Allied firepower in CMBO

[JasonC]

"who don't like mortars are those who don't know how to use them"

I don't think so. If you fire every round out of a 60mm mortar at a spotted infantry target in woods, without reply, then your will put down 2-3 men before running dry. Using 2-3 mortars, you can get "breaks" on a few targets, and such on-call ability is useful (as is limited smoke).

But at best, they take out assets about the same price as themselves - when and where you want them is good, but that is the overall impact. As I said, that can be useful (for suppression) but will not win the war for you.

For comparison, a successful tank can take out several tanks; a successful gun can take out a tank worth far more than itself; a successful artillery shoot can plaster a platoon with 1/3 of its ammo; a successful squad can kill several squads in close before running dry.

Light mortars simply do not have "multiple kill" potential. When a unit can expend its whole ammo load at a copy of itself without killing the target off, it is not going to win a battle for you. And therefore, excess spending on them, over-investment in them, will not win you any fights. A few are useful, many are a waste.

[JasonC]

Yes, light mortars can suppress point targets and the highest value target like that is a heavy PAK or FLAK. But it is a stupid AI trick. Humans leave heavy PAK and FLAK on "hide" until they have armored targets.

Light guns - 20mm FLAK, 75mm Infantry Guns - and HMGs fire at scouting infantry. And these weapons are no more expensive than the 60mm mortars that can suppress them or (sometimes) take them out. You thus wind up with even exchanges at best.

It is still useful to have that ability on-call, as it were. But it will not win the war for you against humans, who will not trade you 2 men in a scouting squad for a heavy PAK and your 60mm ammo.