{"id":4477,"date":"2026-04-10T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mechstrategen.de\/rules-for-artillery-in-alpha-strike\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T07:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T05:04:13","slug":"rules-for-artillery-in-alpha-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mechstrategen.de\/en\/rules-for-artillery-in-alpha-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Rules for artillery in Alpha Strike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Rolling thunder on the battlefield: the rules for artillery in Alpha Strike<\/h2>\n\n
In the world of BattleTech, artillery is often the decisive factor that breaks a stalemate or stops the enemy’s advance. In Alpha Strike<\/em>, artillery is represented either by units with the Artillery<\/strong> special ability (ART)<\/strong> or by the Battlefield Support system<\/strong>. This article explains the rules for both systems in detail. <\/p>\n\nTransparency notice:<\/strong> This image was created using an artificial intelligence (AI) system. It is not a photographic image of real events or people <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
1. the ART special ability<\/h3>\n\n
Units that have the ART special ability (e.g. Sniper, Thumper or Long Tom) can make an additional artillery attack<\/strong> in each combat phase, in addition to their normal weapon or physical attack. If a unit has multiple artillery weapons (e.g. ART-S2<\/code>), each attack is handled separately. <\/p>\n\n
Goals and reach<\/h4>\n\n
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Direct fire:<\/strong> The artillery can target an enemy unit or a Point of Impact (POI)<\/strong> on the map.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Indirect fire:<\/strong> If the artillery is fired indirectly, it can only<\/strong> target one POI<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Range:<\/strong> Unless otherwise specified in the artillery table, artillery can reach any point on the playing field<\/strong>. Artillery cannons are an exception, as they have limited ranges. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Determination of the target number<\/h4>\n\n
The base target number is the unit’s skill value<\/strong>. Since artillery attacks cause area damage(area effect<\/strong>), a modifier of +1<\/strong> is always added. Instead of the usual range modifiers, most types of artillery use a fixed +4<\/strong> malus (regardless of actual range), except for artillery cannons, which use standard modifiers. <\/p>\n\n
Additional rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Attacks on a POI ignore all target movement modifiers (TMM).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Spotter:<\/strong> A friendly spotter with line of sight to the target can improve the throw. If the spotter has TAG<\/strong> or LTAG<\/strong>, the target number is reduced by -1<\/strong>. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
2. damage and area effect (AoE)<\/h3>\n\n
Artillery deals damage to all units that are within the Area of Effect (AoE)<\/strong> template.<\/p>\n\n
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The stencils usually have a diameter of 2 inches<\/strong> or 6 inches<\/strong> (depending on the type of artillery).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Weapons with a large radius often have two damage values (e.g. 3\/1<\/code>). The first value applies to units within the inner 2-inch radius, the second value applies to units in the outer 6-inch radius. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
Units at different altitude levels must add the difference in altitude to the distance from the POI to determine whether they are still affected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
3rd deviation (scatter)<\/h3>\n\n
If an artillery attack misses its target, it deviates. The Area of Effect template<\/strong> is used to determine the new position: <\/p>\n\n\n
A 1D6<\/strong> determines the direction (1 corresponds to “North”).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
The distance of the deviation is twice the difference (Margin of Failure)<\/strong> by which the throw failed. Artillery cannons only deviate by a single difference. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
4. advanced rules: Off-Board Artillery<\/h3>\n\n
For larger scenarios, artillery units can be placed outside the playing field<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n
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Flight time:<\/strong> Depending on the distance (in inches), the projectile takes 0 to 5 rounds<\/strong> to hit the map.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Coordinates:<\/strong> The player must note the time of impact and the X-Y coordinates in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Lock on:<\/strong> Once a weapon has successfully hit a POI, the coordinates are considered “logged in” – subsequent shots at the same point hit automatically as long as the target is not changed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
5. artillery counter fire (counter-battery fire)<\/h3>\n\n
If enemy artillery fires from outside the field, friendly artillery can attempt to engage the enemy position.<\/p>\n\n
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This is only possible after the first enemy impact has been observed by a friendly unit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Each additional hit by the opponent improves the chance of triangulating his position (up to -4<\/strong> bonus to the target number).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
6. battlefield support<\/h3>\n\n
This is a simplified method of integrating artillery via Support Points (BSP).<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n
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Thumper (7+), Sniper (8+) and Long Tom (9+)<\/strong> have fixed target numbers without additional modifiers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
This support can<\/strong> generally only be used once<\/strong> (one-time use).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
7. alternative ammunition types<\/h3>\n\n
There are various special projectiles for artillery weapons (except cannons):<\/p>\n\n
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Cluster:<\/strong> Increases the AoE radius, but reduces the damage by 1.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Smoke:<\/strong> Creates smoke screens that obstruct the view.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Homing (e.g. Arrow IV):<\/strong> Requires an active TAG marker and hits a single unit directly on a roll of 4+.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Copperhead:<\/strong> Works like homing ammunition for conventional tube artillery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n
Artillery is a powerful but complex tool in Alpha Strike. While standard artillery exerts immediate pressure on the field, off-board artillery requires precise planning and coordination with scouts. Protect your spotters to ensure the maximum precision of your heavy batteries! <\/p>\n\n
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