After yet another HvH round completely ruined by mortars, I need to say something. It’s one thing to use them in a regular round against Xenos, where the majority of the enemy isn’t going to sit still or bunch up long enough to get wiped out by one well-placed shell. But in HvH, mortars are infinitely more lethal and honestly ruin the entire dynamic of the mode. The way things stand right now, they’re just overpowered and make actual strategic, tactical combat between human factions pointless.
Xenomorphs are agile and difficult to pin down in large groups, making mortars a tool that’s risky but rewarding when used right. But when it’s humans vs. humans, everything changes. We’re talking about groups of Marines or UPP forces hunkering down, setting up defensive positions, and trying to engage each other with actual tactics, and then suddenly—boom—one mortar shell lands and wipes out an entire squad. There’s zero counterplay. You can’t dodge it, you can’t predict it, and once you’re hit, you’re either dead or too injured to fight. And it just keeps happening. Over and over again. Mortar spam ruins any attempt at firefights or strategic positioning because why bother when one shell can end it all?
What’s worse is that mortars in HvH don’t have the same limitations they do against Xenos. Xenos aren’t going to get obliterated by a single shell like a human would, and they can often retreat to heal. But for humans, one shot = instant death. It’s not fun, it’s not balanced, and it turns what should be an intense tactical battle into who can mortar who first. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen entire engagements get obliterated before they even start because someone in the back decided to launch a random shell, and that’s it—the fight’s over before it begins.
And don’t even get me started on how much it slows down the game. People are too afraid to push forward or set up proper defenses because the second they do, they just know a mortar’s going to land and wreck everything they’ve built. It stifles any creativity in playstyle. You can’t strategize when your whole squad gets vaporized in a single, unavoidable hit. Mortars just suck all the depth out of HvH, and it’s beyond frustrating to deal with.
Honestly, HvH would be infinitely more enjoyable if mortars were either completely disabled or heavily nerfed for these rounds. They just don’t fit in a mode where both sides are supposed to have a fair chance at engaging in tactical, skill-based combat. Right now, it just feels like you’re rolling the dice on whether you get to play a real round or whether you’ll be turned into a fine mist from across the map.