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Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 02:24
by AlphaCharlie
Hi guys, wondering if I can get a clear answer on an interpretation of the rules.

We had a player hit by a 60mm mortar (direct damage 5HE) was prone in shrubland.
It landed directly on him in his hex.

We applied 5 damage to him, which hit his legs - no armour save due to legs and shrubland. He was immediately incapacitated and got a crit.
Another guy nearby was hired with D blast damage, but was prone so that was stepped down to zero.
No armour mods were applicable as it’s only applied when helmet or body armour is hit - so was the above correct?

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 02:52
by Fenhorn
That looks right yes.

Mortars and artillery usually targets a hex and the direct damage can be very bad for anyone in the target hex. Do remember that heavy weapons that targets a hex doesn't get its direct damage increased by extra successes. Extra successes will only increase damage with weapons like missiles that targets specific targets like a vehicle.

The blast damage usually decreases very fast outside the target hex yes (if you can fall prone that is).

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 02:56
by AlphaCharlie
Thanks mate.

So you apply the Direct HE damage of 5, but don’t roll for Blast damage of 2D8 (being C) as well.
Just the 5 damage for the 60mm mortar?

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 03:00
by Fenhorn
Thanks mate.

So you apply the Direct HE damage of 5, but don’t roll for Blast damage of 2D8 (being C) as well.
Just the 5 damage for the 60mm mortar?
Both. The rules states that if a weapon is target a hex, extra successes on the skill roll won't increase the direct damage. In addition to this you have the damage from the Blast Power.

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 03:11
by AlphaCharlie
OK - PAGE 66

if applying that - Then the guy takes 5 damage straight up (applying modifiers) and then another 2D8 (C Blast for 60mm Mortar) which would be another 2 damage per success. That's pretty cool.

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 03:20
by Fenhorn
OK - PAGE 66

if applying that - Then the guy takes 5 damage straight up (applying modifiers) and then another 2D8 (C Blast for 60mm Mortar) which would be another 2 damage per success. That's pretty cool.
He has just been hit by a 60mm mortar round. I don't think he thinks that's cool :)

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 07:19
by paladin2019
Just to be clear, the attack scored at least one success with a (prone (-1) + heavy weapon vs person (-2) + shrubland (-1)) -4 modifier with an INT + Heavy Weapons roll? If not, the target does not take direct damage. The mortar doesn't even hit the hex.

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Sun 22 Feb 2026, 07:52
by Fenhorn
I was a bit wrong about how this work (I asked Tomas for a clarification).

When you target a hex with a heavy weapon only blast damage applies. This is very inefficient, but can cause some damage but it has great effect on enemy morale. Normally a heavy weapon is used to target vehicles or buildings but can also target small targets like individuals (with -2) and in those cases the direct damage applies.

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 01:20
by AlphaCharlie
Just to be clear, the attack scored at least one success with a (prone (-1) + heavy weapon vs person (-2) + shrubland (-1)) -4 modifier with an INT + Heavy Weapons roll? If not, the target does not take direct damage. The mortar doesn't even hit the hex.
Not exactly. We stepped down 1 for the target being prone, but treated it as an area attack and 1 step for Shrubland - We didn't step down for the PERSON in the Hex, because being a 10M Hex it made sense to assume if the firer hits the Hex, it'll hit the target.

Re: Mortar strike and artillery damage in general.

Posted: Mon 23 Feb 2026, 01:28
by AlphaCharlie
I was a bit wrong about how this work (I asked Tomas for a clarification).

When you target a hex with a heavy weapon only blast damage applies. This is very inefficient, but can cause some damage but it has great effect on enemy morale. Normally a heavy weapon is used to target vehicles or buildings but can also target small targets like individuals (with -2) and in those cases the direct damage applies.
So to get BOTH direct damage AND Blast damage the firer on the Mortar would have to had said "I'm targeting the sniper on the hill (he'd been firing at the mortar), and it would have been a step down for the Target being prone, a step down for Shrubland and a 2 Steps down for heavy weapons targeting and individual. If that was the case, then it'd been 5 Direct Damage to the Sniper and Blast damage of C, stepped down to D because he was prone.

My mistake - looks like I nearly killed my player by accident!

It's funny because we had a guy kill a soviet soldier with a direct hit on an RPG and stepped down one session, but never thought that you'd have to for an area affect weapon. Thanks