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Steel Phalanx in N4 Tactica: Updated for Blackwind Changes

Discussion in 'ALEPH' started by yoink101, Mar 5, 2022.

  1. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    A bit ago, I was lucky enough to do an episode on Steel Phalanx, the Assault SubSection (ASS) with the Wip12 podcast. I wrote a bunch of stuff down to prepare, so I thought I'd clean it up and post it here. Then I made some changes after playing a few games with the Blackwind update.



    Unit Breakdowns



    The fairly standard unit breakdown. I will highlight what I use, what I like, what I struggle with, and what doesn’t work for me. This means that there will be some great profiles that I don’t love and some mediocre stuff that I adore.



    Light Infantry



    Acmon, Sergeant of the Dactyls

    [​IMG]

    Acmon got a huge overhaul with N4. 2 wounds is a phenomenal boost in durability. The ability to wildcard means that the Assault SubSection has ubiquitous access to an engineer. Instead of the Thorakitai fireteam or the rare Dactyl fireteam, you can expect to find Acmon in Myrmidon teams. This means that it makes it a little more practical for ASS to lean into rems for support or aggression, as Acmon is likely to follow an unconscious attack remote up the table.





    Andromeda, Sophistes of the Steel Phalanx

    [​IMG]

    Andromeda is a phenomenal profile. I think she struggles in Steel Phalanx because of the sectorial’s lack of infiltration. The only other profile that has infiltration is Thrasymedes, but he loses his light rocket launcher and his ability to link when he starts out of the deployment zone. Andromeda is phenomenal in O-12, and I think she is still a powerful alpha striker in ASS, but she can be very vulnerable if you don’t get first activation.



    Personally, I much prefer the submachine gun and zapper to the boarding shotgun. The flexibility of burst three opposed shots or an e/m template are very nice to have.





    Dactyls

    [​IMG]

    Dactyls mirror the “standard” doctor and engineer profiles of other armies. True to ASS, they come with additional cost and some benefits. The dual breaker pistols exist, and can situationally be nice. The adhesive launcher and flammenspeer are nice additions. Dogged can mean they make it to the objective where one wound specialists might die. Their high stats aren’t terrible either. Although I’d prefer WIP 14 or 15 as opposed to the relatively bland CC 19.





    Dactyls work well as solo specialists if you want to bring a doctor or engineer but don’t feel like building an enomotarchos team that can include one. The duo isn’t a terrible option because you can efficiently move both around, but then you lose access to the extra coverage provided by Yudbots. I typically only take Dactyls if I really want a doctor, but I didn’t bring Machaon. A haris that includes one or two Dactyls and/or Hippolyta and Thrasymedes is certainly an attractive option for getting aggressive and bringing specialists up the table.



    For some reason the Blackwind update saw their AVA reduced to 2 (although I’ve never taken more than 2, usually from 0 to 1). They can also join a Thorakitae fireteam, which adds some flexibility. It’s also worth noting that the Thorakitae engineer is gone.





    Netrods

    [​IMG]

    Netrods are great. Keep them hidden.





    Thamyris the Aoidos

    [​IMG]



    I really wished that I liked his profile. A WIP 14, NWI, Hacker is solid. Pitchers are great. His lack of linkability and ALEPH’s lack of tinbots and forward deployed repeaters means that he’s mostly just a liability. You’re better off hacking with a DA CCW.

    Pandora, Steel Phalanx’s Iatromantis

    [​IMG]

    Thamyris has been replaced by Pandora. Their statlines are exactly the same. The only change to their skills are that Thamyris had Journalist, and Pandora replaces it with Dodge (-6) which means that any face to face roll in which Pandora dodges, the opponent has to deal with a -6 to their roll. It is a solid defensive skill. Even a CC specialist can lose with a -6 penalty. It serves a similar function to Zero Pain, in that Pandora is excellent at delaying her death a wasting your opponent’s orders.



    Also, like Thamyris, Pandora has a pitcher and a burst two flash pulse. The big upgrade, for a whopping one extra point, is her burst 3 viral pistol instead of Thamyris’ assault pistol. I like this trade.



    For two more points, you can add a burst two medikit or an SMG to her loadout. She’s not an active gunfighter for me, so I prefer the medikit if I’m going to spend the two extra points, especially because the SMG profile loses the viral pistol.



    Her real upgrade over Thamyris is that Pandora is a wildcard. Adding a sixth sense hacker with NWI and a BTS is a significant change for ASS. We’ve never had it before. She is a phenomenal addition to any fireteam with Hector, as that team will already lose out on composition bonuses, and then Pandora can benefit from his tinbot as well.



    Thyreos, Thyreophoroi Mobile Regiment

    [​IMG]

    The Thyreos is ASS’ entry into the skirmisher type unit. The fluff suggests that it is ALEPH’s attempt to answer Haqqislam’s asymmetric warfare. It’s really too bad that ALEPH didn’t learn the lesson of what makes Daylami good, in my opinion. The Thyreos is an interesting profile that seems too expensive for what it does. It’s really too bad, because even just having HD or camouflage would make all the difference. As it stands, a forward deployed model without any way to hide itself and a physique of 10 leaves a lot to be desired.



    The dodge +2 inches is interesting, but having physique 10 renders it less than ideal. The monofilament weapon is great, and NBW along with CC Attack (-3) is a solid combo. Unfortunately, CC20 means that it’s not going to be reliably winning in CC like models that can boost their CC above 20. Overall, I think the Thyreos adds forward deployment and mines to ASS, but I can’t say that I love the profile. I feel like it’s paying a lot of points for things that it doesn’t excel at. I would be happy for someone to prove me wrong, and I will definitely try it out to see what kind of mileage I can get.



    I like that the hackers both bring e/m mines. I don’t like that they are hackers that start without the protection of a marker state. I like the minelayer, because it at least has a way to insulate itself. I think the non hacker profiles are reasonable options for using a command token to put into suppressive fire to bog down your opponent.



    Warcor

    [​IMG]

    An extra flash pulse for 3 points is great. I usually find that I don’t make it to 15 regular orders with ASS, so I often include the 360 visor warcore. Usually I have the flash pulse cover a diagonal in front of my deployment zone. That way, if my warcore gets extremely lucky and survives, the flash pulse stops an attacker after a few orders have already been spent.



    With the introduction of the HD Agema (along with the mix of Ekdromoi available) I’m less inclined to take the Warcor. I like the idea of leaving room for the potential of Atalanta or two Ekdromoi as possible threats that my opponent has to prepare for. Still, it’s a solid 3 points.





    ITS Bike Recon

    [​IMG]

    In the missions she’s available, the biker is phenomenal. For free, I like the Red Fury with cover. She becomes a top tier gunfighter for free. If I pay for a biker (OSS or vanilla) I prefer the SMG profile. I much prefer the chain colt to a boarding shotgun because the chain colt can actually be used to intuitive attack. Usually I’ll leave it getting cover for the off chance that I land an HMG or a sniper rifle.



    Medium Infantry



    Agema Marksmen

    [​IMG]

    The Agema lost one point of WIP and gained hidden deployment. The M12+x visor profile lost the visor and swapped for a MULTI marksman rifle. This change, namely hidden deployment (and surprise attack), is an astronomical shift for the Agema. It has transformed ASS from an army that deploys on the table with near complete transparency, into an army that can actually keep your opponent guessing.



    I liked Agema well enough. But, they had a very clear vulnerability. Low CC and being a model on the table, made them prime targets for impersonators and infiltrators. No longer! When you don’t place a model, your opponent has to guess where you are. If they don’t have sensor in your deployment zone, (which, let’s be honest, when the synched preta lost sensor, there’s unlikely to be an enemy sensor in your deployment zone) then they can’t reveal your Agema until you want to. This single skill changed the Agema from a sometimes useful, but usually vulnerable piece, into something that I am going to bring in around 90% of my lists. Realistically, the only reason I’ll leave an Agema (or HD Atalanta) at home, is if I’m bringing Ekdromoi instead to keep my opponent’s on their toes.



    The threat of a hidden missile launcher that can see through smoke and ignore mimetism mods is an absolute game changer for ASS. We just got something to rival a Noctifer.



    In all honesty I think all three profiles have their merits. The missile launcher is a phenomenal ARO. Place it in a spot that has large lines of sight. Your opponent might see it coming, in which case they will likely spend extra orders being cautious in their movement, or they will be oblivious, in which case you may have the chance to drop a template on a poorly maneuvered fireteam. Either option is phenomenal. For extra shenanigans, put a linked 16 point Myrmidon in front of the Agema to toss smoke as soon as the enemy moves into LoF. Now you have a more predictable, but even more lethal ARO through smoke.



    I think the MULTI marksman rifle is an excellent unexpected hunter. Suddenly you have burst 3 MSV2 advancing up the table. That’s a great way to put your opponent on the back foot.



    The sniper strikes a balance between the two. A good ARO, and a decent hunter. With Atalanta only costing 9 points more, I don’t see myself using the sniper very often.



    Atalanta, Agema’s NCO

    [​IMG]

    While the average Agema marksman is solid, Atalanta is something else. At an effective BS 18, she is the best marksman in the human sphere. Her ability to win face to face rolls is unparalleled.



    She gained the ability to reroll discover checks with Blackwind, which is solid. It’s good to remember that marksmanship only works with BS attacks, so she still has to deal with cover when making a discover roll. Still, two dice on WIP14 that ignores mimetism means that she’s very consistent.



    The Blackwind update to her cheaper profile floored me. Hidden deployment on a BS18 sniper is incredible. I can’t sing this profile’s praises enough. She is phenomenal. Previously, if I had 5 points, I’d upgrade to total reaction. If I didn’t have 5 points and I wanted to bring Atalanta, I’d find a way to drop something else to get the total reaction profile. As I mentioned above with the Agema, hidden deployment allows you to keep Atalanta safe until you can reveal her for the best impact. She doesn’t have surprise attack like the Agema, but that’s fine. She’s usually hitting on 18s.



    I love that both of her profiles are solid. The issue with the total reaction profile, other than the fact that she’s on the table, is that it can be easy to get over confident if you aren’t careful. Atalanta is still very mortal. She can lose a face to face roll against something with high burst, especially if it can get within 16 inches. I like to deploy her so that she looks across my deployment zone. Turn 2 or 3, I’ll use her to control a long lane or threaten a particularly troublesome fireteam or gunfighter.



    Chandra Sergeant Thrasymedes

    [​IMG]

    Thrasymedes got a few minor tweaks. He’s cheaper. He lost his 360 visor. He gained a flash pulse on his infiltration profile. He is also a forward observer instead of just being a specialist operative. I’m a little sad that Thrasymedes and generic Thorakitae lost their 360 visors. Overall, I’d say his changes are pretty good though. He is still basically Phoenix light. Closer ranged, no close combat specialization, no smoke, no NWI. He is also a wildcard, which is nice for flexibility, and is a specialist to boot.



    I like him as a cheap substitute for a Myrmidon character. He’s excellent as the budget attacker for any fireteam. When I want an additional team on the cheap, Thrasymedes and a couple of Thorakitai are a solid discount option. Even dumping him in with Ajax’s fireteam as a cheapish specialist and backup gunfighter is a solid option.



    I don’t love his infiltration version because he loses the rocket launcher and he doesn’t have much support in the midfield if I don’t get first turn. I suppose there’s a list in which Thrasymedes, Andromeda, and a couple of Thyreos bog down the midfield. I wouldn’t want to pay 100+ points for SMGs though.





    Diomedes, Ekdromoi Officer

    [​IMG]

    Unfortunately, we lost our quasi two wound AD character. I will remember Diomedes fondly.



    Drakios, Steel Phalanx’s NCO

    [​IMG]

    Drakios saw a pretty significant transformation. His CC weapon was upgraded to e/m, but unfortunately that came along with a significant decrease in his CC prowess. He lost the ability to take a second bot, which I felt was one of his strengths (the extra template, ablative body, and discover roll were all valuable in my experience.



    The biggest changes for him are that his bot gained mines (cool!), he has a fireteam option (neat), and he gained BS attack (continuous damage) (phenomenal!).



    Overall, I think he’s a tough sell in ASS as there is a long roster of strong characters with a similar cost. Still, his albedo can be worth considering if your opponent knows you’re playing ASS and they want to spam MSV to counter you.



    Ekdromoi

    [​IMG]

    While ASS is lacking in midfield skirmishers, Ekdromoi do a great job of filling that gap. I would prefer a marker state or smoke that would allow them to put their competent DA CCWs to effect, but AD, stealth and superjump means they actually can make it into close combat often enough. Plus, the new killer hacker profile can do just that with cyber mask to leverage mobility and cc of the Ekdromoi. At least until it scores a kill and frenzies.



    As gunfighters, they are fine. It’s hard to catch models out of cover in N4, but getting onto the table behind a model is one of the best ways to do it. No one wants to eat a spitfire or even an SMG in the back from outside of 8 inches.



    It’s worth noting that the new killer hacker profile can combine cyber mask and super jump to get to targets that would otherwise be hard to approach.



    Really though, it’s the 20 point chain rifle and the 25 point hacker that most often make it into my lists. Being able to pop a warband into an inconvenient location can be wildly valuable, especially when you can keep your opponent guessing about bringing an AD chain rifle or an HD missile launcher.



    I am a little sad to see the loss of the combi and boarding shotgun profiles. While they didn’t always make the gun, it was nice to have the option of an SWCless shooter. Sill, I was much more disappointed to see Diomedes disappear.



    Makhai, Steel Phalanx’s Operative Unit

    [​IMG]

    The Makhe offers an interesting new option for Steel Phalanx: a good gunfighter with NCO in a mixed haris. I love MSV1 along with mimetism. It generally manifests as a relatively cheap unit that is competent with a firearm. I like that they have solid armor and BTS. I love the spitfire/marksman rifle/red fury rangeband because there are so many guns (flash pulse excluded) that you can outrange or under range.



    I really like that one Makhe can be the attacker for a mixed fireteam including a relatively cheap specialist (Pandora, Scylla, Thrsymedes, or a Thorakites if it’s a Thorakitae team) and a brawler (I’m looking at you Hippolyta) for an effective mixed fireteam that breaks the mold of previous Steel Phalanx teams. The order efficiency of NCO (if Hector isn’t already in the list) in a sectorial that leans heavily into fireteams is phenomenal.



    All that said, a Makhe is a little on the pricey side for a one wound model, and while I do like that they bring a little bit of a different option to Steel Phalanx, they won’t feature in all of my lists.



    Nesaie Alke, Tharakitai Warrant Officer

    [​IMG]

    Nesaie brings NCO, which is welcome. Her linked spitfire is BS 13 and burst 5, which will reliably win a lot of gunfights.



    With Blackwind, she increased her cost by one point and gained the specialist operative skill. She is also the only Thorakites who kept her 360 visor.



    I have used her. I don’t love bringing her. Thorakitai fireteams are only 10-15 points cheaper than myrmidon teams. So if I really need the points, she’s a good option, although I think Thrasymedes is a better candidate. Sometimes she rocks through an opponent, to the console and is the hero. Other times, she gets an unlucky roll and drops because she’s just got one wound. Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of an unmodified gunfighter, especially one that only has one wound and is getting up towards 30 points.





    Scylla, Steel Phalanx’s NCO

    [​IMG]

    Scylla had a huge transformation with Blackwind. Her statline is a little different: +2CC (why?) -1PHYS (bummer) and +3BTS(this is fantastic). She also became one point more expensive, but she also has a profile without any bots that brings her cost down and can get her into a fireteam, which is solid. She even has a profile with a 12 point bot that generates an order and brings a repeater, which can also join a fireteam. I love the flexibility of the bots in her new profiles.



    Scylla is one of the most potent hackers in the game. Repeaters on her bots, bonus damage Trinity, and ecm to make it harder to beat her face to face. When she’s got one or two other hackers and repeaters in the midfield, she can absolutely dominate a table.



    She is even a little stronger now that she can be in a fireteam behind Hector’s tinbot. I also love that she can go in a fireteam period, because it means that her old drawback, of being a boarding shotgun starting in the deployment zone, is not longer so much of an issue. When she’s in a fireteam with a Makhe as the lead gunfighter, the fireteam is advancing to where she is more relevant. Steel Phalanx just ranked up in their hacking prowess. I think they’re about as strong as they can be without having access to infiltrating minelayers with repeaters, or forward deploying repeater bots.



    Teucer, Agema Warrant Officer

    [​IMG]



    Teucer had a brief window with marksmanship level x where he could stand out against Atalanta. I don’t think his Blackwind update really fixed the issue. It’s odd, because he’s good. He is like a Makhe with increased BS, NWI, and a biometric visor. Still, he is more expensive, and his long ranged gun, while potent, doesn’t fit as well into an aggressive fireteam, where he’s shooting from the midfield. If the goal is to bump up the damage potential of the Makhe, he’s a solid investment. He does lose out on NCO and he can’t fulfill the requirement, so a Makhe or Hoplite still needs to be present. I do think that there is a space for Teucer as a defensive shooter early in the game, and an aggressive lead in a fireteam in turns two and three.



    I think his change was more of a sidegrade than an upgrade. I think his role, especially being linkable, sets him apart from Atalanta in a meaningful way. Unfortunately for him, this change also comes alongside the introduction of the Makhe, which fits a similar role.



    Thorakitai

    [​IMG]

    Thorakitai are valued by a lot of players. They are well armored corner guards with direct template weapons who are fairly cheap. They are linkable for sweet bonuses, sixth sense and the extra burst on their templates. The new Enomotarchos with boarding shotgun profiles means that you can get a team of corner guards on the cheap.



    I don’t value Thorakitai highly. Mostly because ASS is already stretched pretty thin with their expensive characters. For four more points, you can bring Myrmidons who have most of what Thorakitai have, but also mimetism -6, smoke, and phys 13 dodges. Thorakitai are good, they can cut costs to get a solo attacker elsewhere, but I rarely build lists around them.



    In my mind, the Blackwind update doesn’t change this much. The addition of a cheapish hacker is nice, but the loss of BTS and WIP compared to Pandora means I’ll only reach for the Thorakites hacker if I’m strapped for points or I really need the extra hacking device. The loss of the engineer is a little bit of a bummer, because I often used it over the Dactyl to save 2 points. Interestingly, the SMG profiles all lost their 360 visors. They also swapped their chain rifles for pulzars. Depending on the cost of chainrifles and pulzars, the SMG profiles should all be 2 or 3 points cheaper. Usually, an SMG is about 5 points cheaper than a combi rifle, but here it’s only 2 or 3. I would love to see the base cost of thorakites drop to 10 points, as that would make them a pretty attractive cheap core team to add to many lists.



    Building an Enomotarchos of 3 incorporating the 12 point profile and/or the 16 point light rocket launcher is certainly plausible use for them.



    Heavy Infantry

    Achilles



    Achilles is said to be the greatest warrior in the human sphere. He certainly puts that moniker to the test. While there are a few (Ajax and Massacre among other) who are likely to beat him in close combat, few units besides TAGs bring Achilles speed, stats, and modifiers together in such an aggressive way.





    He is wildly fun to play and adrenaline inducing to play against. Obviously he’s not perfect. He is hackable. While stealth and high stats are certainly insulation, he can be shut down hard by a dedicated hacking network. That said, he can table an enemy single handedly if your opponent isn’t prepared for him and you press your advantage. In that case, you need to be careful to accomplish the mission first.





    If you’re building a list with Achilles, you’re building a list around Achilles. His cost and SWC generally prohibit a lot of other pieces.





    Achilles 1

    [​IMG]

    Version 1 brings full blown mimetism -6 and lacks frenzy, so he will be able to keep cover through the game. His disadvantages are cost and that he forgot to pack armor piercing rounds for his spitfire.



    I’ve found him to be a very strong striker, capable of dishing out -9 or -12 exchanges with ease. He has a little bit of trouble with armor and tags, but he can punch through with a couple of orders or by driving into close combat. I think he’s a little stronger in ALEPH than he is in ASS, but he’s still a solid point man for an ASS army. If he is the lieutenant, it is worth bringing an officer with chain of command for when he goes down.



    With Blackwind, he saw the loss of his MULTI rifle profile and his nanopulser was swapped out for a pulzar. It’s too bad he lost access to AP ammunition, although I don’t think I tried the MULTI rifle profile more than once. The extra burst is definitely worthwhile.



    Achilles 2

    [​IMG]

    Version 2 comes with a 9 point discount over version 1. His armor is tougher. He brought AP rounds for his spitfire. He’s even got forward deployment. He frenzies, and unfortunately he can no longer be dropped into a duo to keep him in check. His mimetism -3 doesn’t create quite the lopsided exchanges that version 1 can, but BS 15 and his extreme durability still means that he can punch through just about everything.



    Unfortunately, with the loss of Patroclus in the Blackwind update, Achilles cannot duo at all anymore. There was a time where he could pair with Acmon, and I rated that duo highly. Bringing a specialist who could help Achilles get out of isolation, brought an extra order, and could push buttons was a fantastic duo for Achilles. Especially because it kept his frenzy in check. As it stands now, I personally don’t value Achilles version 2 because losing cover on such an expensive and pivotal model is just...not acceptable.



    Ajax the Great, Myrmidon Officer

    [​IMG]

    Ajax fills a similar role as Achilles. He’s durable, a solid gunfighter, but he’s even more monstrous in close combat. He’s one of what seems to be an increasing number of models featuring both martial arts and natural born warrior, which means he can even shut down martial artists with some impunity.



    I know that I’ve heard players say they love playing with Ajax as a solo piece, and he’s strong in that role, but I don’t like starting a game with him being impetuous. I’ll always chuck him in an Enomotarchos team with at least one chain rifle wielding Myrmidon to keep him in check. Now that the forward deploying profile cannot link, I like it a little less. Burst 4 (or 5 if you add more members to the fireteam) makes him a monstrous gunfighter. He’s still solid without cover, but armor 5 is still vulnerable to even combi rifles. Armor 8 (including cover) is much less so. I also think smoke can be used to effectively help Ajax advance to where he needs to be to leverage his insane close combat.



    That said, the addition of the Thyreos to ASS’ roster presents an interesting idea. Ajax forward deployed under the watchful eye of Thyreos or two might be a worthwhile endeavor for a player who wants to take the risk.



    Hector, Homerid Champion

    [​IMG]

    Hector is a bit of an enigma for me. Plasma is phenomenal. 2 wounds plus NWI on an armor 5 platform is survivable as anything. His martial arts means that he’s a fantastic lieutenant if you’re expecting assassins trying to take out your LT. Two lieutenant orders along with strategos is phenomenal.



    BS 13 without mods in rifle ranges isn’t great though. And while the plasma rifle lieutenant comes in at a mere 23 points per order, he costs as much as a character plus two Myrmidons.



    I think there are certainly missions where Hector can shine. Anything where killing lieutenants scores points. He’s also a huge chunk of points in an armory or a zone in an army that can stick everything in fireteams to be incredibly efficient for claiming zones in the likes of frontline and quadrant control. Despite this, I don’t often lean on Hector.



    Hoplites Heavy Regiment

    [​IMG]

    The Hoplite seems to be the “replacement” for Patroclus. There are a lot of things to like about the Hoplite. Its cc skills plus total immunity means that it can be hard to assassinate. It has a linkable hmg with some durability. Total immunity can be incredibly useful when an opponent leans into explosive, double action, viral, or monofilament ammunition types. Drop bears are useful kit. Having access to a linkable HI engineer is pretty unique and very good when paired with the tag. ECM is great to have on an HI.



    Unfortunately, there are a few things to dislike about the profile as well. Armor 3 means that even combi rifles are a significant threat. BS13 without any mods can find itself in a hard spot pretty quickly. The shock cc weapon is disappointing. They’re on the pricey side for a BS13 HI shooter.



    Overall, I think the Hoplite adds an interesting option to ASS. A Hoplite hmg at the head of a Haris is solid. Hoplite along with Scylla and her bot jumps out as something that could throw its weight around very well. The cost is enough that I don’t think the Hoplite will become a mainstay of ASS, but it definitely mixes up the roster in a fresh way.



    TAG



    Agamemnon the Atreides

    [​IMG]

    Steel Phalanx has a TAG!



    I mean, let’s get real: CB should have just given Achilles the ability to score like he’s a TAG for missions where it matters. He’s still the only TAG I need.



    But, I get it. CB has to sell models, so here is Agamemnon. It falls into the same trap as the Thyreos and Hoplite with CC. It’s not good enough to actively use it. Still, I like the skill loadout (CC 20, NBW, and CC attack -3) on a TAG a lot more than I like it on the other two. This is because getting a warband into close combat with a TAG is such an effective way to shut it down. As long as the model that attacks the TAG doesn’t have monofilament, then having each attack be a coinflip, benefits the high wounds and armor that a TAG brings.



    Other than that, it’s got a nice profile for a silhouette 6 TAG. The added bonus of ECM for both guided missiles and hacking means that Agamemnon is a very resilient light TAG, only falling short to those with marker states. 62 points isn’t a bad price point either.



    The main gun presents a little bit of disappointment. An HMG is fine, but missing out on AP means that you’re not going to be very effective at shooting other TAGs. I do like the AP spitfire loadout, because Agamemnon has the extra layers of defense against warbands and hackers. So, it’s a good loadout for a TAG that wants to fight in the middle of the table. Plus, ASS has plenty of eclipse grenades to cover Agamemnon’s advance.



    There are a couple of solid duo options as well. The Hoplite engineer is nice, because it’s a very durable specialist to bring along that can repair it. I’m very disappointed that Acmon lost his status as a wildcard. I also like Pandora as a deterrent and specialist to follow Agamemnon around as he gets aggressive. Thrasymedes is also solid as a cheap specialist who brings a very different skill set. Finally, Hippolyta is a solid option to support Agamemnon because her super jump means she can get up to hackers or repeaters hiding on rooftops.



    Remotes



    The remotes are just the same as they are in any other army. The fact that the forward observer and total reaction hmg have climbing plus is a solid bonus. I’m not sure why the FO bot for ALEPH and O-12 is more expensive than the nomad variety, but alas.





    Because steel phalanx is so heavy on characters and fireteams, I find that I reach for remotes a lot less than I do in other sectorials. Their lack of combat remotes is also a contributing factor. The Daleth is still a phenomenal specialist and can be a solid addition to ASS. The Zayin is an excellent mobile gun platform that can be unexpected in an army full of aggressive shock troopers. The Lamedh and Probot are phenomenal as cheap options to bulk up your order pool alongside a couple of netrods. I love taking two Lamedh bots to be able to make a coordinated attack with Atalanta against heavy attackers.





    I don’t think the Samekh has much of a place in ASS. They don’t have a strong repeater network, skirmishing forward observers, or cheap hackers in order to use spotlight or forward observation to capitalize on the guided rule.





    The Probot EVO hacker can be a nice addition for adding a firewall to a rampaging Achilles or giving Diomedes a better chance to get where you want him. Too bad they’re only AVA 1. Scylla can be your EVO hacker if you’re looking for something with utility.





    Daleth Rebots

    [​IMG]



    Lamedh Rebots

    [​IMG]



    Probots

    [​IMG]



    Samekh Rebots

    [​IMG]



    Yudbots

    [​IMG]

    I find a lot of use for Yudbots. I love the AVA 4, but I’m disappointed that you can’t have more than two assigned to one model anymore.



    If you’re running Machaon outside of an Enomotarchos team, he’s a phenomenal candidate for two bots. One can be leaned on to extend Machaon’s considerable skill as a doctor. I like to keep the second close by so that it can clear deployables, provoke AROs, and give Machaon a burst bonus in close combat. Everything except the cc bonus are solid reasons to bring a couple of these little bots along with any unlinked doctor or engineer.





    Zayin Rebots

    [​IMG]



    Warbands



    For me, the Myrmidons in Enomotarchos teams, now just core teams capped at 4, led by characters are the staple of ASS. I can’t imagine bringing them without putting 3-6 Myrmidons on the table, plus a couple of characters.



    Generally speaking, while I know that the extra order for impetuous can be nice, I much prefer getting cover on expensive models with mimetism.





    Eudoros, Myrmidon Officer

    [​IMG]

    I liked Eudoros in N3. In N4, he gained shock immunity, +1 burst on the nanopulser, and is now a specialist operative. With the Blackwind update, he also gained NCO, 6-2 move, and went from 1 wound with NWI to 2 points of structure. He lost his lieutenant profile. He did go up in cost by one point.



    Personally, I see Eudoros as a lynchpin of many lists. His Mk12 in a fireteam is a phenomenal weapon. Mimetism-6 along with his BS 13 (now 14 if you have composition bonuses) makes him a top tier gunfighter. The fact that you can catch models with combi rifles and outside of their good range and snipers and HMGs inside their good range means that he can reliably beat just about anything in the active turn. And if you don’t want to risk an engagement with a Kamau, you can just drop eclipse and ignore it.



    Obviously he’s not the close combat monster that Ajax is, but he’s good enough that engaging him in CC is sometimes the correct answer. Given the bonuses from the rest of his fireteam, he can even whittle down a TAG in CC.



    His faster initial move value is a boost to him as it makes it easier for him to get into CC and it also means he has an easier time positioning to get a good shot with his Mk12.



    Number 2 is another very useful tool. Occasionally I want to send a Myrmidon with a Chain Rifle on a suicide run to place a couple of templates over stubborn or obnoxious targets. With Number 2, the fireteam doesn’t break when the Myrmidon fails an armor roll. Which can save me a command token or two over the course of a game.



    The new addition of NCO means that he adds a little more order efficiency to the list. If he’s in a fireteam with Acmon, even after an opponent strips two orders, that’s 10 full orders that can be dumped into Eudoros and his fireteam.



    Also, he can push buttons on WIP 14.



    Hippolyta, Amazon Officer

    [​IMG]

    Hippolyta is fairly comparable to the Myrmidon characters. Her stat line is similar. Her armor is 3, which is nice. Her cc rivals Achilles. Her breaker combi is a rare moment of AP ammunition. Also, she’s a wildcard. For me, this means she makes me consider Thorakites or Steel Phalanx fire teams. Mimetism -6 and eclipse are the two things that Thorakitae, Makhai, and Hoplites lack, and she can put both into those teams.



    Her blackwind update ended up with her losing a point of damage on her CC attacks, one inch from her dodge, and NWI in exchange for an additional wound, berserk, 6-2 movement, and an increase in her cost by 2 points. Overall, it’s a strong upgrade for her.



    Super jump can be nice, but it can’t be paired with a regular move like climbing plus. I have used to it dig out otherwise unreachable targets, but it’s rare. I find that I like super jump more on the Ekdromoi.



    Now that she has two wounds as is immune to shock ammunition, she is even harder to put down. Which is great when making dangerous attack runs at valuable targets.



    Machaon, Myrmidon Doctor-Officer

    [​IMG]

    The lhost, the myth, the legend. Machaon is a frequent LT choice for most ASS players. Wip 15 means a good LT roll, being a specialist means that he might actually use the order (if he’s not in a fireteam), and eclipse and his close combat prowess means that he’s good at surviving if your opponent tries to hunt your LT.



    If he doesn’t make my list, it’s usually just because I want to do something different for a change.



    Myrmidon Officer

    [​IMG]

    It’s rare for me to put a list on the table without chain of command. ASS lieutenants tend to be aggressive and often find glorious death in battle. The fact that she’s a specialist is icing. I like the boarding shotgun and eclipse profile if I don’t otherwise have eclipse in the fireteam. The combi rifle is great as a backup gunfighter.



    Myrmidons

    [​IMG]

    I’ve seen a number of ASS players recently who eschew the non character Myrmidons from their lists entirely, which blows my mind. The spitfire is a monstrous gun platform. 5 dice on 12s (or 13s with composition bonus) against 2 dice on 6 or below is glorious. He can even dismantle core linked shooters (as long as they don’t boast msv 2) reliably.



    The combi rifle is a fantastic backup gunfighter. Mimetism -6 means that he’ll just have better numbers in 90% of his engagements.



    The chain rifle profile is a phenomenal corner guard or an ablative wound for your fireteam. Even his pistol can be surprisingly problematic for an opponent.



    They are all around solid warbands and utility pieces. However, they pay for close combat, and are slightly worse than most other warbands. Their mimetism -6 solidly makes up for it in my mind.



    The only profile I don’t rate highly is the hacker. It adds a layer of vulnerability that means it is easier to remove an otherwise difficult to remove model. As a hacker, she is functionally identical in effectiveness as a Zhanshi hacker, except she’s 18 points more.



    With Blackwind, Myrmidons can now form fireteams without the support of a character or officer. This is a nice way to get a cheap but effective team on the table. It also means that if your character goes down, you can reform a team with the three Myrmidons left over and still push forward with them.



    Penthesilea, Amazon Warrioress

    [​IMG]

    Penthesilea saw some of the more significant changes to any profile in ASS.



    She lost her combi rifle, one point of physique, and her mimetism has been reduced to -3. Her cost dropped down by another 5 points, which is great.



    She gained an smg. While it is nice that she is cheaper, I would typically prefer a combi rifle to an smg because losing out on the positive bonus from 8-16 inches is significant. Because of some of her other bonuses, and the fact that she may not be able to gain cover in the next season (in which case I won’t be using her as an active gunfighter anyway), I don’t think it’s actually much of a loss.



    She is a specialist operative now, which is incredible. She is fast and aggressive. When attacking with her, she can push a button along the way. This is an incredible boon to her profile.



    She also gained smoke grenades. This is likely the most impactful change. Coupled with her 8 inch move value, Penny has a relatively easy time getting smoke into place, and then closing into CC on an enemy without ever drawing LoF. Without stealth, obviously there are still things your opponent can do, but she is very effective against most TAGs if she can avoid their direct template.



    If an opponent opts to keep everything down to avoid active turn shooting, she can close the distance between deployment zones in two orders. Then, she’s free to get murder and mayhem underway.



    Phoenix, Veteran Myrmidon Officer

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Phoenix is the other long ranged threat (besides Agema). The only Myrmidon who brings a weapon that can shoot past 24 inches he presents a significant threat. Even a core linked hmg can have trouble clearing him out because his mimetism -6 can tip the odds to his favor. Plus, now he can get up to BS 14.
     
    #1 yoink101, Mar 5, 2022
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2022
  2. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    The good, the bad, and the ugly.


    The Good

    High stats


    Generally speaking, ASS models have high stats. Myrmidons and their characters rock phys 13 and BS 12 at a minimum. Armor, physique, ballistics skill, and willpower are generally average or above across most profiles. Characters sit on a minimum of BS 12 with mist bringing 13, 14, or 15. High WIP on specialists like Machaon, Eudoros, Diomedes, Myrmidon Officers, and Ekdromoi means that you’re more likely to succeed at the objective. Other stats mean you’re more likely to win face to face rolls. Coupled with mimetism -6, ASS can be hard to knock down.


    Lots of vis mods

    Mimetism -6 scattered through all of the Myrmidons and their characters is a massive boon. MSV can even the odds, but it’s expensive and usually only on a few models in any list. But, MSV can be worked around because ASS has access to eclipse on a handful of very good characters who are good to take even without eclipse. The possibility of getting Eudoros inside the positive rangeband of a linked MSV sniper means that he can take the risk and usually come out of top. It’s also possible to just avoid the sniper all together.


    Still, it’s worth being wary of things like a Rui Shi, Muhktar, or Aquila guard. Those high BS MSV2 models that are fast or in aggressive Haris teams can make engagements with ASS models trivial. It’s possible to get lucky and land the eclipse at the critical moment, but BS13-15 against eclipse on 16 is still a huge risk for the ASS player. Make sure to target those models that can shut down the bonuses you’ve paid so many points for.


    Enomotarchos Teams

    While you can run fantastic solo models in ASS, and I do, I usually have one (if not two or three) Enomotarchos teams at the heart of my lists. For each team, I generally want it to have three things:

    • Eclipse

    • Specialist

    • Gunfighter

    Eclipse is pretty straightforward. I want a model that can allow me to get around gunfights that I am not likely to win. The options are: Machaon, Eudoros, Myrmidon officer with boarding shotgun, or Hippolyta. The three Myrmidons are fantastic and one or two of them make it into most of my lists. Hippolyta is nice because she is a wildcard and can get eclipse into a Thorakites fireteam.


    There are a wide variety of specialists. Machaon, Eudoros, Thrasymedes, Myrmidon Officer, and Acmon are all solid options. Any of them can press buttons and all of them have a good or great WIP score. Then, of course, there are the Thorakites specialists, which have some solid options. FO, paramedic, and Engineer are all worthwhile additions to the Thorakites team.


    I usually steer away from the Myrmidon hacker. The utility can be nice to have, but it’s a 29 point hacking device with no BTS. This means that there is another avenue of vulnerability in the fireteam. I think there’s a place for her in a team with Hector and tinbot or in a list with Scylla because the Myrmidon is the only possible 6th sense hacker.


    I also like to have at least one gunfighter in each Enomotarchos team. Basically, something with mods that can shoot well past 16 inches. Eudoros, Phoenix, Ajax (and the exception to the 16 inch thing), Thrasymedes, or the Myrmidon spitfire are my usual suspects. They can reliably win 75% or more of the gunfights you’d want to get them into. Even core linked models can have a hard time, especially when you use eclipse to manipulate range bands.


    Then, depending on what else I’ve got in the enomotarchos, I like to fit a couple of extra bodies. Thorakitae and Myrmidons are both great because they have direct template weapons. If I can afford it, I prefer Myrmidons because they have the choice of chain rifle or nano pulser, smoke grenades, and decent close combat. This means that I have a lot of options when choosing how to react. Thorakitae are nice because the FO profile is only 13 points, 3 armor in cover is good, and it still has a direct template weapon in the form of a pulzar. The role of these extra models is to provide burst and sixth sense bonuses to the fireteam and to be ablative wounds for the expensive characters in the fireteam.

    With the new fireteam update, there are a couple of things to note. I left the Enomotarchos name in there, it just means a core team now, with the same 4 body limit as before. It is worth noting that because Myrmidons and Thorakitae are both listed with Core and not with Duo, you cannot create a Myrmidon or Thorakies fireteam with only two members.

    Unfortunately, Achilles can no longer duo.

    Finally, the discover and BS composition bonuses are a nice added benefit that I wasn't expecting. But, while ASS has achieved an occasional +1 bonus to BS, a lot of common fireteams before the update have lost 2 points due to the composition bonus. This has the benefit of making Phoenix even more effective.


    The Bad

    No Marker States


    Nothing has camouflage. Except now, the Thyreos and Ekdromoi killer hackers have cybermask. Still, this means that, except for any Ekdromoi (and now, Agema marksmen!), everything you have starts on the table. Mix that with the presence of Fireteams, and you have an army that can be very vulnerable to spotlight and guided missiles. ASS can’t even build a layer of defense with deployables, with the exception of the Thyreos mine layer.


    High stats and sixth sense from Enomotarchos teams can make the threat of missiles order intensive enough that it won’t be worth it for your opponent. It is still a threat to be aware of.


    The lack of marker states also means that you will need to be cautious getting around hidden deployment models and deployables like koalas and madtraps. Myrmidons in a four member team are great for clearing out mines and koalas, but a well timed Noctifer or Swiss missile can ruin a poorly maneuvered fireteam


    Tinbots

    Hector has the only ALEPH tinbot. Somehow, Yu Jing and Nomads both realized that giving their HI, hackers, and remotes in fireteams access to firewalls was a good idea. What I don’t understand is why ALEPH, who sends its remotes and hackers against Nomads and the Combined Army decided not to bring any firewalls. It’s annoying in ASS, it’s negligent in OSS.


    Vulnerabilities

    The two big vulnerabilities I see for steel phalanx, outside of what I mentioned above, are cheap units that can trade up and strong area control.


    Dogged warbands, infiltrating grunts, makauls, auxbots, really anything that can trade up is a solid threat. I find that shotguns are particularly annoying because they can counter expensive Steel Phalanx models cheaply and effectively. Honestly, this was more of a problem before N4, because most lists would include 3 or more models that could be very problematic. I ran into multiple lists with 4 infiltrating grunts or 4 (sometimes more) daylami that could create lopsided exchanges in favor of the opponent very reliably. If your opponent suicides a 10 point model, and you lose even one of your myrmidons, they’ve come out on top. With the 15 body count cap, I find that there are fewer of these cheap units on the table, but they are still worth being wary of.


    Area control can also be problematic. Tohaa with pheroware or sixth sense hackers with robust repeater networks can create significant roadblocks that can be extremely tough to get around, or may require sacrificing a model, which can hurt because of the expense. Most ASS models have high stats which can improve your odds of making it through unscathed, but it’s worth being cautious. After all, it’s better to get your 16 Myrmidon glued than your much more expensive Ajax.


    A Couple Other Things

    Probots are only AVA 1. It’s not huge, but it is a thing.


    ASS has access to four HMGs, the Zayin, Agamemnon, Hoplite, and the Thorakites. The Zayin can be buffed with an EVO bot or Scylla and becomes a potent and mobile hmg. A linked Thorakites is able to get up to burst 5, which is solid. But, neither of these options being the high bs mixed with mods required to take down core linked snipers reliably. They can win that exchange, but against a Kamau, Haidao, Bolt, and their ilk, there’s a good chance of just losing the exchange and getting knocked down. As I am a player who came from several PanO sectorials, this feels like a weakness to me, and something I need to be aware of when planning my approach to a game.

    But, the recent update with the addition of Agamemnon and the Hoplite changes things a little. Agamemnon is solid. A light TAG with an HMG and almost all of the survivability of a Gator (which is great). Taking him with the HMG means losing out on the AP spitfire, and considering ASS's easy access to eclipse, the AP spitfire stikes me as the stronger option. The Hoplite is a little disappointing. Total immunity is fantastic (hot take: it's the dumbest rule in the game and shouldn't exist), but with armor 3 the big difference will be against missiles and feuerbach's, it makes no difference against an HMG and is limited use against a sniper rifle. Anyway, I think there's potential, but it's not likely something I'm going to lean on a lot. I'll be happy to be proven wrong though when I get a chance to put it through its paces.


    The Ugly

    Hacking


    I need to revisit this section in a big way. ASS was a little stronger at hacking that I previously gave them credit for. With the Blackwind update, they're even better. Scylla is still one of the strongest hackers in the game. The Ekdromoi (which gain a KHD profile) is still phenomenal. Pandora replaced Thamyris (who I tried running a couple of times and turned out to be better than I gave him credit for) and is also linkable. Meaning that she has unlocked sixth sense without having to achieve it with the less than desirable (in my opinion) Myrmidon hacker. The Thorakites hacker has also unlocked sixth sense in a similar capacity to many other sectorial's cheap line infantry hackers. Realistically, I'll spend the 5-7 extra points for Pandora in most cases.

    There's even a something to be said for The Thyreos hacker. Although I'm not willing to say much in favor of a hacker who starts closer to enemy repeaters and didn't bother to bring camouflage.

    Close Combat

    I know, the fact that Myrmidons are good at close combat is real. But, CC21 with MA3 is at the lower end of CC specialists. This means that Fidays and Speculos are still fairly significant threats in CC. The characters are a little better with CC ranging from 21 to 24. Then, of course, there is Ajax, who might be the best CC unit in the game. At the very least he gives the Uberfall Kommando a run for their money.


    Overall, this means that, while CC is a very useful tool, it is one you have to use judiciously. You can’t just wade through bodies of Daturazi with your sword, you need to choose your engagements. CC is a fantastic tool to lock down a tag, to engage with a fireteam holding an objective room, and to give you an advantage when the opponent is a better shooter. But, CC won’t carry you through a game. Infinity is a shooting game, after all.

    Characters

    There are a few characters that I would categorize as ugly. While they may be great, and some players may absolutely love them, there are things about them that mean I usually look elsewhere for many of my tools. I’m also repeating myself a little bit here, but it’s written, so here it is.


    Hector

    I know. Hector is awesome. People love Hector. They should. His damage potential is astronomical. Burst four with plasma is just disgusting. He brings three orders for 23 points per order. In missions like Decapitation, where you need to keep your LT alive, Hector is a phenomenal choice. Armor 5 with threeish wounds, fantastic CC potential, Hector is hard to kill. He’s also a bucket of points to dump in a zone control mission.


    But, I find that I’m usually building lists with 4 or 5 characters, and Hector is expensive enough that he takes up two of those slots. He doesn’t have any mods, which can lead to situations where his damage potential just can’t be realized. While an x-visor is nifty, if you’re relying on hitting things on 10s against an opponent that isn’t suffering mods, it’s not a good plan. I like him, but he represents a huge investment that doesn’t necessarily take advantage of two key strengths of Steel Phalanx: eclipse and mimetism.


    Scylla

    She is a phenomenal hacker. She is a contender of being one of the strongest hackers in the game thanks to her ECM against hacking. Her trinity is up to damage 16m which is actually pretty good. She can bring an EVO device with trinity, or a hacking device with trinity. Both are solid options depending on what you want her to do. Flamethrowers plus a boarding shotgun mean that she is an absolute terror at close range. She can force hackable targets into no win situations: reset against hacking or eat two flamethrowers/dodge the flamethrowers but take an unopposed oblivion.


    Unfortunately, in the transition to N4, she lost her ability to cybermask. She is also a 4-4 model that starts in your deployment zone and cannot coordinate because of her synched bots. While she can single handedly remove an HI fireteam from an objective room, she is order intensive. I think she fits a little better into Shock Army of Acontecimento, when she has the support of a core linked hacker and forward deployed repeaters in Peacemakers.


    Drakios

    Drakios fits in a similar space as Scylla in my mind. I like him in Shock Army, but I don’t usually lean on him in Steel Phalanx. He can bring a level of ablative defense that can only be found in Scylla. Albedo is also a nice surprise for opponents hoping to keep you penned in with linked MSV snipers. The fact that he can dump (now only two) flamethrowers on a target, get two discover rolls on a camo token, or push a bad choice by attacking with a red fury and a heavy flamethrower at the same, are all points in his favor.


    He is expensive, he is on the low end of CC capability for the army, and he missed out on shock immunity that other characters gained. I think he is strong, but he is tricky to use and doesn’t fit into the Enomotarchos paradigm of ASS.


    Thamyris/Pandora

    I should probably chuck Thamyris over in the “bad” category. He’s like Uhahu (who is fantastic) but he’s more expensive, lacks white noise, can’t link, and doesn’t have the support of a repeater net. If he were a wildcard, I could see him having a place in ASS. As he stands, I can’t imagine actually putting him in a list.

    I'm keeping this up, because I thought that making him a wildcard would have made him better. First off, I was wrong. Uhahu is still better, but he did better than I thought in the games that I used him. Now that Pandora is basically the same profile but is a wildcard, she is great. Her viral pistols are a nice bonus that will rarely come up.


    Teucer

    Two points cheaper than Atalanta, but I don’t think he’s worth the savings. Feurbachs are good. NWI is a nice boon, especially with shock immunity. But he shoots on 14s and Atalanta shoots on 18s. For two points more. With total reaction.


    For some reason, CB translated marksmanship level X into triangulated fire. Because of the rangeband of the feuerbach past 32 inches, it is never the right choice. If he had triangulated fire (+3 or +6) then he would be interesting. There would be a place for him as a more aggressive piece while Atalanta is more defensive.



    Dactyls

    They are fine. They have the stats of everyone else’s 14-18 point doctors and engineers, but they also have dogged, phys 11 (instead of 10), and breaker pistols with +1 burst. I would rather they lost some of that and cost 3-5 points less, but they’re still good. Now that the Thorakites engineer is gone, Dactyls will see more play in my lists. I sometimes take the doctor if I don’t have a Thorakitai enomotarchos with a paramedic or Machaon.
     
    #2 yoink101, Mar 5, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2022
  3. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    Some lists that I have enjoyed using. These are not the end all be all of lists for Steel Phalanx.

    Lists

    Here are a couple of list ideas that I’ve used since the update and have been pleased with.

    Fireteams with Room


    Both of the “lists” below are excellent starting points. The first group has 10 orders (12 if you count NCO for Eudoros and Acmon’s tacAware order, then back down to 10 if your opponent strips orders). This leaves a good chunk of points for group 2 that can fit in 1-2 Agema or Ekdromoi.

    [​IMG]
    gr4Nc3RlZWwtcGhhbGFueAEggSwBAQoAgmABAgAAglkBAQAAgkwBAQAAgkwBBAAAgmEBAQAAgugBAQAAhjsBAgAAgkwBBAAAglMBAQAAglMBAQA%3D

    https://infinitytheuniverse.com/arm...BAQAAgugBAQAAhjsBAgAAgkwBBAAAglMBAQAAglMBAQA=

    [​IMG]
    gr4Nc3RlZWwtcGhhbGFueAlGaXJldGVhbXOBLAEBCgOCTAEDAACCTAEEAACCTAEEAACCYQEBAACC6AEBAACGOwECAACCTAEEAACCUwEBAACCUwEBAACCXwECAA%3D%3D

    https://infinitytheuniverse.com/arm...BAACGOwECAACCTAEEAACCUwEBAACCUwEBAACCXwECAA==

    With that, group 2 could look something like:
    [​IMG]
    gr4Nc3RlZWwtcGhhbGFueAggR3JvdXAgMoEsAQEEAIJaAQMAAIJRAQEAAIJRAQEAAIJbAQQA

    https://infinitytheuniverse.com/arm...vdXAgMoEsAQEEAIJaAQMAAIJRAQEAAIJRAQEAAIJbAQQA

    Obviously, there is a lot of room to move points around and try different things. Two iterations I really like are:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    All three of the lists above build on the same idea, two fireteams in group one (even though the third list drops Acmon) and a second pool with a lot of uncertainty.

    Typically, I will play Eudoros’ team aggressively in my first turn. Then, once they start to loose models, I can move an Ekdromoi into the first pool or advance with Machaon’s team. The second pool, with the Agema and/or Atalanta can make a vicious coordinated order with the two Lamedh bots and can also take losses to keep the fireteams running efficiently. The fact that your opponent does not know if you have AD or HD means that they are much more likely to make a mistake (with that in mind, I often like to take one Agema (or Atalanta) and one Ekdromoi to exploit any mistakes) and you can capitalize on it.

    Pandora is worth noting here. She is phenomenal. She’s an extra vector for healing models, and a burst 2 or three medikit is reliable without the potential cost of a command token. Paired with the two Lamedh bots in group 2, Pandora is actually a very cost effective defensive piece. It means your opponent has to spend extra orders to clear your repeaters before they get too close with their TAG or HI aggressor. She has NWI and high stats, so she could cost several orders to take out. A killer hacker might take her out in one order, but there’s a good chance she’ll survive, and a better chance that she’ll cost your opponent at least a few orders of moving into position before she goes down.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    If you have something against Eudoros, the fireteam above is a good alternative. It has very similar capabilities. Hippolyta brings a little more mobility, but the Makhe brings less durability than Eudoros. It also lacks the regular smoke that can make your Agema marksmen that much more deadly.
    Another List Type: Missiles
    [​IMG]

    This list brings in the current meta monster of guided missiles. Along with two hackers that bring pitchers at BS12, the baggage bot to restock, and the repeaters on the fast moving Lamedh bots, this list can hack and spotlight very well. Scylla’s recent upgrades puts her at top tier as far as hacking is concerned. She is still only one wound, but she can stack mods at least as well as any other hacker in the game.

    Atalanta can also be part of a devastating coordinated order with the Samekh and Lamedh bots.

     
    #3 yoink101, Mar 5, 2022
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2022
  4. Angry Clown

    Angry Clown Well-Known Member

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    I agree with almost all of the things.

    I would love my Scycla at least FD level 1. Then She could be really interesting. Better level 2.

    Patrocolus is now better in vanilla. But even in vanilla not great. I would wish he has some extra weapons. Maybe we could consider him more in duos. Rocket, plasma etc. for instance. Some weapons to trick opponent seing him as achiles.

    Dactyls need cheaper options.

    Myrmidon hacker needs a Help like tinbot and a trinity maybe.

    Why expensive rems in poor hacking army in defence and offence.

    I can understand this army has no marker states but why not they dont have defensive board control.

    Aleph in anycase must bring tools for phalanx in some ways. Phalanx doesnt seem like Aleph sectorial with lack of hacking presence or rem support

    Our poor bard hacker needs some Help. He must be in links.

    Teucer and agema both i dont like as they are. Marksmanship is a good idea to make them interesting.

    I want to see Achiles to bring some New ideas. He has to be better in phalanx than vanilla. If he has shotgun then Patrocolus can mean something. If he has an Ability to increases performance of other Myrmidons,buffing them or whatever wouldnt it be great?

    Penty is the most expensive unit in the game. Giving her an eclipse grenade Will make her shine up. And please dont tell me it is too much where there is chimera for 20 pts and Zuleyka for 11 pts in this game.
     
    #4 Angry Clown, Mar 5, 2022
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2022
    yoink101 likes this.
  5. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    I have faced Thorakitai FO used as ARO pieces recently.

    They were quite effective - a long-range ARO (Flashpulse) with ARM 3 (plus Cover). Sure, it doesn't win you games on its own, but pours sand into opponent's gears.
     
    Angry Clown likes this.
  6. Angry Clown

    Angry Clown Well-Known Member

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    Thorakitai fo was one of the most strongest defensive pieces in the game in N2. Still makes a good job.

    When i design a list i always take one or two.
     
  7. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    As far as I recall, flash pulse no longer gets the burst bonus for being in a fireteam. In N3, it was an option I employed a lot. Burst one just doesn’t cut it in my mind. Sometimes it’s great, but it costs almost as much as two Lamedh bots, which also bring mimetism.
     
    Savant and Abrilete like this.
  8. DukeofEarl

    DukeofEarl Well-Known Member

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    Teucer lost his Climbing Plus sadly
     
    yoink101 and Golem2God like this.
  9. Savant

    Savant Lhosthost
    Warcor

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    Thanks for sharing your love of Greeks.
     
    yoink101 likes this.
  10. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    Good catch. As if he needed something to make him less relevant...
     
  11. DukeofEarl

    DukeofEarl Well-Known Member

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    Yep. he was hit really hard.
     
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  12. Angry Clown

    Angry Clown Well-Known Member

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    Guys...
    Are you ready for New myrmidon links with plus 1 bs
     
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  13. Daniel Darko

    Daniel Darko Well-Known Member
    Warcor

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    That's strong.
    Almost the whole army is linked and therefor almost everyone gets to shot better.
    I like the new rules a lot.
     
  14. RolandTHTG

    RolandTHTG Still wandering through the Night

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    Hector and Achilles link options got nerfed.
     
  15. Nemo No Name

    Nemo No Name Aleph Cultural Atache

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    He's so OPPPPPP! Did you know he has Triangulated Fire and MSV2????????
     
    El tito Zylito likes this.
  16. c3gorach

    c3gorach Active Member

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    Hm... Myrmidons can now make 5 man Fireteams?
     
  17. Nemo No Name

    Nemo No Name Aleph Cultural Atache

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    No. Still max 4 for Core. See the note on top of the Fireteams.
     
    Stiopa likes this.
  18. Stiopa

    Stiopa Trust The Fuckhead

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    I hope this is one of the issues that CB simply ignores for now, since SP will probably get a rework this year. Of course there's no guarantee that it will get fixed then, but one can hope.
     
  19. Triumph

    Triumph Well-Known Member

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    No.
     
  20. c3gorach

    c3gorach Active Member

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    Yeah, I was checking the mobile app that doesn't have yet the 4 man clarification...
     
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