Yeah, such a badass part of the model to be one of the least things used on it. I have never seen someone attack a TAG with Guided, I rarely see Guided used actually unless you are USARF or Caledonnia with the Katyusha who have tons of orders and tons of FOs. It is a shame really. I am sure the Maghariba Guard pays for it too especially since it is one of the few models with an Advanced ECM.
Now you mention it, the only one in my meta using guided was me and that has been almost two years ago. That rule really seems to be quite dead. So yeah, change ECMs to something useful...but what? A ML would fit, but also be boring. Maybe a ZOC defense mecanism? On thought of another loadout in Ramah, I am not expecting one but if it appears, I could see a Neurocinetics Dual ML. On the other hand, if Ramah has cool Super Soldiers galore, I cannot see myself using a TAG.
I ran ole BeetleBot tonight supported by Ghazis and a relatively vanilla list, save for a Khawarij spitfire on the opposite flank. Opponent was playing vanilla PanO with a Cutter. Some observations: Maggie is 78 pts, and the Cutter I believe was 115. It's that's literally more than the cost attributed to my Khawarij Spitfire. One of the maghariba guard's primary advantages is cost - it has very little bloat, a hefty discount from S8 and Heavyweight, and the right tools for most jobs. Concentrating on killing enemy orders was key. Ghazis choke up the midfield and provide save passage for Maggy. At one point a Ghazi threw down smoke to block LOF from the Cutter allowing maggy to engage more vulnerable enemy models. Aside from the cost and size it's a vanilla TAG. However, within faction this gives you a ton of options that other factions would envy. The cheapest vanilla TAG in other factions afaik is pushing 90 pts. The price differential buys you a few Ghazis to protect the TAG. In context the price difference has to be viewed as a defensive advantage since the implications for list building are huge. As with any TAG it's extremely vulnerable in the midfield especially early game. Be aggressive, strike hard but prepare to retreat behind blocking units. Being cheap, Maggy leaves you room in your list for plenty of these. T1 it engaged enemy at long range. T2 it pushed up to midfield to do some damage then retreated. T3 it blitzed hard and ended the game in my opponent's dz on suppression.
Well, here's a thought I had: if the Maghariba has a "hard-kill"* missile defence system for her ECM (which it looks it could be, with all those cylinders), we could make it protect the TAG against other attacks. By RL analogy, it should be then able to affect Missile & Rocket Launchers, Panzerfausts & their analogs (Blitzen, Flammenspeer, Akrylat Kanone), DEPs and, if memory serves me, E/Mitters - all of them are described as firing large, slow (compared to bullets), non-kinetic warheads. How it would affect them? I believe an additional saving throw would be overtly slowing the game. However, a to-hit modifier should do fine (it might be also range-related: the farther you are, the more time the ECM has to react to the incoming missile. Meaning ECM could be useless below a specific range band). * RL term for contermeasures that are shot to destroy enemy missile in flight. Most actual ECMs are "soft-kill", that work by messing up missile's guiding system - by jamming, false targets (flare, chaff etc) or reducing target signature - to make it miss the mark. Hard-kill tends to be dangerous to the surrounding (especially friendly infantry near the vehicle using it), but can be used against "dumb" projectiles (for example, shoulder-fired anti-tank launchers, like the RPG series) that lack any guidance system "soft-kill" ECM could mess with.
I used her myself last night. Not sure. I'm not in the TAG hate camp. Liked them before the buffs and used Sally a lot with Nomads. These days though I turn more towards the S5 guys after their emergence and with Akbar doc seems like it could be strong.
"If, after application of this rule, the Guided shot misses its success value by 6 or less, place a small teardrop template, its focus in base contact with the trooper..." Don't mind me, just screwing around.
What if Maggies ECM simply covered the whole board? So she don't just protect herself from Guided ammo, but all her allies as well.
That could work. But then again, Guided weapons are so rare at my tables (and almost never used in the Guided role - the last time I actually fired one, it was acting as a direct-fire ARO) it would be just more of the same stuff: shiny trick you never use. Still: that's my meta. Perhaps other metas have it in a different way?
Its one of those models you want to be great. It looks amazing, but its just OK play wise. I've had some success with it, but I find the profile is too big for most games. It just can't move around the table very well. I played one tournament and was forced to play it on the last round on a dense table. I spoke to judge, before the game started and he had to re-positioned the terrain to make it remotely playable. It was a fun tournament and my opponent agreed.
Prolly shouldn’t have but I’ve done it. Quite like the 10 orders lists I can make with one. Not really what I’d call ‘power Haqq’ but I’m gonna run it at a ‘beginner friendly’ event in Feb.
With pistols you need to win FtF. At best, you are rolling once vs his 3 rifle shots. At worse, you are rolling once vs CC20+ with MA3+. With the flamer, you just autohit. You are afraid of very few things able to take you down in the one normal roll they will be getting in. And if that particular model *has* something you are actually afraid of ( EM / AP+EXP ) then you *really* should have though and tried to prevent it from ever reaching you. Also, Flamethrowers are a very nice camo discovery. Walk into range of a camo marker. Didnt explode or ARO? WIP14 Intuitive attack with a flamer on the next order. Walk close to a enemy fireteam and park there (did this with a Szalamander my last game). His turn, if he moves the team 3-4 members get flammed on his active turn. Basically, pistols are just a BS weapon when you already have a MULTI-HMG. A heavy flamer adds a whole new dimension to things that you can do.
No matter if you are using a 360º Maggie or not... always end with Sup Fire! Meaning 3 combo shots at +0, imposing a -3 to the rival directly. And if that rival came from behind, not only you cannot fire regardless of loadout (unless 360º), but... where is her support? An engineer should always be trailing Maggie! :p
No, you would be using the Multi HMG, but my point was that the flamer gives you options the pistol won't. Sure, if you don't end in sup. fire, you will roll at -3 (or more), while the pistols give positive mods, and sup fire will be at +0 (or worst, with camo/cover...), but a flamer gives a lot of pause, and sup fire is B3 and imposes a -3 to the enemy (which goes to -6 if your enemy did not manage to negate your cover).
I agree the Flamethrower option is the way to go. Scare those things that can chew you up from getting close.
The only downside to maggy is literally her cost. Like IRL, shes $86, and like 86lbs, or for those across the pond "metrically thicc". I have used her with great success, but she IS a main battle tank-tag, your not running her up mid field you are dancing her around your deployment edge, and picking threats you want erased from existence. Shes extremely durable, and extremely cost efficient. With ghazi, hunzakuts, and cheap ghilim ARO threats she has the affordability of more protection than I think any other tag in the game by her simply being a HAQQ tag. I have never not loved her performance and I have been running her since she came out a couple years ago when her re-sculpt put HAQQ into my primary faction solidly. 78 Point loss is large, but not nearly as substantial as other factions. Shes often a support element of my list, as such I do not usually miss her much. Sure throw your speculo at her...eat a Hevy Flame throw. If your speculo is killing her, then its dieing and your only eliminating one element.
