I know we're about to see the new edition drop, and it'll change the calculus about what's good in lists, but we're also apparently going to have Steel Phalanx go OOP. I've got a solid OSS lineup, but I'd like to snag some Steel Phalanx pieces based on what is most useful in a vanilla ALEPH list before it goes out of production. I've already got Achilles, and I've got a Myrmidons box and Thorakites box on the way. Other than those, what would you want to have handy for vanilla ALEPH, given what we know about N4? Thanks!
Drak and scylla can hold huge swathe of board with their bots. In a restricted environment with not as much spam, they'll be even better
less we forget scylla with 2 devbots and KHD can have three imp-2 markers and the bots can be buffed with EVOs remotely
In my recommended order. Machaon and Phoenix. Yes they lack of shock immunity hurts them but these two are still good models to have in your tool box. Even MSV 2 models to not want to have a fair fight with Phoenix and his HRL. Machaon is an ODD doctor which can be nice for trying to get him to where he is needed. The myrmidon with spitfire can be a workhorse in some games murdering all he sees, he is not in the standard myrmidon box. I like both the agema marksmen characters and are our only distance msv2 worth taking and have a bs 14. Atalanta can hit on a 17 most of the time and be a real problem for enemies. Teucer is a bs 14 msv 2 fuerbach and with the change to crits probably will be useful in what could be an armor dominated meta. The Steel Phalanx NCO box as they are the tool box models from Steel Phalanx, that is Drakios and Scylla. I feel these last few are questionable but still work considering. Alke is a bs 13 spitfire with 360 visor which can make her very hard to dislodge when in suppression and cover. She will also let you fire team if you want to try Steel Phalanx. Hector and Diomedes are cool model which may get retooled in N4. Hector is bound to get some love as he is in Starmada. Diomedes only really need a point drop or shock immunity to bring him in line with his ever growing list of contemporaries. So both are more future proofing buys.
I love him but I will also say that if he can ignore cover on both the to hit and armor save like he can in N3 and the changes to crits then he may be to strong. Marksmenship LV X in the later part of N3 gave him a 23 to hit in his good range band with AP DA so even on a crit it would not kill a TAG but would hurt a lot, if it goes into N4 then on a 17 or better it is AP DA + 1 more save so a 1/5 of the time it is the equivalent of AP EXP.
In N3 he could also shoot through smoke and his climbing plus made him move onto walls, where he could draw line of fire to almost everything. He is definitely very strong.
My favorites are Achilles and Patroclus for Mov6 Spitfires and Machaon and the CoC officer for tough specialists.
