Rocket Battery (RB)

Type
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Rocket Battery (RB)

To clarify: "2 XSW hits the RB itself" applies to Ranged Combat only.

I've updated this chart, and added a few obvious Strategy points
STRATEGY
Aim at targets with long retreat moves
Aim at targets in terrain, especially towns
Setup behind obstacles, e.g Forest, Hills, especially terrain that stops cavalry. Otherwise, setup in good defensive terrain.

these seem quite comparable to Artillery in Memoir'44, so if anyone has Strategy insights for this rarely used unit, please add here.

Similarly, if anyone has battles that Rocket Batteries were used, please give a list. Think Göhrde is the only official scenario.

Strategy advice ... adding to "Aim at targets with long retreat moves",

Flags can't be ignored*
- aim at targets with blocked retreat paths
- aim at key targets that you want to knock out of position, especially slow moving ones like Foot Artillery

Rocket battery takes a hit on double XSW in Ranged combat:
- consider carefully if you really want to use bonus dice from Tactic or Tactician Cards for Rocket Battery**


And yes, Göhrde is the only official scenario. I wonder if there are any other battles in the Leipzig campaign where the Rocket Battery featured significantly enough to get into a scenario? Fingers crossed to see Whinyates' battery incorporated into the Extended LGB scenario when expansion 7 comes out, if only for flavour rather than significance in the battle.


*As I understand, even the TC card Hold The Line Leader is no help because of the fatal words in the Rocket Battery rules "target unit may not ignore flags rolled against it for any reason".

**Card wording on Tactic cards indicates that the bonus dice are not optional ("will" or "shall") but might be worth a query as the Rocket Battery is unique in that more dice = more risk. So, it is the one case where you might want to forego the extra dice but not taking part in the action at all seems like a high price (the cards being, Fire & Hold, Bombard, Leadership and Elan). Perhaps for simplicity, the risk has to be borne but does it need to be clarified whether 4 x XSW would be 2 hits on the Rocket Battery, or if 1 is the max? Finally, I think that Leader Checks don't apply to this special loss because it is not part of the normal "apply hits" part of the combat sequence. Interested to hear what others think on these points.

I have received a clarification from Richard Borg in respect of a couple of my questions above.

RiverWanderer wrote: Card wording on Tactic cards indicates that the bonus dice are not optional ("will" or "shall") but might be worth a query as the Rocket Battery is unique in that more dice = more risk. So, it is the one case where you might want to forego the extra dice but not taking part in the action at all seems like a high price (the cards being, Fire & Hold, Bombard, Leadership and Elan).

Richard's response:
"A player can indeed not take bonus dice, but it is an all or nothing decision. You can't choose to take only some bonus dice, you must take all or disregard all."

RiverWanderer wrote: I think that Leader Checks don't apply to this special loss because it is not part of the normal "apply hits" part of the combat sequence.

Richard's response:
"Instead of making an exception for an attached leader to a Rocket Battery [...] the block loss will cause a leader casualty check."

I'm a little at a loss as to how Rockets would operate in melee.

They are meant to be "treated as horse artillery" BUT 
1. We are told they can't move and battle
2. We are told their melee dice are only two, unless increased by comand or tactics cards.
3. We are told that two dice are rolled even when the unit has a single block, at least for ranged attack.
3. In ranged combat we know two sabres always result in friendly fire, but do sabres hit targets in melee (as for HA) and is the risk of misfire, for some reason absent at point blank range?

Are they able to operate from any terrain as well as into any terrain without penalty? Is there a difference in terrain effects when the RB is adjacent to the target?

What would a single block rocket battery in a town hex battling infantry in adjacent forest with Elan, roll? Is it 2-1-1+1= 0+1 as it would be for HA? Or is it 2+1= 3? Do sabres hit as for HA?

Keeping it simple, this is my understanding of the Rules:

- All of the special rules apply only when the Rocket Battery is doing Ranged combat. In that regard, the special rules include, "In ranged combat, terrain does not reduce the number of dice." which I take to mean both into and out of.

- In melee, a Rocket Battery battles with 2 dice and may not Move & Battle but in all other respects it battles as "Horse Artillery".

I have tried to improve the unit rules summary here . 

My only doubt is why the rules used Horse Artillery as a touchstone. For melee, the unit seems more like a 2-dice Foot Artillery unit. I can't imagine that a Rocket Battery can be ordered by Cavalry Charge , but maybe I am wrong there. More accurately, the rules might have said "treat as a 1 block Horse Artillery in melee" - that would cover Move & No Battle, and rolling 2 dice.

seems Cavalry Charge gives +1 in melee. Maybe Rockets can move and only melee (are treated like Horse Artillery). Cant move and Range Combat (are not a HA if range combat)

 

+1 is only for Cavalry units not for Artillery. HA can be ordered but don't have bonus die.