Mr Mystery's Mechanicus Musings...

[Mr Mystery]

Mmm. Alliteration!

So, currently continuing to build up my Skitarii.

Thus far, one Sydonian Dragoon, 10 Vanguard (one has an Arc Rifle, but they will end up with three), 5 Infiltrators (Taser Goad and Felchette Blaster), and currently building up some Rangers.

And it's the Rangers I want to discuss.

See, I intend to use them as backfield support, with trans-uranic arqueba and an Omnispex. Set up in an advantageous position (ideally 2nd floor of a building, but will take what I gets), and rain precision shots down upon my foe, looking to take out specialists within squads and that.

Pretty straight forward at the mo.

Then comes the tricky bit...a unit of 5 can have 2 arqueba. A unit of 10 can have 3 arqueba.... I'm currently contemplating building them as two units of 5, so I can get an additional arqueba in there.

Downside of course is that 5 man units of T3 troops don't exactly have the greatest resilience...

What's your thoughts on the matter? Oh, and I've got another 2 boxes of Skitarii to build, and am likely to pick up another one on Thursday.

[Path Walker]

3 that can fire for a few turns are more useful than 4 that disappear after a turn of shooting! Fill up those squads!

[Houghten]

Two units of five are slightly more resilient than one unit of ten, on account of you have to kill them separately.

[Mr Mystery]

Interesting thoughts both....buggizzle!

[Path Walker]

Does depend on what you're likely to be facing, some enemies will be able to force a test on a 10 man squad easily with a unit, others might struggle, its never a black and white thing is it :)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Post pics!

Also, bit of inspiration from me there Mystery? :D

[Mr Mystery]

Slowly getting there.

20 out of 40 built.

Need to do 19 more Vanguard, 1 with Arc Rifle and 3 with Plasma Caliver, and a single Ranger with a Transuranic Arquebus.

Next week? Toss up between a Knight Warden, and 3 Onager Dunecrawlers (may give all three the Icarus Array, or maybe two with that and one with the Neutron Laser)

Currently up to 1,075 at the moment.

Defo going to add more Sydonian Dragoons. Love the models, and they're well 'ard in Combat to boot.

[Kirsten]

I have one ranger squad with two arquebuses and one vanguard squad with two arc rifles and a plasma caliver. planning to add a second identical vanguard squad next week, need to get hold of another arc rifle.

[Mr Mystery]

I'm going to have a spare one. Got four and only using three. Can post the bits to you - and TDA his choice of Transonic Blades.

[Kirsten]

that would be handy if you wouldn't mind. I have the other special weapons spare if you need any.

[Mr Mystery]

Got plenty of each.

If I add more infantry, im thinking another Arquebus centred Ranger squad, and a second basic Vanguard Squad - will have all the bits for those across the six kits.

[Kirsten]

fair enough

[Mr Mystery]

Will get them out (oooer) next week.

[Kirsten]

great thanks

[Mr Mystery]

I can't wait to unleash Radioactive hell upon my opponents.

There's nowt better than rolling bucketfuls of dice and seeing one's opponent wither away under the maelstrom of violence.

[Kirsten]

should be an interesting army. when I first read the skitarii book I was blown away by the killing potential and could hardly believe some of the rules. then noticed everything was toughness 3 with a 4+ save... even the weapon skill and ballistic skill modifiers are risky ventures when you have a mix of shooting and melee units, giving one unit a positive modifier and another a negative.

[Mr Mystery]

Indeed. All about forward planning, which I can dig.

Plus, the logistics is very Mechanicus.

I think I'd use the high BS boost as soon as I'm in range, deliver a ******* strong hammer blow there and then, saving the high WS boost for when my opponent tries multiple charges.

Sydonian Dragoons are quite a bad *** little unit too. Fairly fragile, but should hit like a tonne of bricks, and thanks to Dunestrider are more likely to get the charge off with its fancy perks, really allowing me to wallop the opposition. There's not a lot can absorb a full tilt charge from six Dragoons!

Well up for this!

[Kirsten]

I plan to do the opposite and field a couple of individual dragoons for hunting light vehicles and such like.

[Mr Mystery]

That could be cool.

Might try that with Lascannon Ballistarii to stot about the flanks, looking for targets of opportunity. Bit risky as they're easily taken down, and could give my opponent first blood, but on the bright side, they may be overlooked in favour of larger, more threatening targets, and even if they're not, that a single 75 point model almost certainly drawing far more points than its own for a turn.

Rangers are there to weaken individual units. For instance against Orks, quick volley should put paid to any Nobz lurking about, making the Dragoons immune to repercussions in any ensuing combat. Stand a decent chance of scalping two units in just such a way each turn. All about tipping the odds rather than straight wipe outs.

[Kirsten]

well they are nippy enough that they can hunt things like vipers, and with a strength of 8 on the charge, and potentially extra hits, stand a good chance of glancing a lot of vehicles to death. handy for tying up big units of pink horrors that my opponent likes to take as well.

[Mr Mystery]

Very true.

I've not had much chance to play recently, so little idea of what else is in vogue round my way. Not that it matters all that much! I'm betting the current general lack of familiarity with just what Skitarii can do will work mostly in my favour.

[Kirsten]

probably yes. I haven't played much recently either, since my main army currently is the Farsight force, and I feel bad clobbering people with it :p still, Skitarii and Dark Eldar for me over the next month or two, that will add some more variety.

[Mr Mystery]

Yay!

Just realised Ironstrider Engines are AV11 all round. Somewhat less fragile than I was thinking - pretty much immune to all small arms fire, unless up against Tau of course.

[Kirsten]

yeah they will stomp most units that don't include a power fist or similar, even if it takes a while.

[Mr Mystery]

To be honest, the damage they can do on the charge should wrap up most combats fairly quickly.

Most squad based Powerfists will get what, 3 attacks tops? That's unlikely to be enough to balance out the casualties inflicted.

[Kirsten]

yeah, just depends how many you have in a unit

[Mr Mystery]

I guess. All the more reason to allow the tender ministrations of the Transuranic Arquebus first - see if i can't winkle them out!

[Kirsten]

Rust Stalkers will make a mess of most things after rangers have tenderised the sergeants.

[Mr Mystery]

True that!

At this rate, I may not field any Onagers - the infantry alone are potent enough!

Well, maybe one to knack fliers like.

[Kirsten]

yeah I love the look of the onager, but honestly it doesn't impress me that much. whatever it might do, the infantry can do just as well or better. none of its' main guns wow me. the anti air version is handy, but I never really have to play against many fliers.

[Mr Mystery]

My figurin' is that it provides lots of AA cover, and isn't exactly bad against vehicle squadrons should I come up against them.

Unless Skyfire still means 'if it's not a flier, that's a 6 to hit'

Really need to brush up on my rules.

[Kirsten]

yup, snap shots only against none fliers

[Mr Mystery]

Knickers.

Might be best off with a couple of Ballisarii then.

[Kirsten]

pretty much yeah.

[Mr Mystery]

I think Onagers would appeal if I was so fixated upon me infantry.

Those Plasma Calivers ain't cheap!

[Mr Mystery]

Bum hats!

Trying to decide if I just want a 5 man squad with the Plasma Calivers. I can take two, and will be 'wasting' fewer Rad Carbine shots when the Plasma shoots what it's really worth shooting....

[Kirsten]

obviously you just need to buy about ten boxes and do everything.

[Mr Mystery]

It is becoming increasingly tempting....

I may sort out the two additional infantry boxes this Thursday, then wait and see how what I've got slots into the wider Cult Mechanicus army.

[Mr Mystery]

GRAAAAAAH!!!

Even biggerer BUMHATS.

Gonna need additional boxes so I can have every squad, including the 5 man ones with Omnispex, because screw your cover save, loser!

And of course a variety of additional special weapons and that.