Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? - Testing the Watchers

[Nhesh 0]

Hello,

 

I am starting with small 500 pts games to get a feel for the mechanics of the game, as the game count progresses I will increase the point values.

 

+++

 

Game 1

 

Viridian Alpha

5 Grey Pulse Myriad

5 Grey Drain Myriad

 

Jesse James

5 Bandit Sharpshooters

5 Bandit Cutthroats

 

- Deployment -

Cutthroats - Jesse - Sharpshooters

Pulse - Viridian - Drain

 

- Playthrough -

Turn 1

The Aliens flanked on the right with the Viridian and the Drain Myriad

The Outlaws Hunker Down and Jesse adjusts to the middle

The Pulse Myriad moves out and tries to shoot the Cutthroats, effect

 

Turn 2

Drain Myriad moves and shoots at Sharpshooters, one dies, others get stun and hazardous (Fortunes Chips used for saves)

Sharpshooters return fire and down an alien (Fortune also used)

Pulse Myriad has low AP and does a focused shot on the Cutthroats and kills one

Jesse flips high AP and shoots up the Drain Myriad, but they roll a lot of Crits and only one goes down

Cutthroats get near the Pulse Myriad and shoot down one

Viridian Prime moves and shoots down a Sharpshooters, risks an approach nearer to Jesse to try and engage him next turn

 

Turn 3

Outlaws try to steal initiative, Aliens take it back

The Viridian needs a 3 AP card to reach Jesse and whack him, 2 AP is flipped - the Pulse Myriad shoots at the Cutthroats with a Focus and kill one

Jesse activates and kills three of the Pulse Myriad

the Drain Myriad shoots at the Sharpshooters and does nothing, backs away to the Viridian to give him bodies

the Sharpshooters return fire and fail to do anything

the lone Pulse Grey hides

the Viridian Alpha does a hit-and-run on the Sharpshooters and misses

 

Turn 4

Outlaws win initiative

Jesse activates and blazes away at the Viridian Alpha, killing him with the second salvo (the Viridian shifted as many attacks as he could away from himself, but there were only three Drain Myriad left at this point)

The Pulse Myriad shoots at Jesse and does nothing

the Cutthroats finish off the Pulse Myriad

 

 

Thoughts on units:

Viridian Prime - did not do a whole bunch this game, having only a ROF of 1 his shooting is more tactical with the displacement, but to survive he needs to get into combat, although whether he will be able to achieve anything once there is a whole different topic

Greys - I do not see the point of the Pulse Greys, even with the re-roll they just seem so subpar compared to the Drain Greys - sure, they have a slightly shorter range, but if the Drain guys are around a Viridian Prime they also get a re-roll, and when they hit they apply two conditions, which has an impact on the game even if they don't kill the target

 

Jesse James - an all-round awesome model, kills what he wants, is survivable - my gut feeling is that he is too cheap (feels more like 260 pts?), and I would rather see his guns have a range of 12-15", to make playing him a bit more risky, as the rewards are certainly there

Sharpshooters - good range of 24" and Piercing -2 make these guys a solid basic infantry

Cutthroats - their -1 Piercing helped me see that the Xenoshield can actually work, but with two shots apiece they were able to consistently hit - I did not try revolver fan, but I guess it would hurt a lot

 

 

- Rules to confirm -

1) When are conditions from attacks applied - Immediately when the unit is hit

2) Does displacement move the entire unit or the model? - Only the model hit

3) Can I use more than one Adventure card on a particular model? - Yes

4) I can has cheezburger? - Yes

[Nhesh 0]

Game 2

 

Watchers

Viridian Alpha (250)

5 Pulse Myriad (125)

5 Drain Myriad (125)

 

Hex

The Third Man (275)

4 Hex Cutthroats (120)

3 Hex Gunmen (105)

 

Deployment:

Viridian - Drain - Pulse

Third Man - Gunmen - Cutthroats

 

Turn one

Pulse Myriad (3 AP) move and dash to the right behind cover

Third Man (3 AP) generates a portal near the Cutthroats and near the right edge of the board

Viridian (3 AP) runs towards Third Man and shoots hoping to displace, critical failure rolled

Gunmen (2 AP) approach the portal and Hunker Down

Drain Myriad (3 AP) move and dash towards the column at the edge and near the Viridian to give him bodies

Cutthoats (2 AP) move towards portal and trabel to the edge

 

Turn 2

Viridian (3 AP) burns Adventure card for +1 AP, dashes and moves towards Cutthroats, kills one (Fortuned re-roll failed), Tainted test failed

The Third Man (2 AP), burns Adventure card for +2 AP, Hex Bolt at Drain Myriad and kills two Greys (no Fortune used for the saves), summons a portal near himself and teleports to the Gunners

The Drain Myriad (2 AP), moves and tries to destroy the new portal, but it rolls two Critical successes for the save

The Cutthroats (2 AP), do a Portal Move Action and shoot at the Viridian with Overcharged active, two get Stunned but all six shots hit, Viridian burns three Fortune to save and plays an Adventure card to restore Fortune

Pulse Myriad (3 AP), move and dash at the edge of the board and into cover, flanking the Gunners

Sharpshooters (2 AP), move and shoot at Pulse Myriad, nothing happens

 

Turn 3

Drain Myriad (1 AP), burns two Adventure cards for +2 AP, shoots at the Cutthroats, after two salvos only one Hex cultist falls (3 Fortune spent for save re-rolls)

The Third Man (3 AP), burns one Adv card for + 1 AP, moves towards Viridian and Bolts at him (Viridian goes Hunkered Down for one fortune) but the target saves all, shoots again with same result

Pulse Myriad (1 AP), two are in range and shoot at Gunners, one misses the other is saved against

Cutthroats (4 AP), Fortune to clear conditions, Focused shots - one shoots at Viridian, one shoots at Drain Myriad, resulting in one Grey dead and one Fortune spent on Viridian to re-roll save

Viridian (2 AP), teleports to engage the Third Man and the Gunners, critical failure on attack againt Gunner

 

Turn 4

Drain Myriad (2 AP), burns one Adventure card for +1 AP, shoot at Cutthroats, one dies the other is Stunned and Hazardous (1 Fortune spent for re-roll)

Gunners (3 AP), swarm the Viridian and make a Focused strike, Viridian dies to a critical failure

Pulse Myriad (1 AP), burns one Adventure card for + 1 AP, move and shoot at Gunners, leaving one alive

Third Man (3 AP), burns one Adventure card for +1 AP, move, teleport to the Drain Myriad, Focused Hex Bolt at Drain Myriad, unit destroyed, Third Man leeches Hegemonic Technology

Cutthroat (3 AP), clears conditions with Fortune and burns Adventure card for 1 AP, teleports to the Gunner, shoots at Pulse Myriad, two Greys die

 

Turn 5

Third Man (2 AP), burns two Adventure cards for +2 AP, teleports to the other side, Focused Hex bolt at the Pulse Myriad, one dies, Third Man goes out of LOS

Pulse Myriad (2 AP), burn two Adenture cards for +2 AP, shoot at Cutthroat with Focused shots twice, Cuttthroat makes all saves

Cutthroat (2 AP), shoots at Greys and kills them

 

Comments:

 

Viridian Prime - this time he made a better impression, withstanding much more punishment from the shooting and requiring more attention from the enemy, but got killed by a critical failure from a Strike action; I still don't see this guy working - he wants to support his troops but they don't give him cover, he goes into combat but a lucky Grit test stops him in his tracks, he makes a shot and displaces an enemy but the result is hard to predict - and any follow-up costs two actions, limiting his output; I have yet to spend the AP on Shrewd Strategist, and possibly it will have a use in larger games, but I find Tactical Brilliance to be a much more efficient ability

Pulse Myriad - these guys need a different setup, they just don't do anything meaningful on the battlefield - maybe increase their piercing to -2, or give them ROF 2?

Drain Myriad - this unit will be very useful in larger games as they can hit stuff with Mettle and make it more susceptible to death

 

The Third Man - this guy is amazing - he supports his guys with Fortune x 5, he lays down portals, can engage units at long and short range, grows through the game with Leech, and can hold his own with Impervious and Grit 7

I would like to see this guy cost at 300 pts and have his Grit lowered to 6, as right now he is just too versatile

Hex Cutthroats - awesome unit for their cost, and with Portals they can make some great sneak attacks - ROF 2 and -2 Piercing is just crazy with Elite

Hex Gunners - again, Elite allows them to take two shots at a very long range and if the opponent overextends with a Boss unit, they can be a great drain on Fortune and force an activation out of the opponent's desired order

+ I forgot to use Tainted, but I find this ability to be a kind of a saving throw, needs further testing

 

Questions:

1) Overcharged trait - if a unit is already Stunned, what happens when they fail the Grit check? - Overcharged will be changed, but any further instances of Stunned are ignored

2) Can I shoot at my own portals? - Yes

3) Does a Portal Move Action generate a Backstab? - No

4) Can I use Fortune to re-roll critical failures? - No