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Skoll posted:MAD-5D (Demoralizer) jumps to hex 1124, facing hex 1023. Fires at Pegasus Hover Tank in Hex 0721. You won't have LOS to the Pegasus (too many woods again). It's also in forced withdrawal which means finishing it off doesn't complete an objective (it already counts-as dead for objective purposes). With that move your best bets are facing 1123 and attacking the Skulker or facing 1023 and attacking the Snake or UrbanMech
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May 17, 2017 17:47
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PoptartsNinja posted:You won't have LOS to the Pegasus (too many woods again). It's also in forced withdrawal which means finishing it off doesn't complete an objective (it already counts-as dead for objective purposes). Guess you can amend it to gently caress that Urbie. Sorry I am a retard re: LOS
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May 17, 2017 17:52
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Skoll posted:Guess you can amend it to gently caress that Urbie. Don't worry about it, it can be hard to tell sometimes, especially for new players. You can generally gauge LOS by drawing a straight line between your `Mech and your target, but that isn't always 100%. Actual line of sight is drawn like this: (I haven't done your facing yet, don't worry about that)  LOS between you and the Pegasus is fairly straightforward, the orange Xes are the trees that completely block your line of sight. Three hexes of woods between you and the target is enough to prevent you from attacking it. The green line to the UrbanMech is only drawn through two hexes of woods (the green Xes), and even though the UrbanMech is standing in a woods hex, that hex isn't between you and the UrbanMech so it does not block Line of Sight. Lastly, you can see that your shot to the Snake is completely unobscured, it has no cover against the Marauder in that position but due to its location Line of Sight can be drawn two ways (the blue line). If there was some sort of cover in either hex 1025 or 0925 (there isn't), the Snake (as the defender) could choose to direct your line of sight through that hex to make your shot harder. Since there's nothing it doesn't matter. And before anyone starts yelling at you to shoot the Naked Snake, you've got an equal chance to hit either of them. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 18:07 on May 17, 2017 |
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May 17, 2017 18:05
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Retaking Sirdar Update 5 Lt. Jinks’ Wolfhound rattled like a tin roof in a hailstorm. He’d wanted a closer look at that Capellan Crusader, and it’d given him a bit more than he’d been hoping for. Its silhouette looked normal enough at a glance, but the LRMs had been moved into the shoulders rather than being wrapped around the wrists. It still had the wrist launchers of course, but those had fired the SRMs that Jinks thought should’ve been mounted in the Crusader’s legs. There shouldn’t have been enough space for a 15-rack LRM and a six-pack of SRMs in a Crusader’s arms, but the Capellans had managed somehow. The over-tuned medium lasers in the `Mech’s chest seemed more like an afterthought. The Wolfhound’s diagnostics flashed from green to angry red, and even black in places as the SRMs struck with impossible accuracy. It was backing up its LRMs with streaks! Jinks gritted his teeth, his eyes squeezing shut and, in a moment of panic, he forgot to fire back. He was already turning downhill, trying to put the top of the ridge between his Wolfhound and the bulk of the Capellan forces. He still had both his arms, at least, but they’d been reduced to little more than a shiny endo-steel skeleton with ribbons of myomer pseudo-muscles hanging limply from them. “poo poo, Jinx,” Sgt. Borst’s voice was unreadable. “That was damned unlucky!” “Unlucky nothing,” The temperature spike Jinks felt had nothing to do with the Wolfhound’s performance. Probably. “If that Crusader had tagged anyone else they’d be dead. Stay the hell off the ridgeline!”   Movement Phase Skulker A - Must roll a 9+ to resist becoming demoralized: rolled 11, succeeds! Shooting Phase Hunchback (Player) - Attacks Lao Hu (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 1 woods + 1 partial cover = 10): rolled 3, miss! Watchman (Player) - Attacks Skulker B (4 skill + 3 TMM + 0 range + 2 jumped= 9): rolled 9, hit! 2 damage sustained! CfMSD! No Armor Remaining on a 1 Structure Unit: Skulker Forced to Withdraw! Shadow Hawk (Player) - Attacks Skulker A (4 skill + 3 TMM + 2 range = 9): rolled 6, miss! Blackjack (Player) - Attacks Snake (4 skill + 3 TMM + 2 range + 1 woods + 1 partial cover = 11): rolled 7, miss! Warhammer (Player) - Attacks Lao Hu (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 2 woods + 1 partial cover = 11): rolled 4, miss! Orion (Player) - Attacks Lao Hu (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 1 woods + 1 partial cover = 10): rolled 3, miss! Marauder (Player) - Attacks UrbanMech R63 A (4 skill + 0 TMM + 2 range + 3 woods + 2 jumped - 1 jumping jack = 10): rolled 10, hit! 4 damage sustained! Mech destroyed! Grasshopper (Player) - Attacks Skulker A (4 skill + 3 TMM + 2 range + 2 jumped = 11): rolled 10, miss! “Fire” Javelin (Player) - Attacks Skulker B (4 skill + 3 TMM + 0 range master + 1 woods = 8): rolled 8, hit! 4 damage sustained! Vehicle destroyed! Scarabus (Player) - Attacks Skulker A with Melee (4 skill + 3 TMM + 0 range = 7): rolled 5, miss! Wolfhound (Player) - No Line of Sight to primary target! Primary target already destroyed! Spider (Player) - Attacks Skulker A (4 skill + 3 TMM + 0 range + 2 jumped = 9): rolled 9, hit! 2 damage sustained! CfMSD! No Armor Remaining on a 1 Structure Unit: Skulker Forced to Withdraw! Snake - Attacks Grasshopper (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 2 jumped = 10): rolled 8, miss! Urbanmech UM-R63(A) - Attacks Marauder (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 2 woods + 1 heat - 1 stationary - 1 sandblaster = 9): rolled 4, miss! Crusader Prime - Attacks Wolfhound (3 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range + 1 partial cover - 1 stationary = 7): rolled 10, hit! 6 damage sustained! 2 Crits! Wolfhound Forced to Withdraw! Men Shen Prime - Attacks Marauder (4 skill + 2 TMM + 2 range = 8): rolled 5, miss! Jinggau - Attacks Warhammer (4 skill + 1 TMM + 2 range + 2 woods + 1 partial cover = 10): rolled 5, miss! Lao Hu - Attacks Hunchback (4 skill + 1 TMM + 2 range + 1 woods = 8): rolled 5, miss! Cyclops - Holds fire! Stalker - Holds fire! Sha Yu - Holds fire! Vindicator - Attacks Hunchback (4 skill + 1 TMM + 1 range + 1 woods - 1 stationary = 6): rolled 7, hit! 2 damage sustained! Skulker A - Attacks Scarabus (4 skill + 4 TMM + 0 range = 8): rolled 6, miss! Skulker A - Attacks Orion (4 skill + 1 TMM + 0 range + 1 woods = 6): rolled 7, hit! 1 damage sustained! End Phase: Skulker A - Chance for Motive System Damage: rolled 6, no damage sustained! Wolfhound - Critical chance: rolled 9, no critical hit sustained! - Critical chance: rolled 7, MP hit!   Next Turn’s Movement Phase PTN’s note: I can only do this because we’re playing Alpha Strike. Snake - Ends turn in hex 0831! Crusader Prime - Remains Stationary in hex 0714! Men Shen Prime - Ends turn in hex 0530! Jinggau - Remains Stationary in hex 0613! Lao Hu - Holds Position in hex 0909! Cyclops - Ends turn in hex 0608! Stalker - Ends turn in hex 0617! Sha Yu - Ends turn in hex 1412! Vindicator - Remains Stationary in hex 0207! Skulker A - Retreats to hex 0921! Pegasus B - Retreats to hex 0515! Galleon A - Ends turn in hex 0719! Galleon B - Ends turn in hex 0915! Swiftwind A - Ends turn in hex 1316! Swiftwind B - Ends turn in hex 0719! Player Status:       Opposing Force Status:     Special Rules  Forced Withdrawal - `Mechs and Vehicles which suffer more than 50% structure damage will automatically attempt to retreat off the nearest friendly board edge. Units with only 1 point of structure will withdraw if all of their armor is destroyed.Primary Objectives Primary Objectives - Destroy or Drive Off All Enemy Scouts (4/8 destroyed) or - Destroy or Drive Off All Enemy `Mechs (3/12 destroyed) Orders Due: Midnight Saturday!
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May 17, 2017 22:13
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Wow Alpha Strike hits like a truck.
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May 17, 2017 22:19
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Since my Marauder hits the hardest, I think I'm going to focus down that Stalker. Any possibility of support in that area?
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May 17, 2017 22:24
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Nice, that's half the scout force taken care of. The Warhammer and Hunchback up north could probably stand to get some movement towards the south going, since they're getting a little lonely, and it looks like the remaining scout lance is trying for a break to the south across some of the uncovered bridges.
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May 17, 2017 22:25
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Artificer posted:Wow Alpha Strike hits like a truck. The Clans are Rocket Tag.  
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May 17, 2017 22:52
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Artificer posted:Wow Alpha Strike hits like a truck. The actual trucks are only hitting for 1 damage!  PoptartsNinja posted:
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May 17, 2017 22:54
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More proof of Clans being unfun in all ways.
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May 17, 2017 22:54
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Wait...did they just re-invent the Mad Cat?
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May 17, 2017 22:58
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Back Hack posted:Wait...did they just re-invent the Mad Cat? No, it's the Angry Bear. Entirely different. The Kodiak has always been a murderous brawler. It's built to be the Clan Atlas, essentially. The Dire Wolf has a glass jaw for a 100 tonner, but the Kodiak has no fucks left to give. Only beatings. PTN, are all the Kodiak variants Brawler in Alpha Strike?
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May 17, 2017 23:01
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Zaodai posted:PTN, are all the Kodiak variants Brawler in Alpha Strike? All of them except the Kodiak 4, which is a Missile Boat. Skoll posted:More proof of Clans being unfun in all ways. They're fairly balanced in Alpha Strike, their points costs are ridiculous and the Clans don't have access to things with MHQ. Stacking MHQ1(to 3) units gives you a +1 initiative per MHQ1 unit per 4 `Mechs in play, and bringing a single unit with MHQ4+ gives you another +1 bonus to initiative. Stack on a `Mech with an active probe and you get an additional +1 So, facing a Clan star (5 `Mechs) with 8 IS `Mechs, the Clans can counter the Recon bonus with one of their own... and the Inner Sphere gets a +3 bonus to initiative just by bringing a couple of C3 capable `Mechs that the Clans just can't counter. In standard play, that means the Clans will nearly always lose initiative while being outnumbered. They'll take down a `Mech or two but if the IS player is organized and taking advantage of all the neat poo poo the Clans don't get (like `Mechs under 75 tons that aren't skirmishers) they'll win. I can put together a couple of forces for comparison if the thread is interested. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 23:54 on May 17, 2017 |
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May 17, 2017 23:45
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PoptartsNinja posted:All of them except the Kodiak 4, which is a Brawler.  I would definitely be interested in an Alpha Strike force comparison.
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May 17, 2017 23:53
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Zaodai posted:
I meant Missile Boat. The Clans don't indirect fire very effectively (they can, in theory), while an IS force specialized for indirect fire will loving ruin them.
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May 17, 2017 23:54
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PoptartsNinja posted:I can put together a couple of forces for comparison if the thread is interested. Heck yeah, I'm down for a breakdown.
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May 17, 2017 23:55
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PoptartsNinja posted:Bunch of Interesting Info I'm just a massive Anti Clanner.  And sure, a force comparison would be pretty cool.
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May 18, 2017 00:49
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Ok, hold onto your butts because we're about to get Canon as gently caress! It's the Draconis Combine vs. the Smoke Jaguars, Alpha Strike style. We'll only be using `Mechs available to the Draconis Combine before 3061, and likewise for the Jags (because guess When they stop existing?!  ) We're starting off with the Smoke Jaguars. The Clan player wants to play with heavies, so the Inner Sptheyre player gives him a little extra leeway on points. They agree to a 200 point limit to keep the Clan player from bringing more than one Assault. That gives the Clan player 40 points per `Mech. The Clan player knows they need to bring some Recon if they wants even a chance to win initiative, so they start with a Hellbringer Prime, a Striker worth exactly 40 points. The hellbringer's extremely squishy but it's mobile enough and comes with a lot of neat features like AMS (reduces missile damage by 1), ECM to block enemy Narc pods and disrupt C3 spotting, an Active Probe for the Recon initiative bonus, and Overheat Long (OVL) which allows it to use its overheat value at long range. OVL's not that great, but under the right circumstances or with the right pilot it can be devastating. Total PV: 40 The Clan player could bring four more Hellbringers if they wanted, but they'd feel a little bit vulnerable with five `Mechs that squishy. The Clan player knows they wants to bring something tough and heavier than their opponent will be planning for--a Dire Wolf would work but they'd have to free up 15 points somewhere and that's not always easy. They settle on an Executioner Prime which clocks in at 50 points exactly and is quick enough to keep up with the heavies. It doesn't bring much utility to the table but it's also better to budget for the big stuff early so you'll know how much you have left over, you can always upgrade later on. Unfortunately, the Executioner's a sniper which means we now have some confusion as to what sort of Star we're making. It's very possible to build a Clan star that does not get a worthwhile Lance bonus. Total PV: 90 The Clan player doesn't want to be Smoke Jaguars without bringing their most iconic `Mech, the The Clan player needs to save 7 points in his next two picks, which leaves them in a tough spot. They can't do it with just heavy `Mechs unless they downgrade the Hellbringer to a worse model and give up the Recon ability. That's unacceptable, initiative bonuses are too hard to come by, which means they'll need to make a compromise. They'll have to make their 5th `Mech a medium, and they still need to drive down their PV a little. They choose a Mad Dog Prime for their 4th `Mech, at 38 points it's a missile boat which muddies the Clan focus a bit further but gives them some much-needed indirect fire capability. Indirect fire's not great for Clan forces but it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Total PV: 165 With 35 points left, the choice for medium `Mechs is actually pretty easy. The Stormcrow C fits that cost perfectly giving the Clan player a `Mech with a little higher ground-speed for intercepting lights. The Stormcrow is also arguably tougher than the Hellbringer, and brings some Flak just in case the IS player decides to get cheeky and brings 13 Peregrines. Total PV: 200 At 200 points exactly, the Smoke Jaguar force is made up entirely of 4 skill pilots--worse than the Clan average. That means the Clan player could have given one of their pilots a SPA--but they just don't have the points to do so. This same force would cost 276 points if the Clan player decided to bring nothing but Skill 3 pilots. The Inner Sphere player politely declines the Clan player's request to increase the points in play. The Clan player decides he really wants to have some units that function effectively at Skill 3. They wanted to bring a Probe lance, which would give 3 of the `Mechs in the star the "Clan As gently caress" Blood Stalker ability, which grants a bonus to hit a specific target and a penalty to shoot other targets. The Clan player meets all requirements for a Proble Lance except one: the Executioner is just too big. gently caress. They could swap it out for the slightly cheaper Timberwolf Prime, but then they'd be without their Surprise Executioner. The only good lance option the Clan player has left is the somewhat mediocre Heavy Cavalry Lance. This gives 3 of the five `Mechs +1 hex (+2 inches) of ground movement, which the Clan player assigns to the already fast Stormcrow, the Executioner (making it as fast as a stock Stormcrow), and the Hellbringer (to help keep it out of danger). With 200 points, that's all the Clan player can afford. The force is solid, but they couldn't do everything they would've liked without bringing a much lighter, squishier force. Stay Tuned for Part 2: The Dragon's Bullet-Catchers
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May 18, 2017 01:16
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Should I move my stuff more to the center, or try to deal with these two assholes in the south? I could run my blackjack to 1130 and my shadowhawk to 1328 and have both shoot the snake while keeping a little distance from that menshen. That would put the shadow hawk in a position to cross the bridge next turn, though the blackjack would be lagging behind.
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May 18, 2017 01:47
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Zaodai posted:No, it's the Angry Bear. Entirely different. They both have XL engines but the Daishi has maxed armor so I don't really see what you're talking about. Yeah, the weapon loadouts are kind of garbage except for the A and some of the newer ones, but I wouldn't criticize them for durability like I would the Kodiak.
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May 18, 2017 01:56
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Divine Wind Adventure or How to MWO Pubby Assault in Alpha Strike The Inner Sphere player has some interesting choices ahead. There are two priorities when fighting the Clans: numbers, and initiative bonuses. The Clans can generate a lot of damage in a hurry, which means they're prone to over-killing light `Mechs. This means light `Mechs are the best tools with which to fight the Clans, because any damage that exceeds their armor and structure is completely wasted. At 200 points, the Inner Sphere player can bring 2 lances, but the average point value of their `Mechs have to drop significantly in order to afford the really good stuff. Because of this, they budget their biggest `Mech early. At 59 points, the NG-C3A Naginata is a huge point investment. It's also individually tougher than any single Clan `Mech in play and does comparable damage at Medium and Long range thanks to its 3 LRM-15s. It also comes with a C3 Master Computer, automatically granting it MHQ5 for a force-wide +1 initiative bonus as long as it remains in play. Just bringing a Naginata means the Inner Sphere player is forced to bring at least one entire Lance of light `Mechs to make up the difference, but the Naginata's impressive Indirect Fire value means they will be able to park it somewhere the Clans can't attack it and brutalize the Clan player all game long. In short, the Naginata is well worth the investment. Because they know they won't be direct firing very often, they also spend 1 point to buy the Oblique Attacker SPA allowing them to indirect fire without a spotter and giving them a -1 bonus to hit if they have a spotter. Total cost: 60 points Unfortunately, bringing a Naginata means either the Draconis Combine player has to bring fewer `Mechs or the average PV of all the other `Mechs in play will drop to a little more than 20. The Inner Sphere player needs to bring at least 1 (and preferably 2) `Mechs with a C3 slave for spotting purposes. They decide to go all-in and budget a SR1-OA Strider A OmniMech to be their primary spotter. The Strider doesn't do any damage directly but it's too tough for the Clan player to eliminate in one round of fire, so the Draconis Combine player is banking on the Clan player ignoring it in favor of `Mechs that have an actual damage value. The Clan player will likely ignore it right up until the point when the Strider actually lands a successful attack--when it does, the two Standard NARC pods it's carrying will boost all missile damage that `Mech takes by 2 for the rest of the game, turning the Naginata's IF4 into IF6. The Strider also has an active probe, giving it the recon ability. Total cost: 83 points Now in dire need to save some points, the Inner Sphere player takes advantage of the fact that the Draconis Combine has access to the Inner Sphere's favorite trash `Mech: the LCT-3V Locust for 15 points. The Locust dies in a hit to any Clan `Mech in play but with a TMM 3 it can probably survive to get to point blank range and does enough damage to be a threat to the Hellbringer. Total cost: 98 points, we're back under budget! To keep in budget, the Dracs now have 21 points to spend on their next `Mech, but for Reasons it must go to a Sniper, Missile Boat, Skirmisher, or Juggernaut. The cheapest Juggernaut's the Hunchback but at 28 points it's just too expensive, so the Dracs call up their buddies in the Capellan Confederation and take a RVN-3M Raven for 19 points. It's not very tough but it might survive a single one hit, and extra NARC pods are always useful. Total cost: 117 points. Perfect. The Draconis Combine player has 81 points to spend on their second lance. To lead the second lance, they want another C3 Slave, preferably one with either TAG or with a low enough damage value that they won't feel bad about not shooting to better spot for the Naginata. Fortunately, in this era the Draconis Combine has access to one of the Now, I could draw this out, but why beat around the bush? The last three `Mechs the Draconis Combine player is bringing are the DCMS staple: the Drac player is bringing Three PNT-9R Panthers. But PTN, why would they bring that trash? Well, it's simple. The Panther is tough enough to survive two hits from any `Mech the Clan player is likely to bring. They're also slow enough that it's difficult to over-extend with them, which is good because ideally you want the Clanners to be the ones who have to advance on you. Another completely viable counter to the Clan force is bringing 10 normal lovely Panthers, forcing the Clanners to blow through a combined 30 armor and 30 structure while you slowly plink them to death with focused fire and 2 damage hits. Panthers work in Alpha Strike. They are not bad `Mechs here. Total cost: 198 points That leaves us 2 points to buy another SPA, but two points is enough for us to buy the most overpowered SPA in the game: Range Master. Range Master lets us swap the penalty of any range with the +0 short range penalty. Range Master Long is a trap, so we take Range Master Medium and slap it on a Panther so we have something that can more easily finish off anything the Naginata's crippled. Total cost: 200 points Now that we have our eight `Mechs, we need to decide what to do with them. The first lance: the Naginata, Strider, Locust, and Hatchetman just so happen to perfectly meet the requirements for a Command Lance. Obviously the Naginata's the unit commander, and the Tactical Genius ability means if the Clanners ever do win initiative the Inner Sphere player can just reroll their initiative dice and win anyway. gently caress you, Clanners! They have two other abilities to assign for the command lance's bodyguards and there are a lot of viable options, but in this case they give the Strider Combat Intuition. This may be a waste once everything's been tagged to hell and back, but it means everything the Strider does resolves immediately in the movement phase, so you'll know immediately whether you've successfully NARCed something. They also give the Locust the Antagonizer SPA, which allows them to 'taunt' enemy `Mechs and force them to both chase and attack the Locust if it gets into short range and they fail a dice roll. Antagonizer isn't great but it is wonderfully trolly as gently caress if you can surprise someone with it when they absolutely need to shoot something else that turn. That leaves the Panther Lance, which perfectly meets the requirements for a Light Battle Lance. That gives them 6 free rerolls on missed attacks over the course of the game and turns those Panthers into a dangerous threat. Battle Lances aren't fancy but they get the job done. This setup gives the Inner Sphere player +4 to their initiative rolls, to the Clanners' +1 as well as a free initiative reroll once every 2 turns if they ever manage to lose initiative. The Naginata can remove the Hellbringer from play in 2 turns from complete safety even without the benefit of NARC while its C3 spotters get it the best possible shots, and anything the Naginata cripples the Panthers can easily finish off in a turn or two. The biggest danger is a blitz by the Executioner, but even so the Naginata's no slouch in direct combat and any Clan machine that sticks his neck too far out is going to get shot in the rear end by a Panther. If the Draconis Combine player instead went with the 10 Panther approach, they'd have two Light Battle Lances instead with two `Mechs left over. Just for the added "gently caress you, Clanner, I don't need initiative bonuses to crush you." Edit: I realized the Hatchetman doesn't meet the requirements for a Command Lance and swapped it out for a Raven. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 02:44 on May 18, 2017 |
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May 18, 2017 02:28
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PoptartsNinja posted:I meant Missile Boat. we get 'Mechs like Nova cat B, Cougar A, and Bane 3. Natural result of having twice the missiles for half the space somehow. Also, Regarding DC versus CSJ: 1. "They agree to a 200 point limit to keep the Clan player from bringing more than one Assault. That gives the Clan player 40 points per `Mech" Bane 1 and Man o' War managed to hide in their own shadow, then (On the other hand - the Gargoyle low price tag explains why anyone use it). 2. Isn't this the canon reason the Hellbringer is so commonly used? The "complete electronic warfare" package, on something that can, in theory, tank more then two barrages from an average IS heavy? (For the reference - there is only 4 other clan units with both abilities on the CJ list - Myst Lynx, Kit Fox, Arctic Cheetah and Shadow Cat.) 3. 50 point is quite a bargain for a clan assault. For comparison - at intro-tech, the most expensive 'Mech cost 53, with Atlas at 52 points. 4. "The Inner Sphere player politely declines the Clan player's request to increase the points in play." Are you a Freebirth, random clan player? A proper trueborn would bid away 50 points, not cry for reinforcement! 5. "The only good lance option the Clan player has left is the somewhat mediocre Heavy Cavalry Lance." Why? What's wrong with the others? 6. At 60 points, if the skilled Naginata would be a Jag unit - it would be in the 5th from top, points wise. 7. Cheapest juggernaut's a Hunchback? Only if you refuse to buy Quickscell - the SRM Scorpion tank is only 13 points - even our premium models are cheaper than the bugs 'Mech - with more guns, and same armor. 50% discount if you buy an SRM Carrier, too! (The AC may or may not work properly at hot temperature. Or cold one. Your soldiers are tough, right?)
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May 18, 2017 03:47
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Gun Jam posted:Why? What's wrong with the others? They can't build a direct fire lance or artillery with their make-up. The Clan player could take a Command Lance but tactical genius is a waste (they'll be rolling it every other turn and doing gently caress-all most of the time) and taking a command lance also leaves them vulnerable to a mission type that makes it incredibly easy for the IS player to win (kill the commander). You are correct though, this formation does qualify to be an Assault Lance, and picking up Multi-Tasker is absolutely in the Clans' favor since they can split some of their higher-damage attacks into two separate half-damage attacks rather than overkilling damaged lights. They could also take a Battle Lance but my usual reaction to a Clanner looking for Freerolls is "Really, dude?" Even if they do take a Battle Lance they don't really get as much benefit as they could due to the aforementioned over-killing problem. I also consider the Cavalry Lance a good pick for the Clans, since pushing the Executioner up to a 6hex/12" movement is terrifying and gives them a real chance to threaten the Naginata. quote:7. Cheapest juggernaut's a Hunchback? Only if you refuse to buy Quickscell - the SRM Scorpion tank is only 13 points - even our premium models are cheaper than the bugs 'Mech - with more guns, and same armor. 50% discount if you buy an SRM Carrier, too! You have to bring two tanks to count as a single unit for force-building. Two Scorpions is still 26 points and I would much prefer to have a single Hunchback. PoptartsNinja fucked around with this message at 04:08 on May 18, 2017 |
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May 18, 2017 04:01
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PoptartsNinja posted:You are correct though, this formation does qualify to be an Assault Lance And their other options that a. fit in an Assault Star, and b. got ECM... 1. Scrap 3 points from somewhere to upgrade to a Black Python (And find a unit with Recon). 2. Break the bank for a Dire Wolf. 3. Raid the nearest museum for a 300 years old SLDF 'Mech. You weren't kidding when you said they lack in support options. PoptartsNinja posted:You have to bring two tanks to count as a single unit for force-building. Two Scorpions is still 26 points and I would much prefer to have a single Hunchback.
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May 18, 2017 05:30
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I think I both love and hate Alpha Strike. It's a completely different animal from Battletech. Overall I greatly prefer Battletech, especially in terms of granularity and mechanics, although Alpha Strike has its advantages there too, especially it's balance and decisive action, but more importantly Alpha Strike has some massive, essential advantages in terms of work that make LPing more sustainable, so I hope we continue to see both.
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May 18, 2017 08:50
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One thing that's been annoying me a little is that hunting little recon things like in this mission, it would be nice to throw more dice at them to try to sandpaper them instead of a big wallop that is more likely than not to miss.
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May 18, 2017 14:06
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That's the name of the game though. The players can't half-rear end it and expect to win that objective, if they want to stop the recon force they've got to commit to stopping the recon force. Because of the way TMMs work, Alpha Strike really favors being able to rush into short range (or taking Range Master: Medium if that's your optimal range (it nearly always is)). I think most assault `Mechs are a bit of a trap in Alpha Strike, both because they're usually easy to hit and they're just not mobile enough to get anywhere threatening. Heavies can have the same problems but they're usually a little better off.
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May 18, 2017 16:31
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Are there game modes or something that would then make Assault mechs something you'd care about again or what? It seems based on the force comparisons so far that the optimal loadout for Alpha Strike is "As many of whatever the cheapest mech that can survive exactly 1.1 hits from the enemy is within the point cap".
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May 18, 2017 16:57
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PTN's Alpha Strike story time was quite interesting; I still can't help but be amused that the "inferior" Clan pilots still get fantastic mechs, while the poor IS pilots get shoved into walking coffins like the Locust.
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May 18, 2017 17:21
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PoptartsNinja posted:That's the name of the game though. The players can't half-rear end it and expect to win that objective, if they want to stop the recon force they've got to commit to stopping the recon force. I don't disagree but it just feels different - not good or bad per se, just like, when you spend 20-some years thinking of mechs in terms of balance between making holes and rolling enough dice to find criticals, starting to see in action areas where the game balance noticeably plays out differently is weird and interesting.
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May 18, 2017 17:39
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Zaodai posted:Are there game modes or something that would then make Assault mechs something you'd care about again or what? Yeah. It's true to say that the counter to a swarm of lights is another swarm of lights, but keep in mind: that 200 point game is one that could go either way. If the Clans get lucky they can kill an Inner Sphere `Mech every turn they fire, and if they're quick enough to pick off the Naginata's spotters it's in a rough spot where it has to engage directly, and just getting close enough to C3 spot an enemy with a 0 range modifier is hugely risky because that's also the range where the Clan `Mech can murder you most easily. I probably didn't sell this enough but a swarm of light `Mechs is as risky strategy in Alpha Strike as it is in normal BattleTech because each time you take a hit you're losing some of your hitting power in turn. You have to take risks to fight the Clans, or you have to be tougher than they are. 10 Panthers is 30 armor and 30 structure... but 3 Atlases are 30 armor and 24 structure with 38 points left over, which is more than enough for a solid Inner Sphere heavy. The Clans high damage really shines against single tough opponents--but that Panther swarm will get wrecked by an Atlas Assault Lance with Multi-tasker. The Clans are "easy" in Alpha Strike because they build amazing generalist forces with minimal effort, while the Inner Sphere has to build counter whatever their opponent is bringing since a generalist Inner Sphere force is probably going to lose against a specialized one.
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May 18, 2017 17:56
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Can withdrawing mechs and vehicles fire, if they have someone within their angles? The Wolfhound has rear weapons.
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May 19, 2017 06:47
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RA Rx posted:Can withdrawing mechs and vehicles fire, if they have someone within their angles? Yes.
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May 19, 2017 11:36
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Alpha strike's points are much better representative of the raw numbers of a unit than it is in battletech. A 200 v 200 game is much more balanced than a 2k v 2k game, almost no matter what you're bringing.
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May 19, 2017 11:37
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Gwaihir posted:Nice, that's half the scout force taken care of. The Warhammer and Hunchback up north could probably stand to get some movement towards the south going, since they're getting a little lonely, and it looks like the remaining scout lance is trying for a break to the south across some of the uncovered bridges. Roger. Going south seems like the best option. I'll try to take potshots at the Sha-Yu, it's a dangerous spotter.
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May 19, 2017 21:19
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Orders in! Taking the Orion across the bridge and going varminting while the Warhammer is going towards the same bridge.
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May 21, 2017 04:24
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Compiling orders now! Was too tired yesterday after work, basically went comatose once I got home.
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May 21, 2017 14:03
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Orders are sent in. Went into cover and I'm going for the Stalker and the Galleon A.
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May 21, 2017 14:09
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Orders sent by PM. Also here, for the audience: JAVELIN -Movement: Run to 1520 (2 MP). --End facing 1419. -Shooting: Fire at Swift Wind A in 1316 at Medium (+0) range. -Melee: No targets in range. SCARABUS -Movement: Run to 1423 (1 MP), 1021 (4 MP), 1020 (2 MP). --End facing 0920. -Shooting: Fire at Swift Wind B in 0719 at Short (+0) range. -Melee: No targets in range. Those Swift Winds have 1 Armor and 1 Structure each; even the Scarabus can vaporize one if it hits. That Stalker is a huge pain being where it is; the Scarabus can't close to melee range with either of the scouts in 0719 as that will put it inside the Stalker's short range bracket, which is a certain death sentence. Well played, PTN.
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May 21, 2017 15:07
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| # ? Apr 28, 2024 10:46 |
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Would spectators prefer we post orders in here too? If so. Special: Orion - be Demoralizing Movement: Warhammer: Move to 1808, facing 1809. If the optional sprint rule is allowed, move to 1809 facing 1810. Orion: Move to 1514, facing 1413 Firing: Warhammer: If I'm in 1808 I'm pretty sure there's no valid targets, and if I sprinted I can't shoot. Not shooting either way. Orion: Fire at Scout Car currently in 1316 I figure first priority is killing the scouts, so I'm shooting that instead of the mech in 1412, for better or for worse. My basic plans are to hit whatever's convenient with the Orion, ducking into woods if anything too big comes calling (special skill lets me, among other things, move through woods for no extra cost) At the same time, getting the Warhammer down to that area to help.
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May 21, 2017 15:55
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