GUNPOWDER WEAPONS

ARQUIBUSIERS: Regardless of the armor classification of their target, Arquibusiers will kill any figure they hit. When firing, Arquibusiers roll an "accuracy die" for each man, and use the following hit table:

Range to Target	Score to Hit
12"-18"	5-6
6"-12"	4-6
0"-6"	2-6

Rate of Fire: Treat as Heavy Crossbowmen.

Arc of Fire: Treat as normal for missile armed footmen.

Indirect Fire: No indirect fire is permitted.

Cover: If the target is up to one-half concealed by hard cover (trees, walls, rocks, etc.) deduct 1 from the score rolled on the "accuracy die." If the target is over one-half concealed by hard cover, deduct 2 from the score.

Bonus: Arquibusiers who fire while their weapon is resting on a strong support (wall, prop, etc.) add 1 to the score rolled on the "accuracy die."

When They Fire

Units equipped with firearms can fire them during the Missile Combat Step, or can use a volley as pass-through fire during the opponent's movement step. If a unit of arquebusiers is being transported aboard battle platforms, however, the weapons can be fired before, during, or after the battle platform moves in the owning player's movement step. In any case, arquebusiers cannot fire more than once per turn.

Arquebusiers that are not aboard a battle platform cannot fire if the unit has moved at all during the current turn, including changes of frontage or facing. Neither can the firearms be used if enemy figures are in base-to-base contact with the firearms-bearing figures.

Effects of Fire

Arquebus units typically are allowed 8-sided attack dice (AD 8) and range limitations of 5" / 10" /20". Those numbers might be varied by specific scenario rules. Arquebusiers are treated as normal missile-firing units in all respects, except that they cannot perform indirect fire.

An arquebus attack scores hits normally, with one exception: Since these weapons had a tendency to explode, each AD result of 1 causes an automatic hit (no armor check allowed) on the arquebus unit itself!

Arquebus attacks can punch through even the heaviest armor at short range. Consequently, figures or units struck by arquebus attacks often suffer penalties to their armor rating, depending on the range of the arquebus attack:

A target at long range makes armor checks with the full benefit of its armor rating (although other modifiers to AR might apply).

A target at medium range suffers a + 5 penalty to its AR.

A target at short range suffers a +10 penalty to its AR; in other words, every hit counts unless the target is screened or protected, so that it receives an AR benefit that partially offsets the +10 penalty.

CANNON:

Three classifications of Cannon are considered. They are:

Light field guns - 30" range

Heavy field guns - 36" range

Bombards* * - 42" range

*These weapons are usually used only in sieges.

Rate of Fire: Treat the same as Catapults.

Arc of Fire: Treat the same as Catapults.

Indirect Fire: Indirect fire is permitted only for Bombards.

Cover: Cannon fire into woods is not permitted. For the effect of cannon fire on specific targets of wood or stone, see the section entitled SIEGES.

Method of Fire: Fire is in a straight line to a target specified by the player firing. (Exception is the Bombard, see the rule below.) A wooden dowel is placed at the muzzle of the cannon, and a 6" "variation measure" is placed at the other end of it (the target end). At this time the end must pass directly over, rest on, or point to the specified target. The center of the variation measure is placed at the far end of the firing dowel. The variation measure is marked off in 1 1/2" segments and numbered from 1 - 6 as illustrated below:

A die is rolled by the player firing the cannon, and the end of the dowel is then moved to the number on the variation measure which corresponds to the number rolled on the die. This procedure represents the variation in cannon balls, irregular gun barrels, and windage. The Dowel: The length of a firing dowel will correspond to the maximum range of the cannon which it represents. Each is colored alternately white and black to represent the flight and bounces of a cannonball. BEFORE PLACING THE DOWEL THE PLAYER FIRING MUST STATE WHETHER HE IS FIRING SHORT (white) OR LONG (black) AT THE TARGET. All figures that are touched by the named color on the dowel I are eliminated. The color sections of the dowel, reading from muzzle to roll, are:

Range	W	B	W	B	W	B	Diameter
30"	16"	6"	3"	5"	-	-	5/8"
36"	18"	6"	3"	2"	1"	6"	3/4"
42"	20"	8"	4"	2"	1"	7"	1"

Any terrain features which interpose with ANY section of the dowel stop the flight of the cannon ball at that point. These terrain features include high ground, barricades made of substantial material (wood planks or stone), trees, etc. Objects the height of a man will stop the flight of the cannon ball if they are substantial and fall within the color section named for hits. A body of water will likewise stop the flight of the cannon ball if it is passed over by a section of the dowel colored the color named for hits, other than the first such colored section which represents the cannon ball in level flight, not bouncing.

Example of Firing: A player decides to fire a Heavy Field Gun at the exact center of an advancing enemy pike square. The target is close, so the player elects to call WHITE. He places the dowel, lays the variation measure at its end, and rolls the die. The number rolled is 4, so the shot goes straight. The target is 26" distant and 8" deep, so the full 3" of the second white section, and the full 1" of the third section, fall upon it. All figures touched by the white sections of the dowel (including figures not named as the target — even friendly troops) are removed as casualties.