Tactics: Mortar units

[Randomfist]

You beat me to the punch Argarus.  You need line of sight to shoot over hills, even with mortars.  Must be using house rules.

[AgentOrange]

That would be where the rules put a fine line between Line Of Sight and Line Of Fire.

[djensen]

This is all and good about the house rules but how do you think this tactic stands with the rules as the are today?

[Randomfist]

I think forward observers should be allowed to supplement mortars in the next expansion.  Makes sense to shoot a mortar over a hill or house, even if it is a little less inaccurate.

[Malachite]

Perhaps if line of sight is blocked, then mortars should only hit on rolls of 6.  Without a forward observer, mortar fire was extremely inaccurate.  It would be too powerful to be able to just leave them behind a hill or tree line and let them pound away at enemy units.

[AgentOrange]

Good call, Mal

[Lotus]

Actually I’m the only one in my games who uses mortar units. They tend to get dissed even tho I tag enemy pieces w/ them. I think the inaccurate SA makes them sound weak, but when you figure successes count as doubles…the potential is devastating.

So yes, I use them at the limit of their range, and always from cover. I’ve taken out Humbers w/ them on occaission, damaged Stuarts from behind. They are highly undervalued, I think…not point-wise, but as pieces worthy of adding to the army. The trick, as you pointed out, Dave, is in the magic hexes. But since mortars are cheap enough, they can supplement intimidating pieces which are much more likely to draw enemy fire.
Also, keep them with the Haupsturmfuhrer of course, and an MG-42 for the double shot long.

[djensen]

Wow, it sounds like you are using the German mortars. I’m usually using the US or the Japanese mortars.

Check out this manuever. Get 1 or 2 mortars and back them up with the SNLF Captain (with the pinpointer ability). Fire away at those enemy units in cover. To make the cover save, they’ll need a 6.

So I generally don’t put the mortars in cover unless neccessary. But I’ve found that when you do this you need to double check lines of fire to these units each round very carefully. I missed a shot from a Sherman and the mortar got taken out.

[Lotus]

I don’t yet have a SNLF captain but I’ll get one and try it.

Yeah, unless you’re in the only cover hex for ways around, it can be a problem. I usually only use them  as I would a turretless vehicle tho. Rarely do I need a 360 vantage.

Off topic for a second, but you know what would really be cool? An online live dice roller so people could play this table-top game long distance. Kind of like the old postal space battles a friend of mine used to play. When I trade posts on this stuff I wind up wanting to play the people I post with…so few people play this game… :-(

ok, back to thread.

[General Di Caro]

I have found the American mortars teamed with the Red Devil captain to be an excellent combo, but even at 8 hex range I find it hard to protect the mortars because of their low defense of 3.

[djensen]

@Lotus:

I don’t yet have a SNLF captain but I’ll get one and try it.

Yeah, unless you’re in the only cover hex for ways around, it can be a problem. I usually only use them  as I would a turretless vehicle tho. Rarely do I need a 360 vantage.

Off topic for a second, but you know what would really be cool? An online live dice roller so people could play this table-top game long distance. Kind of like the old postal space battles a friend of mine used to play. When I trade posts on this stuff I wind up wanting to play the people I post with…so few people play this game… :-(

ok, back to thread.

I’ll create a new thread for this discussion.