Pretty simple question I suppose. Why would anyone ever spend the SWC on a US Airborne Ranger LT? Wouldn't you have to ditch parachuting in to avoid LoL on turn one, in which case you've just given up the biggest reason for taking one in the first place? Am I missing some simple, obvious answer here?
To play silly games, like having the Unknown Ranger CoC on the table and starting as the LT, but your opponent not knowing it, so he searches for your LT? I don't get it either.
unfortunately it doesn't work this way. Airborne LT isn't null or isolated. The only way to avoid LoL turn 1 is if your airborne LT starts on the board.
That doesn't even work, Chain of Command only kicks in if the Lt enters a Null state or becomes Isolated. If you don't deploy the Airbourne Lt on the board (by forgoing AD) you'll start in LoL
In Nomads and YJ, Hellcats and Tigers choose between AD and Multiterrain or Mountain terrain (respectively). In those instances, you may want to take a Hellcat Lt and then choose multiterrain and deploy him "normally". Obviously, you can choose to not use Parachutist, and deploy a Ranger normally... but there's no incentive to do so. Skills like Chain of Command and Executive Order do not work if your Lt. is off the table, awaiting Airborne Deployment. For about the same cost, I think a Marauder Lt would be better.
If I got it correctly, it's a remnant from N2, where, when the LT enters the battlefield, LoL was immediately canceled.
Nah, that was how Chain of Command worked with AD, if you started the turn in LOL and dropped in Singh then LOL would be cancelled mid-turn and you'd rebuild your order pool.
Heh and I specifically looked up CoC before posting. Reading comprehension fail number 3 of the day...
A remnant from a previous edition would make sense. It just seems so strange. Maybe on a different model deploying him on the board turn one occasionally would be helpful but with the Rangers kit I just can't ever find a reason to put him down in deployment.
@OP - you're right, there's no reason. It's only for people who really want the parachutist to start on the table as their LT (maybe for flavour/fluff reasons?) - but no game-reason for doing it.
If my memory serves me there used to be quite a few more and they deleted them with the 3rd edition transition.
