Re: [Epic] [E40K] Squats -- different list

From: Aaron P Teske <Mithramuse+_at_...>
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 1997 19:33:08 -0400 (EDT)

Excerpts from Epic: 9-Jun-97 Re: [Epic] [E40K] Squats --.. by
duckrvr_at_...
> And you think this will be less survivable why? Compared to other WEs it is
> pretty tough.

Less survivable than the Overlord in 2nd edition Epic, not other WEs.

>It has a 1/6 chance of going down in flames, and a 15/36
> chance of taking no damage, a 1/6 chance of taking normal damage, a 5/36 of
> 2 pts, and a 1/9 of 3 pts. Given this, I'm guessing about 6 hits will be
> necessary to take it out of commission on average, and it can possibly last
> indefinitely.

If you add up the odds, it takes 3. And the change to a 4+ fixed save
(a la Holofields) and normal damage on a 2-6 increased that to 5. In a
not-so-scientific survey, I rolled out 10 series of individual shots on
an Overlord, with the fixed save. The results were spread all over the
pace; I killed it in one shot once, and it lasted 12(!) hits in another
case. Results were 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8, 12, for an average of
5.6. Guess my odds may be a little high, but then this wasn't much of a
sample. (I suppose I could write a C program to test this... but is it
worth it?) Incidentally, the one that took 12 hits to kill, humorously
enough, was untouched until I rolled a '12' for the crit damage roll...
so that was severely against the odds.

In a similar test on the Overlord as posted (no fixed save, 2-6 0
points, 7 1 pt., 8 2 pts., 9 3 pts., 10-12 dead) the results were: 1, 1,
2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 5. Average of just over 2. Admittedly, though, I
think the dice I was using have been trained to roll high, which is
probably also how I got my good saves with the fixed save. <shrug> It
really depends on how tough people remember the Overlord to be.

One other thing to remember, however: Most WEs have a 6+ armour, not a
5+, or else they have scads of protection in front of the save
(Holofields, 12 void shields, whatever).. Neither of the two you
compare the Overlord to do (which is, I assume, why you picked them) but
that (IMO) means they might not be the best to compare the Overlord to.
After all, for FP 5+ to hit plus 4+ fixed save = 6+ to hit... I believe
this discussion came about for the Knight Baron, and that the difference
is all in the AT & DR shots.

>Eldar tanks and Ork Battlefortresses both take an average of
> about 3, and a maximum of 4 (and both have roughly a 1/9 chance of exploding
> per hit [1/6 chance of criticaland almost 2/3 chance of catastrophic from
> each]). Then add the extra range into the equation, and the fact that many
> troops can't ff, and no one can assault it, and you have a VERY tough unit.

Y'know, I thought you meant first fire there for a second, not
firefight... anyway, one thing I want to point out is that Squat SHVs
have traditionally been some of the toughest (if not *the* toughest)
SHVs to kill. That they can stand up better than battlefortresses or
Tempest-equivalents really shouldn't be a surprise; they should also
cost more as a result. (Those two units, if I'm not mistaken, are the
two cheapest War Engines out there.) That being said, my original
estimate of the PV of an Overlord (150, IIRC) will be upped if the 4+
fixed save is kept, regardless of whether or not I keep the +15cm to
range & all that.
                    Aaron Teske
                    Mithramuse+_at_...
                    Squat Leader, Den'Len Fetch
Received on Mon Jun 09 1997 - 23:33:08 UTC