(Guess I have the pleasur of writing the first post here :) ) Hi guys, I wanted to try out this list in Anihilation and Safe Area. There are reasons why I'm using this list for both these missions. Or thinking off. I have a doubt on weather i should have the Agema Missile or Mk12. What do you think? Any other suggestion? 10 1 HECTOR Lieutenant Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser, Stun Grenades + 1 TinBot A / Heavy Pistol, EXP CC Weapon. (0 | 71) THORAKITES (Forward Observer, 360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) THORAKITES Paramedic (Medikit, 360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) THORAKITES HMG, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 22) AJAX 2 Combi Rifles, Nanopulser / AP Heavy Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 39) MACHAON Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | 38) MYRMIDON Spitfire, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (1 | 31) MYRMIDON Chain Rifle, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 16) SCYLLA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device UPGRADE: Maestro) Boarding Shotgun, Nanopulser + 1 Devabot Charybdis / Pistol, E/M CC Weapon. (0.5 | 27) DEVABOT CHARYBDIS Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (7) AGÊMA Marksman Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 27) 5 SWC | 298 Points
So SSA Limited Insertion? Wether mk12 or ML for the Agema is more about where you want to place him and how, frankly. I've used both, and while the ML is quite powerful I'd prefer to go the extra mile for Teucer, while the Mk12 has given me excelent performances as long as I placed him on the ground instead of a high perch overwatching even a part of the table. Mk12 advantages: the X-Visor offsets a LOT of the weaknesses of the weapon, giving it an excelent range, and very dangerous use while in Suppresive Fire. Disadvantages: it's more an active/middle range piece.
Yes limited insertion. Actually i was thinking of using the Agema as a piece to go behind the Myrmidons and take advantage of smoke. I can use the Mk12 for that but then I don't really have a long distance shooter (can't afford the Sniper) but I usually see the long distance ARO piece die very quickly... at the same time the Missile to go hunting... it's only good for the threat and possiblity of doing big damage because with B1 it won't be very efficient and will use too much orders. Mk12 can also be good to suppression fire. Do you see it being a problem? not having a Ap, EXP weapon and not having a long range threat? Im not a practiced player so in the end it won't matter much... Also with the MK12 my SWC drops alot... feels like I'm missing something
You don't really "need" AP/EXP weapons, you need to engage in CC using Ajax! Maybe you would prefer to have a Feuerbach Thorakite, instead of HMG? You will use Hector as a point man in that link anyway (plasma, while using the template, ignores cover +armor bonus), so you could go in three waves: Wave 1 would be the Myrm link, with the Spitfire in point. When they entrench, drop normal smoke and go forth with the agema, who has a mod of +0 against 32'' distance (X-Visor). You can also drop the smoke, advance with the Agema, and fry the total reaction in front of you (been there, done that! XD). Meanwhile, the Thorakitai link would remain in reserve, with the Feuerbach providing Burst 2 EXP ARO if needed.
Hmmm going to analyse that. I was thinking on the HMG Thorakitai to be point man while the team reached "Hector distance" and also to supressive fire on Safe area.
Hector has very long reach by himself (14 up to 32'', if I remember right), but if you need reach, 3 Feuerbach AP+DA shots should suffice to make one or two Move + fire orders. Granted, Burst 5 is better (even counting the DA making the F's potentially a 6 wounds impact), but once you are on Hector's "happy zone" it loses usefulness, while ARO'ing with the FO and the Feuerbach gives you reach for moving the Myrm's link the first turn (which needs to reach the center ASAP). Also, as long as you avoid more than 30º angle engagement from your Deployment Zone to the Enemy's, Hector should have reach in most missions (avoid diagonal shots for him!)
I would suggest replacing your ML agema by a sniper one (change the paramedic thorakitai in an FO one for the 1 point economy and better ARO). ML is a very nice defensive weapon but is quite lacking in the active turn because of its burst. No matter how good your BS is, with 1 dice you are always risking a bad roll. Sniper is a little worse in defense but has better range band and burst 2 make a lot of change in active turn. Could you explain why you took Hector ? What job are you imagining him doing ?
Problem is, with only one ARO piece, it will last (barring extraordinary luck) three enemy orders. And the Greeks forte is the close range, thus my mk12 suggestion (and going through a single fire lane/flank).
If I could I would have Sniper and Mk12, but alas... Hector? Because it's an awesome model? No?... :) It's limited insertion and I intend to use this list for anihilation and Safe area, so basically tactical flexibility. 1 more order in the pool, some resistance to hacking, tough, can link with Myrms or Thorakites. I would try him with Dactyls, but for anihilation... I think Thorakites resist a bit better. He is good at killing and with the help of an HMG or Feuerbach (xagroth suggestion) I think it can hurt. Also I could even decide on changing links. Use coordinated orders and supressive fire on the Thoras and have him go with Myrms and leave Ajax as a flank piece, etc. It's just a shame I can't have a doctor, that's why I have the paramedic in case hector needs some last minute chance of revival even if not a good one.
You have a Doctor... sorta. Machaon should be one (when eh is not clubbing his "patients" to death, that is!). As for hacking resistance, the shame is that you won't be linking Hector with Ajax... (only linkable IP's on the Greek army, after all), but it is certainly an option. I hope we can see a new "thorakitai officer" soon, frankly (18-20 points, kinda like Alke with less CAP intensive weapons).
Of course! How could i forget Machaon! :) The flexibility comes a bit from it. If needed Hector can join the Myrmidons. I expect that may happen on Safe area after I leave the thorakitai in guard duty in supressing fire. Scyla will hunt, impersonate, use the flamethrower, etc. I think I'll change for the Mk12. Last time I tried the missile launcher he was so far back that it got a bit forgotten, maybe the mk12 will be more in the thick of the action, discovering stuff etc. Let's see how I do whithout a Sniper. I guess I'm going to have to be very agressive
I would make some changes, Hector instead of Ajax with the Myrmidons, Thrasymedes with the Thora and the Agema with MSR. Ajax is a great unit, in my opinion, but in that list seems a bit out of place.
So... just to kind of "close" the topic with a bit of a conclusion. Got 2nd place at a local tournament, so not bad for someone who lacks a lot of practice. Regarding this list performance. Conclusion, not that good for Anihilation. In second game of the match, Safe area, it was very useful. Hector led the the Thorakitai. Being in link really helped the Feuerbach to get rid of some pesky units from Ariadna, a Grunt MSL and another grunt. Then Hector led the team forward to a quadrant and between them managed to hold it FTW. ON the other side, Ajax team was dealing with a Dog warrior and mines. MK12 Agema was useful through smoke and also managed to thin down forces. A blackjack was killed the HMG options also, so in the end I got more quadrants and some consoles. The Thorakites also dispatched Van Zant who was trying to surprise from behind. For back defense they are just great. Problem was Anihilation where I used the same list. I also went second but being in a more striped table, facing an SSA counterpart and lacking experience made me basically loose on 1st turn. Bad positioning, loosing Agema, Spitfire and Machaon early on. Thorakitai are just not so resilient against Myrmidons. Stil Feuerbach tried to hold but to no avail, eventually my whole force was dismantled and there I missed the lack of some proper ARO response. Oposing Teucer and Phoenix were just too much. So I think overall it'a a good force for dense terrain and objective/quadrant game, but lacked in anihilation and open ground. I have to admit that there lack of experience was also a very big factor.
Well, if I understood you correctly then you lost Annihilation against another SP player... in those situations the game tends to go for the one who goes first and manages to take down the enemy MSV2, and if both players go without it tends to end in a big melee (barring lucky shots). This is because SP really gets a lot of mileage from going first, and suffers a lot from going second, so... And deployment is more than half of the game, which means the table and how you read it can be critical. Nothing you can't learn how to overcome, though, so do not despair! As you say, you got second place, and that's nearly as great as having fun ^^
;) NO desperation whatsoever. But I think I lack a bit of that practice: how to better prepare for that first assault either by SP or any other. You can´t just guarantee you will go first everytime .
