Shardslave Suicide - Viable?

[Galyn]

I am playing with points. Having the converted taskmaster, I will have my 500 points done as soon as the Highborn are painted (Just starting the fleshtones now).

First question: (maybe this should be in the rules section): What is the restriction on conversions going to be at GenCon?

My current army is:
Warden - Freezing Breath / Ice Storm
Deaths Device
2 Wails
13 Spearslaves
Taskmaster

Anyway, I am going with the thought that I need a backup plan for my Taskmaster. I can easily swap him out (with a spearman or two) for 5 slingers or 3 - 4 spreaders.

I'm not convinced 5 slingers will be worth their points. Five shots might hurt one thing, one round.

Spreaders I originally thought would just attract fire. Sure, I might give me a free turn to run full tilt at the enemy, but not much else. Then, I started thinking about the Kaboom rule.

If I deploy them as close as possible to the enemy (but with some form of cover) and activate them first, and spend both actions to get as close to the enemy as possible: They will die. Yes.

But, three Kaboom rolls will generally get one success (or failure?). Assuming I truck 12 Cm in my activations. The range of the kaboom is 18 Cm from where I deployed. And, *should* catch a couple enemys with that huge PW, automatically.

Not only do they distract the opponent first turn, giving me the time I need to advance, but they also have the chance to make their 48 points back (potentially several times over).

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Does this sound viable? [Optimal point usage seems to be, the same basic Highborn as above but with 10 spears and 4 spreaders, no taskmaster]

[gunslinger]

all tactics are viable on paper.. give it a go with some proxy models and see how it works.. if you like the results, then you can invest in more models, if you don't, you haven't wasted any money.. (not that Dark Age models are a waste, because every last model is awesome..) just buy waht you need.

[Agustine Nunez]

If it does work... then I imagine a "new dynamic" will have been created... think about it, suicide bomb slaves!! I've seen this before in VOID and it can cause havoc in your enemy's ranks...draws fire or take a chance and let them get close? :twisted: I really hope you explore this and provide feed back...brilliant thinking!! :D

[gunslinger]

bomb slaves is not really a unique thing in Dark Age.. since about every other time you use those darn shards they blow up anyways.. hehe

[Agustine Nunez]

Really??? Hey I thought the little guys were normally used to swamp your opponents...Galyn said something about a Kaboom rule... so I thought it was a creative way to use the slaves...so these guys blow at any given time when they attack with their spears?

[Galyn]

Really??? Hey I thought the little guys were normally used to swamp your opponents...Galyn said something about a Kaboom rule... so I thought it was a creative way to use the slaves...so these guys blow at any given time when they attack with their spears?
This is specific to the shardslaves. Not spearslaves. They deploy after normals, and close to the enemy. They spread little crystal mine-fields. And, when hit, they have a (uhmm) 40% of popping off a 6CM Blast template.

[gunslinger]

yes, shardslaves..

[DA_Magpie]

It

[Galyn]

A report card:
. . . Suicide Bomber School . . . . . . . . . C-
. . . . . . Vs Unware it works
. . . . . . Vs Dragyri it works
. . . Sheep-Dog School . . . . . . . . . . . . . B
. . . . . . Works well for herding enemies away from the spreaders
. . . Cheese Worthy Exploits . . . . . . . . F
. . . . . . I hate finding cheesy back-door benefits (see below)

They make decent enough sheep herders (moves the opponent away from the

[gunslinger]

[quote=Galyn]

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Coherency, Bring out the Cheese

[DA_MrSota]

Going OOC is always an option.....any squad can do it.

Want to hear even cheesier?

Firestorms & Toxic Mistress can safely auto hit causing kaboom checks on the Spreaders, without fear of retribution from them...they also have nastier Kaboom effects than the Spreaders (with Fire & Poison)

Does this make either of these units broken?

I think anyone failing a MAL with a 'perfect plan' will say it's ok

[gunslinger]

in other words, it's not cheesey, if you lose your own troops.. lol

[Galyn]

I feel better knowing I wasn't completely sluffing the rules.

I can see with Fire-Bikini's and Toxic-Momma's where intentially getting the OoC -2 TN would be a problem (since they will generally be actively attacking, thus subject to the -2 TN and Mal worries). Especially, considering the -2 doesn't go away until you end an activation within Cohesion. (thus you cannot just move back in range and fire).

Technically, the Shard-slobs suffer the same problem if they spread or attack. But, in instances where you don't expect to be using the models' AS anytime soon, but expect incomming fire: Adding some separation gives a double benefit:

1) -2 TN on Kaboom
2) Fewer models within the BL template should the Kaboom succeed (fail)

[As I have both the Fire-Bikini's and Toxic-Momma's on order, I will have to think a bit about this. I think there are some good situations to keep them OoC too. . . ]

Thanks!

[gunslinger]

be very careful with that thinking.. as OoC can also have dire effects if exploited by your opponent

[DA_Grafter]

There are so many tricks in Dark Age... Rizzen is near genius with the rules. Many games claim to be like chess, quick to pick up, life time to master. We don't claim to be that, but you will find that everytime you play, you will almost pick up another use for a unit or wanting to try something that might or might not work.

Your OOC supposed cheeiness comes no where near me taking Saint Mark's last wound by shooting at my own slave with my Soul Splitter in one of my battles! take that! The fact is alternate activation coupled with some built in mechanics can make every game different!...

[DA_Magpie]

Your OOC supposed cheeiness comes no where near me taking Saint Mark's last wound by shooting at my own slave with my Soul Splitter in one of my battles! take that!

I

[Osiris]

Listening quietly and taking notes.

[Galyn]

[quote=DA_Grafter]Your OOC supposed cheeiness comes no where near me taking Saint Mark's last wound by shooting at my own slave with my Soul Splitter in one of my battles! take that!

I

[DA_Grafter]

It was actually pretty much the end move of a game. I had 2 wails on the table HTH with Mark, one last slave that was running back after he made his PS test, and a Soul Splitter with 1 wound left. Mark was the only figure left on the Forsaken side.

Both Wails were already beat up. Mark got initiative, killed both of them. I moved my last slave up to Mark, just close enough but not BTB... (It was before Genesis was finished, so shooting into combat was rather complicated) Forsaken had no other unit to activate, so I activate my Soul Splitter, move him up so that he gets almost no modifiers, shoot at my slave (a far easier task than shooting Mark), use pierce to take the last wound of mark.

It ended up being a very close game. At the beginning of the last turn, Forsaken had only Mark on the table, Dragyri had 2 Wails, 1 Soul Splitter and 1 slave. At the end the Soul Splitter was the only miniature standing...

P.S. and for those of you that are fluff lawyers, thinking how dishonourable it was to kill your own slave, well, it was a Soul Splitter, what do you expect? :roll:

[Stunke]

How can killing slaves ever be dishonourable?

I don't get it, but then again, honor doesn't play a part in how I play Dark Age.

[DA_Grafter]

Well, that's because you play Brood LOL, they don't care about that kinda stuff all that much imo

[Stunke]

Yeah riiiiiight right.

'makes sense when you put it that way.

[DA_Magpie]

Ok that makes sense, cheers.
Drops into Skarrd player mode: Hmmm