I brought two of this guy when he came out. Have probably played it that many times too. One is being converted into a Helot, the other sits loyally in the carry case awaiting his chance to prove himself... But try as I might, I just can't justify it. The linked Gao Rael outperforms it so much. When I ran the numbers, I found that the Nikaul uniquely outperforms the Gao Rael mainly by bullying non-visor based sweepers through saturation terrain - ie against a linked Fusilier HMG it did do sizeably better than a Gao Rael in the same situation. Its also good in that its ARO threatens multi-wound troops in a way that the sniper doesn't. But these two niches don't come close to "ignore smoke" and "burst two". As someone inclined to take gun triads in his list anyway, I just can't justify the Nikaul at all. Wondering if anyone takes either Nikaul profile regularly and why? What is it that justifies this unit's existance?
Take both nikOul and Gao rael :p Nikoul have always be one of my good piece. Within an active stratucloud he is a beast in ARO.
@WiT? I find that for my opponents Nikoul is much harder to deal with than Gao-Rael thanks to his Mimetism and Viral Sniper rifle. We can't really compete with anything that shoots through Smoke, so I'm not using my Nikoul to stop Intruders or similar troops, but they are invaluable on a table with heavier infantry. But really, just take both.
Nikouls are fantastic. They outperform Gao-Raels for me as often as not, based on a number of factors: sapper lets you deploy on the very back table edge, maximising your likelihood to outrange enemy HMGs and missile launchers, which a Gao-Rael is less likely to do unless perfect just-so cover exists equally effective against most links as the Gao-Rael thanks to mimetism (approximately equalising the lack of burst bonus) without requiring the support/cost of any triad members great synergy in ARO with the draal stratuscloud viral ammo That said I will often take both a nikoul and a gao-rael sniper. In infinity, two different but similar tools is very often better than two of the same tool.
tHIS IS off-topic, but WHERRe do yoiu see the place of good god bless america 10 regular o0rder lists in the face of the heathen hordes of 15-17 order lists that are ravaging our tables?
Alright, I'm gonna give it a go. The whole 'cover anywhere along the backline' seems pretty legit. When I ran the numbers against a Spez HMG, if you can deny 32" range this way its almost dead even which is incredible for an ARO piece. Thats christmasland of course but its a very high ceiling for a throwaway 28 point defender. Usually I like my ARO pieces to get hit, symbiomate, and go into cover, so having one that can't necessarily drop into cover will be leaving my comfort zone.
If push comes to shove and you need to use the Nikoul offensively, remember you can also move to just outside enemy LOF, and then as a long skill activate sapper. Sapper changes your silhouette, which can be used to shunt your base out from S2 to S3. It's order intensive, but this can bring you into enemy LOF without provoking an ARO (because it happens at the conclusion of the order), letting you potentially get that range and cover advantage offensively. Back when Ikari was released I landed a few 41" kills on linked Tanko missile launchers this way.
It performs just so well in aro through a statuscloud. You don't lose any dice, nor any visual mods. So this guy becomes a - 3for mim, - 3cover - 3 stratus not factoring the range (that, if done correctly, most enemies should go - 3 at least) The trick is easier made with a specops, but any draal would do
Requoting Khalipo with emphasis: However for personal reference I've also used a Nikoul in active through a stratuscloud, splitting burst to pick on a variety of vulnerable targets to maximal effect.
And Nikoul some times save me in active turn. We think at him as an aro provider but even in active turn he can be really helpfull once he leaves sapper state.(and think about retaking sapper state in total cover going from S2 to S3 might make you having line of sight on ennemies and they have no ARO as they don't see you when you declare your action ^^) I mean Dam 15 viral is one of most deadly weapon in the game ^^
so nikoul with stratuscloud is our second best aro piece, the best is muet with stratuscloud thanks to odd. so yeah I don't take the nikoul as often as I should. Gao combined with sukeul ml feels more threatening but also more expensive. also my tables rarely go some good spots in the back of the table so rare to outrange an hmg
This is something you totally deserve for even thinking of using weapons with such B in active turn :P