Distant Shooting

Distant shooting is restricted to specific troop types that used missile fire as their primary method of fighting; artillery, bowmen, war wagons (S) or (0), elephants (X), ships (S), (O) or (X), galleys, and boats (S). Shooting is resolved after movement but prior to combat.

Arc of Fire
The primary requirement for shooting at an enemy is that the target must be "within a base width straight ahead from the shooter's front edge." (note the "within a base width", meaning closer than!). The second requirement is that the target must be 'at' or 'within' maximum range from the shooting element, measured from the nearest front edge of the shooter to the nearest edge of the target. Range varies from a minimum 100p [for Art(X)] up to a maximum 500p [Art(S)(O)(F)], everything else shoots at 200p (eg. Bw, Art(I), naval....)

Range to targets is measured from the nearest point of the front edge of each front rank shooting element to the nearest point of the target element.

Example: The Bow element has a shooting range of 200 paces. The arc of fire for this Bow is shaded green and extends within a base width either side of its front. Elements A, B & C are within the Bw's arc of fire and can be targeted for distant shooting. C is most directly ahead so takes priority. Element D sits "at" a base width to the Bow's front edge and E is behind the front edge, neither can be targeted.

(Distant Shooting, page 21, para 1) "Artillery, bowmen, war wagons (S) or (0), elephants (X), ships (S), (O) or (X), galleys, and boats (S) within range and which did not march or flee this bound can shoot at any one enemy element any part of which is visible within an element base width of straight ahead of any part of their front base edge. At least 2 corners of the target element must be in front of a line extending the front edge of the shooting element. "

Most Directly To Their Front
Shooting elements will frequently have multiple targets within their arc of fire. The shooter must target which ever enemy element is most directly to its front.

Both elements A & B are within the Bow's arc of fire, both are directly in front of the shooter. Drawing a line directly perpendicular from the shooter's front edge, the element which is closest or crosses this line is deemed as being "most directly in front". Element B is more directly in front to A, despite A being closer to the shooter. Distance from the shooting element in irrelevant. (Distant Shooting, page 21, last sentence) "Front rank elements can only shoot at the eligible target most directly to their front, except that artillery can choose to ignore psiloi."

 

Verifying the Target

A shooting element must be able to trace two unobstructed lines from each front corner to any two corners on the target element without crossing them over.

All the above examples are legitimate targets to the shooting element. Lines traced from shooter front corners can go to any corner on the target (front or rear), as long as it's unobstructed by over elements. Example #3 traces one line throught the target to it's rear corner.

(Distant Shooting, page 21, para 3, line 4) "...... Shooting is otherwise only permitted if no part of another friendly or visible enemy element is between a line connecting one front corner of the shooting element to any corner of the target element, and another connecting the other front corner to a different corner of the target element without crossing the first line."

When is a Target, not a Target?
A target element to be shot at must have at least two of it corners forward of the firing element's front edge.
(Page 21, para 1, Line 3) ".... At least 2 corners of the target element must be in front of a line extending the front edge of the shooting element."

Fig A; If any part of the target lies in front (even partially) of a line extending from the shooting elements front edge, it is a legitimate target. Fig B; If the target lies behind a line extending from the shooting elements front base edge, it cannot be fired upon.

The following example shows a column Pike(O) which has recoiled a pair of Bow(S) from combat. The Bw elements have recoiled their base depth and the Pike have followup accordingly but are no longer in contact. In the next bound, the group of Bow will shoot;

Element C can only shoot at Pk1 with D in support (remember second ranks can only shoot at the same target as the front rank). Element A cannot support C because enemy Pk1 is entirely behind its front edge. It can shoot only shoot at either Pk2 or Pk3 with B in support.