The Garrots, from Counterassault. 3 cap vtols.

Yep...although I eschew tank drop, somehow using the DF transport (that has no weapons) doesn't bug me so much, since, after all, it clearly was designed simply to carry heavy things (unlike those tiny hovercraft).

Take care,

Rick

Thanks to all that answered my question. After I sent it, I decided to use my Mark I Logic Circuit (fluff between my ears) and read the section on transports in the rule books and found the answer that I was looking for.

Thanks Again!

Merc Special Forces Teams just became real capture-monkeys.

I wondered that myself emouse after reading the new rules on formation movement. The way I read the rules on merc formations, is the only way you can have mercs in your battle force and have them benefit from formations is to have a mercenary contract. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the way it should be. The only way a merc unit can benefit from any formation or faction abilities is to have a merc contract card for that army.

Incorrect. Mercs can formation with anybody, including other Mercs.

That seems like a waste of printed material if you ask me. If mercs can form formations with other factions w/o mercenary contracts, that seems like a waste of a game mechanic. Why even have mercenary contracts if they can formation with anyone at anytime. The only thing good I can see of the mercenary contract cards is to have faction abilities, which only 3 factions in the game have anyway.

The contracts also allow your armies to be "faction pure" for the cost of the faction pride cards. Theoretically, you could also use a merc contract to make your mercs into the second faction of a situational alliance, so that you could use those aswell.

I get the feeling Faction abilities will be FAR more intricate than now, and will apply to all the factions, at least through the use of cards. Just my guess, of course.

Take care,

Rick

It also gives the merc the appropriate faction symbol, thus allowing them access to faction abilities, faction pride, or any other effects that require a faction symbol.

So, use the Bannson's Merc Contract, all mercs now have a BR symbol and can use the BR Faction Pride ability.

How sucky would it be if only the factions that had contracts could make formations with mercs? 6 out of, what, over a dozen now? Even with Alliances, that's pretty limited. Being able to make formations with everyone could be considered an unofficial Grand Alliance with every faction. Which kinda makes sense. Mercs will work for anyone who pays enough, right?

All this talk about the Mercenaries could end if Wizkids would give the Mercs the ability to become factions based on their unit organizations I.E (Wolfs Dragoons, 21st Centauri Lancers) etc etc. The Highlanders started out as the Northwind Highlanders Mercenary Unit and now look at them, one of the most powerful units in the game (personal opinion). Just a thought, not a complaint.

IIRC, there are [/i]now[/i] 11 factions. Really 10 since the Sea Foxes only have two pieces and are effectively the same as a pair of merc mechs that have a few special abilities (remember Renegade).

When AoD comes out there will be an extra three factions (more effectively 2, since Kurita gets exactly one super rare mech). From a gameplay point of view, there are effectively less, since ROTS and HL are effectively a single faction with varied paint jobs and the only difference from a gameplay perspective between House Liao and BR is that Liao units have the faction abilities and BR don't. Houses Steiner and Davion, I imagine, will quickly become synonymous with the Stormhammers and Swordsworn, respectively, resulting in a similar effect to not actually adding new factions.

It's not so much as new factions are being added but more as if existing ones are being expanded, at least in a gameplay sense. Or new ones show up and absorb existing ones. Either way it is the same effect.

@ Doomboy

I think you may not have got the whole point of what eMouse is saying. With retirement taking out the DF Maxim/Schmitt the merc zahn is now /the/ transport (espicially for DQ). This means DQ can transition to AoD with out missing a beat. Now, DQ is not unbeatable, and with mechs getting longer ranges via AO you could make the case that it's not even cheesey any more. But regardless, the formation-move-and-unload was strong as a game mechanic and now could get even stronger. And the options that the merc Zahn opens up for it are... IMO... immense.

>>I think you may not have got the whole point of what eMouse is saying.<<

Eh, I wouldn't say the entire whole absolute point in the utter completest sense of it. You may have missed the entire point of what I was saying, though.

As you agree and state yourself, the Zahn is THE transport regardless of the formation ability. So, it's the only piece to use (i.e., broken) without the ability, adding it doesn't change it, any more than, say, reducing the price of a 4 point Peasant unit by .1 of a point changes its relative value. Is the Zahn better with the ability? Sure...but it's already the best, so it's not going to be used more often than before (3 cap, Evade, high defense, AND fast...you could give it armor piercing too, and it'd be fairly irrelevant in the face of those other abilities).

Or, as I said, it's a great piece anyway.

Eh, it's just a matter of semantics, the point is still, I was trashed for making this suggestion a year ago, and now it's taken as an extraordinarily good idea. Very neat stuff.

Take care,

Rick

I'm agreeing that it's a good idea, just pointing out that it also means that WK is probably changing the way it costs or designs mercenary units - making it very helpful that 'old style' Mercs are being retired.

It really doesn't have much effect on the Merc units people liked to use because those units were typically good 'loner' or support units (VTOLs, artillery, Mechs, repair).

But there are a number of Merc units that are cheap, but relatively ineffective on their own. Those units suddenly become potentially good formation candidates, in most cases outclassing any faction-assigned units at their cost, or undercosting units in their class.

Unless you need a particular trait or price, there is no reason to use most faction battlearmor if you have the Merc Kanazuchi as an option. Take a second look at other Merc infantry as well. Most of them are faster or deal more damage than their faction-assigned counterparts.

Merc FaShih, Merc Kanazuchi, and Merc SFT make a really mean capture team if they have the ability to make a formation with each other.