enemy guns are lashing your troops and you want to do something about it. That is a good idea, but use infantry or cavalry to chase off or capture enemy gun positions.

There are only two times that counterbattery fire should be a primary consideration. The first is when using French, Russian or Prussian 12 pounders. The medium range for these guns extends to 700 meters. This is 100 meters farther than any other type of field artillery. Therefore, if a battery of 12 pounders is unlimbered 601 to 700 meters from enemy guns of lesser caliber, the 12 pounders will deliver much more damage than they should receive. But, even in such circumstances, the enemy guns should ordinarily be a secondary target.

Unless specifically stated by a player, a battery of artillery is an open order target. Close order artillery is rarely used. It does allow for double the firepower to be deployed over the same frontage compared to open order artillery. If you have need for the extra punch and available guns, it is an option to consider. On the negative side, close order artillery is an inviting target, which overrides the general rule against counterbattery fire. Less obvious but more important is that using close order artillery is usually overkill. The excess batteries would almost certainly be of more use elsewhere.

Open order makes artillery harder to hit than close order units. While this is its primary benefit, there are two other aspects of open order which should not be overlooked. First and foremost, open order units do not block line of sight. While this does not allow you to fire over your own guns, it does allow you to charge through them. Light cavalry supporting a battery can be put on a react order and intercept units which attempt to charge your guns. If the interpenatration occurs in the first quarter move, there is no penalty. Keep this in mind if you wish to preserve your batteries.

Second, if you are on a defend order, and you expect the enemy to attack you, it is often helpful to deploy your guns considerably forward of your first line. If the enemy is on a PA, AT, or AA order, he must advance to within 1000, 800 or 600 meters of formed units respectively. If you have a strong skirmish line with some light cavalry and a battery or two, the enemy may be forced to advance right into your fire. If you are lucky and the enemy does not have cavalry of his own, you may cause them to bunch up. Dense masses make great targets. Then request some big guns from your Corp commander.

Canister is almost always preferable to round shot, if you have the choice. Occasionally a battery without smoke can improve its odds against a column with round shot at close range. This might result in one extra casualty. However, the field of fire for canister is bigger and often can hit additional units. Smoke is not a factor and most importantly, casualties from canister inflict an equal number of disorders. In an assault the advantages are substantial and occur at a time when you need every extra edge you can get.

Grand Battery

No discussion of Napoleonic artillery would be complete without some mention of the Grand Battery. In From Valmy to Waterloo a Grand Battery is its own division. It is difficult to use. It must consist of at least six full strength batteries. It takes up a lot of room on the tabletop, and destroys everything to its front. It tends to stifle play and dampens the enjoyment for both players. No one in there right mind attacks such a thing to its front, so unless the opponent is crazy, he will never move into effective range. This makes for boredom.

However, if a commander constructs such a monstrosity, make absolutely certain that at least one regiment of light horse are attached to the division on a MA order. If by some stroke of luck, the enemy gets on its flank, or opens a gap with counterbattery fire, the Grand Battery becomes extremely vulnerable to cavalry. An army will be destroyed if a grand battery is overwhelmed.

The proper employment of artillery may be the most important tactical skill for a commander to master. The batteries of big guns, well positioned and employed can make up for a multitude of minor mistakes. Maintaining a reserve battery or two is vital to the Corp commander, because the optimal gun placement will not be known until the enemy reveals his intentions. These are the decisions that can turn the tide in your favor. A good Corp commander will appreciate what needs to be done. Successful execution of the battle plan depends upon it.

The excellence of the French artillery in combination with their superior infantry and outstanding command quality makes a French Infantry Division formidable indeed. If a veteran regiment of chassuers or hussars is attached as well, it is almost obscene. However Allied commanders should not lose heart. Regardless of the quality of the troops, they die just as readily as militia when fired upon. They are not bulletproof or immortal. While the Allied artillery is not quite as good as the French, it still works just fine. French commanders should not underestimate Allied artillery, just because it is not French or because your army is of such a high quality. If you do, your troops will die gloriously, and their glory, like them, will pass on, never to be seen again.

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