After reading the rule book, my understanding is that you must have a unit that has an artillery weapon in order to use the Artillery Strike. These units are designated by have an A next to the weapon in the rule book.

spoook said:

Weapons with Indirect Fire can be used too. "A" weapons mean they only have Indirect Fire mode.

So which units can be used for the Artillery Strike command?

Artillery Strike isn't a command. It's just an ability that allows the artillery strike model to be the point of LOS for an indirect fire weapon.

All models with Radio Operator have the Artillery Strike ability as well.

Basically, a unit with a weapon that has Indirect Fire or "A" range, may take a Sustained Attack action to attack, and may then ignore all ranges and can draw line of sight from any friendly model that has the Artillery Strike ability (such as Radio Operators), rather than from itself.

For example - I hide my Steel Rain inside some ruins, out of line of sight from my opponent - they really have to go out of their way to get LOS to it. Then I use my Observer Team and Ranger Command Squad, both of which have radio men, to draw LOS when I take a Sustained Attack action with the two weapons on the Steel Rain (one of which has a range and Indirect Fire rule, the other is an "A" range weapon).

Maine said:

I grasp this concept, but I guess my wording has make some people feel that I didn't understand this part. The part I don't understand is which weapons can do an artillery strike. I was under the impression only artillery weapons could do an artillery strike. If we are considering all indirect weapons, does that mean my Heavy Flak Grenadiers can do an artillery strike, since their weapons can be fired indirectly?

Heavy Flak Grenadiers cannot fire indirectly.

The difference between an indirect fire weapon and an artillery weapon is that an artillery weapon gains unlimited range when fired indirectly, whereas an indirect fire weapon does not (unless an exception is noted for a particular weapon.)

felkor said:

Page 111 of the rule book says the FLIEGERFAUST (gun of the Flak Grenadiers) may choose to fire as a "Burst Weapon" and references us to page 57. Page 57 says that "Burst weapons do not rely on direct attack to deal their damage". Wouldn't this qualify as an indirect attack?

And since we are stating weapons that make "indirect" attack can be used for Artillery strikes then the Fliegerfaust should qualify. Honestly I think the spirt of the rule is only Artillery weapons should be doing Artillery Strikes …. hence the name Artilley Strike.

All this brings me back to the questions I have been trying to answer ….. "Which weapons can be used for the Artillery Strike?"

"Burst weapons do not rely on direct attack to deal their damage" is "fluff" language, meant to give you some reasoning behind the way it works, but is not meant to be read as a rule. In the descriptions of weapons, it will specifically say "Indirect Fire" at the bottom of the description if it has this ability.

The ones that are type, "A" and the ones that have a Special Rule stating they may fire Indirectly using a radio spotter with the Artillery Strike SA, (ala the Hans' Grenatwerfer). If their special rule limits their range, then it will say so in its special rule (Petard Mortar). If there is no limit specified in the special rule, then it has unlimited range like "A" class weapons. I don't have time to read through the weapon special rules, then list all of them, then look through all the units to see which ones have those weapons and list them for you. But that is how you'll know if you wish to make a definitive list.

Hope this helps. Read the individual weapon abilities in the few pages before each faction's unit listings, then find which units have those weapons, and it will answer your question for you.

As far as the Fliegerfausts firing indirectly, keep reading the rest of the Burst rule. If the Fliegerfausts do a burst fire, it's going to throw so many rockets with exploding shrapnel into the area that they will tear up the target regardless of cover due to flying pieces of shrapnel and pieces of the cover they were using, (known as spawling), not necessarily a, "Direct" hit from a rocket on the target. Indirect in this case refers to death from the actual projectile vs death from the explosive effects of said projectile. Flamethrowers are Burst weapons as well. Nobody can call them in with a radio, they're 6" and in, I'm in your face roasting you type weapons.

"Not relying on Direct Attack to deal damage" and "attack using the Indirect Fire Rule like Artillery Weapons" are two totally different meanings. The first, as Felkor said, is a fluffy description to explain the reason they get the "Burst Weapon" SA, which is a Game Term. The second is directly referencing the game terms, "Indirect Fire" SA and "Artillery Weapons" weapon class.

* Edited in last paragraph for specific clarification.

Shadow4ce said:

I believe you mean Spalling

Dr.Cornelius said:

Why yes I do! Stupid piece of shut autocorrect speller on my iPad!