Hey guys, James here. It's been ages since I posted, I know. it will change soon. My old laptop has a fried motherboard, and a very hefty repair fee going on for it, so for now i'm using my 'acer Aspire 5515' and it is not the greatest. On top of that I moved and have a new job, it's been very stressful and time consuming. I work the night shift by the way. My plan for this weekend is to double down and get some more work done on my WH. Maybe do a squad or so. Truthfully when i look at my armies now, I cringe at just how much work I still have to do it. But with patience and a bit of hard work, I should be up and posting again in no time.
Cheers
Friday, September 26, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
BATTLE SCENARIO: First Battle of Geonosis
Recently, I had re-watched Attack of the Clones. During the battle at the end I kept wondering how the Tau could handle the situation in place of the Separatists. Which is what inspired me to do this segment.
CIS Objective: Escape with as many ships and personnel as you can.
Enemy Assets:
I give the Tau Empire 1 out of 2 points for this scenario.
CIS Objective: Escape with as many ships and personnel as you can.
Enemy Assets:
- Flotilla of Acclamators and warships.
- Ground troops and armoured vehicles.
- Couple hundred Jedi.
- Small flotilla of ships in orbit.
- At least a million battle droids of various types.
- Support of the native population.
- Upon hearing news of Kenobi's pending execution, Mace Windu took a group of Jedi to Geonosis while Yoda headed to Kamino.
- The Jedi attacked the stadium without word of their arrival reached anyone. They proceeded to trap themselves in the arena surrounded by hordes of battledroids, and made no attempt to escape.
- A fleet of Acclamators broke through the screen of ships in orbit so quickly that by the time anyone received news of the arrival, troops were already moving into formation on the planet's surface and LAAT-gunships were attacking several airfields and hangar bays in the area.
- A tiny group of gunships (led by Yoda) saved the remaining Jedi at the arena.
- The battledroids responded by rushing en masse from the underground factories to try and stall the clones on the plains while the rest of the Separatist escape the planet.
- LAAT-gunships proceed to destroy much of the above ground infrastructure, enemy air units that do launch, armoured vehicles on the plains, and prevent more vehicles from reaching the battle.
- SPHA-T artillery guns destroy one of the Trade Federation core ships and a few of the Techno Union commerce vessels.
- Skywalker and Kenobi attempt to head off Dooku's escape.
- Despite both of them and Yoda fighting against him, Dooku still managed to get off the planet.
- The Grand Army of the Republic captures the planet of Geonosis and destroys the droid factories.
- First, we must define their assets. The Geonosians would be replaced with Vespid, Kroot replacing the regular battledroids, and everything else being with Tau. Fleet assets are replaced with Tau Il'Porrui (Emissary) Class Cruisers, Demiurg Bastion Class and Stronghold Class Commerce Vessels.
- Since the fleet assets are better equipped than in the original battle (not surprising considering the Separatist ships were converted freighters), the Acclamators would be delayed in reaching the surface. This gives time for a ship to give a warning to the ground forces. Thus giving the Tau more time to evacuate their materiel from the planet.
- The Jedi in the arena would probably be all dead by the time reinforcements came, as well as the three prisoners.
- Because of the increased time for the Acclamators to land, the Tau would be able to engage the clonetroopers as they were disembarking. The LAAT-gunships would also have a more difficult time in the air with planes already in the air.
- Eventually, the clones would take the planet; but while also sustaining more casualties and stopping fewer enemies from escaping.
- First, we must define their assets. Instead of the flotilla of Acclamators and other ships, the Tau Empire would have Or'es El'lauth (Custodian) Class Battleships and Emissary Class Cruisers. Jedi are replaced by Ethereals, and the clones are replaced by Tau ground forces.
- Simply put, this battle can not happen. The sequence or events requires that one party makes a journey from the center of the galaxy to the Outer Rim. This trip would take a Tau 20 years. The other trip is to the Halo Stars region of a satellite galaxy. Something that would take at least a century. By the time any Tau units show up at Geonosis, it would either be a Forge World or abandoned.
I give the Tau Empire 1 out of 2 points for this scenario.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Bit of Analysis
Needless to say that there has been a lot said about this flier since the Dark Angels got their new codex. The ruling consensus about the Nephilim Jetfighter is that it is overpriced and ever bad at its stated role. But, is it really? That is what I intend to find out.
The fluff says that the Jetfighter only started being used by the Dark Angels in late M40 when they found an STC for an improved engine (which they have since starting calling the 'Lionheart engine'). It does make you wonder how bad the old engines if the "improved" ones still don't give the plane the 'fast' special rule like most other fliers do.
Over the skies of Piscina 4, three of these planes managed to kill over 48 Ork planes. On the world of Kundra, the Jetfighter provided cover for the Ravenwing by blasting apart various tanks and jet-bikes of the Eldar. So, the intended role of the Nephilim is that of a multi-role air superiority fighter/ground-attack craft. Seems like either the Space Marines or the writers never heard of dilution of focus.
For the stated price of 180 pts, you get a AV 11 HP3 flier with the starting wargear: Twin-linked Heavy Bolters (36",S5,AP4,Heavy 3), Twin-linked Lascannon (48",S9,AP2,Heavy 1), and six Blacksword Missiles(36",S6,AP4,Heavy 1). The only option available for it is to replace the lascannon with an avenger mega bolter (48",S6,AP4,Heavy 5).
Since most fliers in the game have AV10 or 11, these weapons seem good enough to contend with them. It appears that anything AV 12 or above is something the Jetfighter should not be shooting at. So, it is a bit baffling that the plane comes loaded with a lascannon (whose sole purpose is to take down heavy armor, something this plane has no business going up against).
Now, if I could make a very un-Space Marine-like suggestion. Focus on what the plane is actually good against and never take a lascannon. Sure, you'll miss out on being able to cause an explosion with a single shot; but against AV 10, you only had an 11.2% chance of that happening. Instead, what you should be focusing with this thing is trying to immobilize enemy vehicles.
Why immobilize? Because two immobilized results means the vehicle is wrecked. Also, because the Nephilim has the Unrelenting Hunter special rule: When shooting at enemy vehicles, a Nephilim can choose to treat any Weapon Destroyed results as Immobilised. Most people would want to ruin a weapon on the vehicle, but it doesn't lead to it dying any faster.
So, which one sounds better for that goal? A twin-linked heavy 1 shot, or a heavy 5 weapon? Add in two missiles and the heavy bolters, you have seven S6 and three S5 shots to wreck a light vehicle in a single shooting phase. That sounds something to believe in, unlike a single die roll.
Plus, the avenger mega bolter has another advantage over the lascannon. If there aren't any vehicles left for the Nephilim to shoot at, there are always infantry mobs. With anything that has 4+ armor, you have five potential kills vs. just one with the lascannon.
Back to the question from the top of this article. Is the Nephilim as bad as most forums make it out to be? No. There are a lot of people who compare it to the Stormraven Gunship, but that is where their arguments fall apart. Stormravens are heavyweights who have a whole slew of options to focus on very different targets. The Nephilim's main priority should be solely on light armor. Which it can excel at (if you leave the lascannon in the box).
Is it orverpriced? Yes. About 20 or 30 pts too expensive for its limited role. But, who knows, maybe all the over fliers will cost more in the future.
So, just remember, the Nephilim can wreak havok on light armor; and if you have it leap from target to target, it will prove to be a reliable support for the men on the ground. And, never, EVER, take lascannons on this plane.
The fluff says that the Jetfighter only started being used by the Dark Angels in late M40 when they found an STC for an improved engine (which they have since starting calling the 'Lionheart engine'). It does make you wonder how bad the old engines if the "improved" ones still don't give the plane the 'fast' special rule like most other fliers do.
Over the skies of Piscina 4, three of these planes managed to kill over 48 Ork planes. On the world of Kundra, the Jetfighter provided cover for the Ravenwing by blasting apart various tanks and jet-bikes of the Eldar. So, the intended role of the Nephilim is that of a multi-role air superiority fighter/ground-attack craft. Seems like either the Space Marines or the writers never heard of dilution of focus.
For the stated price of 180 pts, you get a AV 11 HP3 flier with the starting wargear: Twin-linked Heavy Bolters (36",S5,AP4,Heavy 3), Twin-linked Lascannon (48",S9,AP2,Heavy 1), and six Blacksword Missiles(36",S6,AP4,Heavy 1). The only option available for it is to replace the lascannon with an avenger mega bolter (48",S6,AP4,Heavy 5).
Since most fliers in the game have AV10 or 11, these weapons seem good enough to contend with them. It appears that anything AV 12 or above is something the Jetfighter should not be shooting at. So, it is a bit baffling that the plane comes loaded with a lascannon (whose sole purpose is to take down heavy armor, something this plane has no business going up against).
Now, if I could make a very un-Space Marine-like suggestion. Focus on what the plane is actually good against and never take a lascannon. Sure, you'll miss out on being able to cause an explosion with a single shot; but against AV 10, you only had an 11.2% chance of that happening. Instead, what you should be focusing with this thing is trying to immobilize enemy vehicles.
Why immobilize? Because two immobilized results means the vehicle is wrecked. Also, because the Nephilim has the Unrelenting Hunter special rule: When shooting at enemy vehicles, a Nephilim can choose to treat any Weapon Destroyed results as Immobilised. Most people would want to ruin a weapon on the vehicle, but it doesn't lead to it dying any faster.
So, which one sounds better for that goal? A twin-linked heavy 1 shot, or a heavy 5 weapon? Add in two missiles and the heavy bolters, you have seven S6 and three S5 shots to wreck a light vehicle in a single shooting phase. That sounds something to believe in, unlike a single die roll.
Plus, the avenger mega bolter has another advantage over the lascannon. If there aren't any vehicles left for the Nephilim to shoot at, there are always infantry mobs. With anything that has 4+ armor, you have five potential kills vs. just one with the lascannon.
Back to the question from the top of this article. Is the Nephilim as bad as most forums make it out to be? No. There are a lot of people who compare it to the Stormraven Gunship, but that is where their arguments fall apart. Stormravens are heavyweights who have a whole slew of options to focus on very different targets. The Nephilim's main priority should be solely on light armor. Which it can excel at (if you leave the lascannon in the box).
Is it orverpriced? Yes. About 20 or 30 pts too expensive for its limited role. But, who knows, maybe all the over fliers will cost more in the future.
So, just remember, the Nephilim can wreak havok on light armor; and if you have it leap from target to target, it will prove to be a reliable support for the men on the ground. And, never, EVER, take lascannons on this plane.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
I'M BACK!!!
It's been a few months since my last post here. I have been busy with other writing projects. Now that I'm back I'll try to keep to a regular weekly schedule. So, some time today or tomorrow be on the lookout for the first of an article series called: Bit of Analysis.
In it, I'll be examining the fliers of the 41st Millennium; and how they translate to the tabletop. The very first article of this new series: Nephilim Jetfighter. See ya'll then.
In it, I'll be examining the fliers of the 41st Millennium; and how they translate to the tabletop. The very first article of this new series: Nephilim Jetfighter. See ya'll then.
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