Nice list! The only thing better than a Hand Flamer on a Neotek is a Web Pistol. An Incendiary Charge is a distant third.
N18 Help for Van Saar campaign needed
- Thread starter Tungstonid
- Start date
Sorry I meant the special weapons they can pick are only the ones on thier list, so no long las or grenade launcher, not that they can only take special weapons.
Hot shots for your lasguns and las pistols are a good shout. The average delaque and Esher is T3 and if your routine las fire now wounds on a 3+ for only a extra cost of 20 credits a lot more opponents gangers and juves will go down bringing you opponents closer to bottling. They may not singularly lake down a delaque super ninja or a Escher murder tornado but a ganger is a different story.
Using terrain well is a useful Van Saar skill. On a zone mortalis corridor if the opponent drops a smoke grenade at the intersection and you are a good distance away the can't charge you this round and will risk incoming accurate fire next round. Hold bottlenecks and corners with ample space for the opponent to move through to reach you so you have time to shoot them. The longer you play the game delaying your opponents from reaching you the more fragmented thier assault will be. Take shots where you can, whittle them down and get some longer ranged templates eventually. Target a spot on the ground and you can ignore those pesky smoke clouds they hide in.
We started the second campaign week this past weekend and the first fight was between my Van Saar and Esher. Two scenarios were determined from which I was allowed to choose and since I was fed up with Sneak Attack (Choice 1), I decided for Sabotage (Choice 2). My thoughts were, that - regarding defence - both were equally bad but due to being able to destroy the sabotage target from range, I might have had a better chance in the offence. So, I highly counted on my remaining Augmek with the plasma gun. Besides him, I also fielded every available fighter: Prime, Specialist and two Subteks. Furthermore, my house favours allowed me to recruit my newly painted Neotek for the campaign week. My two gangers were still in recovery from the last game. Meanwhile, my opponent was allowed to get a House Agent as a house favour.
The battlefield was a Synth Still with a hazard in the form of randomly switching lights. Not ideal for Van Saar without enough vision equipment. But neither was the target which counted as smoke stack. At this point I am not sure if this is how it can/should be ruled. It was thematic but a rather one-sided disadvantage.
Anyway, during round 1, I managed to sneak my fighters in positions from which they could either attack the target or the enemy gangers. In round 2, all went well until the first shots were fired. The specialist with rad gun managed to hit (but not wound or give an extra flesh wound to) one enemy fighter. The Augmek (the only one with equipment to see though smoke since the target had started smoking this turn), was able to fire at the target. Twice due to Bait&Switch. And missed both times despite hitting on 2+. And what shall I say... after that I got basically steam-rolled until my gang finally wanted to bottle after round 4. I managed to deal one wound total.
The Neotek managed to get a loot box for 4 credits and after that, he was perma-prone due to plasma gun fire and Stand Up being a double action for him.
Result: Prime and Specialist critically injured, one Subtek with eye injury and the rest went into recovery. I was only able to save my Prime due to some Monopoly-esque trading. Basically, the Esher player (and arbitrator) offered me to take the Neotek as prisoner and sell him to the guilds, paying my doctor fee. The Neotek would not have been of any use anymore anyway, since he would have been in recovery until the end of the week. So only specialist Otto may rest in peace for now. At least I was able to keep his weapons. I received 24 credits total which brings me up to 34 total with no one able to do any post-battle actions.
As for the next game, Esher and Delaque will meet (with Esher trying to bring Delaque on a more equal footing with me. After that, it will be Van Saar vs. Delaque where I can use two gangers (170 credits total) who are freshly out of recovery.
Honestly, ... I can think of no possible scenario, which will make the next fight interesting at all. Low - if any - income doesn't allow me to build back up again. And while we - i.e. mainly our arbitrator - set high hopes into the coming usage of underdog cards, I can't really...
Gang ratings so far (two battles for the curent campaign week remaining):
Van Saar: 770
Delaque: 1150
Esher: 1830
Note: We read up on the Overseer skill before the battle and while I (and a few people here iirc) thought it allowed the fighter to basically make an unrestricted extra turn, it says the fighter may make move and stand up actions according to the rule set we use. That is why I went for Bait&Switch.
The battlefield was a Synth Still with a hazard in the form of randomly switching lights. Not ideal for Van Saar without enough vision equipment. But neither was the target which counted as smoke stack. At this point I am not sure if this is how it can/should be ruled. It was thematic but a rather one-sided disadvantage.
Anyway, during round 1, I managed to sneak my fighters in positions from which they could either attack the target or the enemy gangers. In round 2, all went well until the first shots were fired. The specialist with rad gun managed to hit (but not wound or give an extra flesh wound to) one enemy fighter. The Augmek (the only one with equipment to see though smoke since the target had started smoking this turn), was able to fire at the target. Twice due to Bait&Switch. And missed both times despite hitting on 2+. And what shall I say... after that I got basically steam-rolled until my gang finally wanted to bottle after round 4. I managed to deal one wound total.
The Neotek managed to get a loot box for 4 credits and after that, he was perma-prone due to plasma gun fire and Stand Up being a double action for him.
Result: Prime and Specialist critically injured, one Subtek with eye injury and the rest went into recovery. I was only able to save my Prime due to some Monopoly-esque trading. Basically, the Esher player (and arbitrator) offered me to take the Neotek as prisoner and sell him to the guilds, paying my doctor fee. The Neotek would not have been of any use anymore anyway, since he would have been in recovery until the end of the week. So only specialist Otto may rest in peace for now. At least I was able to keep his weapons. I received 24 credits total which brings me up to 34 total with no one able to do any post-battle actions.
As for the next game, Esher and Delaque will meet (with Esher trying to bring Delaque on a more equal footing with me. After that, it will be Van Saar vs. Delaque where I can use two gangers (170 credits total) who are freshly out of recovery.
Honestly, ... I can think of no possible scenario, which will make the next fight interesting at all. Low - if any - income doesn't allow me to build back up again. And while we - i.e. mainly our arbitrator - set high hopes into the coming usage of underdog cards, I can't really...
Gang ratings so far (two battles for the curent campaign week remaining):
Van Saar: 770
Delaque: 1150
Esher: 1830
Note: We read up on the Overseer skill before the battle and while I (and a few people here iirc) thought it allowed the fighter to basically make an unrestricted extra turn, it says the fighter may make move and stand up actions according to the rule set we use. That is why I went for Bait&Switch.
Oooof.
You guys might be better just doing a hard re-set, since there's only 3 of you and treating it as a learning experience.
It's not uncommon for first campaigns to go a bit tits up and to need to start again.
You guys might be better just doing a hard re-set, since there's only 3 of you and treating it as a learning experience.
It's not uncommon for first campaigns to go a bit tits up and to need to start again.
The dice gods seem to hate you ouch.
If you are determined to keep going you might have to in your next game unless the Escher gang gave the delaque one a massive bloody nose turn up, shoot a potshot then leg it off the board. You may loose the game ,or not dependent on victory conditions, but you would get all of your gang out of recovery for the next battle after that, hopefully get an alright house favour. And a ok D6x10 credits roll from your settlement. Remember to roll for juve recruitment from your settlement as well.
Just because your gangers decide not to bottle out does not mean that you can not choose to. Discretion being a better part of Valor after all.
If you are determined to keep going you might have to in your next game unless the Escher gang gave the delaque one a massive bloody nose turn up, shoot a potshot then leg it off the board. You may loose the game ,or not dependent on victory conditions, but you would get all of your gang out of recovery for the next battle after that, hopefully get an alright house favour. And a ok D6x10 credits roll from your settlement. Remember to roll for juve recruitment from your settlement as well.
Just because your gangers decide not to bottle out does not mean that you can not choose to. Discretion being a better part of Valor after all.
Bad luck, bad initial scenario selection and inexperience are having a snowball effect that seems to be causing you to violate rule #1: Have fun.
The blame for this, inasmuch as blame can be applied, lies with your arbitrator. How many matches have they lost, I wonder? I notice that he/she is way up on points.
The fix should also lie with your arbitrator. If the standard catch up mechanics aren't enough, then you need to do something else. A hard reset at 1500 pts (keeping any of your fighters that you want to keep) for you and the Delaque player is what I would suggest. If your arbitrator is intent on sticking to the book and not fixing the situation, I'd suggest finding a new arbitrator.
The blame for this, inasmuch as blame can be applied, lies with your arbitrator. How many matches have they lost, I wonder? I notice that he/she is way up on points.
The fix should also lie with your arbitrator. If the standard catch up mechanics aren't enough, then you need to do something else. A hard reset at 1500 pts (keeping any of your fighters that you want to keep) for you and the Delaque player is what I would suggest. If your arbitrator is intent on sticking to the book and not fixing the situation, I'd suggest finding a new arbitrator.
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Well, you are not wrong that I can not fulfill rule #1 at the moment.
I also can't really blame my arbitrator for a higher skill level or more investment into the game. But yes, he is at 3/3, having won both games against me and the first one against Delaque. Whether or not we play "too close to the book" or my group takes the game more competitively I don't know. But it is the first campaign for all of us.
I guess I will see what the next game against Delaque will look like but even if it should be a 2v2, they can switch off the lights at will and my gangers don't have any equipment...
But I agree. If nothing happens, I will have to excuse myself from the campaign. Although I hope that won't be necessary.
Btw: Settlement income had been rolled. That's where 20 of the 24 credits income came from. No luck with Juves either.
I also can't really blame my arbitrator for a higher skill level or more investment into the game. But yes, he is at 3/3, having won both games against me and the first one against Delaque. Whether or not we play "too close to the book" or my group takes the game more competitively I don't know. But it is the first campaign for all of us.
I guess I will see what the next game against Delaque will look like but even if it should be a 2v2, they can switch off the lights at will and my gangers don't have any equipment...
But I agree. If nothing happens, I will have to excuse myself from the campaign. Although I hope that won't be necessary.
Btw: Settlement income had been rolled. That's where 20 of the 24 credits income came from. No luck with Juves either.
Your arbitrator being 3-0 is maybe a little suspect, but the fact that he has almost doubled his gang rating in three matches while you've fallen below 1000 raises a huge red flag. Even if he's being pleasant about it (and why shouldn't he, he's winning bigly), that is poor arbitration. Dunking on new players like that is uncool and seems a bit like bullying.
When bringing in new players a good arbitrator should be bending over backwards to ensure that the newbies are having fun and learning the game, in that order.
When bringing in new players a good arbitrator should be bending over backwards to ensure that the newbies are having fun and learning the game, in that order.
Only three gangs in a campaign makes it very tough. It takes very little to leap ahead and a early run of bad luck is hard to overcome.
My group is quite widely spread and most of them run two gangs so they have a main gang and a secondary one, some more than one, so that they can play catch up games and try new things and tactics. It gives us more territory to fight over and more after action income. You also have guest gang for newcomers ready to go.
I have found that campaigns with four or more gangs even if a player has to run two allows every player a insulating cushion against a run of bad luck and more time to get people out of recovery. Consider asking your arbitrator if you can run a second gang, preferably a new faction, It could give your embattled van Saar's a breather.
My group is quite widely spread and most of them run two gangs so they have a main gang and a secondary one, some more than one, so that they can play catch up games and try new things and tactics. It gives us more territory to fight over and more after action income. You also have guest gang for newcomers ready to go.
I have found that campaigns with four or more gangs even if a player has to run two allows every player a insulating cushion against a run of bad luck and more time to get people out of recovery. Consider asking your arbitrator if you can run a second gang, preferably a new faction, It could give your embattled van Saar's a breather.
