- Aleph builds the toughest lhost it can manage. - Aleph installs in the lhost a super narcissistic AI that literally thinks it's a demigod. - Aleph propaganda sells the idea that the AI is godlike, throughout the human sphere. - Achilles strides boldly into battle, his golden mane shining in the sun... and immediately gets eaten by an alien. - Nobody is more surprised than Achilles. He thought he was invincible, he didn't realize he's just a robot doing cosplay. It's a pretty good story... made even better if Steel Phalanx players also believe the propaganda. It's kind of meta. Like, the OP is himself a character in the story about how Aleph fooled everyone. I like it.
Achilles indeed feels less special/unique this edition. And it felt a little wrong to me too. But then I though that Achilles is Superman. And Superman is powerful *but* kinda boring (so he can appeal to everybody, just like Achilles). If you don't feel unique with Achilles, think about that - he is still the single most expensive human sized model, and he is not over-costed for it.
*glances at the lore post by @Nemo No Name * - Aleph creates an AI dedicated to retrieving Achilles' damaged Lhost.
Nope. Achilles is not a simple souped up L-Host. He is the best L-host that can be manufactured by the sum of human intelligence. Add to this a basic l-host is superhuman in itself.
Don't mix up Patrocles and Penthesilea. Penthesilea is a master combatant who can also retrieve another LHost Achilles wasted. Patroclus is there to provide companionship for Achilles.
Frenzy gives a discount it doesn't cost points, so V1 did in fact get a points drop. While it may not have range and burst the spitfire doesn't really cut it anymore. His multirifle on the the other hand will kill a lot of things dead real quick. Sounds like a real unlucky continuous damage roll, can't really make an assessment on a model because the dice shit the bed. Edit: spelling
It happens sometimes. My regular opponent never used Achilles again after he died to one shot from an unlinked Yuriko Oda's Panzerfaust on his own turn. That said, he still seems really good to me, and a Spitfire can still kill all save 0-2 heavily-armoured units on the enemy side handily- and it's not likely those fatsos can take him in CC or hurt him back, either.
Not saying it doesn't, All I'm saying is basing an assessment of a piece based off of a series of low odds rolls probably isn't best practice, but should be something you're cognisant of. If I did make assesments like that I'd probably not be playing most of the models I have access to. Lately I've been finding that a stock standard spitfire has a lot difficulty in gunning down arm 3-4+ models in cover (V2's AP spitfire excepted), and have been favouring the versatility of the MR more (also frees up SWC elsewhere in the army, and I've always preferred that profile anyway.), delivery can be a pain in the ass at times but ultimately that's why you have something else punch a hole so he can get in there and make a mess.
I might be skewed in my perspective; most of my Spitfires are delivered on AD pieces or by quick, reasonably cheap units like the Bulleteer who can risk a flanking move. I've also been making very heavy use of Hacking to nullify the advantages of the most heavily armoured units; a Danavas or Scylla with some backup should be able to efficiently shut down anything Achilles can't while leaving an inconvenient Repeater for the enemy to maneuver around.
