In this guide, I use the map coordinates in Wardogs to calculate the exact range between my L81 Mortar or Artillery Tank and the target. This lets me land the first shell on target without wasting ammo while testing the range.
How to Calculate Mortar & Artillery Range From Map Coordinates
Why Your First Shell Misses
I range a mortar by firing a shell, watching where it lands, adjusting the range, and firing again. It works, but it costs two or three shells at 30 ammo supplies each. The first shell also tells every enemy on the map exactly where I am.
There is an exact method. I read two map coordinates, do one calculation, and the first shell lands on target. Once I have done it a couple of times, it takes about fifteen seconds.
The short version
- I mark the coordinates on my gun and copy them.
- I mark the coordinates on the target and copy them.
- I calculate the range using the difference in X and Y, then multiply the result by 100.
- I dial that number into the RNG slider and fire.
That is the whole method. The rest of this guide explains each step.
Step 1 – Getting your coordinates
- I open the map and zoom all the way in on my gun. This matters because zooming out removes decimal precision and can make the range inaccurate.
- I right-click my gun position and choose Mark Coordinates. The coordinates appear in chat.
- I press Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C to copy them.
- I repeat the same process on the target.
I now have two pairs of numbers, something like:
98.43, 110.38
and
94.53, 109.03
The first number is X and the second is Y.
Step 2 — The maths
It is Pythagoras. Nothing more.
- a = difference in X
- b = difference in Y
- c = √(a² + b²)
- range in metres = c × 100
Using the numbers above:
- a = 98.43 − 94.53 = 3.90
- b = 110.38 − 109.03 = 1.35
- a² + b² = 15.21 + 1.82 = 17.03
- √17.03 = 4.127
- 4.127 × 100 = 413 m
I can ignore the minus signs. Squaring removes them, so it does not matter which coordinate I subtract from which.
Why × 100 and not “read the first three digits”?
I may have seen the rule to take the first three numbers of the square root. That gives the same answer under 999 m, but it breaks above that.
Multiplying by 100 keeps working at every range, which matters when I get on the artillery tank.
Getting 412 when someone else says 413?
Both are fine.
Rounding 1.35 × 1.35 down to 1.82 trims a little off. The exact answer is 412.7 m.
A metre makes no difference to where the shell lands. The RNG dial is much coarser than that.
Step 3 — Putting the shell down
- I middle-click the target on the map to drop the white diamond marker.
- I swing the gun until the diamond is centred in my view.
- I set the RNG slider on the left to the range I calculated.
- If I am between two notches, I split the difference.
- I fire.
Quick reference
L81 Mortar
- Range: up to about 700 m
- Shells loaded: up to 3 — I press R to load each
- Unlock: available in my first hour
- Build cost: 91 building supplies, plus more per hammer swing
- Ammo: 30 ammo supplies per shell — a full 3-shell barrage is 90
Artillery Tank
- Range: 750 m minimum, about 2630 m maximum
- Reload: quick-time event
- Blast: much larger than the mortar
I need to remember the artillery’s minimum range. If my target is closer than 750 m, the artillery cannot reach it. That is what the mortar is for.
Bombarding an area
- I load three shells with R before I start.
- I press C to skip the killcam so I can fire again immediately.
- I nudge my aim slightly between each shell to spread the damage.
- I can reload during the killcam, so I can keep a base under continuous fire for as long as the ammo holds.
I also need to remember the supply cost. Three shells use 90 ammo supplies, so my FOB needs to have enough.
Watch the terrain
The range can be perfect and the shell can still clip a tower, a tree, or a ridge on the way down.
If my shot lands short against an obstacle, the maths is not wrong.
I move my firing position or aim away from the obstruction. Because this changes the distance, I run the numbers again.
Reading the map by eye
Each small square is 10 m.
I can also zoom out until the 100 m lines appear if I would rather estimate the distance by eye.
It works, but I should expect to burn two or three shells finding the range. The first shell also tells the enemy where I am.
That is the whole reason I use the maths instead.