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well... I've got 4-5 games in, and the silly things look great,
have a great theme feel, and don't do a dang thing...
I've even managed to wait until they roll doubles to charge in, and still have MAYBE caused one wound in all these games. Not even acting as good distractions once people actually look at the rules.

As background, I'm running Destruction army with Grots and Trolls,
have 8 Pump Wagons from old days (2 story metal ones)
but the silly things cost as much as a troll (60 points for a PW or a Troll)

Any advice on better use of the Pump Wagons?

Honestly the best possible advice I can give is don't use them, at all. For 60 points a piece they are utter trash; that cost is easily double what they are worth on the tabletop. Even sabertusks are a better buy than that.

sadly, that's what I was thinking too...

appreciate the input!

Pump Wagons are distraction and harassment units, pure and simple. They are faster than grots and trolls and can run around flanks to harass war machines and casters and weak heroes.

If you are intending them to do significant damage you will be disappointed, but again, that's not what they're for. Use them to get in the way of enemy charges or make them backtrack to deal with the Pump Wagons attacking weak but important units. Every time a ranged unit shoots a pump wagon, or they charge them with a melee unit or even better cavalry, its a win for the snotlings!

I don't think spamming them is the real key to using them. More than 3 is prolly over kill and I'd run them singly. That's three units and three phases minimum that have to be dedicated to wiping them out, possibly even more.

Its very important to remember that many units suck on paper because they have awful damage output but can be vital when used correctly. As a Seraphon player myself, I give you Skinks. No amount of buffing makes them reliably deal damage. They exist to harass, and play movement games, and snag objectives. I see Pump Wagons in a similar role.

bhollenb wrote:
Pump Wagons are distraction and harassment units, pure and simple. They are faster than grots and trolls and can run around flanks to harass war machines and casters and weak heroes.

If you are intending them to do significant damage you will be disappointed, but again, that's not what they're for. Use them to get in the way of enemy charges or make them backtrack to deal with the Pump Wagons attacking weak but important units. Every time a ranged unit shoots a pump wagon, or they charge them with a melee unit or even better cavalry, its a win for the snotlings!

I don't think spamming them is the real key to using them. More than 3 is prolly over kill and I'd run them singly. That's three units and three phases minimum that have to be dedicated to wiping them out, possibly even more.

Its very important to remember that many units suck on paper because they have awful damage output but can be vital when used correctly. As a Seraphon player myself, I give you Skinks. No amount of buffing makes them reliably deal damage. They exist to harass, and play movement games, and snag objectives. I see Pump Wagons in a similar role.

That's no comparison at all; skinks are among the most OP units in the game at 200 points for 40 (not to mention an average of 9 wounds from an unbuffed shooting phase is reliable damage). Not to mention how there are tons of other units in destruction that will serve the same role for the same points but actually do something.

bhollenb wrote:
Pump Wagons are distraction and harassment units, pure and simple. They are faster than grots and trolls and can run around flanks to harass war machines and casters and weak heroes.

If you are intending them to do significant damage you will be disappointed, but again, that's not what they're for. Use them to get in the way of enemy charges or make them backtrack to deal with the Pump Wagons attacking weak but important units. Every time a ranged unit shoots a pump wagon, or they charge them with a melee unit or even better cavalry, its a win for the snotlings!

I don't think spamming them is the real key to using them. More than 3 is prolly over kill and I'd run them singly. That's three units and three phases minimum that have to be dedicated to wiping them out, possibly even more.
.

good input, thanks!
I was trying them as distraction, but they get wiped out too quickly, at least in our games.
I'll try the flank threat later, as the league gets higher points,
we are only at 500 this week, but in a bigger game I can see where the PWs will be a nice distraction.

my main concern is the high point cost...

Trust me, there's no use for them that will justify 60 points/model.