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Just when you thought it was safe!!! ?I've made it here! Bwahahahaha!!!
Sorry if this is in poor netiquette, but I thought that this should be reposted here for further commentary. ?
One of the things that was never done regarding the AMTL was a basic statement of "How are the AMTL going to work?" ?This goes a little along those lines and helps quickly relate a basic framework that I think bears interest. ?Anyway, here it is:
First off, there has been a lot of discussion about upping the costs of the various titans, something that I support for the most part. I have always contended that Warlords should cost their original 850 points and that Reavers should cost their original 650 points. Keep in mind where the original point cost reductions came from - an attempt to make Warlords and Reavers worth their points cost before the Jervis Power Boost. The cost reduction never seemed to go away because it was thought that the AMTL should get a point cost break on titans due to the AMTL's ease of getting titans. Hmm, economic principles affecting game point cost balancing...
I do not support raising the cost of Warhounds. They have been shown to be worth 250 points a piece, 500 points a pair. In a 3000 point game I would not call a single warhound, over 8% of your force, a "cheap" activation, and a pack of 2 Warhounds, being 1/6 of your points total, would definately not count as a cheap activation.
If you want to better manage your activations, in this case to lower the number of allowed activations, you can do this through the army list structure. Shift more of the support formations into upgrades.
All of the cheap activations that are to be found in the AMTL army list are support formations. 5 of the 7 regular Support Formations are 200 points or less. Does the AMTL really need to have independently operating formations of Skitarii, Field Guns, Leman Russ, or Praetorians? Why aren't these guys being good little AMTL boyz and worshipping titans as they follow them into battle? What are the real purpose of the Sentinels?
Take all of the battlefield roles that need to have an independent formation and create a support formation to go in that slot. Everything else becomes an upgrade to a titan, Ordinatus, or Skitarii company.
Hydras should be allowed to operate independently. That is, unless we'd like to create a Space Marine like weakness and mandate that the only way to get a Hydra is to attach one to a Core Formation.
Field artillery (should reality ever set into the AMTL list) should be allowed to operate independently. As the title "Support Formation" would indicate, field artillery batteries are there to support an AMTL offensive.
The AMTL would need scouts / pickets, and lone Warhounds fit the bill rather nicely. Fast, good firepower, and fairly resilient these guys are perfect AMTL scouts / pickets. Enact the special rule I've suggested where lone Warhounds can occupy the Garrison objectives and they start to live up to their name (and background) of Warhound Scout Titans.
Fast Attack? Sounds like a job for Warhounds. If we feel especially benevolent we may want to keep the 6x Leman Russ formation as a support formation, but I'd suggest making a 3x tank LRuss platoon an upgrade. Keep in mind that a player can take Knights for this, also...
I'm probably missing a couple of roles, but time constrains me from wracking my brain. Feel free to chime in.
Oh, and one other thing: I'd make there be a minimum of 1 Battle Titan, all Warhound armies are counter to fluff and rather cheesy.
Suggested Resulting Army List
Core Formations
Warlord - 850 points
Reaver - 650 points
Warhound Pack - 500 points
Ordinatus (Mars) - 400 points
Skitarii Company - 450 points
Support Formations
Single Warhound Titan - 250 points
Basilisk / Bombard Battery - 200 points
Hydra Battery - 150 points
Upgrades
LRuss Platoon - 200 points
Skitarii Platoon - 200 points
Field Gun Platoon - 175 points
Praetorian Platton - 200 points
Sentinel Platoon - 100 points
All of the other upgrades in the Vault List + talked about additions...
Allies
2x Imperial Navy Thunderbolts - 150 points (no restrictions)
All of the various Knight formations
End Result
Warlords, Reavers, potential Ordinatus, and Warhound Packs will have tanks and infantry surrounding them since the upgrades will have to maintain unit coherency with the WE. A couple of Skitarii companies will probably be thrown in for bulk and garrisoning objectives (assuming that single Warhounds are not allowed to do that). Various support and Knight formations pepper the field. Since the titans have support they will not be clumped together for mutual support, yet the clumps of "Titan and friends" will be powerful formations. Since the upgrades are (relatively) easy to kill the powerful formations will slowly, yet surely, get whittled down. There will be a limited number of activations since there are a limited number of independent formations to choose from.
So, what do you think?
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I shot a Deathstrike Missile and destroyed an enemy titan in my pajamas last night. ?How it got into my pajamas I still don't know...
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