N18 HoC Campaign Starter

[hesperusphosphorus]

Returning player gearing up for my first Newcromunda campaign - would appreciate any feedback on this starting list:

Goliath Test 2 (CC

Goliath (HoC) gang with a rating of 1000 by hesperusphosphorus

yaktribe.games

Local meta isn't particularly powergamey so I've tried to avoid Grenade Launcher spam and Genesmithing-abuse - hopefully the list isn't too overtuned?

 

[Stompzilla]

Looks fine to me. You should have fun with that.

Definitely not over tuned with a good mix of tough, shooty and choppy. You'll suffer a bit by being out activated but late game your Heavy Bolter and all round toughness should level things out, as your opponent's guys go down but yours don't.

 

[MrAndersson]

It's a decent gang.

The one thing I don't understand, though, is the leader. He costs 275 creds but isn't really that scary. The boltgun is a great weapon, but you don't need a chainaxe and improved melee stats to use it. If he wants to be a ranged fighter, ditch all that extra fat. Conversely, if he wants to go into melee, he is not going to get much use out of the boltgun. In that case, give him a pistol instead. And maybe something better than a chainaxe.

Edit:
Also, Inspirational is not a very useful skill. If you want to go the melee route, you should take Nerves of steel. Without it, getting into melee is extremely difficult. If you are going for shooting, I would strongly recommend making him unborn to give him access to shooting skills. Or savant, for munitioneer, to help himself and his heavy bolter buddy out with ammo rolls.

 

[hesperusphosphorus]

It's a decent gang.

The one thing I don't understand, though, is the leader. He costs 275 creds but isn't really that scary. The boltgun is a great weapon, but you don't need a chainaxe and improved melee stats to use it. If he wants to be a ranged fighter, ditch all that extra fat. Conversely, if he wants to go into melee, he is not going to get much use out of the boltgun. In that case, give him a pistol instead. And maybe something better than a chainaxe.

Edit:
Also, Inspirational is not a very useful skill. If you want to go the melee route, you should take Nerves of steel. Without it, getting into melee is extremely difficult. If you are going for shooting, I would strongly recommend making him unborn to give him access to shooting skills. Or savant, for munitioneer, to help himself and his heavy bolter buddy out with ammo rolls.

Thank you for the feedback. With the leader I was trying for a more flexible, dual-role unit that can hang back or move up depending on the circumstances - I've seen people say that those sorts of builds are less efficient than they were under the old rules, I guess I'll find out (and the bolter's only pinned in place on the actual model). Inspirational seemed like a good way of keeping the juves in line and I've always felt weird about not giving leaders leadership skills, haven't playtested it yet though.

 

[Simondismorr]

I would give everyone a stub gun and add a cheap melee weapon to anyone that doesn't have one just so when stuff goes out of ammo every one is still useful.

 

[Heart of Storm]

I would give everyone a stub gun and add a cheap melee weapon to anyone that doesn't have one just so when stuff goes out of ammo every one is still useful.

Id precede that with "eventually" back up weapons are nice to have and something you should buy into as a campaign progresses, however its a luxury on a starter gang. Buying guns you dont really want to use isn't the best use of limited started cash.

 

[MrAndersson]

I would give everyone a stub gun and add a cheap melee weapon to anyone that doesn't have one just so when stuff goes out of ammo every one is still useful.

With all due respect, this is bad advice.

Having a stub gun does not make a fighter useful. When you run out of ammo, you reload. You don't start jogging across the board to get to within 12" of an enemy fighter, with the intention of firing a strength 3 weapon with no AP at them.

 

[Simondismorr]

With all due respect, this is bad advice.

Having a stub gun does not make a fighter useful. When you run out of ammo, you reload. You don't start jogging across the board to get to within 12" of an enemy fighter, with the intention of firing a strength 3 weapon with no AP at them.

In this case I disagree, 2 of the 3 weapons need 6s to reload and its a fairly melee focused gang so even the extra attack is useful. Also you could remove the 2 spud jackers and replace them with 6 stub guns, down side 2 guys have 1 of there attacks reduced from S4 to S3 and loose knockback, upside 4 fighters gain an attack and a backup weapon.

 

[Ratik]

Hi there,

Bit late to the party but I have so many questions about this list
I apologise in advance for a spew of questions and observations.
I know you say your group isn’t particularly powergamey but you seem to handicapping yourself with a few of your choices.

• Only 6 dudes? – you will be rolling bottle checks as soon as 1 goes down and they will, see point 2. Not saying you need to try and squeeze in 9 but at least 7 is a good if you can.
• No smoke? – Goliaths are slow, and whether you are on a 2x2 ZM board or a 4x4 SM board, your guys will benefit from being able to double move towards the enemy instead of being shot and pinned over and over again.
• On The tyrant, you have paid 40pts (natborn and Tyrants own) to increase WS and S. If WS and S is what you are after, why not get a stimmer with overdeveloped musculature? WS2+ and S5 for a lot less. Usually, on a tyrant the choices are BS or T or W. Just curious as to why you went for WS and S.
• Inspirational is also a rare choice when you have access to Nerves of Steel, why inspirational? You have a cool of 4 or 5 they are unlikely to fail.
• Why not give your tyrant the Heavy bolter? Biggest guy with the biggest gun. You could give him BS2+, but that would be powergamey and likely to loose friends as you will have turns when you delete two dudes with one shoot action.
• Also, if you are running a heavy bolter a good choice is to have a forge boss with munitioneer so you can reroll those 6+ ammo checks.
• Marksman is definitely one of the rarer picks in the shooting category. Ignore target priority and double dmg on a 6 is fairly mediocre as far the shooting skills go.

I have more questions but am working atm.

 

[spafe]

With only 6 guys I'd think about starting with Iron will on your boss, it helps keep you about for longer, and is a LD type of skill (which you expressed preference for).

personally I would also still go with nerves on the heavy bolter, even with hte suspensor as it allows him to have more movement options.

I think I would also try to drop the spud jackers, and a few upgrades, then give the boss a meltagun rather than a boltgun. It plays into the get close and kill stuff for him, and then (if you need to drop the chainaxe to afford it), give him the chainaxe after a game or 2.

Doesnt look like a massively strong list, but I am no goliath expert. From an opponents eye, I would love to face this, as it isnt particularly threatening outside of that heavy bolter, and doesnt have much in the way of things to help them get in close that most goliaths try to get (stimm slugg stash, smoke, movement increases on those stat increases you buy, etc etc).

Just some food for thought