Guild Wars 2

Mortar should be a turret. Turrets traits would add great functionality to it.

First off experimental turrets would have it pulse stability – the most obvious boon choice for the mortar. Let’s say 2-3 seconds base stability every 10 secs.

Deplayable turrets trait would allow you to place it somewhere safe, even if at cost of no one being able to use it – that pulsing stability will compensate for the loss.

Auto repair and 33% received damage reduction wouldn’t hurt either, as would damage and pushback when it’s killed (that trait works only with self-destruct on other turrets, but given mortar has no toolbelt skill in it’s case it should be on destruction by enemies).

That fortified turrets reflection field would be another good opener for it.

All that aside mortar would need severe buffing to hp and defense, cause right now it has defenses of a tin can.

Above changes (classification as a turret and making it sturdy) would justify it’s usage in mid range combat. The skills on it clearly show that it’s a support tool, rather then damage tool (something along lines of elixir gun’s purpose), but the slow projectiles are unforgivable. Environmental mortars are slow, but their rounds pack some serious punch.

Therefore ours should for example shoot rockets that move way faster (tough their functionality stays the same as original 5 skills) and take at most 1.5 seconds to reach targets at max range.

Which should be 2250 ranged units. 1.5k range as base, and 2.25k when traited with rifle barreled turrets trait. Elite supplies trait could maintain it’s cooldown reducing feature for the mortar, while damage and range would be left up to the above mentioned turret trait.

Also global cooldown on it’s skills has got to go. Or they should receive serious damage buff (the direct damage auto attack and #5 at least).
Think of it that way – mortal is a utility tool. If it can’t crit then it still won’t outdo bomb kit or grenades used by zerk builds. But if it has high raw damage on it’s auto it can be a very effective tool for destroying structures, above the bomb kit and ’nades when crits are out of question.

This skill is terrible anyway, so why not make it turret ^^.
But in otherhand I wouldn’t like buffing it.
Just let’s make it shoot every 3 seconds and overcharge will be number 5’th skill.
Mortar has huge AoE range and this is it’s strenght. Let it be “teamfight” turret, which is bad in 1v1 scenario but gains in teamfights.
Pasive stability would be to OP in PvP, hmm let it give aegis every 16-18 seconds.

Also to not make turreter to powerfull braindead let mortar keep it’s “minimal range”. People will have to think to where place it to have minimal shooting range in other hand is in range of giving buff to players. Turret engi is strong enough, don’t make it more powerfull.

Also it would be nice to Frocefull explosions increase explosion range of turret detonate, rocket turret attacks and mortar attack.

ugh i constantly forget they refuse to just let go of the idea of pve and pvp having same balance which just doesn’t work given how different are mobs to others players….

My changes are PvE inspired, though what i did not say out loud, and should is that indeed mortar would still stay immobile (can’t pick it up), with minimum range, and no overcharge for it.

As for stability being too OP…can’t say pvp wise, but you still gotta keep in mind it’s short (unless you seriously go into boon duration), it’s source is immobile and destructible with long cooldown if it’s put outta commision fast. Also it would only happen with experimental turrets trait, so you’d have to sink 6 trait points into alchemy.

PvE wise at least i would say those are some fair tradeoffs. It’s a point defense tool, that is very anti-mobile, so something for something