I'm new to CM2. I'm playing the tutorial for CMBN called Raff Moves Inland. I'm given 2 mortar teams, one earlier the second a few turns later. The tutorial says to place the HQ on the 2nd floor of the OP and to set up the 1st mortar nearby. So far, so good. I can target enemy with the first team.
After I get the 2nd team deployed and the weapon set up I can never access it with the spotting HQ. It always says something like " the spotter is busy".
Thinking that it was because the HQ was spotting for the 1st mortar team I then moved the 2nd mortar near a spotter that could see the enemy and had it set up. No go with that either. When trying to target with mortar 2 I get a cue that reads something like "mortar unavailable".
Can't figure out what's going on.
Otasan, the “spotter is busy” message makes sense if that HQ is still handling the first mortar mission. One HQ/spotter can’t just freely run multiple fire missions at the same time.
The “mortar unavailable” message for the second mortar is the part I’d investigate. Being physically near another spotter may not be enough — the mortar has to be set up, ready, and in the proper C2/communication relationship with an HQ/FO/XO that is actually allowed to call for that mortar.
A few things I’d check:
Is mortar 2 fully deployed and not still setting up?
Is it in ammo and not pinned/rattled/moving?
Is the spotter an actual HQ/FO/XO type that can call indirect fire, not just a unit with eyes on the target?
Does the spotter have proper C2/contact with that mortar?
Is the first HQ still busy with mortar 1? If so, wait until that mission is fully done, then try again.
The simple test would be to let the first fire mission finish completely, wait a turn, then try calling mortar 2 from the original HQ in the OP. If it becomes available, the issue was probably the HQ being tied up. If it still says unavailable, I’d suspect C2/authority/setup/ammo/suppression rather than LOS.
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"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
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Thanks mate. I discovered that, even though I had issued deploy orders when the mortar team reached its destination near the new spotter, the mortar was not deployed yet. I'll see what happens after it is deployed.
Still mystified. I deployed the mortar. The FO is in the same chain of command as the HQ and the mortar squad. The mortar is set up right next to the FO, so should be in voice comms. However the mortar shows "denied" when I try to access it from the FO.
Otasan, “denied” is a useful clue. That usually means the selected FO is not actually allowed/able to call that mortar as an indirect-fire asset.
Even if the FO, HQ, and mortar are in the same general chain of command, the game can still be picky about the exact C2/authority link. I’d check whether the FO is the right unit to call that tube, or whether only the platoon/company HQ can access it.
Try selecting the original HQ in the OP again, once the first fire mission is completely finished, and see if mortar 2 appears as available there. Also check the mortar team’s C2 icons and make sure the mortar’s team leader is in voice/contact range, not just the tube itself.
So my guess is: the mortar is deployed now, but that FO still doesn’t have authority/contact to use it. Try the original HQ or the mortar’s direct HQ rather than the FO.
"Si vis pacem, para bellum." — Vegetius
"Do not hurry to the sound of the guns without knowing why they are firing." — British maxim
"In war, the simplest things are difficult." — Clausewitz
"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." — Moltke
"The side that can most quickly exploit success is the side that will win." — Guderian
Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail. 🪖🎲
Looking for a game? Challenge me here:
I'm moving it back to the control of the original HQ. It's strange to have 2 mortar teams but to only be able to use them one at a time.
@otosan your spotter can have two missions on the go - they just cannot be initiating or spotting for two. Once the fire for effect, FFE, starts on the first mission then your spotter can start a new mission. The only restriction is that while specifying and spotting the observer cannot start a new call. Once the rounds are coming in then they are free to initiate a second or subsequent call.
Ok, that makes sense. Thanks a lot.