Re: [Epic] Psychic Phase [was: Re: Titan Legions]

From: Mark A Shieh <SHODAN+_at_...>
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 15:26:11 -0500 (EST)

The Unknown Dwarf <leffewbe_at_...> writes:
> On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, Mark A Shieh wrote:
>
> > > Super heavy artillery that can still fire when close assaulted!
> >
> > So it gets one last shot off. All of my Eldar tanks can do that.
>
> Exactly, so do firestorms i beleive (being skimmers if i remember
> coreectly).

Ah. I meant vehicles and SHVs when I said tanks. The two are almost
interchangable in Epic it seems...

> > Not for me. They have quite a few good units, but only the
> > Overlord and Tarantula, IMHO, are particularly cheesy. (I shudder at
>
> I'm sorry i just don't see how overlords are cheesy...

        Well, there are quite a few cheesy units in Epic, IMHO. It's
fine to have one, or maybe even a company, but to design a force
around them makes the game no longer fun. Having Overlords isn't bad,
but having a lot of Overlords is. Enough Overlords, and you don't
need the Colossus Chassis vehicles because the function of the two are
similar.

> > What the Squats have, unlike most armies, is a lack of
> > weaknesses. The problem for me is that it's really hard to exploit
> > what weaknesses they have without being called a cheese monger. (They
> > have a lack of psykers and Titans. Taking too many warlocks is not
> > exactly friendly, but the only solution I've found.)
>
> I'm sorry i don't see how squats have a lack of weaknesses... they have no
> titans, and while the supuer heavies are good, like i said without a
> template it dies alot easier than titans,

        I haven't really noticed. My Titans seem to die a lot easier
than the SHVs. They have a lot of Void Shields, which makes them very
difficult to punch through unless he ignores my Vibro-Cannon or other
penetrators. It also nullifies psychic powers 4+. My Holo Fields on
the other hand, just attract barrages while redirecting his "normal"
shots onto units without Holo Fields. I feel it's easier to take out
my Titans than his SHVs because it's easier to ignore my shields than
it is to ignore his.

> no pychers and really not much protection against them.

        Some of the psychers aren't that great anyways, and only good
at taking out other psykers or demons. OTOH, I'm called really cheesy
if I were to field more than 1 Warlock for every 750 points or so, so
I try to discourage myself from doing so.

> Plus, lets face it, an effective squat army is
> fairly predictable...

        Not at all. As I was talking to Aaron at some point during
our in-person conversations, there are several different types of
effective squat armies. Armies of the same type will be similar
(predictable). However, Aaron enjoys playing a mobile Squat force, it
appears. This involves mechanized Thunderers, Bikes, and Gyrocopters
for a big second turn strike on vulnerable areas. Overlords tend to
provide the fire support needed, and fits the theme better, but I feel
that a Land Train or Colossus can do a similar job. This army demands
a different troop selection for ideal defense than the typical "stand
and deliver" Squat army that we can all construct blindfolded (or
given a copy of the army cards, depending on your familiarity). In
larger games, Aaron will, of course, take a balanced force which has
some of both methods, and quite frequently just involves taking a
company of each type of unit except Goliaths.

> they even have less variaty of troops than eldar

  Yes, but most of the other armies just have redundancy. For
example, I have Harlequins, Striking Scorpions, and Howling Banshees.
They are used for similar purposes, though specialize in slightly
different things. I tend to take Harlequins, which cost more (Special
slot). However, if all I had were Scorpions, I doubt my strategies
would change all that much. Even a Scorpion can take out a light tank
without too much trouble, they're just not as specialized for the
task. All three troops have about the same basic statline, with
different special abilities. If they were designed around the Squat
mentaility, I would just throw out the special power and call them 4
for 150, support card.
  Instead, the Squats have more general, but fewer troop types. I
don't see this as a disadvantage, because they still have enough
troops to fill all of the niches. They may not have the elite CC
specialists Eldar and IG and Chaos have, but they have cheap CC
specialists that can fill the role (Berserkers).

> > 1) It has been tossed around by an eldritch storm but was thrown to
> > the front of the storm so can still see the target.
> > 2) It has been psychic locked.
>
> I'd say if it says that the model can do nothing, then no it can't spot
> for indirect fire... but that's JMO I guess it depends how stricly "can
> do nothing" means to you or even if those two effects say that or
> something else.

        That's what my viewpoint boils down to. I just had assumed it
was the correct interpretation before the battle started. :(

Mark
Received on Sun Jan 19 1997 - 20:26:11 UTC