N18 Orlock starting gang advice

[Twilite]

Orlock work well as versatile fighters, shooting on the way into combat or just better positions to blast away the trick is to overwhelm with threats. Take a few turns staying out of sight until ready to have everybody contribute. Then you aren't feeding the enemy fighters piece meal.

To that end don't forget you can just randomly give someone nerves of steel from the arms master, great little trick to add threat giving it to a fighter that doesn't have easy self access. Focusing on shooting allows the arms master to position for greater effect instead of pushing the combat.

Definitely feel free to add the hammer it is cool and counter charging is a thing. It is also nice to have when you need a combat started by some one else to end.

Thanks a lot for your tips! I’ll be playing a game today against my housemate’s van Saar, so hopefully they go well. I totally forgot about the nerves of steel perk! I guess with the wreckers’ speed, they’d probably have an easy time regrouping where necessary?

I don’t think I’ll focus much on combat initially. The arc hammer is mostly to discourage people from charging her. Especially now that I’ve been educated on how cool shotguns can be, especially with a bullet king hanger on! Ideally I’d focus more on making her inkillable initially.

 

[Vonvilkee]

If you are looking at a deterrent, one punch legendary name can be a "cheap" way.

It isn't always easy to out shoot van saar but I've always been happy with a road Sargent, master crafted bolter, quick hands (free reload bravado skill), and too pretty for primus. Run them close enough to a munitioneer and stop worrying about out of ammo.

 

[Twilite]

If you are looking at a deterrent, one punch legendary name can be a "cheap" way.

It isn't always easy to out shoot van saar but I've always been happy with a road Sargent, master crafted bolter, quick hands (free reload bravado skill), and too pretty for primus. Run them close enough to a munitioneer and stop worrying about out of ammo.

Hmmm… that’s not a bad idea. While the arc hammer could hit more often, the low AP looks very underwhelming. While One Punch may miss, the chances are she’d smush whatever she attacked. Plus, the hammer could still be on the model for fluff reasons.

That does sound like a cool build! Do you find the quick hands skill is useful? I’ve read a lot of comments saying how useless it is, but to me it looks really useful.

 

[Vonvilkee]

Hmmm… that’s not a bad idea. While the arc hammer could hit more often, the low AP looks very underwhelming. While One Punch may miss, the chances are she’d smush whatever she attacked. Plus, the hammer could still be on the model for fluff reasons.

That does sound like a cool build! Do you find the quick hands skill is useful? I’ve read a lot of comments saying how useless it is, but to me it looks really useful.

It's been useful a time or two for counting on that bolter champ to keep shooting. I do double down by having munitioneer on my leader. The champ gets 4 tries at a 6 before spending actions (initial test, then beginning of next activation) a total of 6 tries before losing a turn of shooting.

Bigger thing is just the story, this champ I like to think runs Three-Card Monte and shell games between fights (too pretty for primus). In game effectively has been handy and it is just fun.

 

[Twilite]

It's been useful a time or two for counting on that bolter champ to keep shooting. I do double down by having munitioneer on my leader. The champ gets 4 tries at a 6 before spending actions (initial test, then beginning of next activation) a total of 6 tries before losing a turn of shooting.

Bigger thing is just the story, this champ I like to think runs Three-Card Monte and shell games between fights (too pretty for primus). In game effectively has been handy and it is just fun.

My Bolter is currently on the leader. I was thinking of giving him Munitioneer or fast hands, but I think right now survivability with true grit is more useful.

Haha!! That is so cool! That’s one thing I love about the legendary names - they really enhance the stories. I’m going to give most of my guys names based upon things they actually have done, although I do really want the badzone one so my wrecker can stall the jet pack engine in mid air, drop onto someone, and then walk away unscathed.

 

[Twilite]

It's been useful a time or two for counting on that bolter champ to keep shooting. I do double down by having munitioneer on my leader. The champ gets 4 tries at a 6 before spending actions (initial test, then beginning of next activation) a total of 6 tries before losing a turn of shooting.

Bigger thing is just the story, this champ I like to think runs Three-Card Monte and shell games between fights (too pretty for primus). In game effectively has been handy and it is just fun.

So, I just had my first battle using this list (not a campaign game) against van Saar. A really cool battle. We decided we’d just do a last man standing game. Once my wreckers were gone, and I lost my speed bonus, things were much harder! In the end he had two champions who kept pinning my grenade launcher champion who was out of ammo. Alas, she didn’t have nerves of steel, but I wish she had!

 

[Vonvilkee]

So, I just had my first battle using this list (not a campaign game) against van Saar. A really cool battle. We decided we’d just do a last man standing game. Once my wreckers were gone, and I lost my speed bonus, things were much harder! In the end he had two champions who kept pinning my grenade launcher champion who was out of ammo. Alas, she didn’t have nerves of steel, but I wish she had!

You can reload while pinned one of the few actions you can... also if you are in cover and pinned you can't be targeted. Doesn't really stop you from running off from a failed bottle check but should have given you time and encouraged your opponent to move up on you.

 

[Twilite]

You can reload while pinned one of the few actions you can... also if you are in cover and pinned you can't be targeted. Doesn't really stop you from running off from a failed bottle check but should have given you time and encouraged your opponent to move up on you.

Oh wow! I didn’t realise he couldn’t have been targeted! I’m still very new to this set of rules. I just thought it was an extra -1 (plus, with the model laying down, there is less to see).

Yeah, I was trying to reload!
The problem is I couldn’t reload, stand, and shoot in the same round. So, even if he had succeeded in reloading, I was going to go down in the next turn anyway, since the champions had 2+ BS. I didn’t realise until later that I could have sprayed wildly from pinned.

 

[Vonvilkee]

Oh wow! I didn’t realise he couldn’t have been targeted! I’m still very new to this set of rules. I just thought it was an extra -1 (plus, with the model laying down, there is less to see).

Yeah, I was trying to reload!
The problem is I couldn’t reload, stand, and shoot in the same round. So, even if he had succeeded in reloading, I was going to go down in the next turn anyway, since the champions had 2+ BS. I didn’t realise until later that I could have sprayed wildly from pinned.

Yeah, the whole pinned while in cover not being able to be targeted is important for dealing with van saar. You can also dive for cover and crawl to make those fancy BS2+ come to you.

 

[Beebopalulla]

I thought we had a topic like that about wrecker gang.

But I believe that your wrecker gang is a niche gang therefore you need to taylor it to a specific goal. As I understand it yours is a all purpose gang that need few modification that have already been given. So nothing wrong there.

That being said if your goal is to get loot then hurting other is not important make sure you can reach and secure said loot.
It's an example.

That's how I will think about a niche gang.

Please be assured that I m not trying to be pedantic or unpleasant, this is just the way I process in that case.

If I try to understand a gang then I make sure it has at least one of each type of fighter to see how they interact with each other.

 

[Twilite]

Yeah, the whole pinned while in cover not being able to be targeted is important for dealing with van saar. You can also dive for cover and crawl to make those fancy BS2+ come to you.

While I wouldn’t like doing this, as it feels a little power-gamey, it would be really funny having wreckers with a grease monkey potentially moving 18”, then being hidden and unable to be targeted.

 

[Vonvilkee]

While I wouldn’t like doing this, as it feels a little power-gamey, it would be really funny having wreckers with a grease monkey potentially moving 18”, then being hidden and unable to be targeted.

Hey when van saar 2+ to hit into hard cover plasma is pointed at you keeping your head down is just smart! They can also bring some blasts in to allow for hitting. It is all about forcing choices and the "arms race", smoke grenades can do some work as well.

 

[Twilite]

Hey when van saar 2+ to hit into hard cover plasma is pointed at you keeping your head down is just smart! They can also bring some blasts in to allow for hitting. It is all about forcing choices and the "arms race", smoke grenades can do some work as well.

Haha! Yes, this is true! Their super BS does scare me a lot! I’ll just have to launch my jump packs to slide along the ground! The van Saar player has already been looking at ways to see through smoke clouds!

 

[Vonvilkee]

Haha! Yes, this is true! Their super BS does scare me a lot! I’ll just have to launch my jump packs to slide along the ground! The van Saar player has already been looking at ways to see through smoke clouds!

I always pictured my wrecker as boosting on an angle, then dropping fast and executing a roll into cover and pinned very aggressive triangle maneuver.

The photogoggles or infrasights are why I just favor duck and cover, never let a van saar just stand there and aim. Saves creds for better guns and stuff any way.

Grenade launcher with smokes serves two purposes. Keeps the enemy buying photo goggles just in case and allows reloading of the grenade launcher on a 4+. You get to choose any of the profiles for the reload ammo roll and you are not even forced to shoot that ammo in the same activation. I resolve it in my head as using less dangerous ammo to clear any jam and get it ready for the real work!

Another hidden gem are master crafted bolters on Sargents availablestraight from the list. Really useful when you need that one shoot you get to hit, rerolling a single to hit a battle can be big mid battle to increase the odds of scoring a hit that hurts!

 

[Twilite]

I always pictured my wrecker as boosting on an angle, then dropping fast and executing a roll into cover and pinned very aggressive triangle maneuver.

The photogoggles or infrasights are why I just favor duck and cover, never let a van saar just stand there and aim. Saves creds for better guns and stuff any way.

Grenade launcher with smokes serves two purposes. Keeps the enemy buying photo goggles just in case and allows reloading of the grenade launcher on a 4+. You get to choose any of the profiles for the reload ammo roll and you are not even forced to shoot that ammo in the same activation. I resolve it in my head as using less dangerous ammo to clear any jam and get it ready for the real work!

Another hidden gem are master crafted bolters on Sargents availablestraight from the list. Really useful when you need that one shoot you get to hit, rerolling a single to hit a battle can be big mid battle to increase the odds of scoring a hit that hurts!

I think my wreckers will fly up into the air, come back down behind an obstacle, yell out a loud “BANG!”, throw some grass into the air for effect, and have the opponent think they exploded.

Yeah, those infrasights seem pretty OP, granting them the ability to see through smoke, get a bonus against cover, AND not even require aiming. Most sights at least require aiming. I bet they’re available to all van saar models!

Oooh! I didn’t realise that about the reloading rules! I mean, it’s probably not RAI, and I’m sure my players will debate that, but at least I can try it! Thanks for the tip!

My leader has a bolter, and I fully plan on taking master craft after the first game. He also has Bullet Lord, for those times where he needs to take out several at once! My second champion was going to get a heavy bolter or heavy stubber, but they can’t be master crafted. Maybe a straight master bolter would be more useful.