Mortars
[cat]Recon Weapons Class[/cat]
[tab]Mortars[/tab]
Mortars have been used in warfare for centuries originally to lob massive and explosive cannon balls at a very high angle over the walls of fortifications during sieges. The modern mortar isn't much more than a simple, often man portable tube firing shells in a range of sizes, generally from 60 to 120mm which somewhat resemble a rocket propelled grenade. They are employed in teams with a crew to fire the actual weapon as well as a spotter at the forward location to call in and adjust fire. Mortars provide infantry a cheap and effective means of indirect fire support and as such are one of the most prevalent weapons on the battlefield.
Statistics
Fire Mode: 8 Round Volley
Magazine Size: 1
Lock-On time: 3s
Reload Time: 60s
Damage to infantry: 200 for 1 meter fading out to 0 at 6 meters.
Damage to vehicles: 200
MechanicsMortars are available exclusively to the Recon class as a substitute for C4. The device itself is a binocular laser range finder which you point at your target area for 3 seconds, within another 2 seconds a quick 8 round volley will saturate the area with indirect fire and you'll have to wait another 60 seconds recharge time before being able to request another volley. Mortars can be used to destroy or disperse a group of enemy soldiers, it can be used to take out any pesky opposing snipers, destroy armor, or with enough fire bring down an entire building.
Stationary targets like snipers and parked tanks are easy enough, but for moving targets be aware of the time it takes to call in the mortars, the time it takes for the mortars to start landing, and the completion time of the volley, leading is required. It's not very hard to escape a mortar attack, you get a fair amount of time to run out of the target area or take cover inside a house. Sometimes it's possible to survive a volley without moving at all so don't get frustrated if your mortars don't kill everyone you'd like. If you aren't firing your mortar every time it's available you aren't using it right. The beauty of the mortar is that you don't have to see the target to hit it, so if you lack a readily apparent target, call your mortar on hot spots such as conquest flag sites, choke points, sniper perches, etc.
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RoleUse mortars to break up high density enemy locations or to bombard objective sites before or after they've been armed. It's the ultimate party-pooper for people who like to play king of the hill at a particular map location. On maps that don't feature vehicles such as Arica Harbor Conquest it makes sense to pack a mortar for all of the infantry and snipers that are likely to camp out in buildings or behind the boulders on the hills.
Notes
- The range finder needs a direct line of sight, any change of direction, passing vehicle, or friendly soldier walking past your face will interrupt the lock-on sequence.
- Be careful not to accidentally call the mortar strike on top of yourself by targeting a leaf 3 inches in front of you rather than the tank 300 meters away.
- Equipping improved explosives considerably increases the likelihood of a complete kill or destroyed vehicle and is especially worth taking if you're working to quickly achieve the mortar efficiency patch.