Been looking at my newly painted Kotail that I haven't used yet and planning to work it into my army in the next few weeks. What are some good units to hide it as with Holoprojector 1/2? Some of my early thoughts were to make them chaksas to push up the field with, but I saw Le Muet as well. A Kotail using H1 as Le Muet can take a symbiomate and looks like it has ODD which is a bit devastating to see on any side of the table. A Gao-Rael sniper could possibly hold some units from pushing a firelane since they think that they can't smoke it. Other than those there's not a whole lot of surprise options to pick from the Tohaa army to disguise him as that might play the mind-game with your opponent. How do you guys Holoproject your Kotails?
Holo2 allows you to: Detonate mines and Perimeter Weapons safely Surprise Shot Cross large gaps safely Bait out TO I wouldn't use just Holo1 as you lose a lot of offensive potential unless you spend orders to regenerate the Holoechos, and things like 3 Kamael Snipers or Makauls won't fool an opponent with any sense because they'll be missing a Fireteam: Triad marker. The Kotail is an aggressive piece, I reckon you're better off leveraging his extreme mobility and Holo2 than trying mind games. As you've noticed there aren't many great options for him.
I took three kamael FO, cause they are no real thread an can perhaps be overlooked. But I wouldn't bet on this.
You can hide it as a Chaksa, but as @colbrook said the Kotail is meant to be agressive and bring the fight to the enemy lines.
I have used it as Le Muet for the reasons you stated. You can give it a mate and a bomb and not look suspicious. I have also brought Le Meut as well and placed them on opposite flanks to keep my opponent from leaving out a much of an ARO presence because they do not know which one is real. I have also disguised them as Makaul. This works pretty well because I have often seen people promoting the tactic of leaving your Makaul's unlinked to get the benefit of the impetuous order and then link them afterwards, so 3 unlinked, identically equipped Makaul is as out of place as 3 unlinked identically equipped Kamael. I have also had the thought it could be fun to bring 2 Kotail and disguise them as HMG Neurocinetics Chaksa and then also bring 4 real HMG Neurocinetics Chaksa. Not sure how good it would be, but it seems like it could be funny.
1. Determine the points values what you're trying to hide, for example, 2 Clipsos FO at 50 points. 2. Add the cost of the Kotail, so total of 83 points. 3. Divide this total by 3, so 83/3 = 27.6. 4. Find a trooper in army that is roughly this cost, Gao-Rael Combi/ADHL at 28 points each. 5. Disguise the Kotail as 3 of these models. Deploy them, and clarify they're not linked, if your opponent asks. 6. ... 7. Profit!
It depends if I want it with a symbiomate. If so then it's usually muet prone on a roof waiting for people to over extend. With superjump you can get down to grenade range very easily. If I'm going to echo 3 I might pick chaksa flamers or kamael FO depending on the flank guards I'm pretending to have
Remember to mark one model as holoecho in your active turn: If the player is using models instead of Holoecho Markers, then at the start of his Active Turn or if he activates the Holoecho state in his Active Turn, the player must place a Holoecho Marker next to one of the three models, but it is not compulsory that model be the real Holoprojector L2 bearer. By this way, his adversary can know he is facing a Holoprojector L2 trooper in order to be able to delay his AROs. The player can remove that Holoecho Marker at the end of his Active Turn. I mostly hide him as kamael cause I got the units for it but kaauri works better if you have 3
I looked at having him Holo L2 as Kaauri, but Kaauri are S1 and you need to match your Silhouette. The Kotail definitely seems like an aggressive piece like you all have mentioned, so I'll keep that in mind when I bring him to the table. I think what I was going for was a way to try and keep a lane for him to advance quickly if I end up going 2nd, which seems to be rather common when I play. (I have dice that like 18-20s).
Not sure how "if your opponent asks" fits here. You are required to place a triad marker and inform your opponent of the members at the end of deployment. I personally just go plane lvl2 with holoecho markers. It can be fun to hide him, but at the same time a superjump 6-4 is threatening and forces your opponent to play around him
Anytime I place 3 linkable models down without a triad marker, I get asked if they're linked. I assume this is my opponent being nice and trying to remind me that I need a triad marker. In the case of Holo2 Kotails, I respond that they are not linked.
You've run into the main problem with the Kotail. There is not a good pool of units for the Kotail to pretend to be. You can try fooling your opponent with him as an HMG Auxiliar or Le Muet, but in my experience, players are either not fooled, or accept that he is a target and then immediately shoot him with the appropriate piece (such as Rui Shi through Smoke, etc.). The Kotail is great, but it would fit better in a faction like PanO or Yu Jing, who have many unlinked S2 models whom the Kotail could bluff.
I like using it as Muet or a Sakiel VCR/Sukeul FO not in a triad but close enough to be a "filler" if a unit goes goes down. Muet is good prone behind cover not taking ARO shots on a roof. Your enemy will re-consider overextending their approaches and if you cover his flanks with flamers or Gao Rael getting cross shots it seems legitimate. ONce the coast is clear jump off roof, trigger Holo2 to blow up koalas. You can do a lot. The Sakiel/Sukeul is to fake using your LT order. Obviously in a place that isn't going to be accessible but in a place that can strike if needs be. The E/M grenade loadout is pretty neat as well.
They can ask and you can answer: 'Yes, he has ODD on.' They will not know until they actually declare a shot at him that there is no ODD modifier.
Alas, you would have to disclose that. But yeah, what @nehemiah said is true -- you don't have to do that until the Resolution step, when MODs are applied.
