As promised, here’s my take on our legal units as of Dominion. I’ll sort them by type, and point cost, and try to give a decent overview for the vet and new player alike. One thing to keep in mind, as with the hiatus of Liao from the game, I haven’t actually played in close to a year, so I’m a bit rusty, and whatever I say should be taken with a grain (or mound) of salt. So, without further ado, I’ll get started…

Infantry:

In general, we’re being pretty hard hit by retirement here. ATV’s have been a staple of Liao forces since they came out. But they aren’t the only core piece that we’ll be losing. Also gone are the midfield titans, the Infiltrator Mk I’s. These guys were great for having a group of solid infantry mid-field waiting for the rest of our forces to catch up. Also gone are the Salamanders and Fa Shih, who were real touch nuts, and the perfect pair to drop out of a Shun for some close in mayhem. I remember tearing through some SW Padilla’s with these guys.

But probably the biggest lost is a more abstract thing. We’ve lost all of our low cost infantry. After retirement, we will have one lower mid-cost infantry, and it’s strictly a support piece. So it’s going to be a lot harder to fill out the points of our armies, which is something I’ve always tried to do. There’s no point in handing your opponent an edge when you can help it. Having access to pilots and gear will help a bit, but it’s not the same. You can’t just drop in a piece of gear to fill out your army, since you’ve normally fitted out your mech in a specific way. It’s not like dropping in a Combat Engineer. Still, we have what we have.

Ok, on to specifics…

Combat Technicians, 15 points: These guys are now our cheapest infantry. For 15 points, we get five clicks of repair with a good attack value (spectacular for an infantry), and Faction Abilities with no repair markers. What we give up is almost all offensive capability, with their 0 range and 1 damage. These guys are going to be useful, but not spectacular. Most of our units have a decent smattering of repair markers, and using an action to repair is going to be a big change from sacrificing units. Still, with FA’s, and no repair markers of its own, the CT’s can possibly stay around a while. Remember, that even if a Liao unit without FA dies, it will still trigger Fanaticism in those units that do have it. And with its 9 attack, the CT makes a decent primary for a capture formation. Getting it into position will be a problem, though, since it’s slow, and doesn’t have JJ’s. Still, it’s an ok utility piece, and our cheapest infantry by far, so I think it will be seeing a lot of use, wanted or not.

Gray Death Scout Armor, 17 points: These were our first really decent middle cost infantry, and they still hold up. Basically, they are a Salamander-lite with longer range. 8 range, 2 damage with Flamers, and 7 JJ for 17 points is not a bad thing. They aren’t the premier unit for close combat (those would be the TrackBikes), and they aren’t the solid ranged fighters (those being the Gnomes), but they are good enough to do double duty at both. The have FA’s, so they can stick around longer than some, and can do up to 4 damage to a green unit by their lonesome. Five clicks of life are ok, but on the short side of things. And they fall apart fast (like most of our old units). If you don’t know what you want your infantry to do, I’d probably suggest going with these guys. But if you have your battle plan mapped out, there are better choices.

Gray Death Battle Armor, 17 points: For the same cost as the Scout Armor, these guys give up range, JJ and Flamers, to be replaced by IT and Reflective armor, and an extra click of life. This makes them our premier capture unit. They also have FA’s, so they can get a bit of repair at critical points. They are immune to energy, and have a long enough dial to get in close. Three clicks of IT is enough to mean that one member of the unit will still have it when they make base contact. Their main flaw is that they are slow (7 speed), so they’ll either need a transport, or a decoy of some sort to get into position. But, they will make good DZ defenders. They can base screen, and then capture anything that heads back towards your backfield units. Captured ATV’s are nice VC2 sources. Especially since they are already in your DZ.

Undine Battle Armor, 17 points: These are our cheap combat drop units. Our first infantry with combat ready AP (the Combat Engineers don’t count). 2 AP at 8” for 17 point is something new for us, and personally, I’m glad for it. As has been said before, everything else about this unit is average. But those 2 clicks of 2 AP are what they are about. These are great for breaking through all those units with Reactive Armor, especially the infantry. It’s much more efficient to take out infantry with infantry, and save your big guns for something, well, bigger. Six click of life mean that they are a pain to take out by your opponents support, and really, after they crack the nut, their job is finished. I wouldn’t build an army around these guys, but they are a great new tool to have in our tool box.

TrackBike, 18 points: These infantry are short lived, but they burn bright. Originally, they were lauded as our Awe filler, being elite infantry, and they actually were elite. Now with our largest elite unit weighing in at 82 points, and being an artillery unit, I don’t think we’ll see Awe again (not that it was more than a gimmick ability anyway). Still, there are plenty of things going for the Bikes. Four clicks of flamers, three of those at 2 damage. Tracked movement starting at 10 with Evade that switches to Cammo. Very steady attack. And lastly, no repair markers, so they can take full advantage of Fanaticism. They love clearing out the woods, and can really do a number on just about any type of enemy unit on the ground. They are still worth 18 points, and should be your first choice for close support units.

Simian Battle Armor, 18 points: These are the new fast basers of the game. As someone mentioned, after retirement, we will have one of the only two 10 JJ infantry in the game, so don’t be surprised to see these guys in the opponents force. And they also sit well in our force. As mentioned, they start with 10 JJ, and then very slowly decline from there. The JJ last for four clicks making these things very versatile. The rest of the stats are average, but the speed and JJ are all that you need. Without ATV’s, we’ll have to rely on these guys to tie up our opponents. If you only want a couple of basers, go with Simians. If you need a lot, I’d say use TrackBikes, as they will also double as a serious threat point. But by themselves, I think the Simians are better because they last one click longer, and that can potentially make all the difference.

Gnome Battle Armor, 18 points: I think the Gnomes are going to be our new standard infantry. They last for seven clicks, which is phenomenal for 18 points. They also have solid (not spectacular, but solid) stats that degrade slowly, especially the attack value. JJ provide maneuverability, although they are on the slow side. And the single click of decoy is filler, but as SE’s go, it’ll save it from counter infantry strikes, if nothing else. It has decent range, and has the Ballistic range type, which tends to be rare on our infantry. Overall, a very solid unit that is well worth it’s 18 points.

Sniper Team, 22 points: Our long ranged infantry. With a 12” range, and a 6” infiltrate, you can use them to set up firing lanes to protect your units as they advance up-field. They work particularly well with our Republic SA. They also sport a great attack for infantry, which turns into IT for more than half the dial. They also have FA’s, and no repair markers, so Fanaticism is their friend. Still, they are expensive, and I’m not sure they are worth that much of your battle force, since they only last for five clicks. In the end, you’ll need to decide for yourselves if you want to invest in them. In the right situations, they’ll be great, in others, they’ll just be a lot of VC2 loss when they go down.

Oni Battle Armor, 22 points: Sigh. I really want to like the Oni’s, but I just can’t. For 22 points, you get seven clicks of life, and that’s about it. The Decoy protects from other infantry, but with this many points at stake, they’ll get more attention from vehicles and mechs, and the 18 decoy won’t cut it against anything with an attack higher than 8. The damage drops immediately, while it picks up AP to compensate. 1 AP will slowly whittle things away, but for 22 points, you can do better. The one thing that is special about it is the first click of SU Point Defense. The only time you’ll use this is to help in repairing a big unit (like a Kelswa). Still, 22 points for a potential use of a unit is not worth it. If you spend your points elsewhere, you’ll be better served.

Vehicles coming up next…

On to the Vehicles…

General: While we lost a lot of gems and utility with our outgoing infantry, we’re losing even more with our vehicles. We lost the Shun, a fantastic 2 cap transport that doubles as a light attack VTOL after the drop. We lost the Zahn, a sturdy and fairly fast transport that could deal with infantry if it had to. We lose the Fulcrum, a fantastic medium tank that had everything except stat stability, and it didn’t really need it. No more MHI AA Tank, a good Awe filler, and a nice tank to drop. Gone is the Arrow IV Artillery Tank, the mainstay of many forces, and the only 3 damage artillery in existence. A lot of the second string vehicles were pretty good too. Personally, I really liked the Pegasus. It was an excellent support vehicle for a heavy mech like the Tian Zongs… We do get to keep some of the premier artillery in the game, with the PDS and Long Tom, though.

So, in short, we have a lot to make up for in this set. And it does an ok job, although the role of fast infantry transport (i.e., a replacement for the Shun) is no-where to be found.

Kite Reconnaissance Vehicle, 32 points: The Kite falls into the same category as the Simian, but on a vehicular scale. It’s our fast baser, with a little bit of offensive punch built in (not much, but definitely more than the Sprint had). For 32 points, we get a hover unit that can move 16”, do 1 AP with a 7 IT attack, and lasts for seven clicks (one of those is salvage). And it has FA’s, to-boot. But the real meat to this unit is giving your big units that +2 called shot bonus to defense, as well as negating the charge or MDFA threat. It’s also good at grabbing VC3 and just being a general nuisance in your opponent’s backfield. Don’t expect it to last the game, but if it allows you to get in the first hit, or saves you from a painful reprisal, it’s done its job. I wouldn’t say that it is a “must have” piece, but it is definitely a utility unit that fits well in certain battleforces.

Bellona Tank, 35 points: This is our premier light tank. In the old days, we never had anything this good. Not everyone liked the Pegasus, but it definitely had it’s uses. This is 11 points cheaper, and just as good, if not better. First off, it has FA’s, so it can get a click of repair from some of those infantry it will be supporting, and against green units, it does a whopping 4 ballistic damage. It has a 9 attack, so it will be hitting support units regularly, and it can take those Hail Mary’s at the RHDM’s and have a chance at hitting without a crit. It has seven clicks of life, with on salvage, and starts off with a 20 defense, which it keeps for two clicks. The range is nice at 10”, and the arc is also nice at 270 degrees. And you get this all for just 35 points! That’s a fantastic deal. It’s a mini-ballistic-Fulcrum. If you need a support unit, you can’t go wrong with the Bellona. Even if you don’t need a support piece, it’s still great. And it’s only 35 points!

Yasha VTOL, 36 points: Our first attack VTOL (it was premiered before the Hawk Moth). Sigh. For one more point than the Bellona, you get less life, less damage, less attack, less defense and no FA’s. Not a good starting point. What it does have going for it is an 18” move shoot for 2 AP. Where is this good? Well, not often. With our FP, you can team this up with a Loki, and tag team loaded transports. Both have the same effective range. Send in the Yasha first, and hopefully peg the transport for 3 (for 19 def transports, you’ve got even odds). Then send in the Loki to finish off the transport for 7, and take out its cargo as well. You could keep it back, and use it as a finisher piece, but then the AP is wasted. Unless you really like VTOL’s, I’d say skip this one. In almost all respects you’d be better off with a Bellona.

Coolant Truck, 38 points: I’m not exactly sure what to think of this. A bit of cooling is never a bad thing, but none of our legal mechs have particularly bad heat dials that they need a coolant source. But then, having something that can ‘move-shoot’ to cool can’t be that bad, right? And most of our mechs have a startup check two clicks in. But, how often will we have a shut down mech that doesn’t have an enemy basing it? I just don’t know. So, beyond the coolant feature, what do we have? A nice long dial (eight clicks, with one salvage), 8” range, 2 damage flamers with a good attack, and a nice steady defense of 20. But, the damage drops like a stone, and zeros out after three clicks. So basically the usefulness of this vehicle hinges on how easy it will be to cool a mech. If it’s fairly simple, and happens often enough, than I’d say this is a decent investment of 38 points, since you get a little close-combat support as well. But if it turns out that you have to give an arm and a leg to cool that mech, then spend your points elsewhere.

Zibler Fast Strike Tank, 43 points: This is a “meh” unit. It’s not an opener, or a main battle tank. Its job is to harass infantry, and finish off units that have been left for dead by your main assault pieces. And, in that role, its decent. But when you compare it to a Bellona, it’s hard to see that. They have the same amount of life, and starting damage. They almost have the same arc (the Zibler wins out with a 360), but the Bellona has better range and attack. They have the same defense, too. The only thing that it has going for it is that the Zibler is a bit more sturdy. Three clicks of heavy armor, and better stat stability let the Zibler keep its effectiveness (such that it is) as it takes damage. But, the big difference between the two is that the Zibler does not have FA’s, while the Bellona does. So, keeping in mind that the Zibler costs 8 more points than the Bellona, your almost always better off going with the cheaper option.

R10 Mechanized ICV, 48 points: An expensive transport that wants to be a medium tank, and thus does neither very well. It is our only transport, though, so it will have to do. It’s a tad slower than the Zahn, but lives longer. It takes an incredible 8 clicks to salvage it, but beware, because it will only take one more damage to go from salvage to dead. The defense is ok, but starting off at 19 (one lower than the Zahn) makes infantry a much bigger threat to it. Coupled with that, its damage type is energy. That means you cannot let this thing go off by itself, because any infantry formation will be able to waltz up to it, base it in the rear, and capture it. So, our already expensive transport needs infantry cover, making it more of a point sink. The damage and range is nice, but the attack of 8 means it can only go after support units, limiting its offensive potential. Four clicks of Reactive Armor will help it stick around, but still, I’d rather trade that for flamers. Its not close to a Zahn, but since its our only transport, we have to live with it. Either that, or just work on strategies that don’t involve drops…

MHI Hawk Moth Gunship, 51 points: Our second attack VTOL is much better than the first. Still, it doesn’t quite live up to the first batch of Hawk Moths, since its move-shoot range is only 14. So, what does that mean? Don’t lead with it against a mech. Other than that, though, anything is fair game. Five clicks of life, with five clicks of AP and at least 2 damage means it will hurt anything it can hit. The starting attack of 9 lets it hit just about anything but a mech and the heavier tanks, and the ending attack of 7 is good enough to clean up on infantry. The days of the uber VTOL are over, there wont be any more Donars. VTOL’s are now support units, and our Hawk Moth is a nice one. I’d trade a couple of clicks of AP for either higher defense, or another click of life, but even as is, it’s a useful unit. Just don’t lead with it into a big target.

Enyo Strike Tank, 60 points: The Enyo is our replacement for the MHI AA Tank, and its not that bad of one. Its got a decent eight clicks of life (again, one salvage), the same 9 attack with IT, and 21 defense. Instead of SU Armor, and the 4 damage, we have 3 Pulse. Not as much bang up front, but the total damage potential is better. Still the range could be longer, but we’ve lived with a 10” drop unit for a long time, so we should be used to it. And, it still has FA’s, which is a plus. Couple that with a pretty steady defense, and this unit should stick around for a while. Overall a nice medium tank.

Long Tom Artillery, 74 points: One of our two artillery units, and a good one. Excellent damage stability, two 3” pogs and with the right placement, about a 70% accuracy. 12”-48” arty range means it can cover the board, and since it drifts backward, it can even get inside that. It has Hardened Armor to help with survivability, but the defense of 17 is its Achilles heal. Infantry can hit that with ease, and AP infantry will tear through it. Still, it has eight clicks of life with no salvage, and does 2 damage for six of those clicks. FA’s again help with survivability (Fanaticism), but that’s about it. Now more Awe make its elite status a liability against a CJF opponent, and Ruthlessness doesn’t help with arty shots. Still, it’s cheaper than a Paladin, and covers more area. In the end, you can’t really go wrong with it.

Paladin Defense System, 82 points: The other artillery, and just as good, if not better. What it lacks in damage stability (loses 2 damage after three clicks), it makes up for in accuracy (about 75%-80% with correct placement), an extra pog (albeit a 2” one), and higher defense. It also lives forever (ten clicks of life, with three salvage). The 21 defense, protects it from infantry, and the reactive armor protects it from counter-battery fire. The large minimum arty range of 16 can be a problem, but with the our Republic SA, it becomes an excellent source for some dispersed range formation fire that is usually completely overlooked. Again, it has FA’s, although only the Fanaticism is useful, and then only so much, since it has a lot of repair markers. You can get away with minimal base screening, since the 2” minimum range doesn’t hurt things that are basing it on its front. The PDS is still one of the best artillery units out there, and its in our force pool. Use it and love it.

Kelswa Assault Tank, 94 points: Woo Hoo! We finally get a heavy tank with punch, range and accuracy! And it’s expensive… Still, this is something we’ve been waiting for for a long time. 5 AP to 14” with a 10 attack is just about all we could ever hope for from a tank. While it doesn’t have the 24 defense of the original Kelswa’s, the 22 defense is good. The one negative to go with the point cost is that the attack drops fast. Still, this thing will eat up lesser units through most of its dial, and it will take a mech to kill it. It is a little short on life, with only nine clicks (one salvage). You can either drop this (which is very expensive), or you could make a formation with TrackBikes, Gnomes, or just about any of our infantry, and it will still be effective. Just make sure you have a fast baser to tie up your opponent’s mechs. Overall, it’s a very solid (if expensive) unit that brings a lot of punch to the table.

Next up, the Mechs….

Liao pure Mechless...



Trackbike 18pts x6 108pts
Grey Death BA x2 34 pts

bellona x3 105pts
Kelswa 94pts x2

Liao FP 15pts

Total=450pts


Formation #1 (or just group in general if no formation is to be used)

Kelswa
bellona x2

Trackbike x2 for support


Formation #2

Kelswa
GDBA x2

Trackbike x2 for support



Floaters

Bellona x1
trackbike x2



I usually don't play mechless but given that we're getting some decent heavy tanks I figured I'd try to design a 450pt Liao pure mechless army.


Group #1 and Group #2 will be roughly 10-12" from each other, allowing each kelswa to cover the other, while also allowing good coverage on the board given the 14" range of each tank.

trackbike are there to heat up mechs or deal with infantry/vehicles. The floater group will either cover the backfield or move up to help the forward assault depending on how the battles going.

Bellona's can also break with trackbikes for VC3 as needed.

The Liao FP allows +1 damage to be scored against ~75% of the units you're likely to see.

Ideas for fielding this army:

One kelswa group and its support will focus on the mech (s) while the other group will deal with enemy support and try to detract attention away from the first group.

The only units I'm not sure about are the GDBA units, they're basically in there because I needed 34pts to round out the build. They could add to a formation fire bonus should anyone get that close to the group I guess.

Anyhow comments are welcome, btw Muppet' nice work on your unit review so far and I should have pictures of my Death Commandos for you guys this week.

Bsidez

I find this interesting...

The TRO has been posted on WK site, it looks they're using a Vulture mkIV as the icon this time...

Now I could be wrong, but that *might* be a Liao Vulture in the pic, it's hard to tell but it doesnt look like the WH version we've seen due to the cockpit not being colored in the pic. The color scheme would also fit into the Warrior House Orders ahh yeah :^^^:

of course that doesn't mean much these days other than the fact it won't have salvage and I think that might be enough to make me happy




Here's to hoping it is in fact a Liao unit...

Well, I was gonna offer breakdowns, but I've been beat to the punch, and truth be told, they're on-target. So, here's a take on mechs; the infantry and vehicles have been done and done well.

We have a smattering of mechs still available to us, though a few are FP-era and while they have faction abilities, they're not much to HPG home about.

Panther
Ok, you get 130 points towards Awe, but it's on a unit with almost-useless AP (4" for 3AP?...neat. No, really...) and an ok ranged attack. 9 AV and 19DV, though, mean it can't outrange things and it's not safe from counterattacks. This one can probably just stay in storage.

Spider
Blazing speed, reactive, and full strike aren't bad things, but its ranged combat potential ends after about 4". It just doesn't have damage output, and compared to the Mjolnir, the Mjolnir is simply a better choice for customizability. Hell, the Mjolnir is better and cheaper out of the box with twice the range, evade, similar heat dial, and less cost.

Aniceto Teluvedo's Stinger
Hmm. 16 defense. Low range. Damage output comparable to infantry. Speed comparable to infantry. About 3 more clicks of life than infantry and a heat dial. About 100 points MORE than infantry.

Flavio
No, we really don't need to talk about Flavio.

Noel Hurtado's Thor
Simply put, while this may have ballistic damage, the Loki is just going to be plain better than this. Streaks are SU, AV is glassy, DV is low, and Kava is 40 points cheaper.

Havoc
Only customizable native Liao mech with faction abilities. It offers some flexibilty based on gear choices; a pilot and evade make it a harasser whilst a pilot and pulse offer some damage output for a light. Heat dial's not too hot, but the speed is there. It's just sort of average; not a standout but not too crappy.

Mjolnir
Now this, this is a nice little mech. Very inexpensive. The rapid strike's nothing too special, but ballistic damage is useful (recommends itself to something like AnP or Double Rate) and it's got the speed and evade to be a harasser. It offers itself as mobile support for a larger force, or as a teammate to something like the Loki.

Violator
How I wish it was a Targe. The damage output is excellent on this machine, but the range is not. It's got some getup and go, but it will be expensive when kitted out. I want to like it, but it feels pretty limited. When geared up with a pilot and equipment, it should be able to be a main hitter, but the range really precludes that. Better in larger games, or perhaps with a pilot as a compliment to a tank drop.

Loki
Hellooo, long-range energy damage. Mid-to-late-dial IT keeps it viable after some abuse. Workable speed, but the biggest problem this mech has is the recruit cost of pre-Domination gunslingers. This one's probably getting piloted by the likes of a Wolf hunter, Reo Jones, or the Heat's pilot due to recruit costs. One could wish for a better starting AV as well. Still, this one's going to be the premier beating stick for Liao.

And for my next trick, I shall attempt to use the Violator in a force.

LI R10 48
>Kelswa 94
LI R10 48
>Sniper Team 22
>Sniper Team 22
>Sniper Team 22
Simian BA 18
Simian BA 18
Violator 144
>Sakhara 14

It's an attempt; didn't say it was a good one. However, it should be pretty order-efficient. To begin with, you've got a formation and a mech, and the Simians give you the move formation. Hopefully, your enemy has one big target; if so then you TD it with the Kelswa to open it up, and then follow up with the Kelswa again, and the Violator.

Pretty straightforward. Thoughts? Or is the Violator just too expensive and short-ranged to be useful with the double TD?

While I'm on a roll...more attempts at using Liao-pure in this day and age of Destruction...

The Light Cavalry

Havoc 104
>Minoru Kurita Grad 18
>Pulse 23
Mjolnir 91
>JP Milhew 21
>LI recruitment 5
>Improved Myomers 17
R10 48
>Undine BA 17
>GDSA 17
>GDBA 17
Trackbike 18
Trackbike 18
Trackbike 18
Faction Pride 15
Total: 447

Light mechs and infantry are an attempt to overwhelm the enemy's support. The light mechs are configured to hit as hard as they can and as fast as they can; both boast speeds of 14. The trackbikes tag along with the drop; the drop threatens close death and capture. This army does come in a little low on points, so if you want you can upgrade the transport's cargo to a set of 18pt infantry. As is, the drop's sort of swiss-army; you've got flamers, IT, and AP. The trackbikes are exchangable for Simians, given the cost, and they may be more useful since they can capture. I can see this having trouble with other armies with higher defenses and ranges, but hopefully the speed will balance things out.

Thoughts?

I actually think that the Violator will act very well in this role. using the 94 point kelswa as your ranged platform you can focus on what the Violator does well, while keeping unwanted threats at bay and outside the 8" of the little guy.

also the kelswa frees up some points which you can invest into better gear or a pilot.

I'd have to try it out or at least have the units on hand, but I think your army build would be a bit of a surprise to your enemies. As long as you could keep the Kelswa in action you'd be fine.

The non-unique Lyons school heavy pilot card (P-34) from AN should be a worthy consideration for the Loki with its +1AV and +1DV bonuses if a player does not have a heavy gunslinger to use. Topping off with the Decoy gear card makes a good combo.

Hmm...had another thought on that force, since I'm not fielding faction pride...

R10 48
>Kelswa 94
R10 48
>BR TGR 19
>BR TGR 19
>BR TGR 19
Simian BA 18
Simian BA 18
Violator 144
>Dave Rees 16+7
450 even

Sure, it loses the defense on the mech, but Rees does more for the attack, and it adds range with the + to move.

The only other iteration of the above is that if you switch the Kelswa out for a BR Glory Fire, you can get Abeni Zikhali (or extra ammo) and come out a little under. (If you go BR Glory, your total goes to 442; upgrading to Zikhali costs 7, so you're at 449)

And, for poo and giggles, let's go SA on this...

LI/ROTS SA 30
ROTS Bishop 39
>ROTS Kelswa 96
ROTS Bishop 39
>LI Sniper Team 22
>BR TGR 19
>BR TGR 19
LI Violator 144
>Tamar Grad 11
ROTS ATV 15
ROTS ATV 15
449 Total.

It's so nice seeing armies made again on this thread. Now to actually see how they do in combat. ;)

Nice write-up on the Mech's, Raptor1313. I started working on mine yesterday, but ran out of time. I'll finish it up and post it later, as well as some comments on all the armies shown thus far. One comment I'd like to make about the armies, well, more of a request, really: what are you thinking on for terrain, PC, and potentially missions? The first two really help with the overal strategy, and seeing how the armies will perform.

After a bit of a delay, here's the last installment of my unit review...

And finally on to the Mechs. This is probably the biggest change for us. Before AoD, we were all set. Heck, we probably had twice the mechs that we needed. After AoD came out, that pool dropped to maybe 2 mechs that were still useful (Jung Chae and maybe the Targe). As more customizable mechs came out, all our non-customizable ones went the way of the dodo. Sure, we have access to the same gunslingers that everyone else does, and with our Houses history of using Mercs, it’s fluff-logical to do so. Still, there’s something gratifying about fielding a battleforce in all matching paint schemes. Even now, more than half our mechs are un-customizable, and thus mostly useless. But for completeness sake, I’ll still go over them.

Mjolnir, 91 points: This is a great mech for two main reasons. First, it costs 91 points, which is the cheapest customizable mech in the game. Secondly, it starts off with Evade. How many light mech out there do people say, “this is great, just slap on evade”. Well, this guy is already there. The stats are decent for the cost. A 9 attack is standard on just about any mech outside of CJF and House Steiner. The 2 damage Rapid Strike is ok, but benefits from the TSM and a forgiving heat dial. The 3 damage Ballistic to 10” is great. And, of course, there’s the 12 move with Evade, which gives a starting 21 defense vs. range. All that, along with nine clicks of life (one salvage) as a starting point for 91 points is just fantastic. With pilot and gear, you can keep it below 135 easily, and still have a tricked out mech. This is easily a match for any of our past lights, and is a good sign of things to come. I expect to run many of these.

Havoc, 104 points: This was our first customizable mech, and the only one with FA’s. As such, it’s unique, and will always be so. As a mech, it’s ok. Ten clicks of life with one salvage click is probably its strongest attribute. Follow that up with a good speed and a lot of JJ, and a solid defense of 20 that fades slowly, and you have a good starting point. The damages are similar to the Mjolnir (2 primary, 6” ballistic, 3 secondary, 10” energy with 2 targets). Nothing spectacular, but not bad. Where it fails in comparison to the Mjolnir is the heat dial. There are a lot more checks, and no TSM. It also costs 13 points more. If it had Evade instead of JJ, it would be great. As is, it’s only ok. Still, it only has 3 repair markers, so it can take full advantage of Fanaticism. Have it run with a bunch of Simians, and you can potentially get a lot of life out of this unit. Fully tricked out, it’ll run around 140 points or so, which isn’t bad. Over all, I’d still suggest the Mjolnir, but I’d at least give the Havoc a try…

Spider, 106 points: Pre-AoD, I liked the Spider. Sure, it had a short range (a whopping 4”), but it wasn’t made for range. It’s a fast striker. The 270 degree arc, along with Full Strike and TSM see to that. Beyond those, and the range, it’s a typical light mech. A defense of 19 doesn’t do anything special, but the Reactive Armor it sports goes well with our artillery. And it lives for ten clicks (one salvage (see a pattern?)), which is nice. But in today’s age, where all mechs get a pilot to get at least a 10+ attack, a defense in the low 20’s, and some type of gear to give it an extra kick, I just don’t think the Spider cuts it. Too bad, because I liked it, and it did well for me.

Flavio Rodriguez, Koshi, 111 points: Ahh, Flavio. The butt of many jokes, and the pile of poo that said Liao’s days of good uniques were over. He tries to be a Spider with more damage, but just falls down. A 16 defense on a mech is pathetic, and Agility doesn’t protect you if your opponent can just shoot you. And, his “ranged attack” is only useful against targets he’s basing. He doesn’t even make a good paperweight. And that was before customizable mechs.

Aniceto Tuvida, Stinger, 116 points: Another lousy paperweight. Yet more 16 defense, damage that never gets higher than 2, less life than the Spider. But hey, at least he has range, right? Raptor1313 had it right when he said that Aniceto is just an overpriced infantry unit.

Panther, 130 points: If you want to run a force with Awe, the Panther is necessary (either that, or a lot of artillery). Other than that, you can probably skip it. A defense of 19 on a 100 point mech is ok, not good, by ok. A 19 defense on a 130 point mech is just bad. And, you can’t modify it with gear or a pilot. The rest of the stats are ok for the points, excepting the 4” range on the primary. And we’ve all seen how useful AP is on a short ranged unit (Combat Engineers). The heat dial is fantastic (better than the Spiders), but that doesn’t save the unit from the pre-AoD extinction.

Violator, 144 points: Ok, here we get a useful mech, although not universally. Everything about it is great for its points except for the range, which really sucks. But, it has a 270 degree arc with 4 damage melee primary. Full Strike is its friend. And it has loads of Artimis V on that 8” ranged secondary, so it can do further damage to whatever is in close. It lives forever with thirteen clicks and no salvage, and it has the now seemingly universal Reflective Armor to go with a nice 21 defense on a medium mech. Overall, the Violator is similar to an old unit we had: Felix Jarta. Felix couldn’t do range to save his skin, but when he got close, he killed things. That’s what the Violator does. But to do that, you’ll have to build your army around it to keep the ranged monsters from tearing it apart before you get close. It’s a specialist mech that requires a specialist army to use. But if you get that right, it should treat you well.

Loki, 217 points: Along with the Mjolnir, the Loki is now one of our premier mechs. It’s got a lot going for it: range (14” two target primary), speed (8 movement for a heavy), stable attack (keeping a 9 attack for three clicks, and picking up IT after six clicks to bring it back to an effective 9 attack), a decent heat dial, long life (fifteen clicks of life, with two salvage) and of course, damage (6 energy on that long ranged primary). Mechs and vehicles need to beware of this 18” assault order powerhouse. The defense is reasonable at 21, with Reflective Armor again, and it’s fairly stable. With a decent pilot, you’ll get a lot out of this mech, even without gear. Admittedly, its pilot pool is a little slim, unless you want to overpay for the older gunslingers (let’s hear it for recruit costs that assume FA’s that don’t exist). And it’s a little weak against infantry, so make sure you have something else to deal with them. Still, the Loki is a great mech, and will be the backbone of our forces for a long time to come.

Noel Hurtado, Thor, 267 points: If Noel didn’t cost quite so much, he might still see play, even in this day and age of customizable mechs. He does loads of damage at range, with 4 SU Streaks out to 14” and 5 AP out to 10”, and both of those stay pretty stable over six clicks. He lives a long time with fifteen clicks (one salvage), but then, he should for his points. His heat dial is great, although I’d trade an ammo explosion for a shutdown (and thus startup). Where he lags is the attack and defense. The 10 attack is ok, but rather weak for his cost, and drops immediately to a 9. And the damage starts at a 21, which is a good starting defense if you can modify it with a pilot, but that’s not the case here. If he was 50 points less, I’d consider using him in the current environment. Sadly, he isn’t, and thus we’re stuck with Gunslingers if we want a named pilot in our force.

So, in closing, we have basically four mechs to choose from. Two are really good, one is good in certain situations, and the other is ok, but generally outclassed by the others. So that means not much variety for a while. Still, it’s better than we’ve had for a long time, and we’re at least getting one mech from the next set, so things are looking up.

It's not bad. I'm curious, are the Snipers there to provide a formation shot with the Kelswa? If so, that's an expensive formation shot. What you might consider is dropping the snipers, upgrade the pilot to Julez Kolchek, add in extra ammo, and reload the second transport with 2 18 point infantry and 1 17 point infantry. I'd say 2 Gnomes and a GDBA.

You also might consider getting rid of the second drop altogether (or possibly replacing with en Enyo), and adding in some support units. That second drop is 114 points. That's a Bellona, Kite, and a couple of infantry plus gear upgrade for the Violator. I'm thinking the Violator needs cover, so either lots of blocking (which reduces the effectiveness of the Kelswa), or basers to keep the threats occupied while you close.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts...

I like this one. The Improved Myomers go really well with the Mjolnir, and between the two mechs, you should be able to set up a rear arc pulse shot on whatever you want. With the FP, you can do a total of 18 points in one turn with the two mechs if you got really lucky. The point total is a bit of a bother, but as you said, upping the infantry can help a bit with that.

As a larger mod, you might try dropping the drop, and replacing it with 3 Simians, a Bellona, and upping the Havoc's pilot to Scott Graves. The Havoc drops in speed a bit, and you lose the swiss army knife, but you gain the benefit of having both the Simians (for capture), and the TrackBikes (for close combat death), and adding in a fast response unit with the Bellona. And the Havoc hits better, and has a higher natural defenst. This still leaves you at 447, and with a harder time filling those points, though.

This is an interesting concept, but you lack mobility. Basically you have to wait until your opponent provides you with a target, and that's never a good thing. Still, as a turtle army, it has potential. I think the main question is how much artillery do you see? If the answer is not much, you've got a shot. If the answer is lots, you'll need help. On thing you might consider is dropping a Kelswa for either a PDS or Long Tom. That will give you some field control, and the ability to get some units to move towards you, and thus, into range. Switching to the PDS leaves you with 12 points, which is hard to fill, the Tom leaves you with 20, which is another TrackBike or Simian for screening/protection.