Ooh, I think you might be in for a rude shock if you do and expect them to protect your AX1-0.... They are far worse than an upgrade simply because the upgrade doesn't break at the drop of a hat (thus removing your AA umbrella altogether)

Again, we must be having vastly different experiences. It's almost standard kit for me to take one skysweep and then possibly one more upgrade. I'm not trying to imply that's the key to the Rosetta Stone, but I don't quite understand your comment.

It's a small formation, can't take hits, so it stays away from trouble until later in the game, if not the entire game. If it can provide seeker support, it does, but it's function is to shoot down aircraft. It's an AA unit. What's the big deal?

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

I have to concurr with Dobbsy on the 3 unit AA formation.

Artillery, Teleporters, air units (e.g. Thunderhawk) and anything fast can often reach, see and break a 3 unit formation all too easily.  And if that formation is the entirity of the Tau AA then the incentive to do so means it will regularly happen.

In addition to the vulnerability to breaking (and usually quick destruction after that) is the reduced reach of the umbrella, since 3 upgrades can be spread further apart.  And the reduced resistance to suppression (upgrades can be in formations with other units to suppress).  And finally, the upgrades supply MLs to 3 formations instead of 1, and this is worth a lot more than 25 points.

I am fairly sure this is why all the Tau lists that have been posted so far use upgrades of skyrays and not the skysweep formation.

That said, the skysweep can't be made much cheaper or spamming that forrmation could become abusive.

Ok, having read Clausewitz comments, I see what you (Dobbsy) are referring to. For some reason I was thinking that you were saying that the 3 Skyray formation couldn't provide AA support to the AX-1-0s.

My bad.

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

Yep, as you might have seen in Chroma's Batrep that we played (international game 1??) the skysweeps spent some time broken in their back field. From what people have been telling me, if your AX1-0 is to be effective, it needs umbrella cover in the front field so it can hit marauding WEs close to your lines.

I posted this in another thread but thought I'd post it here as well. Zombo brought this to my attention as a potential problem list and the more I think about it the more it seems to be an issue.

6x Recon formations 5 Piranhas 1 Tetra
3x Recon formations 2 Piranhas 4 Tetras
2x FW with Skyray
1x FW with Skyray and bonded team
1x Ax-1-0
2x Barracudas

15 activations 3000 points.

On paper it seems like a very competitive borderline broken list what does everyone else think? You spend your first 8 activations going on cap or over watch before having to advance any formations. It may have a problem dealing with infantry hordes but it does have a decent amount of AP firepower. It is essentially immune to CC and should be very hard to FF on all but the final turn. An alternative list is to drop the Skyrays and include another 2x Barracuda squadrons bringing it to 17 activations. I prefer the Skyrays as they give extra missiles, markerlights and ground based AA.

I'd say that's an interesting list, not in a bad way. Yes, it has a lot of activations, but it also has a lot of very fragile formations. It seems like it would struggle against a Krieg or horde infantry list as you've suggested.

It's definitely worth testing out in games.

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

Try it against a tank heavy guard list too.

EDIT - sorry I should try to sound less terse.

Can you please trial this list versus the tank guard list as I am interested to see how it works.

Large numbers of overwatching guided missiles, and coord fire to set up sustained firing, crossfiring missiles will happily take on tanks.

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http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/
Epic: Hive Development Thread

Large numbers of missiles on OW with 5/6+ to hit won't do much to hurt those Russes.

Give it a whirl Zombo. Please prove my experience from CANCON wrong  

In the ideal situation they're hitting on 4+, and the russ get a 5+ reinforced save.

Double a recon up to ML the formation then retain to coord fire 3 formations to sustain fire. 15 or so shots on AT4+ crossfired...

Not to mention they spend the whole game hidden.

We don't have enough recon formations to playtest it, but it seems potentially pretty bent to me, much like the old multiple scorpionfish lists.

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http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/
Epic: Hive Development Thread

Proxies sir, proxies... this is playtesting... not Sparta.  

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

*cough, artillery, *cough

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

You might need to see a doctor there Honda  

I don't deny that the list has its weaknesses, and it would inevitably be a scissors/paper/stone list.

Probably no more broken than 13 thunderhawks and a landing craft  

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http://www.troublemakergames.co.uk/
Epic: Hive Development Thread