Cymru Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 By now I should know better. In a small QB I am given a Xylophone and go ahead and use it. I place a linear barrage along a hedgerow behind where I expect the enemy main defense line to be. The barrage is set to last five minutes and experience has taught me to play it safe and stay put and hidden during the barrage. Hah! Over the course of the next five minutes eight rockets land a full one third of the map away from the target zone: and every one of them lands *directly* on one of my units. I lose a quarter of my force before I have even started and a third of my units are so freaked out that they play no real part in the rest of the QB. When I manage to get close to the enemy I do find that almost all of their artillery and mortars have been knocked, so I suppose my losses were the cost of doing business. Nonetheless, from now on I either aim at the back of the map, or don’t use them at all. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJFHutch Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 So thaaat is why they're so cheap 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Statisoris Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Aren't rocket barrages always delivered in ellipse form even if you plot lines. Can't recall since they are perpetually outlawed in my PBEM games. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I was reading how US artillerymen HATED Xylophone too. The weapon was exactly the opposite of what every artillerymen trained so hard for - precision precision precision. The higher command loved them, though. They delivered what the top brass wanted to see - volumes of ordnance delivered across a broad area en mass. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamingknives Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Not these Xylophones then? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt Schultz Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 They are the Divisional Commander's personal shotgun. No one else wants them anyway. I wouldn't use them on anything smaller than a medium map/battle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 I wouldn't use them on anything smaller than a medium map/battle. And indeed, on historical grounds you shouldn't. They were intended strictly as an area fire/saturation weapon. Useful for prep at the start of an attack or to deny an approach to an attacking enemy. But you should keep them well away from your own troops. Precision weapons they ain't. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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