Inefficient. Then you've got two TGR stranded out in mid-field, easy meat for follow-up attacks. Immobile, unsupported infantry whose transport is off busy fighting something else? Yeah, I smell free VC1. No, if the Atlas drops something, it better be able to take care of itself fairly well, like a TTL, or be quick enough to get out of Dodge. Or the Atlas better stick around to pick up after itself, which burns another order. Much easier to just blow an order finishing the target off with the Atlas itelf.

While I generally agree with you, I can imagine situations late in the game when the Atlas is too beaten down to retaliate effectively on its own; but a couple of fresh TGRs could really clean house. It may not always be an efficient use of points, but it might occasionally have a place in a storyline, for example.

since we're on the subject of roll calling metagame units. i'd like to throw in the ultimate br-tag team of 'beast & thug' into the mix.

alone, they won't do much but paired up with arty units from the backlines, that LE version cynthia kelly ability of 'better than grapple' really can hurt.

the pair even tries to share damage by running blocking maneuvers for the other in alternating turns, hence giving the other some time off the frontlines for repairs.

the main tactic with this pair is to run with 'beast' to base and hold down an opposing unit as it approaches. then position thug for the next turn. and finally drop pogs on the target/s.

the easiest way to counter this to take out beast asap. but problem is beast isn't an easy customer to deal with. to begin with, she has 21defense with + evade, then she has heavy armor and finally she also has the option to gear up with the 'harjel auto-repair' which works together with the repair faction pride.

whadathink?

I know the topic has wandered away from HF but I just wanted to waste some space with my 2 cents. I understand everyone's argument about basing HF so as it cancel the AO, etc... but with a 6 primary damage, it would be few basers indeed who survived to face a second round.

If you base HF with a 30 pt. Slyph, even with Grapple, HF would just have to close combat and kill it. That right there would negate any VC2 pt advantage you had by not bringing a FC card, plus you're down 30 pts on VC1. The points go slower with ATV's and Hover Bikes but the theory is the same.

Just as you don't need to kill HF to win the game, neither does he have to kill your biggie, just enough of your support to win and as stated, he just needs to keep his pieces under his protective umbrella.

Anyway, I'm sure any number of you better, younger, faster players will fill my analysis with holes big enough to walk an...Atlas...through, but I just wanted to get it out.

My first thought is that if I even suspected someone was going to bring something like that I would bring Swamp to neuter their speed and artillery. Then have mechs with 16" ranges and up.

Your comments are absolutely true. If all you do is feed harassers to Hammerfall, he'll eat them up. However, what you're missing is as you're keeping all 300+ points of atlas, pilot and gear busy with these 15 or 30 pt harassers, your remaining 570pts is going after his remaing support.

Here's a spcific example of what I'm talking about. Order 1, base Hammerfall w/ Sylph or some other harasser. Order 2, base whatever repair mech is escoring Hammerfall. Order 3, bring my big mech within firing range of Hammerfall, his support mech and/or some other high point target. Order 4, lay down some artillery on the based units or bring a 2nd threat to bear. Now the player controlling Hammerfall needs to ask himself, is killing that harasser worth losing a higher point target or getting shot at next turn?

The key here is while you're keeping Hammerfall busy with low cost harassers, you're putting pressure on the rest of his army at the same time. If you don't, you're just feeding him free points.

Excuse me for changing the subject, but what do you all see winning the Storyline II? I see two or three TD's with support from a good medium, small heavy mech.

I fully intend on running my C3i units in SLII. They'll all benefit from the Commander's rerolls, essentially giving me C3i with IT. I'll also be packing as many throwaway infantry as I can into this thing and I will make absolutely certain that at least one is free and clear to sacrifice if/when my Commander get busted. I don't intend to let it, but one never knows.

Failing that, I may run a Jack or Streak army, use the auto-IT to let me sling other, also useful gear. My choice would likely end up as Slayer with appropriate pilot and Decoy, using the Commander's reroll to give it the accuracy it needs while maintaining good Streak damage and a nice defense. Perhaps Jack/Alphanel with Jesus and Saturation Fire, or even bare of gear since I don't have a ton of decent heavy ballistic weapons. Lots of lasers, not much ammo.

That's what I'd do, anyways. Especially since everything has IT anyways and playing for defense might not be the best idea.

I had a thought of running Slayer with Concussion Ammo. Think about it, this scenario begs to run transports. So why don't we give them the opposite of what they like. PUSHING DAMAGE!! Muahahahahahah!!! Sorry.....I am good now. I was also thinking of playing Preacher with Deacon, the 8 dmg. one, with ArP. If I hit, thanks to IT I will most of the time, it will go through.

I am going to use the folowing, and hope I can overwhelm the enemy:

Chief King Crab/James Short/Coolant Pod
WH Vixen/Fortuna/Advanced Pulse Module
WH R10
WH Towed Gauss Rifle x3
WH Tokugawa
WH Kelswa
Merc Kelswa
Merc Zibler
WH Minigun Bike

The primary unit will be the Vixen, with the Heavy Tank Formation, and then I will drop the Towed gauss to give a fire formation to hold a section of the field.

Chief will be a distraction, since it doesn't have the range to engage very well. I just want it to be there to have the chance to rip through high defense guys with Evade and Decoy, and have the Vixen tear into anything that it can.

Knowing me, my dice will fail horribly, and I will not get a single VP.

I would load the HD Atlas with a Tech and a harasser. There will be times when you would be willing to forego half your movement to drop a harasser (like, say, you're dodging a template and you also want to base a unit that can ram, MDFA, or streak/indirect you). As for the tech, well it's just common sense--you probably will never unload him voluntarily unless you're in the DZ and want to maximize VC3 but if you are salvaged upfield your repair unit auto-drops into base contact with your rear arc, so on your turn you can repair out of salvage and then frantically flee (hoping to scrape a win by retaining the Atlas' points).

I like it but it's not ideal for most games, in my opinion.

As for the storyline the biggest thing I see is the ability to reroll a die on special attacks, particularly rams. Of course it's 750 so a properly fielded Poseidon will win virtually effortlessly but if nobody at your venue is enough of a jerk to run it this could be a fun event. Break out the SSw Gigginses folks!

Finaly get at chance to see a Shiro with IT so ....

Kami + Kenshin 277
Dragon + OBroin + pulse 240
Solitaire + Fusilli + evade 150
4 x df atv 56
1 x Scimitar MKII 26

749 pts

I see lots of decoy and arty, hoping the infiltrate really messes up some plans.

Wii, the bit ticket item here isn't Salt Flats, it's the fact that every friggin' unit in your army get IT so long as your commander is up. Drops are good yeah, but don't get caught up on dealing with TD and forget that IT bit.

That said, the IT also helps TD. Someone playing a couple of long-range drops could abuse that nicely, especially with specific setups whose cheapness I refuse to mention here. Most tank drops are limited by accuracy, outside of clumsy formation drops, but this scneario could alleviate that. Hmm...maybe time to bust out that wh Kelswa I pulled a couple months back.

Tonight's Storyline 2 army:

HD 2-cap BF Atlas/Dresari/Coolant Pod
SS Balac
SS Giggins
SS J-37
SS Unique Fulcrum Heavy Hover Tank (Hendrene something)
HD Padilla
SS Paladin
HD TTL
SS Unique SRM Team Hazen's Strikers
Merc Combat Techs
RotS Minigun x3
SH ATV
SH Minigun

Wish me luck...

So you can reroll special attacks eh? *looks at CJF Goshawk and Black Rose*