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Discussion on 2/3's idea

 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:10 pm 
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I see this as a very interesting proposal.

Thoughts gentlemen?

I'm undecided but it does sound good on the surface. It seems almost as if it's a free point for most armies since it shouldn't be too hard to overwhelm a single reaver. It will promote AMTL being more cautious and taking weapons that will give range(CLP and BP weapons) and weapons that make them CC/FF monstrosities(CCW, Lasburner, Melta).

I think it just shifts the loadout and play style a bit while forcing longer games because of the likelihood that a battle titan will drop.

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:43 pm 
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I agree with Vaaish. It does seem like a good idea, but I have a feeling it would have the consequences Vaaish mentions, as well as other unforeseen ones.

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:47 pm 
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I think it would be acceptable to have a modified BTS rule in play for WE heavy armies. But, I have no idea if that will be enough to make them balanced in tourney play.

If the tourney objectives can be fairly adjusted to allow an all WE list (specifically, an all battle titan list), then the AMTL list would probably have to be modified to strip out most of the low cost activations.

What objectives are particularly difficult to acheive when fighting against an AMTL list? What objectives are particularly hard to acheive when fighting as an AMTL list?

Looking at the objective lists, the only ones that jump out at me are the BTS when fighting against, and the blitz and DTF when fighting as. I think OGBM gets around the DTF problem with the grotz rule.


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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:06 pm 
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Quote: (Vaaish @ 13 Aug. 2009, 16:10 )

It seems almost as if it's a free point for most armies since it shouldn't be too hard to overwhelm a single reaver. It will promote AMTL being more cautious and taking weapons that will give range(CLP and BP weapons) and weapons that make them CC/FF monstrosities(CCW, Lasburner, Melta).

I'm not sure it'll be easy for Marines and Orks to overwhelm a single Reaver - sure IG and Eldar could do it, but then they could kill a Warlord relatively easily too.

Marines will still struggle against a Reaver; but at least they could kill one with enough focus - but a Warlord would be a different matter.

I see it as a good way of boosting SM/Orks vs AMTL, without weakening AMTL against Eldar and IG.


Question: Why do you think it would lead to a change in weaponry choices? (and would that matter, or would other armies just change tactics to respond?)

I have to say I'd be happy to see a CC/FF monstrosity charging forward while the rest hung back. Focus everything on killing it, get BTS, and with no others in my half of the table, the game's going my way... or ignore it, and use high-speed moves to Blitz, and maybe send fliers after one of those lonely long-range Reavers at the back...

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:16 pm 
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the orks i face have zero problems knocking down a reaver, all them damn oddboyz and AT6+ shots add up quickly.

the special BTS proposal is actual intriguing. i would move to have EnC and other more prominant members of the board look over that.


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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:34 pm 
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i would move to have EnC and other more prominant members of the board look over that.


I've already said that I find the proposal very interesting.

The AMTL army list (and indeed, the Mechanicus army list too) has no unique Special Rules currently, and most army lists will have one or two Special Rules.

We have had various 'God Machine' rules proposed over the life of the list, including such ideas as:

- Any Titan that is destroyed lays a BM on every friendly Mechanicus formation in the army.
- Any Titan that is destroyed counts as an objective which may be captured or contested as normal in the Tournament Scenario.
and now
- Any Battle Titan destroyed counts as achieving the Break Their Spirit goal.


One of the key points brought up by testing has been that certain list styles can be adopted that make the BTS goal very difficult to achieve (for example by taking an Emperor Class Titan that is played conservatively).

So this proposal would seem to be both 'fluffy', enhancing the 'feel' of the army list, and also would seem to help deal with a suspected balance issue arising from a defensive play style.

It does feel like 're-opening' development on the AMTL list, which is something I wanted to avoid, but it also feels like it could be a fun and balanced rule that will assist armies which find it hard to tackle the bigger Titans (like Feral Orks or Marines) into being able to claim the BTS goal when playing against AMTL.


Further thoughts gentlemen?

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:44 pm 
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Question: Why do you think it would lead to a change in weaponry choices? (and would that matter, or would other armies just change tactics to respond?)


If every battle titan is a potential BTS objective, and using 3 reavers + warhounds list or warlord +2 reavers + whatever else, people will want to better protect their titans and present as unpalatable as possible a target. they are already decently protected from shooting especially against marines, so adding weapons that makes them CC/FF monsters will still let them double up and sit on objectives while denying some opponents reasonable means of taking them down.

I have to say I'd be happy to see a CC/FF monstrosity charging forward while the rest hung back. Focus everything on killing it, get BTS, and with no others in my half of the table, the game's going my way... or ignore it, and use high-speed moves to Blitz, and maybe send fliers after one of those lonely long-range Reavers at the back...

You assume that your given scenario will be the end result. From the batreps posted by TRC and using the change, it's more likely a pair of reavers will double forward and sit between the two objective placed just over the line to deny you DTF and They shall not pass while making it difficult to take down either without losing whatever you send in. The last reaver can sit back on the blitz with the sentinels on OW while the reaver pops away with a CLP at anything that looks interesting, or if it's a warlord, tool up a bit for CC as well. The warhounds can dart around causing general havoc and threatening the Blitz.

By play more cautiously I don't mean sit on their side of the board, just run more supportive concentrations of titans.




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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:03 pm 
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The proposal to get the bts if any titan is killed is very good , it also make  less good take several lonely warhound to increase activation. yes i think is a good idea


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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:07 pm 
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lillith the proposal isn't any titan killed, just battle titans which excludes getting BTS from a warhounds death.

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:09 pm 
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i move to make all battle and emperor class titans a BTS goal. this makes both the casual gamer (me) happy and most likely most of the tourney players who feel stymied by all these war engines and void shields.


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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:19 pm 
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Quote: (Vaaish @ 13 Aug. 2009, 17:44 )

You assume that your given scenario will be the end result. From the batreps posted by TRC and using the change, it's more likely a pair of reavers will double forward and sit between the two objective placed just over the line to deny you DTF and They shall not pass while making it difficult to take down either without losing whatever you send in. The last reaver can sit back on the blitz with the sentinels on OW while the reaver pops away with a CLP at anything that looks interesting, or if it's a warlord, tool up a bit for CC as well. The warhounds can dart around causing general havoc and threatening the Blitz.

But then doesn't this just mean you have to alter tactics to adapt? At the end of the day, every army configuration requires a different response.

I confess, I've not played against a CC/FF tooled up AMTL; but again I think it's only Marines and Ferals that will have a real problem. And Marines can always take a Reaver or Warlord of their own...

I accept that the situation you outline above could well be an outcome of changing the AMTL's BTS rule; but even if it was, my Marine army would sooner have that than face an Emperor Titan as the BTS!

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:28 pm 
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Marines can always take a Reaver or Warlord of their own...


This is something I believe is very important and worth of note.

Every wargame which has a competative environment (such as Epic's Tournament groups) develops 'metagames' where army lists evolve so as to be efficient at winning the game during the status quo.

Introduction of new lists may upset the status quo for a while, until the 'metagame' adjusts to combat the new threat style.

It may very well be that whilst currently Warhound class Titans are seen as the perfect Allies for Space Marines, once AMTL armies start propagating into more Tournaments, the metagame may shift, with Reaver and even Warlord Titans becoming more popular choices in order to help defeat the Mechanicus Menace***.

So Tournament army lists may very well have to adjust their typical style of composition to be able to compete against new threats like the AMTL, or Tau, or Tyranids, or whatever. That's just a fact of the metagame environment that army lists which are super-optimised to fight a certain selection of foes may very well find themselves inadequate when faced with a new enemy, and will need to be re-optimised again until the status quo finds a new level of balance.


***Question: What's better than a Warlord Titan?    Answer: A Warlord Titan with Strategy Rating 5!

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 6:35 pm 
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I'll give you that a reaver is a more inviting target for BTS than an emperor. :)

Yes you can adapt, but it's forcing a much more defensive play style on the AMTL list and I see if being especially problematic against enemies like IG and Eldar that are more than capable of securing the BTS this way without too much effort. I don't think any of the objectives should be a given when fighting against a particular army.

For reference, a reaver with 2 lasburners and a CCW has 17 CC 3+ attack, three of which are TK or roughly 9.24 regular hits and 2 TK hits on CC which really isn't kind on practically anything assaulting it to avoid shields.

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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:16 pm 
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Quote: (arkturas @ 13 Aug. 2009, 12:20 )

I don't think that focussing on the Tournament scenario is completely valid as a way to determine balance when introducing a new list.

The whole point of the army lists is for tournament play. If that is honestly the attitude I am not surprised the various groups go off and do their own lists.

The fact is Titan lists aren't currently allowed in most Tournaments so current Tournament lists aren't designed with the possibility of facing them. If you allow a Titan list into a Tournamant then the other lists should alter to take account of the fact that they may face a list with only WE's.

Players simply haven't had time to adjust and form strategies and if you assume the best players and lists win tournaments then without getting Titan lists in a tournament you won't see general tournament lists designed to cope with Titan lists.


You cannot alter the list balance to much. No list should require a counter list that is in itself easily countered. Epic is about play, not list building. At the end of the day someone should be able to win with a 'balanced' list that isn't a one trick pony, not go to a tourney hoping to dodge the Titan list, or fearing the Horde list, etc.

Me and Clauswitz played a couple of games with a list that won a tourney and even with everything going for it had no real idea how to crack it and believe me we both tried our best (me charging, him circling).

As an aside the comments about how good a player is shouldn't come into it to discredit a result or expereince - indeed if someone is good they should have a good handle on how a list might have problems (and I am not actually that good, check out my tourney stats).

On general list modifications, I want to be able to field all titans some of the time. If the weapon price brackets aren't working then change the brackets.

Would you be happy to field a list that was all titans if it was underpowered?

Quote: (British @ 13 Aug. 2009, 12:31 )

Titan Lists are Titan Lists - not 'more Titans than usual' lists, but pure-Titan lists, personally I've never seen anything in the games I've seen played to suggest that the AMTL list is in any way overpowered - yes you can create nasty lists from it, but its not entirely unbeatable

It doesn't have to be entirely unbeatable - 35% of the time winning, 35% drawing and 30% losing would be too much. And note I have a lot better luck then that with it.
There are other ways to smooth out issues other than cutting a third of the Titans from the list.
What are the odds they focus around cutting down the number of Ttians in some way and somewhat ironically people ending up having to take support formations to stay competitive?

Quote: (semajnollissor @ 13 Aug. 2009, 16:47 )

What objectives are particularly difficult to acheive when fighting against an AMTL list? What objectives are particularly hard to acheive when fighting as an AMTL list?

Against - if played conservatively
BTS
Blitz
Defend the Flag
They Shall Not Pass

Achieve - if played conservatively
Blitz
Defend the Flag
They Shall Not Pass

Basically its hard to cover ground and conversely hard to deal with a group of titans. BTS can be easy/medium/hard to achieve, it depends on list and play style.

Quote: (Reaver @ 13 Aug. 2009, 17:06 )

I'm not sure it'll be easy for Marines and Orks to overwhelm a single Reaver - sure IG and Eldar could do it, but then they could kill a Warlord relatively easily too.

Marines will still struggle against a Reaver; but at least they could kill one with enough focus - but a Warlord would be a different matter.

I see it as a good way of boosting SM/Orks vs AMTL, without weakening AMTL against Eldar and IG.

Question: Why do you think it would lead to a change in weaponry choices? (and would that matter, or would other armies just change tactics to respond?)

With no difference in BTS's all my hulls would probably be equal cost. Though I doubt a 4 Warlord with CML combo would get far (that is a lot of draws!) something which hangs back and goes for a 4 turn game, doing damage in the first two could be good. A brace of Reavers with support missiles could be good here, though really to cover my weakness I would try the 3 warlord list a lot more.

It would lead to weaponry choices as now an assault style is impossible as its to risk and long range fire rules as a result until you have to move.




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 Post subject: Discussion on 2/3's idea
PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:23 pm 
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I see where you are coming from Vaaish, but I am not convinced.

Leaving the Battle titans in the rear will tend to scatter the AMTL forces unless they are also 'defensive' which may make it easier for the opponent to gain his other objectives (TSNP, Defend Flag and T&H). So the limited numbers of AMTL fomations should limit this particular tactic, while encouraging the AMTL to play a little more cautiously. It is certainly worth giving it a try.

Both the "wall of titans" and the latest BTS idea depend greatly on the strategies and weaponry of both sides. The usual way of stopping the AMTL is to try to destroy all the small activations, increasing the activation advantage to the point where you can then concentrate the majority of the army against each battle titan in turn - ideally isolating them in the process. The AMTL generally work best where they stay in compact, mutually supporting groups to beat off assaults, while using their superior firepower and armour to destroy enemy formations in long-range duels. So far, the list seems to encourage these styles of play while avoiding the extremes.

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