Alright, before I get into advanced things, I need to learn to use gimp a bit better (I kind of need to make images to demonstrate some things I have to say). So, for now, leaving these arguments:
Mechanized vs Light:
Before I begin this rant, I need to clarify that Space Marine Drop Pod and armies I classify as "Mechanized," and you will see why in a moment.
Mechanized Armies use vehicles and armor to bring their troops to the front. Light armies use base troop movements (in the actual services known as Leather Personnel Carriers), as well as dropping them in via deep strike or by Valkyries or other methods, where once the troops are on or near the objective, there is no need for the vehicle to stay, if there is a vehicle model on the board at all.
Both Armies have their strengths and weaknesses, and I will demonstrate that here.
Mechanized Armies allow your troops to get to the objective much, much faster, as well as giving your squads protection, firing platforms (firing points), and support by fire. The downside is points cost. In some cases this is worse than others. For example, a Space Marine Rhino or Drop Pod costs 35 points base. A squad costs roughly in the vicinity of 150+ points, so this is not so bad. You are sacrificing some points that could be used for Support units or upgrades, but in the scheme of things, having 3 units of Space Marines delivered (relatively) harmlessly to the objective/within range of your opponent. In an Imperial Guard army, a Chimera costs 65 points. Granted, you're getting a lot more than a Rhino, but most troops squads cost about 50 points. Depending on how you wish to field your army, that can add up very quickly, and prevent you from playing some things you want. Also take note that there are several vehicles in the game that do not have firing points, making deploying your troops from them essential to maximize your firepower (Just do a google search for Fish of Fury). All that being said, you can still move most vehicles up to 6" and still fire one main gun and anything under Str 5 at your enemy, so they can also give you a much better movement and shooting phase overall. I count the space marine drop pod in this because of the extra points (1), and the fact that it can still create an obstacle and support by fire for your units.
Light armies rely on troops for movement, or Deep Strike, or, generally, anything that gets them there and leaves them there. The strength here is in numbers. Now, while the numbers on the Space Marines is not all that impressive, there is another factor to consider. If you want to add an individual character to your Rhino, you need to remove a model from your squad to fit him. Which, in turn, can seriously adjust how said unit is set up. There are upgrades that only work if there are 10 models in the squad, and removing them changes your squad's overall flexibility. And as far as imperial guard goes, those 65 points can do a lot with them. (that's 13 grenade launchers right there). To give a most extreme example, myself and a couple of friends theorized about taking no upgrades and just maxing out on units for an IG army. The end result is 1 company command squad, 4 platoons with 1 platoon command squad, 4 infantry squads and one full conscript unit, and 1 platoon with just 1 command squad and 4 infantry squads. At 2,000 points that gives you 30 squads and 430 individual models on the board, which, despite the fact that there is no specialized units or anti-..., well, anything, you make up for that with sheer numbers. Yes, they killed your squad. you only have 29 more where that came from. Now, that is not a tournament-playable army, as almost half of it is conscripts, but it still would be a tough army to face.
Conclusion: Mechanized armies provide protection and a little extra fire, Light armies provide numbers and extra upgrades. I'm not telling you one is better than the other, just highlighting the pros and cons of either side.
Reserves vs Troops on Table:
Before I begin, I would like to illustrate the points that I, personally, do not like to use reserves, and when I speak of reserves, I speak of those that can either outflank or deep strike. That being said, I understand why someone would use them, and why they are beneficial.
Reserves are placed outside of play, and come into play at a later point in the game. The reason using them is a boon is that you don't have to have your entire army set up, rigidly, at the beginning of the game. It allows you to bring them in later, positioned as you wish, where you wish, etc., etc., and adapt easier to the ever-changing tabletop.
Troops on Table means just that: you play with all of your models on the board, from turn 0 onward. This makes it harder to change tactics halfway through a game, but at the same time, the dice gods are fickle and cruel. The reason I prefer this is for several reasons. One, you cannot be sure when your troops will show up. Two, you cannot always control entirely where they are placed. When using Deep Strike, they can scatter into terrain or an enemy squad, when using Outflank, they can appear on a table edge you do not want them on. This option allows it to be simple, straightforward, and stupid. If at all possible, I prefer to prevent murphy's laws from impacting my games.
Conclusion: In the end, one allows you greater flexibility (which is always the best thing to have). And the other gives you dependability (which is also always the best thing to have). Again, I am not telling you to take one or the other, just highlighting the pros and cons of both.
So, there you have it. I'll figure something out, it may be a bit for my next post, as I have squads to paint, images to photoshop/gimp, but I will go into greater detail about how to use the different types of units that I discussed in the last rant.
Mechanized vs Light:
Before I begin this rant, I need to clarify that Space Marine Drop Pod and armies I classify as "Mechanized," and you will see why in a moment.
Mechanized Armies use vehicles and armor to bring their troops to the front. Light armies use base troop movements (in the actual services known as Leather Personnel Carriers), as well as dropping them in via deep strike or by Valkyries or other methods, where once the troops are on or near the objective, there is no need for the vehicle to stay, if there is a vehicle model on the board at all.
Both Armies have their strengths and weaknesses, and I will demonstrate that here.
Mechanized Armies allow your troops to get to the objective much, much faster, as well as giving your squads protection, firing platforms (firing points), and support by fire. The downside is points cost. In some cases this is worse than others. For example, a Space Marine Rhino or Drop Pod costs 35 points base. A squad costs roughly in the vicinity of 150+ points, so this is not so bad. You are sacrificing some points that could be used for Support units or upgrades, but in the scheme of things, having 3 units of Space Marines delivered (relatively) harmlessly to the objective/within range of your opponent. In an Imperial Guard army, a Chimera costs 65 points. Granted, you're getting a lot more than a Rhino, but most troops squads cost about 50 points. Depending on how you wish to field your army, that can add up very quickly, and prevent you from playing some things you want. Also take note that there are several vehicles in the game that do not have firing points, making deploying your troops from them essential to maximize your firepower (Just do a google search for Fish of Fury). All that being said, you can still move most vehicles up to 6" and still fire one main gun and anything under Str 5 at your enemy, so they can also give you a much better movement and shooting phase overall. I count the space marine drop pod in this because of the extra points (1), and the fact that it can still create an obstacle and support by fire for your units.
Light armies rely on troops for movement, or Deep Strike, or, generally, anything that gets them there and leaves them there. The strength here is in numbers. Now, while the numbers on the Space Marines is not all that impressive, there is another factor to consider. If you want to add an individual character to your Rhino, you need to remove a model from your squad to fit him. Which, in turn, can seriously adjust how said unit is set up. There are upgrades that only work if there are 10 models in the squad, and removing them changes your squad's overall flexibility. And as far as imperial guard goes, those 65 points can do a lot with them. (that's 13 grenade launchers right there). To give a most extreme example, myself and a couple of friends theorized about taking no upgrades and just maxing out on units for an IG army. The end result is 1 company command squad, 4 platoons with 1 platoon command squad, 4 infantry squads and one full conscript unit, and 1 platoon with just 1 command squad and 4 infantry squads. At 2,000 points that gives you 30 squads and 430 individual models on the board, which, despite the fact that there is no specialized units or anti-..., well, anything, you make up for that with sheer numbers. Yes, they killed your squad. you only have 29 more where that came from. Now, that is not a tournament-playable army, as almost half of it is conscripts, but it still would be a tough army to face.
Conclusion: Mechanized armies provide protection and a little extra fire, Light armies provide numbers and extra upgrades. I'm not telling you one is better than the other, just highlighting the pros and cons of either side.
Reserves vs Troops on Table:
Before I begin, I would like to illustrate the points that I, personally, do not like to use reserves, and when I speak of reserves, I speak of those that can either outflank or deep strike. That being said, I understand why someone would use them, and why they are beneficial.
Reserves are placed outside of play, and come into play at a later point in the game. The reason using them is a boon is that you don't have to have your entire army set up, rigidly, at the beginning of the game. It allows you to bring them in later, positioned as you wish, where you wish, etc., etc., and adapt easier to the ever-changing tabletop.
Troops on Table means just that: you play with all of your models on the board, from turn 0 onward. This makes it harder to change tactics halfway through a game, but at the same time, the dice gods are fickle and cruel. The reason I prefer this is for several reasons. One, you cannot be sure when your troops will show up. Two, you cannot always control entirely where they are placed. When using Deep Strike, they can scatter into terrain or an enemy squad, when using Outflank, they can appear on a table edge you do not want them on. This option allows it to be simple, straightforward, and stupid. If at all possible, I prefer to prevent murphy's laws from impacting my games.
Conclusion: In the end, one allows you greater flexibility (which is always the best thing to have). And the other gives you dependability (which is also always the best thing to have). Again, I am not telling you to take one or the other, just highlighting the pros and cons of both.
So, there you have it. I'll figure something out, it may be a bit for my next post, as I have squads to paint, images to photoshop/gimp, but I will go into greater detail about how to use the different types of units that I discussed in the last rant.
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