Question on 'Ramming'

[offsides]

Originally Posted by J. Durr

Off topic but, speaking of artillery, why were howitzers never mounted on Ogres?

My guess is that the long barrel made them to vulnerable to enemy fire, and that space and weight was better used differently. IIRC the hypothetical Mark VII (or maybe VIII?) had a couple, but was never built...

[GuyMacon]

Originally Posted by ianargent

(This is practically impossible, since nobody shoots at AP guns, so the Infantry will get mowed if it doesn't move.)

Not true. I have had good results in reactor raid by killing the main and AP guns and then overrunning the Ogre with infantry.

[dwalend]

For "why an ogre with no APs can't reduce INF":

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Artillery, when used as a close defense weapon comes with labels like "Final Protective Fire" and "Danger Close" and isn't usually a thing you want to do a lot. MGs, OTOH, are made for repelling assaults with fire.

The hexes are kilometers wide, the ogre has meter-thick BPC armor, and from GURPS Ogre, have a good variety of specialized ammo, including some nasty antipersonnel rounds. In green-map rules the INF are unlikely to survive the same encounter. You'll need to add an extra scoop of handwavium to the mix.

[dwalend]

Originally Posted by GuyMacon

Not true. I have had good results in reactor raid by killing the main and AP guns and then overrunning the Ogre with infantry.

Also try an all-INF tactic in the basic scenario (if your friend driving the ogre is up for a strange game). 46 INF do well by slowing the orge to M2, then stripping off the AP guns. It makes for a fun-once game.

[Dave Crowell]

Originally Posted by J. Durr

Off topic but, speaking of artillery, why were howitzers never mounted on Ogres?

My guess, even an Ore doesn't provide a stable enough firing platform. HWZ is M0, MHWZ is M1. That and missiles may have been determined to be more cost effective as an Ogre weapon.

[GuyMacon]

Originally Posted by J. Durr

Off topic but, speaking of artillery, why were howitzers never mounted on Ogres?

Real reason: Balance. Tough, powerful units have a short range. Long range units move slowly or not at all and are easy to kill. Super fast units (GEVs) are easy to kill and have a small attack strength. Even the Ogre, which is fast, tough, and has a long range (but is expensive and thus always badly outnumbered), cannot sit back and pound the enemy with those long range weapons turn after turn -- it runs out of missiles.

In-game, handwaving reason: The artillery shells are very large and heavy (hard to move them around quickly) and fragile: easy to kill, and hitting one round sets them all off. Armor is no help; even jostling them hard sets them off.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by GuyMacon

In-game, handwaving reason: The artillery shells are very large and heavy (hard to move them around quickly) and fragile: easy to kill, and hitting one round sets them all off. Armor is no help; even jostling them hard sets them off.

What is the source for this?

[GuyMacon]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What is the source for this?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-waving

https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...=hand%20waving

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HandWave

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by GuyMacon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-waving

https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...=hand%20waving

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HandWave

I know what a handwave is. Where does this one come from?

[GranitePenguin]

I think what sir_pudding is asking is how did you come to the determination that the in-game reason is "the artillery shells are very large and heavy (hard to move them around quickly) and fragile: easy to kill, and hitting one round sets them all off. Armor is no help; even jostling them hard sets them off."

What source material are you referencing to come up with that as a reason?