Firing the Flame Cannon

Flame Cannons shoot in a similar way to cannons, but instead of firing a cannon ball they shoot a gout of flame - use the Flame template to represent this.

To fire the cannon, first turn it on the spot so that it points at your intended target. Now declare how far you wish to shoot, up to a maximum of 12", eg, 12", 10", 8", etc. This represents the gunners elevating the barrel to get the required trajectory. The jet of inflammable liquid will travel the distance you have nominated plus the score of an Artillery dice (marked 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and Misfire).

Roll the Artillery dice and add the score to the distance you have nominated. The jet travels the total distance and will land short, hit the target, or pass over it depending on how accurately you have guessed the range and what effect the dice roll has.

Damage

When you have established where the jet of flaming liquid hits the ground, place a marker on that spot. The jet sprays out from this point and scorches a line through any targets in its way. To determine the swathe cut by the burning liquid place the Flame template with the narrow end on the point where the jet hit the ground and the wide end pointing directly away from the cannon so that the flame continues in a straight line. Any models completely under the template are automatically hit and models partially covered are hit on the roll of a 4+. Any model struck by the flame take a Strength 5 hit and any model wounded by the flame takes D3 wounds. Saving throws apply as normal (ie, -2 armour save).

A unit which suffers casualties from the Flame Cannon must take an immediate Panic test to represent the horrific effects of this weapon.

If you roll a Misfire on the Artillery dice then the Flame Cannon has malfunctioned. Roll a D6 and check the Flame Cannon Misfire chart to see what happens.

Profiles

You can move the Flame Cannon at the same rate as it crew, assuming they are all alive. If any crew are slain, the Move rate is reduced proportionately. The Flame Cannon may be turned on the spot to face its target, but cannot otherwise move and fire in the same turn.

The Flame Cannon is a large and well constructed device, but by its very nature is vulnerable: all the hot tar, oil, high pressure and flame is a recipe for disaster. The Flame Cannon itself is reasonably sturdy, but if it suffers damage it becomes unreliable and dangerous. For each wound suffered by the Flame Cannon, deduct -1 on the Misfire chart for all Misfire rolls. This means that a Flame Cannon with two wounds left would deduct -1 from a roll on the Misfire chart, and any roll of a 1-3 would therefore destroy it. Suffering wounds does not increase the likelihood of a misfire, but it does make misfires more dangerous when they happen.

Loss of Crew

The Flame Cannon requires a full crew of three Dwarfs to work it properly: to pump up the pressure, aim the gun, fire the nozzle, etc. If one crewman is slain the remaining pair can just about cope without slowing down the rate of work. No penalty is therefore imposed for the loss of one crewman. If two crewmen are slain, the remaining crewman won't be able to prepare the weapon properly, ie, the Flame Cannon can only be fired every other turn. Should all the crew be slain, the Flame Cannon is useless.