Dave.C

11 hours ago, The Red Baron said:

@CAVBOSS do you have these letters as an actual font we could import into windows? If so, @Dave.C you could print them out and save a ton of work.

At this point I'm past things that could save me work, lol.

This is going to take a couple of coats.

49 minutes ago, CAVBOSS said:

It's a weird situation that I think points out a problem with both TAG and Target-Lock coming into play at the same time. Im thinking that the +1 for semi-guided should probably apply to the combat roll rather than the strike-point. 

Honestly, that might make it better in a different way, as it could add into the MoS. But if there's a time to find problems, it's before an update lands.

Here is a question that came up on stream tonight, laid out so that Jon can review and address it.

I am running a Specialist squad with a Concussion, a Scout Helicopter, and two Bears. I have fitted the Concussion with Semi-Guided Rockets.

The interaction in question is:

1) The Scout Heli target locks a strike point and shares it to its squad with EST. It spends its other action to paint that target with the active version of TAG.

2) The Concussion accepts the target lock and fires its Semi-Guided Rockets at the strike point.

3) The Bears have declared their intent to accept the Chain Fire firing solution and shoot the same target.

IF all the bonuses interact together as the "on paper" implies, then the Concussion has a maximum +6 on its Strike Point roll (+1 Semi-Guided, +2 Target Lock, +2 FCS, +1 Can see the target). Can the Concussion use the Semi-Guided Rockets and still share the successful strike point to the Bears, even if they aren't running Semi-Guided ammunition?

((Specific models provided to flesh out the example and to push the numbers as high as I think they can go. I very much believe that seeing how extreme the numbers can go can help us see if the interaction gets out of hand. Considering the investment involved (target lock, another model spending an action for TAG, etc) I don't think this is out of line for a maximum best case scenario, but hey.))

Is there a way that you could juggle to get a Nomad into each of the attack squads? As it stands, there isn't a way for EST to really do anything for you, since everyone with it is in the same squad.

Do you have points/models to run:

     -Attack 1&2: Banshee x3, Nomad

     -Recon: Nomad x3, Banshee

Yeah, you lose 1 Banshee overall, and I don't honestly know if giving the Banshees target locks would change that much, but that's the only suggestions I have. The list looks solid. Banshees can punch through the Centurion's armor fine, but whoever wins that field is going to be a burning scrapyard when you're done.

21 hours ago, Krugerannd said:

Infantry Models do not benefit from APA per the Errata titled 3_4_3_Special. Under the section for APA on the first page.

"Enhanced Targeting Acquisition: Using a Special Action (1 AP) to activate, the provides SA: APA improved targeting data on any enemy model located within the system's area of effect, equal to the model's APA rating level (+1/+2), to the Combat Roll of allied non-infantry models until the start of the models next activation."

You could still mount them to the transports and use a Action to activate them and send the bonus to your CAV's, Tanks and Aircraft but those transports are going to be the center of attention.

I cannot explain with words how much I love cited sources. Thank you so much.

Looking back over things, all I can figure is that I read the construction restriction that only lets CAVs, Vehicles, and Aircraft EQUIP APA as them being the only ones who could BENEFIT from it.

So yeah, absolutely sprinkle some External APA into the transports. Very good catch, James. 

11 hours ago, The Red Baron said:

What external APA?

 

My understanding is that infantry don't benefit from APA due to not having dedicated targeting computers to feed the extra data through. Otherwise it would absolutely be an option.

Just doing some theorycrafting, and it looks like the External ECMs would be really good on infantry transports. Most of them have few actual combat options, and after they deliver their charges are glorified cover. If you have the points on hand, is there a reason to not load them up with the External ECMs? 

They're likely well downfield, they are pretty much begging to absorb fire, and they don't have much else to do with their actions. Am I missing something?

I'm not posting a pic of the board this time, because it's just the grey with blocks marked out in pencil. I'll cover the lines with another coat so they aren't visible on the final draft.

What I am posting is the font work. This is (pretty much) the Adonese for each of the CAVs on their list. If anyone wants to critique my handwriting, I'd welcome the input.

Fantastic writeup.

As you noted, starting by eating their recon is a solid play. The Shadow does not need line of sight to target lock (and share that lock), so could have stayed behind the pillar for Blocking Cover if the enemy was close enough for it to make use of EST from there (otherwise, I agree that the forest was the place to put it). If you could remove the Sabres from the table, he would have lost their squad card AND the recon card, leveling the deck.

The only other things I'd say to consider are a: that you can deploy to flank with the squad weighted to the left edge with a member on the right edge (if you choose that route) and b: that low hill is cover. I would absolutely not have moved into the open field to fight, but would have covered ground as fast as I could to get within 1" of it for that bonus. Even if that -1 doesn't make them miss, it's still like having an extra point of armor on the MoS, so take it.

Most importantly, it sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for sharing.

I just realized that I misspelled "two" and it really bothers me.

Anywho: yeah, having everything that wants to be close hotdrop to minimum range would be grand, but there aren't enough points in the budget. Putting ODST on the Attack squad and making the infantry hoof it leaves you with like 13tv remaining, which is not enough to really adjust much. I haven't played with infantry, so I could be very wrong, but my gut says that Panzerfausts and MARs are going to be better for cleanup against weakened targets, while the PBGs will do just fine punching holes in more intact armor. I guess the real beauty of the list you built is that the points balance where you could run it either way and find out which feels better to you.

My two cents:

If you're bringing ODST, don't put it on the infantry. Use your Recon ability to push your ODST card to the bottom of the deck and deploy your PBG attack squad at the end of the first round, and start round 2 with your heavies on their side of the table.

Sure, it means that your infantry are having to hoof it across the board, but they are going to be fine cleaning up anything that gets loose from the pile of plasma death happening in the other player's deployment zone.forum list.pdf

Absolutely makes sense, as that is absolutely the kind of situation I thought I had found, lol.

Very good to know. Thanks.

Edit: I guess that you could push the ODST card to the bottom with Recon, and then activate them as soon as you can on the next round. That's about as rapid as possible.

I thought that you were able to activate the turn ODST deploys.

But yeah, you deploy minimum 12, and then you drift. But if you aim at minimum and drift maximum away, you should still only be like 22" off of your target, which is within some of those transports' "double move" range.

With the changes to close combat in the pipe I guess this isn't as big of a deal, but since infantry are expected to have something like CC moving forward I feel this is worth sharing.

If you put ODST on a land-based transport and fill it with SA:Storm infantry, you can put them in base-to-base with almost any target as soon as their card comes up. The transports try to land as close as possible to the target, and then either move to point blank and shoot or double move (as needed) and then deploy their infantry. Since the infantry have SA:Storm, dismounting does not cost an action and they are able to immediately close and engage.

I feel like the best transports for this strategy are:

- Adon Courier (MV10, carries a light PBG for the intro volley).

-Adon Millipede (MV10, carries no guns, but only has 6DT and can carry a whole squad of light/heavy infantry).

-Rach Hetman (MV11, FLAMETHROWER to set the target on fire before the infantry arrive).

-Terran Tsukai (MV10, has an MRAC even though that would need fired near the beginning of the move).

Thoughts? (Also sorry for the edits. I've been training on software all week that uses ctrl+enter to drop to the next line, and that auto-posts here).

Ok, second coat of grey down, so now it looks properly scarred and such. I've started mapping out where stuff will sit with graph paper, and am working on adapting the fonts that I'm going to need.

Commander2 for proof of concept:

This is what I think I see. I had to code the Flight squad as a Specialist in order to make the primary/secondary balance work out. If so, then just under 4500, looks like.

LiMons.pdf

Ok, so I decided to put together a magnetic display for my Adon. I /think/ that it will look really cool, so I'm going to document the process here in case anyone else decides to go this route.

So for step one, I have a 20" x 30" White Frame Magnetic Dry Erase Board ($18, Target). Since the only parts of that that I care about are the size and the magnets, I poured a bottle of Reaper's Brush-On Grey Primer on it and roughly spread it out. I had a couple bottles from before I switched to Stynylrez, so I can do a second coat. I'm not concerned about a perfect coat, so I'm just tossing it on.

Serious question as I don't actually have any of these on hand...

How do these actually work on the table? I know the infantry would be in the trench, but from the pics it looks like it's sized for the infantry models, not the actual bases they'd be on. Do they just stand behind them like they were a wall? Does the infantry base go on top of it and balance there? What do?

...are not as far away as we think.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-58159730

I assume that most of them are freighted to the surface in dropships or other transports.

As for Orbital fighters, there are two hulls that we have stats for which can operate from orbit. Those are the Adonese Eagle and the Rach Kraken (which has a couple versions, iirc). I know that CAVBoss has sounded open to the idea of them qualifying for ODST even though "aircraft" aren't allowed to normally take it, but idk if that will make an official cut.

I'll try to remember to ask him on stream if you aren't there.

Yeah, I have very little table time with Almirithil on the board, my side or against, but I think they're well suited to move forward. The other factions should also have good screening options (Lions, Kestral, Banshee, Crusader, etc). In a way, the MAC changes should help a lot of the "why would I ever bring an Ogre" issues that the slower PBG platforms face. If /most/ of the things on the table have a minimum range, then screens don't have to do all the closing on their own.

And yes, CAVBoss has been discussing the minimum range changes on the Wednesday streams. I can't remember if MRACs are also getting the minimum, because magnetic accelerators are magnetic accelerators, but I'll try to remember to ask him tonight.

I main-faction Adon, and I second the Ursa... Ursae? Urs.... Big Quad Missile Machines.

I'm also really excited for the Eagles to hit table.