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Post by knightish on Jun 21, 2017 1:55:27 GMT
Hi Everyone So this is something I have always wondered about with all factions I've played. When you are setting up for a game, when you have the option, is it always best to go first if you can? Going second does have some advantages in counter placing etc I remember reading something ages ago that said going first is always preferred. I know there are likely a million factors that dial into if you want to go first based on all kinds of things. The casters I am rocking atm are: Rahn Vyros 2 Thyron And all the others  |
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Post by celeb on Jun 21, 2017 4:20:04 GMT
In SR 2016, being first was an advantage in many matchups and usually not offset by other factors.
This might change in SR 2017, since you get the first and last chance to score. I'd say that sometimes terrain can be a factor (A forest on one side of the table to hide Warjacks behind for Vyros2 is huge). Also, if you can mitigate the first players grab of board space by having things like AD Strike force, Advanced Move Halberdiers, things that threaten far up the table in turn 1 in general, being second can be an advantage due to being able to counter-deploy.
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Post by knightish on Jun 21, 2017 5:27:33 GMT
Ok awesome So I want to consider my list for AD or Advance move. And/Or if I can use the terrain to my advantage, and take second so I can dibs a board edge  Thanks man! |
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Post by shadowsword751 on Jun 21, 2017 15:05:08 GMT
Also remember that take adavantage of terrain can often mean denying things to your opponent. If one side has an obstacle or trench in a key location, you may not necessarily need it, but you also may not want your opponent to have it. This is a big concern for me when I play a ranged assassination list with Kaelyssa and I try to deny my oppoenet things like hills that can make my assassination attempt more difficult.
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Tucker
Junior Strategist
Posts: 103 
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Post by Tucker on Jun 21, 2017 15:46:12 GMT
Here are the factors I consider:
1) If you aim to win on scenario, you generally want to go second as it gives you the first chance to score and delays your opponent's scoring.
2) The army with the most guns generally wants to go second, as this forces the enemy to close into your aiming range on turn two. If neither side is going to rely on guns to win, choose to go first.
3) If you have an advantage in Advance Deploy troops, go first. This allows you to get up the board quickly and establish the tempo of the game. If both sides have large advance deploy elements then consider this a wash and default to other criteria instead.
4) If you have good jamming force or a strong defensive feat then you want to go first, as this allows you to position your troops out of harm's way on turn one and then maximize your ability to jam or blunt the enemy's attack on turn two. If the enemy has a strong advance deploy force then this calculation is reversed; try to go second and use your defensive feat on the bottom of turn one.
5) Terrain can be important, especially if your opponent has huge bases, Protectorate warjacks, or other models that typically don't like terrain. Retribution usually doesn't care too much about terrain so this isn't so important, but if you have an army with Nyss Hunters, Mage Hunters, or certain warcasters (Vyros1&2, Kaelyssa, and Elara2 most prominently) you can leverage your ability to ignore terrain into a decisive advantage if you stick your enemy in an unfavorable position.
6) When in doubt, go first. While it is entirely possible to build a defensive army that prefers to go second (this is, in fact, my preferred way to play) most armies are designed for aggression and setting the tempo of the game. At the very least, by going first you will deny your opponent his preferred turn order and put him on his back foot.
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dagowit
Junior Strategist
Posts: 171
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Post by dagowit on Jun 23, 2017 9:29:58 GMT
To add to 3) above, also consider the relative speed of both armies. If your opponent has high SPD (for example running multiple cavalry units), you may want to go first to avoid being pushed out of scenario. Likewise, if you have high SPD (not just AD units but also myrmidon armies led by Vyros1 with Mobility or Helynna with Rythm of War) you may want to go first to try to push your opponent out of scenario.
To add to 1): Is your army filled with fragile glass cannons? If so, you may want to go second because you can clear zones but have trouble holding them (and scoring first might be the best to be scenario relevant).
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