Mortar Pit - Minimum Range + Friendly Fire?

Alright, it's been long disputed that Mortar Pits are too powerful because of the following reasons.

1. Range
2. Durability from Brace (No need for additional explanation)
3. Double Mortars

You can't attack a British defensive line in any proper way. Mortar Pits can discourage combined arms pushes onto the territory (No MG42/MG34 cannot stay in support for very long before being destroyed or being forced to relocate/retreat). Plus it's Auto-Fire capability is quite devastating so I concede that it would be rather annoying.

Yet at the same time, the Mortar is also Immobile. Making it's range the same as other Mortars or making them much easier to destroy simply isn't an option. Can't break it down, can't retreat... Yada yada yada... I originally thought slowing down their rate of fire would do the trick but they get more accurate the closer you get and makes such a change irrelevant.

While I was at work thinking about the issue, I think I got an idea that might please both sides without giving up the Mortar Pit's maximum range or overall durability.

I propose that they be given a Minimum Range of 35-40 for Auto-Fire only. Meaning that if German Infantry are shooting at it, chances are they are inside the range where the British Player is required to either defend it with other units (Maybe garrison infantry inside) or manually call in a Barrage from said Mortar Pit (Can be avoided by a German Player that is paying attention).

This would give the Germans more time to damage the Mortar Pit without having to be on the move all the time. And since they will have that extra time to do their work, the Mortar Pit won't be as frustrating to deal with and the British can take advantage of being able to garrison them for defense. Maybe it will even force them to Brace early, clearing the way for a Bombing Run.

Now I know what you are thinking. "But what if they build a second Mortar Pit to cover it?" I considered that and thought that it might be time to bring back Friendly Fire to all Mortars in the game. It will make such support far more tricky and force the British Player to tell his second Mortar Pit to Hold Fire (Shutting down Auto Fire) and choose to use Manual Barrages instead to avoid hitting his men. There's also a cooldown to Barrage so if he misses, he has to wait half a minute to try again.

That way, even using Emplacements will add the element of "Skill" that people like to harp on about here. It also kinda makes it's Auto-Fire range effectively 80 Range, like other Mortars. Just that the range doesn't start until 35 Range away from the Pit.

Yes, it is likely to be supported by a Bofors but it is a large investment so if you didn't take advantage of the new minimum range and attack the site before the British build one, well... That's tough, move faster next time! lol.

Of course, it MIGHT warrant a max range increase to at least the Barrage to hit the OKW ISG to make up for the new weakness but I would like to see how a change like this plays out first.

What do you guys think? Before answering though, please have a good think about what these changes allow you to do.

mortar pit is fine

mortar pit is fine

I thought that for the longest time but fact is, they are complained about all the time and the suggestions out there are quite frightening. Unless someone offers fair alternatives, they will be nerfed into oblivion.

I thought that for the longest time but fact is, they are complained about all the time and the suggestions out there are quite frightening. Unless someone offers fair alternatives, they will be nerfed into oblivion.

My suggestion of a fair rework is change it to a mobile mortar. It is really hard to balance such unit when the there doctrines such as Royal Engineer Regiment's Stand Fast and of course Advanced Emplacement Regiment.

But at the same time, you are throwing out Commanders that people paid good money for. In particular, the Advanced Emplacement Regiment. It feels like such a long time ago that I almost forget I paid for it. Haha.

This is why I think seeing Mobile Mortars for the British will never happen. It will bite into Relic's Commander Profits and make people angry with Relic for making that particular Commander useless. We have no choice but to work around what we have already.

Before mortar pits can be nerfed, brits will need to find a counter to indirect fire. Sadly, Mortar pits are all they have without going a doctrine, and I hate using it.

Well this suggestion doesn't decrease the max range of the Mortar, just removes it's ability to Auto-Fire at close range. That being said, ISG will continue to out-range it. Would be nice if the 25 Pounders could hit something reliably without going Anvil...

Only if you could choose between a mortar pit and a mobile mortar like you can choose between the aec or the bofors...
Indirect fire in this game, specially in team games, is pretty cancerous imo so why not make all mortars not autofire and buff their barrage and take the cooldown away (forcing the player to actually micro the mortars instead of setting them up and "forget" about them) or make them only target an unit if the player does it manually. Just throwing some idead to the air.

universal with mortar that would be great

My suggestion of a fair rework is change it to a mobile mortar.

It should have small weels (like office chair has) under each corner of sadbox.

Brace and autorepair should stay.

PS So you can use it like recon unit as well! (with brace)

universal with mortar that would be great

That's the dream right there.

Only if you could choose between a mortar pit and a mobile mortar like you can choose between the aec or the bofors...
Indirect fire in this game, specially in team games, is pretty cancerous imo so why not make all mortars not autofire and buff their barrage and take the cooldown away (forcing the player to actually micro the mortars instead of setting them up and "forget" about them) or make them only target an unit if the player does it manually. Just throwing some idead to the air.

Actually I think making mortars not autofire is an amazing idea. They are (imo) supposed to be a counter to weapons teams, not a 'moar damage' unit. This would fix many of the issues with the mortars and the mortar pit in particular.

Just replace them Jesus christ the solution is staring you people in the fucking faces but no, the change is too "radical".

You people are unbelievable.

Every suggestion made is shot down because of differing views, not because of valid points.

Brace is fine aa a feature. All you need to do is decrease ability duration to 10 and then its cooldown to 40 seconds (10 seconds braced, 30 not)

If you think anout it and its possibilities, its a great change.

Then you must remove autofire ans replace it with barrahe with low cooldown (20 seconds) and autofire against enemy units in ambient buildings to give brits relialbe counter against garrisons.


Theae are the best changes for me

Do you agree ?

I thought that for the longest time but fact is, they are complained about all the time and the suggestions out there are quite frightening. Unless someone offers fair alternatives, they will be nerfed into oblivion.

there only complained about by noobs who like to camp. pros who know how to attack and counter things dont have any trouble. of course ur going to have problems if ur a camper. i always kill mortor pits easy asf,

brits emplacements been nerfed to death, theres no need to nerf them anymore there not even that good they cost pop cap, fuels man power, and they a static unit, easy to avoid easy to counter something thats not moving. this is a l2p issue. brace been nerfed already the mortors been nerfed the bofors been nerfed. brace stops all firing so even tho its taking dmg it cant defend itself with counter fire

Just replace them Jesus christ the solution is staring you people in the fucking faces but no, the change is too "radical".

You people are unbelievable.

Every suggestion made is shot down because of differing views, not because of valid points.

And you need to learn about business and Relic's wishes. They designed a Faction with Emplacements being a core feature and will never agree to get rid of them, no matter how much begging is thrown their way. Mobile core alternatives are never going to happen. Call me a cynic but the only way it will happen is through a new Commander (Would love to see the Universal Mortar Carrier too) but there's no point holding out hope for them. Want a mobile mortar? Steal one off the enemy because that's the closest you are going to get. Changes to what we currently have is far more likely to happen.

but commmon...it cost 400mp....for such a great unit...other mortas cost around 240mp...and than u have one.

for its performanche it should cost minimum 500mp (2x250mp)
it need no micro and work wounders with ---even with a afk brain player.

And you need to learn about business and Relic's wishes. They designed a Faction with Emplacements being a core feature and will never agree to get rid of them, no matter how much begging is thrown their way. Mobile core alternatives are never going to happen. Call me a cynic but the only way it will happen is through a new Commander (Would love to see the Universal Mortar Carrier too) but there's no point holding out hope for them. Want a mobile mortar? Steal one off the enemy because that's the closest you are going to get. Changes to what we currently have is far more likely to happen.

And you should learn to read better, nobody said remove emplacements altogether, or at least I didn't.

Oh and the 17 pounder and bofors already have mobile alternatives, those being the Firefly and Centaur AA, the mortar pit has an alternative in the land matress but it's doctrinal, costs fuel and is too man power expensive in order to be an effective alternative to the mortar pit, and the Brits are already manpower deprived.

if mortar pits get a nerf leigs should get a nerf too to their autoshoot range atleast, they cover most of the 1v1 maps