Colen 'Not Colin' McAlister wrote:
> Hmmm... the point is, if you get to fire before you're opponent, with
> the 12 pulsa rokkits, that's 10 blast markers on him. Fair enough if
> your opponent has the flyers, or the long range artillery, but if the
> detachment with the 12 pulsa rokkits AND the detachment with the 10?
> death rays is there, which one do they shoot first?
Remember the points! If there's a 500+ unit and a 200+ unit, that's 700
pts. You can do a lot with 700 pts in the way of artillery and
airstrikes. Forex, 3 units each of 3 Thunderhawks, that's 3 24 Firepower
attacks with no comeback. 2 of them would completely wipe out the Pulsa
detachment, and one would just take out all the warbuggies on the other.
In one turn.
> I wouldn't consider
> the 12 pulsa rokkits cheesy if, for example, they were in 4 different
> detachments, in the same way that 30 land raiders in 1 detachment are
> cheesy, but 5 isn't.
For the Pulsas, it doesn't matter how many detachments they're in. This
is because they fire as Artillery, so all get to have their go at the
target before it gets to shoot back (unless it too is artillery).
Let's look at the Pro's and Con's of large LR detachments.
For about the same points:
4 x 7 LRs will do 4 BMs plus an average of 28 hits.
1 x 30 LR will do 2 BMs plus an average of 30 hits.
OTOH if the 30 LR detachment gets to fire first on it's target,
then that target is history. It's worse if it's on overwatch, as
you'd get an average of 45 hits. Rather mean. Of course, overwatch means
you give up any mobility. And in that case, the Pulsas will get you.
30 LRs in one detachment is easy meat for, say, 3 Pulsa Batteries plus
an assault group. That's 30 BMs on it, then it gets hit by the
assaulters. But this is easily countered by having some supports for the
LRs, which are further countered by having supports for the Pulsas etc
etc.
Cheese is not defined by "How Good a Unit is". Forex, a Warlord Titan is
not particularly cheesy. It costs over 500 pts, so should be better
than, forex, a stand of gretchin at 5 pts. But is it better than 100
stands of Gretchin plus command, which is the same cost? In some cases
yes (eg Long Range Firepower), in others no (eg Flak ability). It's only
when we can say that in all circumstances whatsoever, troop type X at a
cost of x pts will nearly always beat any other combination at x pts
that you get Cheese.
Taking the 30 LR example, how would it fare against, say, 1 CofS and 2
Pulsa Batteries? It would depend on who fired first. How would it cope
with 100 Gretchin in a forest? Poorly! How would it cope with 20
Deathstrikes? ERK. How would it cope vs any combination of conventional
tanks who try to take it out with firepower? It would CREAM them. How
would it cope with 1000 pts worth of Assault Marines in Rhinos? It would
lose, badly (25 move for the Rhinos + 25 move for the Assault Troops
means the LRs don't get to fire).
What makes LRs overly powerful is that when facing an Imperial Opponent,
any other army has to take into account the fact that there could well
be such a Monster LR unit - the most dangerous type is one with a
salting of Whirlwinds and infantry in as well. The LR is just too
cheap. This means that the choice of troop type has to include a
specialised "anti-LR" force _of equal cost_. And such forces are
unusually susceptible to being grunded on by other troops, thereby
p*ssing away points and morale.
Actually, I fear the combination of Rhino + Vanilla SMs with a few
support weapons, a Whirlwind and Attack Bikes. This general purpose unit
is very mean in defence. And it's cheap.
--
aebrain_at_... <> <> How doth the little Crocodile
| Alan & Carmel Brain| xxxxx Improve his shining tail?
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By pulling MAERKLIN Wagons, in 1/220 Scale
Received on Mon Dec 01 1997 - 01:45:54 UTC