http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/27.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net
EDIT: Included a few tweaks at the suggestion of sourclams. (Thanks.)

Nautilus

Cygnar Light Warjack

PC: 6

The Nautilus was originally a naval 'jack, equipped with state-of-the-art mechanikal fins and propellers and designed to breach the hulls of pirate vessels with its powerful, iron-crumpling hammer arms. However, this 'jack, nicknamed the "Moon Snail" after a predatory sea creature that drills through mollusk shells to devour the helpless creature within, has recently begun to see use on land as a tool to penetrate heavily armored enemy targets. It has been refitted with a set of more land-ready legs and retains a waterproofed cortex and propulsion system to allow it to cross marshland and lakes unimpeded.

SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM CMD
_6___8____5___4___14__15__--

Weapons
L - Melee
Pulse Hammer

POW P+S
_1____9

Armor Piercing - Halve the base armor of an enemy model whose base is larger than small vs. attacks from this weapon, otherwise, gain +2 POW.

Sustained Attack - If this model successfully hits with this weapon, all subsequent attacks with it automatically hit. This benefit is lost if another weapon is used.

R - Melee
Pulse Hammer

POW P+S
_1____9

Armor Piercing - Halve the base armor of an enemy model whose base is larger than small vs. attacks from this weapon, otherwise, gain +2 POW.

Sustained Attack - If this model successfully hits with this weapon, all subsequent attacks with it automatically hit. This benefit is lost if another weapon is used.

Other Rules:

Propeller System - When beginning its activation (completely?) within Shallow or Deep Water, this model may run or charge for free.

Amphibious - This model ignores the effects of deep and shallow water, moves through them without penalty, and while completely in deep water may only target or be targeted by the ranged or magic attacks of other models in deep water. It does not block LoS in Deep Water.

Chain Attack = Butchery - If both of this model's initial attacks hit, the target immediately suffers d6 damage. If it is a warjack or warbeast, you may select which branch or column is affected by this damage.

And, EITHER:

Arcane Nexus - Friendly Faction warcasters do not need to pay focus to maintain upkeep spells on this model.

OR:

Extended Control Range - The caster doubles his control area for all effects reaching this model.

Boxes, because I hate myself and don't want to do homework:

1__2__3_4__5_6
_____[_][_]
[_][_][_][_][_][_]
[_][L][_][_][R][_]
[L][L][M][C][R][R]
__[M][M][C][C]

On a scale of one to ten, with one being a single, unarmed, six-point Goblin Bodger and ten being a six-point Molik Karn or the Deathjack or something, how broken is this?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518067.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518067.page GMT
Mat5 is good; makes it a Heavy hunter and requires a pretty solid chunk of focus to run well, but will perform decently with AP on its own. ARM15 is also good, one solid hit will probably wipe out something important but that seems reasonable for an aquatic light jack. I think 6 points is fine. Under ideal circumstances (like a KD target) it will outperform an Ironclad, but is worse against small bases and Def12+. And, of course, it's much more fragile.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518141.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518141.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518210.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518210.page GMT
I think that'd be a fine jack for 6 pts.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518304.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518304.page GMT
Other than that...very few weapons have Armor Piercing as more than a special attack. A few shooting weapons do as do Behemoth's fists. Other than *those* however...

On another note, Kraye would *love* this jack so very very much (Full Tilt, and +2 MAT on the charge.). ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518352.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518352.page GMT
Kraye would have a very tough time balancing out ranged, melee, and survivability, however. And a medium base light cav model loses many of the LOS advantages of a large base cav model. Plus its simple fragility, and Kraye's preference for a single heavy jackbullet versus ability to run several smaller ones don't make this a model a no-brainer include, either.

I think it's well balanced for 6 pts. ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518415.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518415.page GMT
IMHO, it is way over the top. If this existed, I'd be running at least one of this in every list as a hard counter to enemy heavies. This thing is doing straight dice damage to standard 18ARM heavies, and Dice -1 to ARM19-20 heavies. With 3 focus, it can get in 5 swings walking, for 11D6 straight damage, or 10D6 damage when charging, taking into account its unneccssary chain attack damage. There is not another light jack in the game that can scrap an undamaged heavy on average rolls - in one turn. DEF14 means it might actually live through the counterstrike as the enemy needs to make unboosted 8's to hit on average. To make things worse, even without Cygnar's movement shenanegins as a light jack, it outraces all enemy heavies except for Cryx helljacks, and SPD5+ heavies with reach, making it an excellent alphastriker - deadly, even under the command of Jr (max 5 attacks), or marshalled + Arlan (max 4 attacks).

AP P+S9 gets even more stupid if you pile Aiyanna and Holt and or Nemo onto it. Sustained attack on his weapons takes away the weakness of MAT5. DEF14, amphibious, and one free ability (whichever one) is just gravy.

IMHO, it would be better balanced by using the charger chassis, for DEF13/ARM16 - two open fists. One punching spike at POW13, bucker at POW11, amphibious, steady and giving him *attack lunge granting AP+reach to the spike on his charge attack only. This would give it 23 damage charging vs. ARM18.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518753.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3518753.page GMT
Thanks a lot for your suggestions. I think you're probably right about it, and will steal your suggestions post haste.

@ keezus

I appreciate your frank opinion. Though I don't pretend to be an expert at the game, I will attempt to explain why I disagree as clearly as I can.

While your remake is certainly not bad, it's also a little too durable and sustainable for me. I'd like to preserve that "glass hammer, use it and then lose it" flavor of the original.

Yes, putting Disruption Field/Lightning Shroud on it and having it charge a heavy that Aiyanna's blown a kiss at would be pretty nuts, but so's doing the same thing with an Ironclad, and an Ironclad's only a point more expensive, with a lot more utility and survivability. And, if you're putting one of Nemo's STR buffs on this, you're NOT putting it on a heavy.

Sustained Attack is good, but it's also something that you cancel out of when you swing with the other Pulse Hammer. Unless your forfeit an attack with one of them, you're not auto-hitting with every hammer-blow.

Yes, hitting a Khadorian heavy with MAT 5 is relatively easy, but hitting a Cygnaran heavy or myrmidon gives you only an average chance, and swinging at a bone- or helljack will require boosting. And, looking at Khadorian 'jacks in a vacuum, sure it outranges them, but Khador's most popular spell is Boundless Charge, and Boundless Charge makes it considerably easier to out-threat-range and total the Nautilus.

Most of all, though, I think you're missing its biggest weakness: small-based infantry. I've never played one, and only thought it up last night, but it seems like using infantry screens or avoidance positioning might help mitigate its killing power against heavies. And a unit of something like Long Gunners, Winter Guard, Doom Reavers, or really anything with some kind of accurate, crunchy attack will make an end of it in a hurry if you let it.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519281.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519281.page GMT AP is very rare as anything other than a *attack or other single attack weapon: the hunter can almost always only take one shot a turn, and is expensive for its low durability; the behemoth is considered a heavy wrecker and is the most expensive jack in the game.

It would be pretty balanced with a stronger weapon and *attack AP.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519486.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519486.page GMT
with 0 focus, the Ironclad will do about 10 boxes (high likelihood both attacks hit)

the Nautilus will do about 10-11 boxes (1.5 attacks hit)

With 2 focus, the Ironclad will do about 20 boxes, the Nautilus will do about 16

With 3 focus, the Ironclad will do about 25 boxes, the Nautilus will do about 18

I'll save a lot of numbers, but basically the Nautilus is better against low-Def, ARM20-ish targets with no buffs (like arcane shield, a shield, or a Kriel Stone). Against Def 12, ARM18-20 targets the Ironclad is a bit better, but not by a lot. Against Def13+, ARM17+ targets, the Ironclad becomes a lot better as it can still hit reliaibly and the Nautilus really can't. If you 'stuff' the warjack with focus, the Ironclad will outperform the Nautilus because the Nautilus will be less efficient.

The Nautilus will be better under any effect that boosts all of its attacks, or against enemy targets under Def debuffs.

If you wanted to tone the Nautilus down a bit so that other people won't complain about playing it, only give it one hammer arm with AP or increase its point cost to 7. But I don't think that it's necessarily overpowered with 2 AP arms at 6 pts. Yes, with an inordinate amount of resources (buffs, debuffs, KD target, etc etc) then a Nautilus will annihilate a single target. So will anything else.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519725.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3519725.page GMT
The basis of my unease with this design is threefold:

1. It sets precident by alowing a light warjack to reliably scrap an average (DEF10-12/ARM18-20) heavy in ONE turn by granting high(ish) powered repeated use AP. Some heavies can't even do this on full focus load.
2. It gives sustained attack to these AP weapons in a faction full of accuracy boosts
3. On top of that, it has been granted a number of "flavourful situational abilities" that in the past, models would have been factored into their points cost.

Its light jack chassis is IMHO, an advantage over a heavy chassis, as it is faster, meaning that it out-threats an Ironclad by 2", out-ranges all SPD4 non-reach warjacks. Its speed is only matched by Slayer class helljacks. However, due to its smaller base, it can hide somewhere where it can't be charged by an enemy heavy, yet charge itself. This is a significant advantage as well. Regarding damage output - all the arguements for this homebrew being balanced hinge on the fact that it is focus hungry, and has low MAT (or not enough boosted attacks). In a vacuum this is true. However, IMHO, this drawback is too easily overcome (especially in light that Jr can keep him fueled with 3 focus with no pressure on the warcaster):

pHaley: Lowers enemy defense, adds free attack
eHaley: Can bond, increases threat range, can add free attack, can lower enemy defense
Kraye: Increases charge accuracy, increases threat range, adds attack options, free move due to light cav
pNemo: Can overboost with 5 focus, increases threat range, can increase damage
pStryker: Increases accuracy with EQ
eStryker: Increases damage output and accuracy
Darius: Increases threat range and accuracy, feat and repair gives the jack staying power
eNemo: Increases threat range, free focus boost and increases damage output

All these guys can either mitigate the Nautilus' low mat, increase his threat, or boost his damage. Some can do more than one. Nonel of them would turn down the points savings that he frees up over taking another heavy. Arguably, pStryker gets the least out of it.

either Caine: No synergy, but he'll appreciate his heavy smashing powers in all his no-heavy theme lists.
Sloane: No synergy, but she'll appreciate his low rent heavy countercharge leaving more points for shooty.

If sustained attack isn't viewed to be broken, why include it at all? It is easy for this jack to hit low DEF targets, and against high DEF targets, he "seemingly" gets not enough attacks. While this doesn't seem to be an issue when ignoring synergy - IMHO, it is signifigantly more problematic when the jack gets granted a boost to accuracy by a non-focus effect. Taking something as simple as positive charge for example... a Positive Charged Nautilus gets MAT7 and AP9+2 sustained attack fists - and as an added bonus, while run by Jr. Sure, the arguement remains that the Ironclad gets better with Positive Charge as well, but the swing from MAT5->MAT7 is much more significant than MAT7->MAT9.

I would grudgingly alow that this model is balanced IF it lost sustained attack on its weapons and free charge/run as this increases its already outrageous damage potential, albiet situational. Amphibious is pretty much a non-issue.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3523572.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3523572.page GMT
Yeah, sustained attack probably should/has to go. No real disagreement from me on that one.

AFAIK, nothing allows it to run for free. It gets a free charge if it starts in water, but that's so ridiculously situational that it may as well not have anything. I could see dropping it to SPD5 to reflect its aquatic design or dropping the free charge in water as I don't think that will come into use much/at all regardless.
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3524990.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3524990.page GMT http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3529552.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3529552.page GMT
I CAN, admittedly, see the Propeller System coming into play in exactly one circumstance: fighting the Gatormen. They probably wouldn't like having to fight something that gets bonuses from water too, though I'm not sure how good their DEF is or whether or not they'll be easy pickings for it.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3530074.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3530074.page GMT IIRC - 12/17 w/ 8 wounds - Your dude should one shot them on average rolls since they are on medium bases and your guy gets dice+1 on them.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3531535.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3531535.page GMT
So the propellor-driven free charge will almost never come into play solely because of playing Gators... only if the terrain setup already favors gators somewhat by being chock full of swamps/water.

And Gatorman posse (min squad cost is 7, so 3 gators vs 1 Nautilus) almost always runs with Dirge of Mists up, which combined with +2 armor in CC means they're going to be Def13/ARM 10 versus melee AP attacks. In isolation, the Nautilus will be getting charged rather than charging because of Gator threat 10" versus Nautilus at 9".

Assuming that doesn't scrap something important (2 Gators hit with polearm attacks for about 9 boxes each), a Nautilus (let's just assume he's got max focus every turn) needs 8's to hit Def13, and does dice-1. So he needs to boost to hit, he needs 2 attacks to kill a single model, and his third bought attack kills less than one model (likely to miss, very unlikely to roll 9+ on 2d6). 6-7 pt warjack with 3 focus kills 1 model.

Gators are probably the worst possible medium base matchup for something like the Nautilus due to their relatively elite Def and armor buffs from spells, animi, and innate abilities. A more favorable matchup would be something like Exemplar Bastions or MOW Demo Corps where the Nautilus isn't out-threatted and should be killing 1 model per hit on average rolls.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3531708.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/407765/3531708.page GMT