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Variant Rules

Terrain Effects on Distance Shooting

The following variant rules have been suggested to represent the effects of terrain that obstructs line of sight or that provides defensive cover on missile fire:

• Line of Sight and Terrain Effects Variant Rule
• Terrain Effects on Missile Fire Variant Rule

Line of Sight and Terrain Effects Variant Rule

By Chris Brantley

The DBA rules are silent on the subject of line-of-sight obstructions or the effects of terrain on distance shooting. Thus it is possible for an element of Bow to engage in distance shooting against an enemy element wholly within bad going represented by heavy woods or built-up-areas. Although Bow and Artillery were historically capable of indirect fire, it was generally necessary to observe the target for purposes of guaging distance and adjusting subsequent shots. As a practical matter, arrows were unlikely to travel a significant distance on any trajectory when confronted with solid obstructions such as trees or buildings.

To account for terrain effects on line of sight and distance shooting, the following variant rules are suggested:

• An element may engage a target element by distance shooting only if the target is within range, there is no other element even partly between, and there is an unobstructed line of sight between any point on the front edge of the shooting element and the target element.

• A missile firing element's line of sight is interrupted if it falls through an intervening hill and/or if the target element is completely deployed in bad going represented as woods or built-up-areas.

• An element completely deployed in bad going represented as woods or built-up-areas may not engage in distance shooting.

• An element partially deployed in bad going represented as woods or built-up-areas may engage in distance shooting with eligible targets and is also an eligible target for distance shooting.

• An element engaged in distance shooting against a target partially within bad going represented as woods or built-up-areas fires with a -1 modifier to its die roll.

Terrain Effects on Missile Fire

By Konstantine Trtiambelis

The targeted enemy element that stands at least partially within wooded bad going, suffers a -1 instead of the normal -2. This applies to distant shooting ONLY, the -2 close combat modifier in bad going stands as is. The reasoning behind this is that bows (or other missile-firing elements) would much more likely to hit the target up close, even inside forests.

The targeting bow or crossbow element always shoot with their normal +4 vs. mounted, +2 vs. foot.

The above does not apply to other types of bad going, only wooded/forested areas which obstruct the shooters line of site..

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Last Updated: March 10, 2000