Tactical Tutorial: Light Mortars

[@ChrisGee-l8n]

Excellent, clear video Bo that compliments your V3 focus on light mortars. Your recent clarification that inexperienced light mortars don’t suffer any -1 to hit modifiers due to movement, pins or loss of 1 man makes them a fantastic, cheap unit. Having 3 or more now a key part of my army list. Must admit I’m in the regular & veteran ‘light mortars can’t use spotters’ camp. Wishing you a great New Year.

[@Per_Sun]

What is the line of reasoning for Reg/Vet LM's not being able to use Observers? Edit: the FAQ from Warlord expressly states: "Can units that do not have spotters in their unit entry (like light mortars) benefit from the line of sight of spotters?" "Yes, they can, provided they are Regular or Veteran. This also applies to vehicles and any other unit that fires Indirect Fire weapons, unless their rules specify otherwise."

[@ChrisGee-l8n]

@ You’re right. Missed that in the FAQs.

[@e-4airman124]

soo so much to learn thanks

[@hippyhippyshakespear]

A unit that ignores inexperience -1, movement -1, and cover saves, while giving d2 pins, a +1 (w/+1 top armor) penetration, plus smoke for 21pts?!! The fact that they are not fixed weapon and don't start at '7s' for being inexperienced, imho, makes them a broken unit that doesn't work within Warlord's own game system.

[@kevino1219]

Near as I can tell, people just havent caught onto this yet.

[@groggitz]

Really useful Bo, many thanks 👌

[@SAVATRON84]

Hi Bo, great video, very insightful. I am new to bolt action and I am trying to apply your wisdom to a planned list that I am almost ready to start building and painting. I can't work out how to add a spotter to a light mortar team, I don't think you can? What other ways of "spotting" are their? Can sniper teams spot? Artillery observers? Thanks in advance!

[@boltactiontutorialsbybomor3846]

@@SAVATRON84 you cannot. But as per the rules regular light mortars can use spotters/observers bought for other units

[@dunsch2417]

So far my LM experience out of 1 tourney (only going to turneys to get some games in, local scene is pretty dead), I play Finns and wanted some more dice in the pool so I took 2. They were so massively overperforming as a form of Sniper compared to my actual Sniper. I used them to aim at other small teams, Observers and other stuff that dosent want to get hit. I used them like a Sniper in a direkt fire role as I played no Spotters myself, but presented always a better option to shoot at, so like together with an Infantry unit that presents a bigger threat.

[@SelfSQrd]

I know the army doesn't really offer anything crazy but is there something to the Belgian Grenadier Section? The ability to add up to 3 light mortar squads to an infantry unit seems like you could really dish out some hurt.

[@orangeblack1285]

Ok that's it. I've ordered 3 small more mortars on etsy..

[@kevino1219]

Built 3 teams from a 30 man infantry box.

[@orangeblack1285]

@@kevino1219 Dot those include mortars? I've only got 12 german grenadiers from the band of brothers and 12 grenadiers from the 3rd edition introductionary set. I've bought the Fallschirmjäger Box recently though. But couldn't spot any mortars. I also pre ordered the veteran grenadier box that will release end of january.

[@VioletMoonMediaWargames]

It's interesting that German light mortars cant fire smoke - their 50mm mortars were not equipped with smoke shells, however, later in the war, they were using a short barrelled 80mm mortar in a light mortar role, which was equipped with smoke shells.

[@darioscomicschool1111]

NEW TOYS!!! LOVE IT!

[@VioletMoonMediaWargames]

Personally, I take them Regular so any spotter can spot for them (yeah, I know......).... considering being 'that guy' and building a Japanese grenadier platoon with 14 light mortars and an artillery observer.... and then I remember outflankers and Fog of War deployment......

[@jonathanmartin-bs3tk]

LM spam probably won’t be as effective where there’s a sensible dice cap. In your UFO list with no cap they can be very effective with the added bonus of support from a double tap artillery observer.

[@ChrisGee-l8n]

Another quick question after looking at US list. Would you take them as 3 men @25 points (more survivable) or save money & take them @20 points (even cheaper than 21 points for other nations)? Thanks

[@boltactiontutorialsbybomor3846]

@@ChrisGee-l8n depends on pack and points, but normally I would take the discount

[@alexforbes2551]

Thanks for the video Bo. Is your opinion that Light Mortars shouldn't be able to use spotters based on rules wording, or how you would prefer it was ruled? I've been using spotters for my regular light mortars, am I a dirty cheater?

[@boltactiontutorialsbybomor3846]

@@alexforbes2551 IMO warlord should rule on this that any unit that cannot buy and use a spotter in its unit entry, cannot use a spotter period. The rules as they are, are ambigous

[@alexforbes2551]

@@boltactiontutorialsbybomor3846 My current list has a couple of howitzers in it as well, so that ruling would be devastating 😅 My spotters are putting in a lot of work!

[@jonathanbirkeland1085]

In my opinion, the reason only some indirect fire units can take a spotter has to do with which units in real life would have had the range and doctrinal need to have a fire control center and use spotters. Light mortars vary from country to country on how they used them, which is why US 60mm mortars are usually a three man crew while most other countries have a 50mm mortar with a crew of two. If a fire direction control center was present and doing its job coordinating the use of indirect fire support from reports given by forward overseers (spotters in game) then any weapon that can fire indirectly could be called on to shoot a fire mission if it were linked into their network (radios, field telephones, etc). So, while there is historical precedent for some lighter weapons to not come with their own spotter I think it is reasonable that they could use a spotter if one is available. Of course if you disagree for gameplay reasons then that’s an entirely different subject. My purpose of writing this is to give real world context as to why the game designers may have made the choices they made. Semper Fi.

[@RussellWright-qf1xn]

As written they can use spotters which is insane

[@RussellWright-qf1xn]

I tested a Japanese bamboo spear platoon supported by lots of mortars including four light and four medium, added three light howitzers. Vs US marines, by turn three start id destroyed seven units and lost none. Light mortars were brutal part of this

[@ushijager]

If i want use the spotter they must be regular or veteran ? Am I right?

[@boltactiontutorialsbybomor3846]

@@ushijager RAW yes. RAI.... Maybe/maybe not

[@HandlarzMirek]

Always Reg/Vet LM in my build ;)