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Post by Fernando B. on Mar 7, 2017 16:02:10 GMT
Hello everyone!
I wanted to start this thread for some time and now seems a good opportunity. Many players have one thing or another against specific models that are praised by the community or that, at least, can be found in several lists around. Today my pick is the loved four legged vector named Cipher!
Don't get me wrong, I like it, the double Piston Spike took down many Khador ´jacks but I lack the imagination to use the Servipod Mortar. I like the idea... It's dynamic, I can choose its behavior, Arcing Fire is perfect, but I cannot see many uses of Crater and Bombardment that would justify to not have an Inverter instead, and, with the Destruction Initiative theme I can have the Attunement Servitors flaring everyone for free instead of relying on Cipher for it!
Can you guys show me uses for Bombardment and Crater. A POW 6 is way too low to do something useful. And adding 2 craters (using reload) is very situational I think. I use it mostly as a ram, and again, why not the Inverter.
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Post by Permutation Servitor on Mar 7, 2017 16:54:46 GMT
Bombardment isn't all that useful without a damage buff. Syntherion can give Hot Shot which is boosted Damage rolls. Damage 6+3d6 should put the hurt on any low-med arm infantry. Usually, I use Hot Shot with Syntherion on an Assimilator and don't bother with the Cipher, but you can hot swap the upkeep if you need to. Iron Mother has Imperil on her servitor's Aperture Beams (+2 damage) so 8+2d6 becomes much more dangerous.
As for Crater, it does depend on what your enemy has on the table and what kind of access they have to pathfinder. I've been playing a lot of Circle lately and their heavies don't have pathfinder. Just lob at the nearest enemy and either go for the hit (boost to hit/Flare with servitor) or hope for a friendly scatter. If you catch the enemy in the AoE, they won't have distance to reach you . Even if the enemy may has access to pathfinder, often they have to choose to use Pathfinder instead of another more combat-oriented ability. For example: the Pureblood Warpwold has Ghostly(?) and Strength
(+2 Str) as two of it's warps. If it wants to charge me, it will have to use Ghostly instead of Strength just to get out of the difficult terrain. Meaning the target has a better chance of survival.
Crater asks the question of the other player: can you deal with difficult terrain? Sometimes the answer will be 'no', so use it to your best advantage. Otherwise, use Flare or if you have good chances to kill infantry, use Bombardment.
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Post by PiperMacB on Mar 9, 2017 11:40:38 GMT
Unfortunately there are so many ways for our opponents to get pathfinder, I did not play against one without it at all until now. So the laying out of rough terrain is no longer that good. For flares I go with Attunements and the POW6 - well, it is, what it is. I don't say that the Cipher is bad - now way, but his range attacks are nearly useless and his melee attacks are outpowered by the Inverter (which costs one point less, btw).
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Post by Permutation Servitor on Mar 9, 2017 15:25:13 GMT
Most units don't have pathfinder. That's going to depend on the faction to a large extent. While everyone has access to it, they can't put Pathfinder on everything and doing so comes with an opportunity cost of not using another ability.
Check with your opponent before the game and see what doesn't have pathfinder and lob Craters at those guys.
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Post by javaman21011 on Mar 10, 2017 2:16:40 GMT
..Imperil on her servitor's Aperture Beams (+2 damage) so 8+2d6 becomes much more dangerous. Well the math for 3d6 is 10 on average, 2d6 is 7. When you calculate Imperil you are looking at 8 + 7 vs 6 + 10 with Hot Shot. So strictly speaking Syntherion better serves the Cipher as he's able to get 1 more pt of damage on average rolls. But then again Mother also gives him 2" of range. Personally I put range higher on my list of considerations than damage, especially when the difference is so miniscule. Crater is usually best if you know you're facing an army without easy access to Pathfinder, Khador and Menoth come to mind. |
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Post by Zagdag on Mar 10, 2017 16:49:10 GMT
I usually run one as an extra heavy. The Cypher to me is one of the few cases where PP seems to have made a "versatile" profile that isn't too expensive. Puttin out rough terrain is situationally game winning. the combo of arcing fire and flare and boosting on a hard to kill chasis means he can hit places with a flare that servitors cant or wont live to do (since a wise opponent will hit the attunements within 13" first). Bombard is just parmigian on top of this already delicious dish, nice but not strictly nessasary.
Another reason to bring him is that his melee isn't horrible and steady means he will always keep his (admittedly terrible) defense. 10 doesnt matter much, but against spam heavies or infantry it can occasionally save him a hit. He can hold a zone better than an assimilator which is nice late game.
Essentially he is a nice addition if you already have your essential heavies
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Post by javaman21011 on Mar 10, 2017 20:57:26 GMT
He's also really great during Synth's feat because you can use the Flare as your charge attack and hit a heavy at point blank range for -2 DEF. Then hopefully with max Synergy you are +5 MAT and +3 DMG. Granted you lose the boosted damage, but for extra hitting power of his POW 21s, it's worth it imo.
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