Mortar: Flare shells or Smoke shells?

[caleeb101]

So I recently started playing squad engie because I found out I enjoy doing engie stuff and I also enjoy using the mortar. But when it comes to testing where your shells land, which shells are better? Smoke shells or Flare shells? I personally prefer Smoke shells because they're very easily visible and they make a noise when they hit.

[Sargeantmuffinman]

Smoke for zeroing, flare for lighting up dark areas.

[Build_R_]

Smoke shells probably for the fact that they're otherwise useless.

[solidfury7]

In my opinion the cost of smoke and shells needs to be reduced heavily, they're the same price as the obliviously more useful lethal ones.

[biscuitsakimbo]

In my opinion the cost of smoke and shells needs to be reduced heavily, they're the same price as the obliviously more useful lethal ones.

Every single mortar shell's cost needs to be decreased. A direct HE shell doesn't kill a young T1, so if we're just gonna include mortars for the RP/entertainment value of calling in an essentially useless fire mission, we might as well make it nearly free to do so.

[Slduggy]

I like using flash shells to mark as they leave an impact mark in the ground exactly where they hit and scare the shit out of anyone close by.

[Kibbles]

I like using flash shells to mark as they leave an impact mark in the ground exactly where they hit and scare the shit out of anyone close by.

Yeah those work really well if no friendlies are near.

Otherwise we'll have a repeat of that one that Hydro got flash shelled and a ton of Marines died because they couldn't see.

[Dolth]

Every single mortar shell's cost needs to be decreased. A direct HE shell doesn't kill a young T1, so if we're just gonna include mortars for the RP/entertainment value of calling in an essentially useless fire mission, we might as well make it nearly free to do so.

What he said.

I presume mortar is meant to be spammed, would be nice to have lot more ammo than just 8 shots that will do just roughly 4 fire missions? Wohoo?

[caleeb101]

What he said.

I presume mortar is meant to be spammed, would be nice to have lot more ammo than just 8 shots that will do just roughly 4 fire missions? Wohoo?

4 out of 8 of those shells aren't lethal shell types and you're gonna have to fire more than 1 shell at a time if you actually want to do some damage to the enemy (aka, crit/kill xenos) so it's more like 2 fire missions.

I personally think it should start with 4 HE, 2 HI, 4 Smoke and 2 Flare.

[Dolth]

Yeah I kinda meant 4 firemissions of two shots, two shots will kill if you eventually, by luck, lands both on a T1, any T2 will just get crit. Not even sure.

But yeah, same point. Mortar does no damage BUT as I sneakily heard somewhere, explosives will be buffed.

[Combine]

I think mortar shells need to become more viable price-wise.

You don't have to make it like in WO where there is an abundance, but a step into that direction should be taken, even if it is a very careful and mild step.