I’ve been using the Portable Mortar in Battlefield 6 a lot lately — and I’ve got to say, this thing is way more fun than I expected. It’s one of the last unlocks in the entire game (Level 49!), and even though it has a few quirks and drawbacks, I’ve been having a blast with it (literally).
In this guide, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the Portable Mortar in Battlefield 6: how it works, its range and accuracy, its best use cases, some hidden mechanics you might’ve missed, and what absolutely needs fixing (looking at you, smoke shells).
Using the Portable Mortar
The Portable Mortar is a Support-class gadget that lets you rain down high-explosive or smoke shells from up to 340 meters away — making it perfect for area denial, counter-sniping, and cracking down on choke points in modes like Breakthrough or Rush.
You can aim manually or use the minimap crosshair, which is usually the better option since you’ll be tucked behind cover to avoid getting your head popped by a sniper. Once you fire, though, your position is instantly marked both in-world and on the enemy minimap — so don’t expect to stay hidden for long.
Oh, and the best part? The Portable Mortar has infinite ammo — you’ll just need to pace your shots and manage the cooldown.
Description & Basics
Here’s the in-game description for context:
“A man-made indirect fire weapon that launches high-explosive shells designed to strike defensive positions or disperse infantry — or smoke shells to conceal troop movement. Accuracy increases with continuous shots in the same location.”
When you deploy it, you’ll see a light beam showing the impact area, along with a range indicator on both your minimap and screen center.
- Range: 47–340 meters
- Fire rate: One shot every 5 seconds (or 4 seconds next to a Supply Bag)
- Ammo types: High-Explosive (HE) and Smoke
- Spotting: Automatically marked when fired
- Reload: Infinite
Range & Fire Rate
At minimum range (47m), shots take around 11 seconds to land. At maximum range (340m), it’s closer to 7 seconds. You’ll need to time your shots and predict where enemies will be by the time the shell lands — not always easy, but incredibly satisfying when it works.
I tested it across various distances and found it performs best at medium-to-long range. The fire rate isn’t crazy fast, but with a Supply Bag nearby, you shave a second off per shot — which makes a surprising difference during sustained fire.
Smoke Shells (and Why They’re Basically a Meme)
Let’s be honest — the smoke shells are terrible right now.
You fire them, and you get… a sad little puff that vanishes after about 6–7 seconds. It’s barely enough to hide a player, let alone a squad. I joked that it looked like Snoop Dogg took his lunch break here — and honestly, that’s still the best description.
Right now, there’s no reason to use smoke shells unless DICE gives them a major buff.
Accuracy & Testing
The tooltip claims the mortar “gets more accurate” the longer you fire at one spot, but I didn’t really notice that in practice.
What I did notice is that the closer you fire, the less accurate it feels.
- At 50m, my shots were all over the place.
- At 100m, they were right on target.
- At 200m, dead center — first try.
So yeah, it’s surprisingly more accurate at range. My guess? The further the arc, the smoother the physics.
Best Mortar Use Cases
In-game, the Portable Mortar shines in two main roles:
1. Counter-Sniping
Perfect example — Operation Firestorm. I spotted a sniper across a rooftop, deployed behind cover, and dropped two shells on his position. The first one hit dead-on. He never saw it coming.
2. Area Denial in Tight Modes
In Breakthrough, enemies are forced into chokepoints — which is where the mortar becomes a point-farming machine.
During one match on Mirak Valley, my squad called out enemies stacked on Alpha. I launched a few rounds and got a double, then a triple, then a quad kill — plus a mountain of damage assists and suppression points.
In Conquest, it’s less effective since players are spread out, but it’s still great for clearing rooftops or defending flags.
Major Drawbacks
Now, it’s not all sunshine and explosions.
1. Spawn Zone Limitations
You can’t deploy the mortar in your spawn area, especially annoying on offense in Rush or Breakthrough.
For example, on Mirak Valley, attackers can’t place it anywhere in the red zone. You basically have to already be on Objective A before you can even start mortaring it — which defeats the purpose a bit.
A buffer zone or limited placement range inside the attacker’s spawn would fix this easily.
2. Recon Drones = Instant Death
Big one here: Recon drones can destroy your mortar — and kill you instantly while you’re using it. You don’t just go down; you die outright and can’t be revived. It’s brutal.
So if you hear that buzzing drone sound? Bail out immediately.
Final Thoughts
The Portable Mortar is one of those gadgets that’s more satisfying than it is practical — but that’s what makes it great.
It’s balanced (maybe a bit on the weak side), but once you learn the timing and positioning, you can rack up huge plays in the right hands.
If DICE ever buffs the smoke shells, fixes the spawn restriction, and tones down the recon drone insta-death, it could easily become a Support-class favorite.
For now, it’s a fun, high-skill, high-reward tool that rewards patience and positioning — and it’s perfect for players who love playing a more tactical support role.
Also, if you want to get the Portable Mortal ASAP, check out my guide on how to level up fast, where are I share a “Level-Up Experience” as well as tips and pointers.
