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Post by tjpandv on Nov 5, 2007 11:29:26 GMT -5
A few weeks away from the UK's Wizkids Celebration Day and there's going to be a 600 point MW event. I'd like to run 2 lights and here are some combos that I'm looking at:
CNC Vixen/Kelly/IT - 188 points
BR Soli/Graves/APM - 138 points
WH Mjolnir/Kelly/IT - 156 points
WH Mjolnir/Valenti/IT - 143 points
Spettro Raven/Valnek - 151 points
BR Soli/Graves/Decoy - 149 points
CNC Vixen/Valenti/IT - 157 points
The CNC Vixens are probably the most potent attacking weapons with the BR Solis offering a good balance of speed, damage and defence. Both are weak when it comes to balistic damage. The Mjolnirs are bargain basement pieces that pack a real punch and add some ballistic impact as well. Spettro's defence is impressive but the damage output is a bit worrying.
With a pair of lights, I'd plan to have a couple of inf units and a cheap drop. There's even room to include 3 lights and still leave around 120 points for support.
What about one of these as a running mate to Marc Le Blanc's Daishi? Not keen on assaults in 600 point games but that mech is impressive.
Grateful for any thoughts on these or possible additions to the list.
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Post by asburygrad on Nov 7, 2007 14:00:20 GMT -5
One quick question (not a criticism!): is the NC Vixen really 30 points more with Kelly than with Valenti?? Somehow the +1 attack just doesn't seem worth it to me . . .
Overall, I really like these options. The WH Mjolnir with Kelly is a staple for me; the BR Soli nearly so. Together, they offer amazing speed with both ballistic and energy damage, and even decent melee damage when used together on one target. WH Mjolnirs own Refuge. And their speed with the right pilots is amazing!
I don't care much for the NC Vixens; I think they're just too expensive for what they do. You pay a lot for range that is easily negated by blocking terrain, they only have two clicks of that potential 5-damage PPC Cap (for +1 heat), and they lack Evade. But that's my opinion.
I often run two lights (in similar setups to these) with a tankdrop and numerous basers. It's a pretty flexible build, with few weaknesses to PCs and such.
Good luck, and let us know how the tournament goes!
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Post by tjpandv on Nov 8, 2007 5:11:30 GMT -5
One quick question (not a criticism!): is the NC Vixen really 30 points more with Kelly than with Valenti?? Somehow the +1 attack just doesn't seem worth it to me . . . Good luck, and let us know how the tournament goes! My mistake on the maths - the Valenti CNC Vixen option comes in at 177 which is 11 points behind Kelly. I think a WH Mjolnir coupled with a BR Soli may well form the cornerstone. Max points cost for the Mjolnir is only 156 points which isn't an auto-loss if it goes. For a tankdrop, I'd probably go for the Merc Zahn and D1 Schmitt (my dice rolls are awful so IT is a must here!). I'm pretty sure it’s going to be unrestricted so Liao ATVs, SC Hoverbikes and maybe a CJF Sylph may make up the numbers. In fact, this may well be it… WH Mjolnir/Bonilla/IT BR Solitaire/Graves Merc Zahn DF DI Schmitt Tank CJF Sylph BR Sprint Hazen’s Strikers Liao ATV x 3 SC Hoverbike x 4 I did have APM on the Soli but dropped it (together with a second Sylph and a Combat Tech piece) in order to get the Sprint drop in with Hazen's Strikers. I've never fired off APM that often and its a killer for heat. I think its more the threat it carries but I'd like a cheap drop that can hit home and capture if needs be with its 9IT. Its perhaps THE most fragile army I've ever fielded but that should make it fast and fun to play. Anyway, I've got a horrible feeling that the turnout is giong to be poor so I'm going to take along a HALO army as well. |
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Post by tjpandv on Dec 3, 2007 6:01:43 GMT -5
I went with this army in the end and won both of the matches that I got to play: WH Mjolnir/Kelly/IT WH Mjolnir/Valenti/IT BR Soli/Graves/APM HL Anat APC 2 x HS TTLs 4 x SC Hoverbikes 3 x HL ATVs Game 1 was against scratch force of the 3 Undead Mechs; the Mortis, the Gravedigger and the Cadaver. They were all played with their pilots but with no gear. They carried a good deal of armour and the TTLs struggled to find their targets, the 18 inch range on the Gravedigger did mean it could threaten my Hoverbikes with its streak missiles but only for 2 damage. Poor heat management meant that the Mortis soon found itself shut down and targetted by the Mjolnirs. The Cadaver did score a success by charging one of the Mjolnirs and salvaging it. The Cadaver did last for a while as my APM failed to fire on the Soli. With 2 of his mechs in trouble and none of them being able to benefit from their abilities, that was pretty much it as the Gravedigger found itself outnumbered and it too went down. Game 2 was against a Esperanza Loki/Hyperlazer army with 2 inf drops and a Kelswa and some ATVs in support. I managed to get some blocking at each side of the table which was a relief. My opponent had beaten me in the UK Nats quarter finals a few years ago and he still goes on about every time we meet. I did not want to loose this one  I can tell you. Kelly's Mjolnir and Hoverbikes move forward along with the Anat. My ATVs base the Kelswa. He loads his infantry into the transports, runs his Loki into the centre of the table and moves up the Kelswa (odd choice not to use one of the tpts as a tank drop but I wasn't going to suggest it to him...). I POG the Loki and the Kelswa and move my other mechs out of trouble behind the right hand blocking. He pushes to break the Kelswa and assaults my Anat with the Loki which puts it into salvage but also shuts the Loki down. My first TTL POGs crit miss - my second POGs miss as well. The Loki is dead meat as it is within assault range of Kelly's Mjolnir. It is salvaged by POGs and Hoverbikes before it can recover. The Soli and the other Mjolnir take care of the Keslwa and then turn their attention to the transports. After one is taken out, we call time. Most of the damage was done by the Kelly's Mjolnir and the TTLs and it should hopefully mean we can talk about something else next time we meet up...  A good work out and I was so pleased to be playing MW again. We then went onto a team draft event when they opened up 2 sets of Wolfs Dragoons and one of Wolfs Spiders. We didn't get to keep the pieces but it was nice to get to use them. I can see steam coming out of my Battleplanner when I try to map across the pilot abilities onto other mechs... |
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Post by asburygrad on Dec 21, 2007 8:57:03 GMT -5
Congrats on beating your nemesis! Good work. I like the army too - nice solid build.
When I build competitively, for 600-point matches, I tend to take several light Mechs. They give great starting stats for lower cost than larger Mechs. Very meta.
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Post by tjpandv on Feb 23, 2008 6:05:00 GMT -5
I managed to get a couple of games of MW constructed in the other night at the Club. I hadn’t played a “proper” match since last December. Many of the games we play now involve special rules/cards or differing point values – all good stuff but a far cry from the 600 point face off.
I played my friend Mark who has been a regular adversary for some time. He’s been to the UK Nats a few times but has always just failed to make the last 8. He’s a solid player with a strong Steel Wolf loyalty running through him.
I took along my 3 light mech army which I think is now becoming my “standard” army (I like to use it, its pretty successful and I keep it pre-packed in the tool box so it’s good to go). The army in detail is:
BR Solitaire/Graves/RISC APM
WH Mjolnir/Kelly Bonilla/IT
WH Mjolnir/Mattia Valenti/IT
3 x Liao ATV
4 x SC Hoverbikes
2 x HS TTLs
1 x Liao Anat APC
Mark brought along a 2 mech build that had some similarities:
CW Thor/De Jesus/IT
CJF Goshawk/2-1-1 Pilot/RISC Overcharger
2 x HK ATVs
1 x CNC ATV
2 x HS TTLs
1 x HS Combat Technician
ROTS Bishop
All of our terrain was blocking. Mark set up with his mechs in the centre and his 3 ATVs spread out across the table some 12 inches or so out to the front. It was clear that the Goshawk was going to go for some blocking and I couldn’t stop it. The speed of my 3 mechs means that their set up isn’t too important. I also used my ATVs as a screen out to the front. The Hoverbikes and the Anat stood by. Mark’s Goshawk jumped behind some blocking that was front and left as far as I was concerned – too far away even for the 16 inch jump to hurt me. My ATVs closed in and my Mjolnirs both ran so as to use up evade and prime themselves. Mark’s Thor moved in and shots at an ATV – not killing it but allowing the Thor to move 1 click up the dial. He then unloads his TTLs and Combat Tech so they can start pogging any likely targets (which are few and far between thanks to the Mjolnirs’ blue armour). Turn 2 for me and one of my ATVs manages to base the Goshawk. Kelly’s Mjolnir and the Soli run up so as to threaten the mech. The Soli can get in behind the TTLs arc and has a line of fire on the Falcon mech. Its time for the Hoverbikes to move and they shoot off towards Mark’s Thor and his TTLs. Valenti’s Mjolnir no runs off to the right to try and give the Thor something else to think about. Mark chose to close combat the ATV that was basing his Goshawk. Although his primary damage was only 3, he rolled a crit hit which was enough to kill off the ATV that I’d already pushed to get it into place. He then chose to assault order with his Thor against the Solitaire. Even with IT, he failed (much to my relief). The TTLs then started to POG the Hoverbikes. I still had a shot with the Solitaire and went for it with the secondary weapon. I managed to get the APM to work and all 3 shots found their mark. 12 clicks of damage were enough to kill the Goshawk in a single shot. That left my Soli within easy range of the Thor so I decided to charge the Thor with Valenti’s Mjolnir. It was more of a ploy to block the LOS from the Thor but I rolled 15 and scored 3 points of damage! Kelly then moved into the Thor’s rear arc and the hoverbikes pushed on up the table – dodging the POGs and getting within the minimum artillery range of the TTLs. A goof turn for me was made even better when Mark’s Thor missed the Mjolnir (even with IT). He then failed his ammo roll and shut down. That was pretty much the game as the Thor was then the target of the Mjolnirs and my TTLs.
We then repeated the battle (we’d only brought the one army each). The terrain set up was similar but we were both far more wary of each other. Mark got his Goshawk forward and again covered his flanks with his ATVs. The Mjolnirs took care of these which would at least allow my mechs to run up and down the flanks without getting based. This time, I was struggling to get near his Goshawk – I think Mark’s terrain placement was much better this time and the 16 inch jump range was covering a LOT of the table. His Thor covered the centre ground and his TTL formation deployed using the mech as protection. None of the early blood letting this time but once again, I made the Goshawk my target and got my ATVs and Hoverbikes up the table before the mechs made their move. The Thor was taking pot shots at the Hoverbikes but they need 6 clicks to kill them and even the Thor couldn’t do that. No matter, every shot at the Hoverbikes allowed the ATVs to get into base contact with the Goshawk Mark’s TTLs also began to shoot at the Hoverbikes (once again, they’d easily slipped underneath the TTLs’ minimum artillery range. With his TTLs becoming pushed, I advanced the Anat and sent 3 POGs onto his artillery. Mark made the mistake of ordering one of his TTLs and then trying to load it. Neither of us had played for a while and mistakes like that are understandable. His Goshawk now had to dodge a POG and my ATVs were in a position to keep it based for quite some time. I had given Mark the option of pushing his Thor and getting an assault order against Kelly’s Mjolnir but he declined the offer – shooting at the ATVs had heated him up so that when the time came to take a critical shot, he felt that he couldn’t take the risk. I was disappointed that he hadn’t fired but it did allow the Mjolnir to hit the Thor for 4 clicks of damage. My POGs landed and wiped out 1 TTL and salvaged the other. The 2 hoverbikes that were still at full strength went for the Thor and based it. Mark loaded his remaining TTL and the Combat Techs and made for the corner where his Goshawk was playing hide and seek with Valenti’s Mjolnir. The Thor hit Kelly’s Mjolnir for 2 points of damage (the reactive armour coming into play now that the Thor had lost armour piercing). At this point, I moved up the Solitaire (so far, it had been a heavy and a light against 2 Mjolnirs), Kelly hit the Thor again and I put down more POGs. Mark broke the Thor away and unloaded the Bishop. The Goshawk was then hit by Valenti and time was called before I could take the Thor on with the Solitaire. It was a very taxing and interesting game. Mark had won VC1 (destroying 37 points) but I had won VC2 (26 points of troops killed plus the salvaged TTL outside his DZ) and the Mjolnir had been camped in Mark’s DZ for a couple of turns giving me VC3.
Neither of us had played in a while and some of Mark’s decisions showed that he had forgotten some of the rules. I can’t quite figure the CJF Goshawk; great jump range and an excellent chance of hitting but anything that leaps out of your front line by 16 inches needs support or else it in trouble. I’m not sure that a single heavy mech can provide that support. Mark also unloaded his TTLs too early – the Hoverbikes could move up within 2 turns and be inside their minimum range. There were very few decent targets early on in the game and it wasn’t until some of the blue armour got shot away that the area became target rich. I’ve paired my TTLs down to the bare minimum and I think the Anat is probably the best transport I can find to carry them.
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Post by asburygrad on Feb 24, 2008 23:43:12 GMT -5
Great battle report! I love the dual Mjolnir/Soli build.
A few things stood out to me about both army builds. First, the TTL drop has never seemed as popular in my area as in Europe - I tend to face either SS Arrow IVs or Hi Hadurs in competitive games.
Second, the purpose of the Overcharger Goshawk eludes me somewhat. It looks to me like it would get based far too easily, and even a 16-inch jump range puts it within reach of many assault orders and basers. I've never actually tried it, so I can't say it's a weak idea or anything like that . . . but I think I'd rather add another Mjolnir or Solitaire to most of my builds for the point cost.
Just my spare change. Thanks again for the report - I do enjoy reading posts like these.
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I can tell you.