I played Aleph before so big bag TAG are something I'm used too so I don't find too hard to build a list around a szalamendra or evn a lizard. (ps : I'm playing vanilla) But when it come to the iguana, I fail too understand how to use it. So, could you tell how do you use it in your games ? Some more specifics questions (any advice will be apreciated) : Stay in backline or move upward for offensive ? Engineer to repair it (maybe tomcat to be able to arrive where needed) or don't care because the operative will come ? What use for the build in repeater ? Do you take a specific hacker to use it (or only interventor for white noise) ?
I take Iggy in games where I know I'll be facing MSV and always supported by at least 1 Interventor and/or Mary. It's really not worth taking an engineer with it since it will usually die if it gets hit at all
The repeater is also really handy against close range REMs like the Shotgun Bulleteer/Pathfinder, Auxbot, Lunokhods, Garuda, etc, with careful positioning you can get a chance to Immobilise them before they shoot. It's also good with a KHD to stop camo/forward deployed hackers ambushing your TAG, though it's less useful if you wander into an enemy repeater zone.
The repeater certainly has it's uses as was noted above. But outside of the repeater is also has a few notable points. The first being one of the most obvious, it's a fairly cheap TAG. And Nomads can certainly bring a lot with those points saved. While you do loose out on the Multi-HMG/HRMC opting for a regular HMG instead, it's still BS14 which is quite a high point for Nomads as our BS is naturally lower overall. So Iggy still hits reasonably hard in the active turn against all but the beefiest of targets. Another thing to look at is looking at the ejection system from another angle. Yes it's not really worth repairing the Iguana but it does offer you some distinct advantages over other options. The first of which is that you have effectively 4 wounds between the 2 profiles. And on top of that, the ejection system will pass 60% of the time allowing you to get the operator temporarily out of danger and keep the HMG alive. And even if you fail the roll, there still is a reasonable enough percentage that he lands somewhere that isn't instant death and requires some level of effort from your opponent to finish him off. All that combined makes the Iguana far more survivable then he would otherwise appear to be. You're still going to have games where 2 wounds get stripped off, you fail the PH roll and disperse right into the middle of the enemy firelanes and get promptly blown up. But it's far more likely you'll simply get away and require your opponent to spend even more orders to finish you off. Another fun thing about the Ejection system is that you can sometimes do away with the Engineer all together and just Doctor instead. If the rest of your list is living models then you can count the Iguana as mostly a living model also since typically it will loose both wounds before you get a chance to repair. And then you are left with an HI just like any other living model in your list. The Iguana certainly has his faults (you really do notice that lack of Multi at times), but overall I've really enjoyed putting on on the table. It often performs well and pretty rarely am I disappointed with it's performance. You can't quite play it like a TAG shrugging off everything, but I have come to appreciate just how long it and the Operator tends to stick around.
The operator also counts for the full points value of the TAG in area control missions, whilst a pilot ejected from an unconscious TAG is worth nothing.
While I do really like the Iguana, I must note that it is particularly sad to go up against mono-filament close combat weapons because that will go through and kill the pilot profile at the same time it kills the TAG, robbing you of the extra wound it can normally be considered to have. You may find similar results against explosive ammo, particularly when it comes in at burst 2.
I've only had a few successful ejections. But that's probably because luck is real and math is a conspiracy theory, eventually a burst of regular ammo is bound to not have 100% wound efficiency. Overall I'd say Iguana is good, especially for games where cost, either surviving or holding. It's very much a combined arms TAG. On the active turn it is often exactly as strong as a full sized TAG, with the same speed, burst, and BS. So it's either more likely to survive (exp) or exactly the same (mono) than a full cost TAG. Sounds like a deal to me. If it's gonna die the same why pay more?
Both of the ED TAGs really want to avoid weapons that force multiple armour saves (DA, EXP, Viral, Plasma etc.) or T2, because one on bad face to face roll and they are forced to bailout or dead (especially in the case of the Anaconda) reducing their effectiveness greatly, so they tend to be best served bullying light targets that can't really do anything to them or slapping a bunch of negative mods on MSV ARO pieces additionally it makes a half decent distraction piece in a secondary combat group even more so if they no effective responses to it.
Best thing about the Iggy is that once it takes 2 wounds, it turns into a 2W HI packing an HMG. Even if that ML does all 3 wounds to a full-health Iggy, you still have the HMG on the table. Model is pretty cool, too.
Whatever you do DO NOT leave it inside 8" of your Interventor Lt if you're facing someone with Pitchers and competent Hackers. :'(
In all seriousness, the thing about Iggy is it's a BS14 Shock Immune MultiHMG that is cheap enough that most lists can function even if the Iggy does nothing. It's seriously great in missions where surviving after taking 3 wounds gets you lots of points. I've won a game of Capture and Protect rambling my Iggy at the objective, grabbing the goodies, taking 2 wounds and then failing my Eject roll and scattering into my opponent's DZ. My opponent was not impressed.
It`s regular HMG, would be too great to be MultiHMG for this price. Still should worth every point, pity I don`t have it)))
He keep the points but does he keep datatracker status (if yes : strong potential in there), G:Sync civilian (HVT, xenotech, civilian in rescue) and objectives (for supplies...) ?
Yes. He's the same Trooper. And yes, in Supplies or C&P he Ejects with the objective. https://forum.corvusbelli.com/index.php?threads/1778/
"Insert picture of a giant explosion with Iguana pilot being tossed into the air from said explosion. Flailing wildly holding onto a briefcase." Iggy doesn't fit in every list and you do have to play him slightly differently from your average TAG. But in those situations your opponents will just wish you had a Lizard or Szalamandra. :P
Interesting musing even if I'm not sold on it. Considering my meta and my luck it will be easily mopped out by my opponents heavy ammo or exotic gear (I am looking at you pesky ghazis). I am not sold either on Geckos, as they are subpar to Mobile Brigadas to me even after the pilots now got special operatives. And Iguana Operator is neither a viable button pusher as all other pilots (and the like for Remote controlled ones). Moreover the repeater is a liability with the current bloating of KHD everywhere (however this is another matter to discuss). I really do like the concept but they don't click for me. Happy to be proven wrong though ...
Could you elaborate? I am genuinely curious about why you take Geckos in such high esteem, especially because many fellow nomads here look down to them too ... ... I am ready to change my ideas about'em
Personally I'm a big fan of Geckos. They aren't the most optimal of profiles, but they are great, hefty speedbumps and that's their primary role. Try sticking a MK12 gecko in SF in cover near an important objective, you won't regret it
