Protecting Artillery

[Snowbart1943]

Can you keep some cannon fodder in hexes with your arty in order to protect them in case they are uncovered after firing and are targeted by the enemys indirect fire?

[e_barkmann]

I'm not sure what the rules are regarding target selection, but I'd say the best thing to do is always entrench your artillery units before firing them, as it hugely increases their chance of survival from counter battery etc.

cheers Chris

[JSS]

The cannon fodder helps if the artillery is in a hex close enough to be sighted by the enemy.  (Counterbattery is a non-issue at this point anyway)...

What you can do is dig the artillery in before firing (this will require counter battery fire to use two dice).

Also, have the artillery under AAA coverage.  This will cause air strikes to miss more often.

[Snowbart1943]

Thanks guys[:)]

[Snowbart1943]

Thought of another one related to this topic....say your arty unit is dug in before firing, and also has a 'cannon fodder' unit in the hex with him. This arty unit is far enough from the frontline so he cant be physicaly spotted. If he is uncovered after firing, and thus the fodder unit isnt exposed(i suppose?), and the enemy targets that hex with counterbattery fire, will the fodder unit take the hit, or will the arty unit itself be the only valid target?

[JSS]

Hidden units do not get hit.

[Snowbart1943]

That makes sense....thanks once again!

[Gregor_SSG]

I would like to just add to the already good advice about entrenching artillery. Just do it. Apart from anything else, nothing will give your opponent more pleasure than a succesful counter-battery mission, and you wouldn't want that, would you?