“St Barbara of the Artillery Corp,
Be at the bursting of the doors of doom,
And in the dark deliver us,
Amen.”
- Irish field Artillery poem
While not necessarily the most exciting aspect of Wargame: Red Dragon artillery still serves a critical role in any commander's deck. The ability to pelt dug-in infantry with 100+mm shells lay down smoke cover, and snipe prized targets all from the safety of the back lines is an invaluable asset that is sadly often overlooked during the intense micro-management that comes with the title. We've listed our top 7 picks for the best artillery pieces in-game.
7. Dana
"Artillerymen believe the world consists of two types of people; other Artillerymen and targets."– Unknown
The Dana is an excellent artillery piece in terms of firepower, mobility, and cost. While the range is nothing to write home about when compared to similar guns, it more than makes up for it by being incredibly quick for self-propelled artillery, which is usually relegated to tracked chassis.
What's awesome about the Dana
- Being wheeled makes the Dana fast on roads and out in the field. It can keep up with changing frontlines with little effort and can relocate on a moment's notice to escape counter-batteries.
- It can aim at ground targets directly – it comes equipped with AP rounds in case an errant tank tries to rush you.
- It's got a tiny bit more armor than most howitzers making it more resistant to incoming fire/ infantry flanks.
- For only 90 points, you get a great platform that is also cheap enough to deploy in groups. Most guns at this price point are either incredibly slow off-road or underwhelming.
Dana details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/DANA
6. 2S23 Nona-SVK
"There is NO job in the Field Artillery for the weak, the timid, or the indecisive." – Unknown
The 2S23 Nona-SVK is hands down the best mortar carrier in the game, period. Thanks to being wheeled and not tracked, it is incredibly fast compared to other mortars in the 60-point range and delivers decent firepower to boot. Also, unlike most mortars that only come equipped with an MG for self-defense, the Nona can aim it's mortar directly at enemy vehicles should they get bold.
What's awesome about the 2S23 Nona-SVK
- 150 km/h on-road speed with 80 km/h off-road is insane. This piece shoot, scoot and shoot again before enemy batteries have even lined up their first salvos.
- The 5 HE damage is excellent especially considering how tight the dispersion is on salvos.
- The 120mm cannon can be aimed at vehicles for 14 AP damage – not enough to be a frontline contender but definitely plenty enough for light fire-support units.
- 7700m is a pretty good range for a mortar carrier – although the Nona's ability to keep up with the front line makes it sort-of redundant since it'll usually be close enough to most targets in the area.
2S23 Nona-SVK details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/2S23_Nona-SVK
5. TOS-1 Buratino
Artillery is the god of war. – Stalin
God of war is right, and the Buratino is a divine (or unholy) machination of that very principle. Sighting a Buratino is one thing; the wall of napalm crashing around you is something else. Once the flames have died, the smoke has cleared, and the few survivors have escaped; all that's left is the smell of charred flesh and ash.
What's awesome about the TOS-1 Buratino
- Each rocket (out of 30 total) deals 10 HE damage individually – that's not including the lasting effects of units caught in flames but in the initial burst.
- The Buratino is the end-all, be-all solution for stubborn troops who just won't quit. Aim this beast a garrisoned town and watch as the occupiers wither die or flee. The high dispersion is actually an asset in this case since it more effectively covers a broader area.
- Napalm is already an effective infantry-killer, but it has the added benefit of panicking all units no matter if they're armored or not. So while napalm won't kill tanks, it'll stun them long enough for something else to finish the job.
TOS-1 Buratino details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/TOS-1_Buratino
4. MARS
"Artillery adds dignity, to what would otherwise be an ugly brawl" – Frederick the Great, king of Germany, 1740 to 1786
The West-German MARS, or Mittleres Artillerieraketensystem, is an excellent MLRS (Multiple-Launch Rocket System) despite it having little effect on infantry. This is because the MARS is meant solely for softening areas that have a heavy vehicle presence. The induvial AP for each rocket isn't too amazing but multiply that by 12, and suddenly you have what can be summed as a Buratino meant for tanks only without the napalm.
What's awesome about the MARS
- The MARS fires cluster munitions that are capable of destroying most tanks and all lightly-armored vehicles.
- Don't let the mere 6 AP damage fool you – 6 AP is more than capable of destroying heavy armor since most tanks have abysmal top-side protection. For example, the 170-point Challenger 2 has 20 points of frontal-armor but only 4 points of armor on top.
- This unit can blanket vast swathes of land – ideal for softening up armored defenses or hidden tank platoons in forests.
- The MARS is great for anti-CV work as its cluster munitions can usually kill a hidden command unit even if you don't know the exact location.
- Even vehicles that survive the initial salvo have little chance of escape since they'll most likely be panicked and, therefore, easy to mop-up.
MARS details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/MARS
3. AS-90
"Artillery conquers, and infantry occupies." – Major-general J.F.C. Fuller, 14th Infantry Brigade
An expensive, big, heavy, and British self-propelled howitzer, the AS-90 is an incredible artillery platform that all NATO forces would be glad to see on the battlefield. They hit hard, hit fast, and can hit tanks back if they decide to get brave and try to rush. They aren't the fastest vehicles, so try to move them as soon as they fire – counter-batteries will see these as juicy targets.
What's awesome about the AS-90
- The AS-90 has a deadly 7 HE damage and excellent dispersion, especially for a howitzer of its size.
- A suppression value 357 will most likely instantly stun most nearby enemies who aren't killed outright.
- The AS-90 is capable of defending itself with it's 16 AP damage shells, which should deal with most armored threats, although if you have tanks rushing your artillery, you probably have more significant problems.
AS-90 details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/AS-90
2. 2S19 MSTA-S
As, with a hissing screaming squall, A roaring furnace, giving all, she sears a path for the infantry…." – Aleksandr Tvardovskiy, 1943
The Russian 2S19 MSTA-S is quite like the British AS-90 but is slightly better in almost every single way. It shoots faster, farther, and just as hard but at the same cost. It's more survivable and fuel-efficient at the expense of some accuracy and ammunition capacity. Its self-defense capabilities are slightly worse than the AS-90's but that isn't all that relevant when they're miles from the frontline.
What's awesome about the 2S19 MSTA-S
- It has a range of almost 30 km, a whole 5 km more than the British AS-90.
- It shoots 25% faster than the AS-90 at 5 r/m compared to the AS-90's 4 r/m.
- It's quite heavily armored for an artillery piece with 5 frontal armor and 3 on the sides. Most artillery has at most 2 frontal armor and 1 on the sides. The extra 2 armor on top adds a slight buffer against counter-batteries.
2S19 MSTA-S details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/2S19_MSTA-S
1. Caesar
"God fights on the side with the best artillery." – Napoleon Bonaparte
The Caesar, a French prototype, is the crème-de-la-crème when it comes to Blufor artillery. It hits just as hard as most other howitzers of its caliber but for slightly cheaper and with a whole hell of a lot more mobility. Being wheeled, the Caesar can be deployed almost anywhere with little notice – that and its excellent range makes it able to cover most of the battlefield with only a little repositioning.
What's awesome about the Caesar
- It has 100 km/h off-road speed and 150 km/h on-road – which means it can lug its 155mm gun faster than the Nona with its 120mm mortar.
- You can be in and out of the area within a moment's notice – any counter-battery fire will most likely be a waste since you'll be long gone before they even know what hit them.
- The 34 km range is excellent and can cover vast swathes of the front – you can also use it to support friendlies across the map without getting too far out of position.
- The 6 r/m is a high fire rate when compared to other artillery pieces of this size.
Caesar details: https://wargame-series.fandom.com/wiki/CAESAR
Artillery is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. Artillery barrages with no infantry/armored pushes are just a waste of shells. Use it wisely and keep it safe – you don't what power you have until it's gone.
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