*throws self to the ground screaming and crying because the Highlanders have yet to get ANY non-LE anti-aircraft pieces*

Waaaaa . . . .OK, I'm done .. . Looks really cool! I wish one was a merc so we and the SC could use it and still be essentially 'pure.'

nice. finally something that I can use to pound VTOLs!!!!!!!!!

I'd rather see AA Infantry. You know, a couple guys with a Stinger shoulder-launcher. The majority of the VTOLs downed by enemy actions in Iraq have been taken out by those things.

In MWDA terms, make 'em a lot like SRM Teams: 10" range (20" against VTOLs) and 8 attack. Only 1 damage with AP or 2 damage non-AP. Low defense, like 15 or 16. Maybe give one of them a 12" range. Make them cost 16, 17, and 18 points, to make make you think "Hmm, two AA Infantry or one Partisan... decisions, decisions..."

You know, only AA infantry would satisfy *this* highlander player at this point.

Melicien Tetro was a 250+ point unit with 5AP damage, 14" range, 20 defense.

These stupid little buggers seem to be 50-60 point units, with 5AP damage, 14" range, 20 defense.

WTF, I ask you.

I think the defense tank is going to work as decent counter VTOL, as long as they have 9+ attacks. I'm not to worried about it, as SS has usually gotten fairly decent attack values. I think its real draw back is going to be low speed and a short dial, but a short dial is what you should expect from a 65 pt tank. It will make a great guard for artillery as it can take out incoming vtols, with no minimum range, it can deal with infantry and with 4-5 damage armor piercing, it will take care of fast tanks and mechs heading for your drop zone. Good general purpose tank with good AA capabilities, looks like it will be seeing a lot of play.

I appreciate it :D

But of course, it makes perfect sense. Who to better design a vehicle to exploit a VTOL's weaknesses, then a group that designs VTOLS? That and talk about selling to both sides. :P

I hate to bring out the reality argument but has any dedicated
AA unit in the HISTORY of warfare had less than a 360 degree fire
arc? (Not counting massive box SAM launchers where the radar
is the 360 degree component anyway) Wizkids hasn't done even one AA unit with better than 180?

That said (and to completely kneejerk without all the info, hey
everybody's doing it ;-) these guys look a bit too powerful for
their points but we'll see. Glad Liao gets the Elite one, we still
need some Elite Liao Infantry to round out those Awe totals.
S

I just hope it packs an attack value to use that damage. The AA guns really need a beefed up attack to be shooting at VTOLS now that they're all packing 20+ defenses.

The upgraded damage is a huge plus, but it's the attack value that matters.

1. WHY oh WHY does everything have to have AP?

2. Why do the damage value have to be so high that one hit puts nearly any VTOL out of the game? This appears to be powercreep rearing its head again (pending attack values).

I hate the fact that these AA units appear to be poised to obsolete every VTOL if the attack values are high enough. With 4-5 damage being done there is no margin for error here... if they have too high of an attack value, then two expansions worth of VTOLs are now ineffective (more unplayable units).

Booooooot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We got another freaking awsome assult vehicle. And its got AA built in, freaking boooooooo ya.

Huzaah.

Go jokers!!!!

This unit will not have stable stats, high attack and defense, or many SE clicks. Why ? Well, let´s compare it to something with similar range and damage potential. Lets take a SS DI Morgan. same range, same damage, probably similar speed.
That Morgan boasts 3 targets and a 360 degrees arc, but has a minimum range and energy weapons without any SE. And it is about 20 points more expensive.
Even if we say the 3 targets and better firing arc cancel out the ballistic AP attack and AA capability, you still have to cut about 20 points out of the unit. Since the Morgan has a solid, but not outstanding attack of 9 and defense of 21, the Defense Tank should either have much lower or at least sharper dropping stats. I am personally betting on the nowadays usual 9 attack for medium vehicles, dropping rapidly towards a 7. Defense most likely won´t be higher then 20.

Took me a moment to find what they were talking about, too - but it's on the tank... look where the front of the treads meet the main chassis - there's a vertical rectangle/block-shaped part where there are four chevron-shaped designs...

...gives it almost an 'ultra-elite' feel, LOL

About the overal drawback to the AA vehicle, I dunno... here's what I'd anticipate:

- 9 attack on average, possibly even 10 on the SW sweetspot (these things are quite a bit more expensive than the Partisan AAs, which had 9 attacks as well)
- 20 defense on average
- 6" movement on average (if this is the drawback)
- Estimated damage: BR - 4-AP; SS - 5-AP; SW - 5-AP(sweetspot); Li - 5-AP(or Streak?)
- Likely not to have much other SE - maybe ECM, but doubtful... PERHAPS Improved Targeting on the Liao version.

Note: the SSw Partisan AA, then add 16-30 points on top of that, slow it down, and reduce its range by 2"(4" AA) in the Liao version... keep the attack value, add some damage value, add some defense value... you probably still have room for more.

Anyone else find it odd/irritating that the fluff mentions this guy firing on SC forces, when he's downed by a unit that SC doesn't have? Who was covering our flanks?

Maybe we get a unique?

Now I get it.

These things will have an ENORMOUS minimum range.

Guesses at stats/SE:

BR - 4 AP, 0/12 range, 19 defense
SSw - 5 AP, 0/12 range, 20 defense
SW - 5 AP, 0/12 range, 19 def + Reactive Armor
LI - 5 damage, 0/12 range, 20 defense + Heavy Armor

The big question is the attack values... you can see the 0/12 range on the rotatable image at the Wizkids site. I was hoping for some kind of minimum range (2-4" at least).