Xystophoroi Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Hi, I'm busily painting up my patrol box for a first game and, while looking at the other fleet options, I started looking at the alliance ships and found I really quite like the Tarakian models so started looking at the alliance options available for the Sorylians. I was wondering what you guys think work well as allies, what ships I should look out for, what kinds of changes in strategy or theme including certain other allies or ships would encourage you to pursue etc. For example I could see a boarding focused fleet using Veydreth with High Energy beams to try and strip off some CP via Hazard Markers and then using boarding assaults with Sorylian Heavy Cruisers. Anything that's just a straight up better swap? The Veydreth Gunship or Destroyer looks more useful in the knife fighting range the rest of the Sorylian fleet seems to prefer compared to the Sorylian Gunship and Destroyer. The Tarakian Battleship brings wings to help fill in that gap while also being a huge tough beast with a longer ranged gun. What have you tried? What do you find works? Are there any strategies you'd try only if you had certain allied ships in the mix? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Sorylians tend to really like our boarding TAC, because it's what keeps us viable boarders (and boarding defenders!) at the short ranges we tend to prefer, so going anywhere outside of the Veydreth is usually a bad idea. The power of High Energy is easy to overstate. There are many opportunities for it to fail to deliver. That's not to say that it's a bad rule, but it's the kind of rule where you need to make sure that your strategy works without it, rather than relying on it. The Veydreth are pretty cool. I don't think the Sorylians need them, but I don't think the Sorylians need anything. I certainly plan to add some to my collection, when I have the money, and feel like it. Incidentally, you can always go with both. It has been prevailed upon me that Veydreth + Tarakians is a pretty good Alliance fleet, so either way, your models won't go to waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xystophoroi Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Why do you see Veydreth+Tarakian as a good combination? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragEmAll Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 I am an old Skool player. I always go pure Lizard I work on the principle that shortcomings are built into certain lists and it makes it more fun to work around them. The Tarakian Battleship is a pure beast though! Pok 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xystophoroi Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Yeah I like super tankiness and the funkiness of the gravity guns. It's just that I like a whole load of the different models and would like to find some useful way of including them in my Sorylian fleet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Frederic Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 I've considered using Tarakian allies to help shove my Tier 1 Sorylian battleships up the field faster using their gravity weapons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragEmAll Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Can you target friendlies with grav weaponry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryjak Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Yes, per the rules (page 70): If Control is declared, a Gravitational Weapon may be used on friendly models. I don't know how useful a 1-3" or 2-6" movement boost from the rear arc will be, as you will place one unit behind another one to do it. The boosting Tarakian unit might be way out of position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiet01 Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 Yes, per the rules (page 70): I don't know how useful a 1-3" or 2-6" movement boost from the rear arc will be, as you will place one unit behind another one to do it. The boosting Tarakian unit might be way out of position. Drives to Max and a Gravity push... you be in RB2 of a target at the end turn 2. Much to the displeasure of your opponent. Next turn play Intel Gathered and win Initiative to get two attacks in a row with BB weapons, uncontested. That could be the battle, right there, with a crit or two. Imagine pulling that off with two BBs in a larger battle.... darkjedi203 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragEmAll Posted May 3, 2015 Report Share Posted May 3, 2015 do any of their smaller ships have grav weapons (I'm out and don't have any of the books with me...) if so, if you can do multiple shoves with for example a cruiser squadron then that pushed unit might be a hell of a lot closer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiet01 Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 do any of their smaller ships have grav weapons (I'm out and don't have any of the books with me...) if so, if you can do multiple shoves with for example a cruiser squadron then that pushed unit might be a hell of a lot closer! The Frigates and Cruisers have them as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricPaladin Posted May 4, 2015 Report Share Posted May 4, 2015 Why do you see Veydreth+Tarakian as a good combination? Most of the arguments came from this thread, in response to my original post, in which I denigrated the value of Veydreth allies for Tarakians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbidingDude Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've been taking Terqui allies in most of my battles recently. They are a super hard to crack bunker of torpedo-y doom that can take corrosive on those torpedoes at 900ish (?) points. They provide pretty good long range support early game and have solid gun racks for when someone tries to be sneaky. It hurts assaulting in the sense that you can't take the thermal control TAC but I've been finding that they are becoming more and more compulsive in my lists. Khaleth 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaleth Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 i've actually come to the same decision as AbidingDude, those torpedo cruisers are just too damn good to pass on, they are the perfect match up for our gunships or fallback destroyers, leaving the BB cruisers and frigates the main offensive role. you also can take the other approach, and have the assault cruiser shunt in with special forces (exatlty the same as having thermal control TAC +or-) that turn you may take the reserves reserves or +2 initiave. this way you can take out tier 1 options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FragEmAll Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I think the real issue I have with Allies is that you have to drop something in the Sorylian main list to get the Allies. Given the option of taking the Terquai Torpedo cruisers or taking a squadron of Warwolf Gunships, I think i'd rather pay the extra 90 points and take the gunships. Better long ranged weaponry (Something I lack) & bigger CR rating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbidingDude Posted May 6, 2015 Report Share Posted May 6, 2015 I'd strongly recommend trying to proxy some cruisers in. Once you hit a point limit where you can stick corrosive on them early game plinks shift from a minor annoyance on a DN or BB and become a serious game spanning threat. combined with the massive range means I've had an unaware opponent drop their whole gameplan to try to pull them off the board. Also possibly my biggest problem with the gunships is that they have to move combined with 270 degrees of vunerable means a late game shunt can really mess their day up. The terqs fix that with being able to bunker up with reinforced sides and a shield. and like I mentioned before pretty good gun racks. I usually have mine up against the board edge for a turn or two at full stop, just pelting T1s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oppi Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Why would I take a Sorylian Battleship over the Veydreth one (in a battle where I can afford a second T1 for my admiral) ? For only 5 points more I get a ship that has a better profile in nearly all aspects (exceptions are 1 AP and 1 Shield less for the Predator). The only thing it really lacks are the scatter weapons, but I could still hunt down enemy Tier 3 squadrons with my own frigates. I'm actually looking for reasons here, because I really don't like the Veydreth minis. On the other hand I love the Tarakian ones, but I can't find it in me to give up our TACs for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Frederic Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 Why would I take a Sorylian Battleship over the Veydreth one (in a battle where I can afford a second T1 for my admiral) ? For only 5 points more I get a ship that has a better profile in nearly all aspects (exceptions are 1 AP and 1 Shield less for the Predator). The only thing it really lacks are the scatter weapons, but I could still hunt down enemy Tier 3 squadrons with my own frigates. I'm actually looking for reasons here, because I really don't like the Veydreth minis. On the other hand I love the Tarakian ones, but I can't find it in me to give up our TACs for them. I may be a bit of an extremist but unless I have to field two Tier 1s (ie: Grand Fleet) I would rather stock up on Tier2s. A fully upgraded heavy cruiser squadron is arguably just as destructive and resilient as many Tier 1s and worth less Battle Log to my opponent. Once you do reach that grand fleet level your choice of second Tier 1 is much more situational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaleth Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 The main reason to take tarakians is to push up the board your BB, those extra inches + movement TAC = shooting at RB2 in the first turn. It also means they are gonna shoot you way too early. The problem with the veydreth T1 is the battle log point you are giving to your enemy, very easy points due to low CR and no shields. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
