bocatt wrote:I do like the
ML version though. Mostly for its cheapness on an already expensive model but maybe the better idea is to go all in on him. I like the effective range on the
ML though. It lends itself even better to the aforementioned tactic of "park it up top, far away, in a corner and blast things with it." it seems simple enough and in a well terrained board (read: a sniper tower on one or both sides) could provide valuable fire support to a much more close ranged oriented Yu Jing list (see: Kuang Shi, Domaru, Haramaki) am I wrong about this?
Relative to board positioning, placing it near the center of deployment the difference in range bands isn't as much of an issue. Placed closer to the edges, where the Yan Huo is likely to fire diagonally across more table, then the superior range band of the
ML comes into play. At closer ranges is where the Suppressive fire option is important since objectives tend to be placed in the middle of the table which should be in reach of
SF coming out of your deployment. The MHMG and
HMC also have an easier time clearing your opponent's defensive models or sniper towers.
For example your opponent has a link team, Camo marker, MSV2 trooper, Total Reaction
REM etc. with a long ranged weapon on a 2-3 story building, let's say you go first and deploy the Yan Huo as one of your reserves (woo Sun Tze!) and you have the opportunity to pick off their long range support. If you're firing two Missiles at the model you're rolling similar amounts of dice with similar odds of success. Against a link your 2 dice +3 Range/-3 Cover vs their 2 dice +3 Range/-3 Cover with similar
BS and against everything else you have a 1 die advantage (except the Total Reaction which has 2 dice on the
ML Yan Huo and would be dangerous to shoot at) but you get the idea. Sure the
ML template can wipe a link and it does more damage since it ignores Cover
ARM but you need to hit with it first and this kind of even
FtF actually favors your opponent because you're spending your finite resources, orders, to do it. The Yan Huo has about an even chance of failing so you could end up spending an order to do nothing or worse to take a wound on the Yan Huo.
With the
HMC or MHMG, you have an actual advantage in the same scenario even with the range mods, ideally you would still have a +3 range or the same negative mods since you're controlling the range of engagement by placing the Yan Huo and being the active player. You're still taking the same risk but more dice means more certainty in the outcome of a
FtF.
Pacific wrote:
4rgfvsw6p wrote:Don't really like the 2xML Yan Huo, I think
ML are bad except on Camo models and in link teams. The
HMC and Multi
HMG load outs are more effective in Reaction since they can Suppressive Fire and have comparable Ammo types and way more effective in Active because of the high burst.
Although, I was thinking of using the 'smart
ML' option that comes with the one remote (I forget the name), then using a Wu Ming forward observer or similar. Doesn't look too expensive in points and could pack a nasty surprise.
I recently got Sun Tzu as I absolutely love the new mini, although no idea if he is effective in game! Can see the Strategos lvl3 being pretty useful, you could try and opt to get first turn (having set up first) and not take
that much of a hit as you can place two key units last while denying the final miniature set-up to your opponent. Bit of an intangible in terms of cost/value but I could see that winning some games.
Still don't like Smart
ML even with the buff. To me the pt. cost isn't the problem, my opposition to certain
MLs is 1 dice to 1 dice
FtF rolls without heavy negative mods to one side are reliant on luck. Spending an order to not succeed sucks, especially in a close game. The reason you rarely saw
GMLs outside of certain armies, Nomads and Ariadna, in N2 was not that they were too expensive it's that they required too many orders to set up. Nomads had efficient ways to
FO like Meteors or Marker/Hacking+ and Ariadna always has too many orders plus the Traktor Mul had B3.
I think SML could be potentially useful against TAGs since it's harder for them to dodge but I don't encounter enough of them, besides Geckos why does every Nomad player have Geckos?, to see a reason to include them in my pick up lists.
The best thing about Sun Tze for me is the extra command token. I've been burning through my Command almost every game; mostly on coordinated suppressive fires. The extra order is nice but he's so expensive that it kind of evens out. He does hard counter Impersonation since Fidays and Speculos can't reserve but that doesn't happen often since Haqq has the cheaper Saladin and Combined has the most Strategos access.
