Long but simple and potentially funny article ahead. SHORT VERSION BELOW!

OK, so we've had the PMG grenade launcher from the get-go, but 1.2 introduces heavy, long-range artillery to the fray in the form of the Alliance's Artillery Freerunner. With a heavy cannon capable of propelling powerful HE projectiles over 700 meters, this is a force to be reckoned with, and on the 64 player version of Rhen Var Ice Plains the Rebels get three of these beauties (the other map where they're featured would be Tatooine Bestine, I believe). But how do you effectively hit targets far away? Very easily, that's how, and this guide will tell you how.

The nifty thing with the Freerunner is that it comes with an state-of-the-art computer system that tracks projectiles as they travel (it also lets you play Crysis on High and downloads twi-lek scam at incredible speeds, to the delight of the Freerunner's inhabitants), allowing you to see how far away they are even when they've left your field of vision. When firing your artillery, you'll note that each bolt is followed by a red number. This is the range to the bolt, and it allows you to see how far from you the bolt lands. This means that you can aim for an enemy control point 500 meters away and simply let loose, adjusting your fire until your shots appear to hit about that far away and hit indicators (and even better, kill messages (and even better, flaming and hacking accusations from dead enemies)) start to confirm your aim is true.

But what about moving targets that your brave cannon fodder at the front encounter? Well, that's what the Trooper is for. This lightly armed infantryman has been given a new lease of life on combined arms maps with the ability to place distance markers. These are placed with the electro-binoculars, and appear on the map as homing beacons marked with red crosses - and a distance indicator. Even if these are hundreds of meters away and behind obstacles, all friendlies see them. So if you're dealing with a bunch of pesky AT-STs, simply paint them with your binoculars and notify the artillery. Bombarding distance markers is just like hitting CPs - line up your gun so that it aims for the marker, let loose, and correct fire until you get kicked from the server for excessive pwnage. Having people at the front direct you (listen for messages like "That was my tank you hit ffs!", "noob there base is over there!" and "WTF Artillery hax!") should also help you land your shots on target.

Oh, and as a side note, as in every BF game, artillery pieces are one-man vehicles. They're meant to drive to somewhere boring and sit there doing nothing but popping off shells. This means that if you see one head out, let it leave without you. Otherwise you'll end up sitting in the driver or gunner seat very bored, or in the turret while the guys in the driver's or gunner's seat sit around very bored, so in effect, this means not only that 66% of your crew is discontent, but also that they're not making themselves useful at the front by actually fighting the Imperial swines so they don't come after your Freerunner, the n00bs.

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ALTERNATIVELY, IN SHORT:
1. I get in Freerunner.
2. You use binoculars to place distance marker, then notify artillery.
3. I fire gun until shots appear to hit about as far away as the marker is.
4. EDIT 2: The Officer class can mark targets also.
5. BTW, the damned thing is a one-seater. Don't bring along a driver and tail gunner as they'll sit there very bored while you pwn enemies.
6. EDIT 3: The Imp Officer can also place distance markers, if I recall correctly. Useful when used in tandem with captured arty freerunners.
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