Earlier this month Alternative Armies released the
59519 Le Imperiale Trois Cannon a three barrelled medium field gun of an exotic design in 28mm scale. This artillery piece can be used in our own game systems Flintloque and Slaughterloo as well as any period suitable historical wargame system. This article gives you for free the rules for this gun in Flintloque (taken from
5027 Grapeshotte) and for Slaughterloo new here (not in
5030 Slaughterloo).
Le Imperiale Trois Cannon - 10lb
During the dark days of the intercine wars between the High Elves of Armorica and the Dark Elves of Catalucia, a conflict known as the ‘Warre of thee Catalucian Successor’ many new ideas were ferment among the artificers of the Peacock Throne. One aspiring fellow named Hugenvale petitioned the government in Lyonesse with a revolutionary idea for a new type of artillery piece which he named the Imperiale Trois. With copious sheaves of designs all neatly drawn and unrolled across several tables at the Academie Artillerie he outlined his idea. An idea for a new cannon which would change the world and make it all for his Emperor. A three barrelled cannon. The Imperial Trois caused a storm among artificers all claiming and counter claiming that it simply could be be done, that it was lunacy, that is would never work and would most likely kill all those who tried to forge it or to give fire with it in battle. Early models were extremely dangerous to the gunners who crewed them and several exploded in spectacular fashion killing many around them. It looked like the design would fail without ever seeing the field of battle.
However the design was rescued by two changes. The first was to use far more expensive but lighter and stronger brass instead of iron for the three barrel cannon. The second was linked to the first and that was to take several precious Magicke lode stones and to infuse them into the brass to make each cannon partially Magicke in its operation. With these changes made the Imperiale Trois began not only to work properly but to take to the battlefield and to win several key encounters between the small Armorican Armee and the much larger Catalucian forces. There are few of these three barrel cannons in the arsenal of the Elves and they are saved for Marshals who really have need of them.
The Emperor Mordred has personally blessed each of the cannons and to lose one would be...unfortunate for the officer concerned. Currently most of the Imperial Trois are in Diberia awaiting the retreating Grande Armee and of course the following legions of the Dark Czar’s Undead.
Rules for Flintloque the Skirmish
When choosing to field an Imperiale Trois cannon follow the normal selection rules and points costs as well as creating and assigning a Gun Crew to the cannon.
NOTE: The Emperor has decreed that only an Empire team may man the cannon and as a result you may only crew this gun with Ferach Elves or close allies.
In play the cannon operates as normal in all respects of movement and limbering, unlimbering, damage and so forth. The unique rules for this artillery piece apply to firing, loading and misfire. Here are the special rules for these areas in play.
Firing a Three Barrel Cannon: This cannon may fire one of its three barrels at a time or all three at the same time (though all three must be loaded and in operation to do this). Firing one barrel is done as normal obeying the loading and misfire rules. To fire all three follow the process of DECLARING you are firing all three before you roll the dice and obey the special rules for misfire below. When all three barrels fire successfully plot out the three shots as normal and then apply the effects of each ONE AT A TIME for all targets and then repeat again for the second and then third shotte.
Loading a Three Barrel Cannon: To load the three barrel cannon is a bit more complex than normal. You many only load the cannon once ALL three barrels have fired or one or two of them are blocked. The cannon requires SIX load steps for each barrel plus a final TWO load steps to prime the special firing mechanism. Barrels which are blocked do not need to be loaded but the final two load steps must always be carried out even for only one barrel.
Misfires and a Three Barrel Cannon: When firing one barrel the chance of misfire is as normal. When firing all three the chance of misfire is increased to a roll result (on the first shot of the three only) of 1-4 and 96-100 on the percentile dice. If a misfire occurs then roll on the misfire table for ALL three barrels. If a barrel bursts then the whole cannon is rendered useless for the rest of the scenario.
Rules for Slaughterloo Mass Battle
In Slaughterloo this exotic cannon is treated as follows. In all but the following the Imperiale Trois as a MEDIUM FIELD GUN in terms of its range, its gun crew and its its movement, limbering and unlimbering and so on. See page 58 in 5030 Slaughterloo. An Imperiale Trois cannon makes up an entire battery in play and may not be deployed alongside other artillery pieces in a battery. It is a battery of one cannon and crew and it may not use 'Battery Fire' as per the rules. This cannon differs that it may fire three shots and takes longer to reload and runs a risk of misfire.
The Imperiale Trois cannon MUST fire THREE shots at its chosen target. This takes one action and each shot is rolled for separately as per a Medium Field Gun for distance, to hit modifier and bounce. All three shots must be taken at the same target. Typical artillery pieces may fire each turn with reloading assumed to have been carried out in the span of a turn. This exotic cannon takes an ENTIRE turn to reload meaning if it fires in turn one then it cannot fire again until turn three. It may not be limbered or moved during the intervening turn or the process begins once more. There is a chance that the complex construction of the cannon will fail during the battle when it is used. Do this in the following manner. When the Imperiale Trois fires make all three attack rolls and AFTER the third is resolved immediately roll 2D6 and on a result of 12 the cannon is fouled and may not fire again during the battle. It is functional once more in the next game.
Note: The Imperiale Trois three barrelled cannon may only be taken at the rate of one per ARMY on the table (regardless of number of Divisions in play) by a player who is fielding a Ferach Empire division. This division must include a unit of Armorican Elves though this need not be the gun crew. This cannon may only be FOOTE ARTILLERY and may never be Horse Artillery. This artillery piece costs 350 points.
See all of our Artillery packs on our website
HERE.
Thanks for Reading,
GBS
