IG Mortar Teams: any good?

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**More Dakka**

I have a bunch of left over mortars and extra bases to put them on, are they worth it? S4 multi-barrage seems OK for 60pts, esp with a chance to pin.

Don't have my BRB on me, but is there something else to barrages, like ignores cover or something?

**Preston**

I'm a great fan of mortar teams, but only when taken in numbers. 1 mortar on its own is pretty pointless. I don't care how tough your unit is, it still dies when you hit it with 15 s4 templates.

**kenshin620**

Barrage weapons attack goes from the center to the outside (so say a wall that someone hides behind doesnt save them but in the case of a mortar, thats AP6)

Mortars are a deadly weapon IRL, in 40k not so much though.

Basically you're lobbing a frag missile into the sky, an anti infantry weapon that is completely out shined by all sorts of weapons in the IG arsenal. For 60 points, thats another infantry squad with a power sword, a chimera, almost a hydra, kitting out x2 valks with rocket pods or changing x2 valks to vendettas and the list goes on. Overall yea its cute but unless you have 30 or so mortars, chances are they wont do much

**minigun762**

I feel that its easy to spare 60 points for 3 anti-infantry weapons on a unit that can hide out of LOS and claim objectives. Almost every player has some kind of static infantry shooting team hiding on the map and frankly with AP6, who cares if its in cover? Keep lobbing cheap mortars at it hoping for a few wounds or a pinning check.

I mentioned in a previous threat how I also think you could use them to protect the flanks of your other artillery, spreading them out along the sides to stop deepstrikers/outflankers from assaulting or shooting the tank without first dealing with the Mortars.

**odorofdeath**

If you like spending points on units that will never kill anything, then go for it. Is it really that hard to spare 15 points to make all those Mortars into Autocannons?

**minigun762**

odorofdeath wrote:If you like spending points on units that will never kill anything, then go for it. Is it really that hard to spare 15 points to make all those Mortars into Autocannons?

With respect, I feel that comparing Mortars to Autocannons is kind of apples

ranges.
Is an Autocannon > a mortar? Of course.
Is an Autocannon HWS > a mortar, I would say it depends.

That AC HWS now has to deploy in LOS of something so its easier to kill off then the Mortar HWS. Being for the most part immobile, it also is only able to shoot at what it can draw LOS to during the battle, whereas the Mortars can safely and consistently lob shots almost anywhere on the board.

I think it comes down to if you need more Autocannons or you need more long range anti-infantry.

**Kaskrin123**

Theyre good but in numbers 6 at least all focusing on the same unit wiill be aswome and you can use them to take out heavy support like devastators or snipers.

**The Grog**

You need to contact 6 models to cause one wound on MEQ. How often is this going to happen with a full 2d6 deviation from not being able to see your target?

Mortars have never been useful. Just funny, unless you are desperate for long range template fire in an all infantry army.

The Mortar Kombat army is amusing to run though.

**ChrisWWII**

That's why you take a dozen or so mortars. You're going to do some damage sooner or later.

**forruner_mercy**

Ha! "Sooner or later". The same thing could be said about the IG troops though. With enough Guardsmen, you will do some damage "sooner or later".
Anyway though, I think that a group of 6 or so mortars would do some damage.

And just a quick question: how many attacks per turn does one mortar team get?

**ChrisWWII**

A mortar team gets one shot per turn. And yes, sooner or later is the motto of an IG infantry player. Sooner or later your Termies will roll 1s. Sooner or later you'll fail your armor save, we just need to keep on piling on lasgunshots and bayonet stabs till you do.

**kenshin620**

forruner_mercy wrote:And just a quick question: how many attacks per turn does one mortar team get?

One shot

Not sure if the "Take 15 teams" tactic has any merit. If you were to be in some formation like say 5x3, that would take up an area of 200x120mm if they're base to base. Pretty large area. Not hard to pick off some of the teams and watch them run

If we're going by the "Sooner or later" tactic, it'd probably be more worthwhile to get another infantry squad

**Biophysical**

I've found that a big part of putting together a good army on the table (not just on paper) is to make sure all the elements can engage the enemy. At larger point levels, this can be tough because you start running out of good firing positions for static heavy weapons, or you start getting too many vehicles blocking line of sight. This is never a problem for mortar squads. They will be able to engage the enemy no matter what. It won't always be stunning, but they can contribute every turn. They also score. They also stay out of line of sight, and cost only 60 points, so going to ground isn't ruining your shooting for the turn.

**forruner_mercy**

^That.

**BoyMac**

If you use a lot of them you can make a unit take multiple pinning checks. If they get pinned they are not a threat until your next turn.

**forruner_mercy**

I truly think that 2+ squads would be a good choice, if only as support artillery. Like someone said further up, posting them on the fringes would allow you to have some security for your heavy artillery, such as a Basilisk, and the should be good for the smaller troop concentrations that you will most likely encounter.

**Preston**

kenshin620 wrote: Not sure if the "Take 15 teams" tactic has any merit.

Well it has worked out pretty well for me so far, it puts ridiculous amounts of hurt on the horde armies that are oh so common in my area.

**forruner_mercy**

That is another important thing to take into account: who you will be fighting most of the time. Like Preston, if you fight horde armies a lot, like the Orks, then it would be a good choice as they will be clumped together. Although Basilisks would probably do better, mortars should suffice. And you could probably do almost/as much/more damage then a few Basilisks, but with less points.

**Ailaros**

So, mortars are the same as any other infantry heavy weapon: They fill a niche role, they are expensive for what they do, and they create the illusion of effectiveness if you spam enough of them.

In the case of mortars, it's light infantry. If you play against a lot of Sv5 saves or worse, then they're worth taking, but if you're not, then they're not.

**moonshine**

I've played against them many times with orks, they are more annoying than they are effective.

**forruner_mercy**

Really though, in the end, it will most likely end in preference.

**Fire_for_effect**

Hmm I just had to wonder. Don't they make pretty good objective holders? Someone mentioned this before. Letting a 60 point unit sit out of line of site and still shoot at the enemy with out even taking damage while the rest of the army doesn't have to worry about the home objective doesn't sound to bad. Cheap, amusing and more usefull then lasca. HWTs that can't see the enemy or that die quickly because they are too dangerous to be ignored.

**Kommissar Kel**

I will say firing a mortar out of a Dakk-mera(Hull hb, turret ML, Pintle stubber) is funny; and can be somewhat useful in static Vet squads(so you have more specials firing along with the mortar). Mortar, 3 plasmas, and a Plasma pistol is funny, but wasteful of about 15 points(don't personally like plasma pistols as a rule, but guard gets them a little cheaper, and they can get about 2 turns of firing vs most other armies 1; especially out of a Chimera).

**forruner_mercy**

You can fire mortar teams out of a Chimera?

**ChrisWWII**

You can fire any 5 weapons the squad inside has out the back of a Chimera. Be that 5 lasguns, 3 meltaguns, a lascannon and a lasgun or whatever, if the squad has it, they can fire it.

Provided the Chimera hasn't moved of course. Usual rules for firing still apply

**forruner_mercy**

How would that work with a mortar though? I can see it happening in a Rhino-it has a top hatch that can open. But a Chimera? If they were firing it low, then i could work. But, it is a game. So if they say it can happen, then it happens I guess.

**ChrisWWII**

They open the hatch behind the turret, stick the barrel out and drop the mortar shell down the tube? It's not that difficult to imagine.

**forruner_mercy**

I know. This is all sort of hypothetical stuff. I am talking about it literally firing it inside the vehicle. Sorry if I worded it strangely.

**tuebor**

forruner_mercy wrote:I know. This is all sort of hypothetical stuff. I am talking about it literally firing it inside the vehicle. Sorry if I worded it strangely.

The Chimera has a top hatch too. I imagine they would fire it the way they fire mortars out of M113s.

**forruner_mercy**

Ah so it does. My bad.