Mortars are shorter, heavier weapons than cannons, designed to lob an explosive shell high into the air so that it drops down onto the target. A mortar shell is hollow and filled with gunpowder. The crew light the fuse before dropping the mortar shell into the Mortar. While a cannon ball may plough through a line of troops and kill three or four victims, a mortar shell explodes with a tremendous blast, scattering mud and bits of shell over a wide area. A well placed mortar shell can kill a great many victims at once.
Source: Warhammer Fantasy: 6th Edition
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Firing the Mortar
To fire a Mortar you need the large template (the 5" diameter one), the Artillery dice, and the Scatter dice. First pivot the Mortar so that it is pointing in the direction you wish to fire. Note that the crew of the Mortar does need to see the target. Now declare how far you want to fire the mortar shell. You must do this without measuring, guessing the range as accurately as you can. You must guess a distance of between 12" and 48".
After guessing, place the centre of the large template directly over the spot you have guessed to.
To see where the mortar shell lands roll both the Scatter dice and the Artillery dice.
If the Scatter dice rolls a HIT then the shell lands exactly where it was aimed.
If the Scatter dice rolls an arrow then the shell will veer off in the direction shown by the arrow.
If you roll a number on the Artillery dice then this is the distance in inches the mortar shell veers off target as shown by the arrow on the Scatter dice. Move the template the distance indicated in the direction shown by the arrow. If a HIT was rolled on the Scatter dice then the numbers are ignored: a number simply indicates that the shot has not misfired.
If the Artillery dice rolls a MISFIRE, something has gone wrong - roll a D6 and consult the Misfire chart. A Misfire roll automatically cancels out the whole shot regardless of the Scatter dice result.
Damage
Once you have established where the mortar shell lands, damage can be worked out. Place the 5' template centred on the spot where the shell landed. All models whose bases lie completely under the template are hit automatically by the blast. Models whose bases are partially under the template are hit on a 4+. It is a matter of judgement and common sense to judge which models lie under the template.
Each model hit by the mortar shell takes a Strength 3 hit with a -1 Armour save modifier, causing 1 wound if it causes damage. Any single model directly under the template's central hole is always hit, even if its base is not entirely covered. Note that if the central hole covers equal proportions of two or more bases, players will need to roll a dice to determine which model counts as under the hole. The model under the hole takes a Strength 6 hit which causes D3 wounds, with no armour save allowed.
Profiles
D6 | Result |
1 | BOOM! The mortar shell explodes before it is fired. The Mortar and crew are destroyed. |
2-3 | The fuse fizzles out and the gun fails to fire. It takes a complete turn to replace the shell, so the Mortar not only fails to shoot this turn but cannot shoot next turn either. |
4-6 | The shell explodes in mid air, so the shot has no effect this turn. |
The Movement rate is the speed the Mortar can be moved by a full crew. If any crew are slain, the slain, Mortar's speed is reduced proportionally. A Mortar cannot move and shoot in the same turn except to turn to face its target.
| Range | Movement | Toughness | Wounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12"-48" | As crew | 7 | 3 |
Loss of Crew
A Mortar requires a crew of three to work it properly. Two crewmen can just about get by without reducing the rate of fire. If only one crewman remains, he will be unable to maintain the normal rate of fire and the Mortar will only be able to fire every other turn. If the Mortar has no crew at all, it is unable to fire.