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hey guys,

I've recently picked up the shaltari (at least just about everything my LGS had). All factions have been picked up so far, with emphasis on the UCM. Scourge seem to be the least represented, but still have 2 takers.

so far i've played 8 games, against both UCM and PHR. haven't played any games against the scourge yet, but am looking forward to it.

in general:

-infantry play a very mild role unless there are objectives inside a building. often, they need 6's to damage with their specialty weapon and can only kill infantry with their main guns. if the objectives are inside buildings, then infantry are required to grab them.
-CQB in a building is bloody. tons of infantry die.
-nearly everything has active countermeasures. the only things you can fire at with maximum range is 5 of the 8 squads of infantry (and the shaltari infantry if E7 or higher). it's not even worth regarding the long range band as an asset at all.
-having a dropship for most frontline squads is just about necessary in most missions. scout vehicles and other faster vehicles can get away with having no ride, but not much else.
-buildings can be a bit easy to kill, even for non-demolisher weapons. most hit on 2+ and will damage on a 2+ doing extra dmg on a 4+. demolisher weapons do more damage against a building, but not usually substantially more (often 2-4 damage a hit) and are sub-par against non-building targets.
-on the same note, falling masonry does not generally substantially damage infantry squads before the building would be destroyed anyway.
-the factions seem pretty balanced. shaltari have saves, speed, gates, and high-end infantry but lower armor and higher points costs. UCM are cost effective, have a great gunship, and have A10 on most units but have few units that don't have some better equivalent in another list: they are solid overall though. Scourge have speed, numbers, and a unique command vehicle, and have slightly better armor than the shaltari but give up range in return. PHR have high power weaponry, great armor, and standard squads with 2 damage points but are very slow overall and generally have less units on the table.

UCM
-cheap dropships
-low profile tanks that can shoot over themselves can make for good tactical situations. in general, the articulated rule is bonus and can be used in limited but effective situations.
-armor 10 main tanks.
-falcon gunships are effective. E11 on a highly mobile platform is nice.
-the bombers are durable. 1 shot a turn makes it a bit all or nothing, but it will be feared.
-the UCM command kodiak is hit and miss. normally a 3+ to hit (as you should have some cheap scout jeeps) and damages anything on a 2+. sometimes it will end up doing little in a game though. it also sits in the rear while undefended so can become easy prey. the bonus is that it really doesnt need a dropship as it shouldnt move during the game.
-legionaires die in droves. they also are quick to flee from a building if in CQB. however, for a minimal investment, you get 15 CQB attacks and who can fire missiles when bored.

PHR
-high armor dropships and fighters. medium and large dropships also all come with weapons standard.
-units are slower than their counterparts in other lists.
-standard squads have 2 damage and can fulfill any role, for a bit more points.
-odin walkers are very powerful. 2 shots with a great weapon and they are durable to boot.
-the command walker is quite durable with a 3+ save.
-the athena is a good multi role fast moving flier, but does pay for the privilege. 2nd most expensive unit in the game.
-immortals are so-so. nothing particularly special, but no glaring flaws.
-the scout walkers pack quite a punch for a scout vehicle, but are quite slow like the rest of the faction.
-i've not faced them yet, but the missile tanks seem like they would be pretty good. multiple fire modes ensures they always have a target.

shaltari
-main tanks are very maneuverable. the skimmer bonus to defense makes up for their low armor.
-jaguar walkers have the firepower of 2 tanks, and AA ability of one support tank for less points. they have a higher armor to offset the fact that they are not skimmers. but, if firepower is directed their way, they will perish.
-more available heavy slots than other factions.
-thunderbird gunships are respectable with their long range.
-gate travel is very fast. but gates are extremely fragile compared to proper dropships. even with the passive save, they are still far more vulnerable. the super low armor leads to many shots being able to cause double damage.
-gates do allow you to place your army using less transports overall, assuming you are willing to deploy forces turn 3-4 and the gates aren't shot down.
-shaltari infantry are very durable, but tend to exchange even losses per capita. roughly equal points of braves to legionaires will cause 6 legionaire damage to the 2-3 shaltari that would die. firstborns murder other infantry in CQB but are far more costly and lack any option for ranged support. firstborns can also negate a small number of attacks to make their armor of 4 even crazier against wounded squads.
-I can't figure out where the scout skimmer fits into the shaltari army. the AA is decent, but is expensive and can be made up for by other units. the microwave gun is amazing at murdering infantry but you can't target infantry in a building that did not fire out. overall, there is little opportunity to fire at infantry with objective searches and the like. also, the microwave gun has a short range, so when infantry pop their heads out you may not be in range.

PHR sounds like they'd be great for a defensive sort of game, but will need a lot of air support to move around quickly.

I am finding that PHR are not about mobility but rapid firebase (on legs) construction.

Have enough units to place them where you want to, then get them there.

PHR are so slow that to neutralise a unit that is currently out of position kill its transport, its going nowhere.

The only way around that for PHR is to deploy then remain static. Its a bit like playing a shooty army in 40K which likes to sit around in a firebase and use their range and firepower, only with it being DZC they have to get to their firebase first by dropship.

Janus are more mobile than they look, in that they are mobile rather than static and thus can be used to reposition. They are way too slow for anything resembling actual 'scouting' they cannot throw up a picket line or exploit a flank (unlike Wolverines or anything Scourge) they can however shift about. As they have a decent AA gun this is very useful.

In DZC you need to shut down flight lanes to stop your forces getting bombed, straffed or hot dropped upon. With PHR this is really easy with the awesome range of the Phobos, but as PHR are static once casualties mount, flight lanes will inevitably open for opponents to exploit. Janus can close the gap with their 'speedy' 6" move, more if they still can use their Tritons, and 12" AA bubble.

For PHR going into the attack its about hot dropping a ambling 'castle' on the enemies doorstep and relying on brute force and attrition. Heaven forbid if they ever need to reach somewhere in a hurry and cant use an Athena for the job.