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I think 1 or 2 weapons teams are optimal if they are going to be used.

60 points for 3 of them in a hws, point for point mortars are better than anything in the IG codex that is <AV5 and not fearless. Against AV5 infantry that can be pinned 3 Str 4 small pies has a better chance of scoring a single wound than a single TL str6 large pie making mortar HWS more likely to force squads like ork lootas into a pinning test than a griffon.

That being said it seems perfectly reasonable to take 1 or 2 mortars, but spamming more than 60 to 120 points worth can become a real liability when fighting mech & meq.

Mortars do have a use against mech & meq, it's just a matter of finding a way of making lemons out of lemonade. Mech infantry tend to end up clustered when they disembark and shoot after their transport moves 12". Against MEQ shoot the mortars first before other weapons. If they can get 6 hits between 3 shots that's enough to kill 1 MEQ and force a pinning test, more likely they will average 4 hits a turn killing 2 MEQ every 3 turns, maybe 4 of them over the entire span of a game. 4 MEQ over the entire span of a game would earn the HWS their points back. That bar is set pretty low at 60 points.

The only real problem with a couple of mortar HWS is they cost 60 points, so they bleed KP like crazy.>

Maybe they need to be S5...

M.

It doesn't seem that their cover denying potential is a very big bonus when you could take a large template artillery piece.

Collossus especially, as it denies even area terrain, but everything but the medusa works well.

They're actually roughly on for points, though. I mean, compare it to a griffon. Multiple barrage rules and accurate bombardment both mean that you're likely to get at least a couple of hits every time you fire it. The Griffon does more damage to displaced troops, but mortars can do an insane amount more damage to clustered troops (multiple barrage + 3 "hits" on a scatter die = lots and lots of hits). The griffon has better stats, which is probably why it's 15 points more expensive.

They're appropriately priced, and are very neat in a few niche rolls (just like all other infantry heavy weapons), the problem, of course, is that if you don't have anything that falls in that niche, they're really not going to do all that much.

Soz, but autocannons all the way.

the autocannon is the way to go, not a big fan of the heavy bolter do to the range and lack of versatility, the mortar on the other hand has come in handy for me against orks and nids. Just keep a squad or two in the back behind cover and drop some templates its as easy as that though for the points i usually run a griffon but its harder to keep that alive though it is more accurate and tends to kill more models per turn. Its really all about personal preference.

Mortars are cheap and don't require line of sight. As a result, they're almost perfect for on foot command squads hiding where they can't be shot. Give them any other weapon and they need line of sight.

As for them sucking against mech? Only if you spam them. If you only take a few, they are GOLD when you have just popped a tank and the contents pop out all nice and clustered up together.

And if you miss...oh well, what was that command squad going to shoot at otherwise anyways?