Thespian
Sergeant
442 Posts
    
Lethbridge, Alberta
 | | 02/23/2006 10:39 AM |
| I will tell you!
With so many units able to force a creature to make a morale save, a good commander rating is starting to become critical for some of those low level, high cost pieces. Adding an extra 4 or so is going to be huge! Especially if you expect to see a Orc Wardrummer out there....and the chances are good!
Plus, some units really rely on a specific map to be effective. The Balista is going to live and die on the initiative roll - if you have lots of line of sight, this unit is awesome....if the enemy can hop from cover to cover and base you without exposing himself, then the balista is as good as gone.
I am stoked about the new figures and the serious shift in the metagame that is coming! | |
A wand of silence means never having to say you're sorry.
CHAMPION OF THE ANNIS HAG!!! | |
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XAos
Underboss
2395 Posts
London
| | 02/23/2006 10:48 AM |
| Arcane Ballista wants a Couatl as it's "crew".
Move the ballista, move couatl adjascent (to satisfy crew requirement) and fire using snakes swiftness. | |
Don't worry about the current metagame. It doesn't matter if it's ugly, bad, or the best ever. In 2 years time, set rotation will ban everything. | |
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Gnolaum
Sergeant
854 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 11:18 AM |
| | It's hard to think of a flying snake crewing a ballista... But you are right. | |
My online store http://store.hoardsters.com
Use quick search to see scans of every stat card! | |
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Toxic_Rat
Sergeant
745 Posts
Lehi, Utah, USA
| | 02/23/2006 12:19 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Gnolaum
It's hard to think of a flying snake crewing a ballista... But you are right.
As opposed to a snake being able to fly? [)]
It's arcane...you're not supposed to be able to understand. The keepers of arcane knowledge know a thousand secrets, and each one would drive you mad. Mad! (thanks to Vaarsuvius for that quote)
Back to topic though...The couatl is good for the snake's swiftness spells, but with Cmdr 0, it's going to need more for initiative. Fortunately LG has those good commanders to use. Skirmish post-WD is going to be interesting. | |
Any time you try to make something idiot-proof, someone always goes out and invents a better idiot.
Champion of Siege Equipment | |
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Vrecknidj
Warlord
10425 Posts
United States
| | 02/23/2006 12:26 PM |
| Even if you go with something like the Arcane Ballista, Couatl and a Mephling Pyromancer (to give the Ballista F8), you're limited in the melee game. Once the hitters come to you, you're gonna have problems.
A quad Helmed Horror band, or a Quad CE beater is going to give you fits once they close.
Dave | |
Knowledge Arcana editor issues 5-9, Phoenix Lore Magazine editor, assistant editor for Rite Publishing;
My Trade Thread and My Reference Thread; Winner of WBC IV, IX and XIII; Rule #0: bshugg is always right! | |
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LeClaire
Warrior
225 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 12:45 PM |
| Visualize a bit more than the starting and ending sequence for your Ballista (or play test it out. That works even better)
To keep the bad guys off of your slow moving, slow firing siege engine, you will need a meat shield. You will need some bullyboys to keep them off your neck by literally standing in their way. It doesn't matter if it's IG's or Phalanx Soldiers or MaA's, someone will have to step up. And when they do your big gun ballista will be taking an -8 to shoot at the invaders (-4 for the cover known as your boys, and -4 for the melee that they are in)
So your mighty +16 ranged will very quickly become +8, and that is just not going to cut it nowadays. Any serious threat that you can reliably hit (FB, Eye, etc) is likely to have oodles of HP's to soak up the damage. Most of the stuff that you tend to miss, well you get the idea.
Just a thought.
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It is I, LeClaire!
So we have to champion something? Alright, I pick the mighty Flumph! | |
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XenoZephyr
Underboss
1083 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 3:01 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by XAos
Arcane Ballista wants a Couatl as it's "crew".
Move the ballista, move couatl adjascent (to satisfy crew requirement) and fire using snakes swiftness.
That might be cool but the Arcane Ballista does not have a melee attack to benefit from the snake's swiftness. [)] | |
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rhane
Underboss
1412 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 3:39 PM |
| quote:
Originally posted by XenoZephyr
quote:
Originally posted by XAos
Arcane Ballista wants a Couatl as it's "crew".
Move the ballista, move couatl adjascent (to satisfy crew requirement) and fire using snakes swiftness.
That might be cool but the Arcane Ballista does not have a melee attack to benefit from the snake's swiftness. [)]
SS allows an immediate attack (not necessarily melee).
So the best combo is to have them side by side. Fire and then move the Ballista. Then move the Coualt adjacent and fire again via SS.
EDIT: Oops...Ballista has Slow Ranged Attack... | |
Rhane
"The focus is sharp in the city..."
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XenoZephyr
Underboss
1083 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 4:04 PM |
| Yes, sorry about that. I was corrected in the other thread:
http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15826
Guess there's some confusion in some of the online references. | |
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Balduran I
Sergeant
404 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 4:39 PM |
| Here's hoping the Arcane Balista is a foreshadowing of bigger, outdoor maps.
If wide open spaces are available the balista on a hill top would be fearsome. | |
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Tactician
Sergeant
888 Posts
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Avatar of the Tank
Newtoncain
Commander
2985 Posts
Land of 10,000 taxes
| | 02/23/2006 6:10 PM |
| | commanderless fearless bands might be fun to play | |
They just don't know what's good in life...Conan, tell them what is good in life.
To rip the boosters. To count the minis spilled out before you, and to hear the indifference of the women... | |
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Lead Moderator
LCS
Underboss
1896 Posts
| | 02/23/2006 8:27 PM |
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Feathers wrote a great article about the role of commanders post WD in another thread:
http://www.maxminis.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15809
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zenthrus
Warlord
5082 Posts
SLC, UT
| | 02/24/2006 1:03 AM |
| | The role of commanders is to win map selection and initiative. Keeping your troops in line and countering nasty CFX (Warpriest) are also nice perks [:)] | |
Knight Warlord a.k.a. Commander (#32) in only 6 months. Where's my pie?
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Knight of the Large Dire Chicken
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