A question about Mortar

[Johnny Canuck]

Here's a conversation from a gentleman I was playing with. We're playing 'Confusion Reigns', and he's the US with a 60 mortar. My german is in the open.

<Bob> There is also a difference between Area Fire and Area Target Type
<Bob> As I understand it, I fire the mortar as an Area Target Type on the TH table
<Bob> If I secure a hit, then it is an 8 FP attack on the IFT (not Area Fire, unless you were concealed, etc).

My question(s) is/are:

What are his options with the mortar, and what is the resultant column on the IFT for each? What if my guy were in some form of cover?

 

[Chas Argent]

Mortars alway fire using the Area Target Type; and because of this, any resulting hit has its effects FP halved on the IFT. So an American 60mm Mortar resolves hits on the 4 FP column of the IFT.

TEM is added (or subtracted, in the case of Airbursts) from the IFT effects DR.

Examples:
-a squad using non-AM in a woods hex 9 hexes away from the Mortar would be hit on a Final DR of 8 (ATT basic TH# at 9 hexes = 7; -1 for case J3 applies to the TH DR); if a hit is achieved, the effects would be resolved at 4FP [-1/Airbursts].

-if the above shot resulted in a CH, it would be rosolved instead @ 16[-1]; the base FP is doubled in the case of a CH, not halved; and negative modifiers remain negative.

-a non-moving squad in a wooden building 13 hexes away would be hit on a FTH DR of 7 [ATT BTH# at 13 hexes = 8; [-1/* barrel] is applied at this range]; if a hit is achieved, the shot would be resolved at 4FP [+2/TEM]. If this had been a CH instead, it would be resolved at 16[-2] because the FP is doubled and the TEM of the wooden building is reversed.

-if the above target unit had been Concealed, you would have to add +2 for case K to the TH DR; so it would have been hit on a Final TH DR of 5.

 

[Ole Boe]

Here's a conversation from a gentleman I was playing with. We're playing 'Confusion Reigns', and he's the US with a 60 mortar. My german is in the open.

And here is how I would answer him:

<Bob> There is also a difference between Area Fire and Area Target Type
You're absolutely right Bob. Mortars must use Area Target Type (ATT), but this is not Area Fire unless the target is concealed, the firer is Pinned etc.
<Bob> As I understand it, I fire the mortar as an Area Target Type on the TH table
Yep, that's right.
<Bob> If I secure a hit, then it is an 8 FP attack on the IFT (not Area Fire, unless you were concealed, etc).
Still correct, except for the FP, where you seem to have mixed up ATT and Area Fire. ATT means halved FP, Area Fire not.

Area Target Type fires with half of normal FP C3.33: "All units hit by HE are attacked on the IFT using a single DR and half the FP of the firing ordnance". Thus you'll only get 4 FP

However, Area Fire would not halve the FP of ordnance, but rather add a +2 DRM to the To Hit DR. See C.4.

My question(s) is/are:

What are his options with the mortar, and what is the resultant column on the IFT for each? What if my guy were in some form of cover?

The only option is to fire on the ATT with HE. The result column will always be half FP, i.e. 4 FP - unless the hit is a Critical Hit, where the FP is instead doubled, i.e. 16 FP.
If in cover (TEM), the TEM DRM is added to the effect (IFT) DR.