N18 Van Saar for new campaign - thoughts appreciated!

Tk421wayayp

Ganger
Jun 30, 2022
96
88
18
Hi all - still in the campaign planning stages and decision paralysis still present! Looking for some thoughts on what I'm leaning towards (vs. CGC GSC, orlock & nomads).....really pushing for 8 bodies and the hand flamer neotek



- Prime, mesh, plasma gun, hip shooting

- Augmek, mesh, plasma gun, hip shooting or munitioneer

- Augmek, mesh, 2*las sub carbines, gunfighter

- Tek specialist, hot shot las gun

- Neotek, hand flamer

- 3* Subteks with lasguns

Variations on this that I'm mulling over are:

- Tek specialist switch to standard lasgun and photon flash grenades (to give additional template)

Or

- Tek specialist switch to standard lasgun and use spare creds to change first Augmek from plasma to a gravgun (to give additional template)

Or

- Tek specialist switch to standard lasgun and use spare credits to give Neotek mesh armour

In all cases there's also the question of changing the gunfighter Augmek to a Hotshot lasgun with fast shot, but gunfighter gives some fun/variety....

I know dropping a subtek gives me more options/firepower but 8 members with above options feels good.......

Any feedback and your own experiences much appreciated!

Cheers
 
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Strong list, except for the pistol guy... and he's still cool. Get him a Long Las after the first match.

I'd definitely take the variant where the Neotek gets the Mesh Armor. He's got an expensive weapon and will almost certainly have to go into harm's way to use it.
 
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Strong list, except for the pistol guy... and he's still cool. Get him a Long Las after the first match.

I'd definitely take the variant where the Neotek gets the Mesh Armor. He's got an expensive weapon and will almost certainly have to go into harm's way to use it.
Thanks! Feels like a sensible move. Still a bit concerned about lack of blast vs. CGC, at least for the first game......
 
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Well, you've still got a pair of Plasma Guns that hit on 2+. As long as you're not fighting the CGC in a tunnel, your odds are pretty good. Use Hip Shooting to retreat and shoot and remember that anyone not holding a Plasma Gun or Hand Flamer can freely be used as cannon fodder.
 
You may consider not duplicating starting skills with the hipshooting. A fast shot plasma gun or your grav gun variant will give those nasty corpse ticklers a headache (and anyone else).
You will not be able to compete in close combat with any of your opponents really with cgc gsc orlock and nomads so don't try. Templates and blast is your friend and lots of them.
For later purchases I know many rail against the radcannon but it does have decent range and blast 5". Aim at a spot on the ground and you could pin and prevent from charging a mess load of corpse grinders without regards to thier funky mask defences. So what if the measly S2 has little chance of wounding them. They are still on the floor not charging you. Plus a 4+ extra flesh wound regardless on if you cause actual wounds will add up.
Keep the hotshot on your specialist. They may not obliterate multi wound models, that is what plasma and melta guns are for, but a S4 AP-1 basic weapon with a massive 18" short range is more than adequate for missing down the average T3 W1 ganger or juve.
 
There's no hate from me vs the Rad Cannon; I think it's an extremely useful tool. There are a very limited number of 5" pie plates in Necromunda, only 3 off the top of my head: The Grav Cannon, the Missile Launcher and the Rad Cannon. The Rad Cannon is the cheapest and on the VS House list. It won't cause many casualties at S2, but the ability to to drop that 5" pie plate and pin multiple models is super useful for any gang and particularly useful for the VS, as they're often outnumbered and need to keep their foes at arm's length if they want to win.
 
On that topic, is the Rad Cannon Emplacement worth it for second half of a campaign?
 
I haven't used it, but I'd only take it if I already had a large, extremely well-equipped gang. It's expensive and you'll probably only get to use it in less than half of your matches.
 
Unless you want it for thematic reasons, don't bring a rad cannon. It's really bad. If you need a 5" blast, get a missile launcher. It's got better range, better to hit modifier, and the versatility of a second ammo type that is really good against tougher targets. With trick shot or ocular alpha, you basically always hit on 2+, even without aiming.
 
Ah but you can't plaster an area full of your own gang and those nasty close combatant with little risk with a missile launcher. Or am I a bit to free with friendly fire?...
Ok both other big guns are fine/good/awesome But the Rad cannon augmek can rack up loads of early kills mowing down injured fighters on mass without a duff trade roll prohibiting you getting a missile launcher.
Maybe get him/her a Big gun later after they rack up XP stealing kills from other gang members.
 
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Ah but you can't plaster an area full of your own gang and those nasty close combatant with little risk with a missile launcher.
If a Van Saar player has got his fighters so close to the enemy that he risks friendly fire when shooting a 5" blast, then he has already screwed up big time.

...the Rad cannon augmek can rack up loads of early kills mowing down injured fighters on mass
With incredibly lucky dice rolls, anything can happen. But the rad cannon needs significantly more luck in order to keep pace with a missile launcher (and most other weapons too, for that matter).
 
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If a Van Saar player has got his fighters so close to the enemy that he risks friendly fire when shooting a 5" blast, then he has already screwed up big time.
Well by this point things have gone to s**t anyway so throw down that pie plate in a blaze of glory !!!


Also charge your slopper into combat. They might come with their own kitchen sink after all.
 
Lunarcruiser, I'll bet you're a fun guy to play with, lol.
Yes, your Van Saar are safer from friendly fire with Rad Cannon pie plate than with a Missile Launcher Pie Plate, but the Missile Launcher can always just switch to that nasty S6 single shot mode when too many of your boys and girls are danger close.
And while Rad-Phage is fun, cool and thematic, it's generally better to kill foes in one step vs multiple steps.
All that said... play it your way and have fun; those are the most important rules.
 
Has no one else tried using a rad cannon as a support piece?
It shouldn't be employed as a dps piece imo, you should instead be using it to break key toughness thresholds, preferably on multi wound fighters, for wounding with the rest of your gang, such as reducing goliath to T3, it's often that one FW that dramatically increases your overall gangs wounding odds while bypassing the multiple wounds that these kinds of higher toughness fighters rely on to maintain their high durability.
Let's not forget the intimidation factor of a 5" pie plate either
 
Has no one else tried using a rad cannon as a support piece?
How else would you use it?
It shouldn't be employed as a dps piece imo, you should instead be using it to break key toughness thresholds, preferably on multi wound fighters, for wounding with the rest of your gang, such as reducing goliath to T3, it's often that one FW that dramatically increases your overall gangs wounding odds while bypassing the multiple wounds that these kinds of higher toughness fighters rely on to maintain their high durability.
The problem is that there are other weapons that do this better, while at the same time also inflicting good levels of damage. The lascannon, for example, is only marginally more expensive than the rad cannon, and it hits like a truck. It has a much better chance of dealing damage, including flesh wounds. Unless your opponents habitually clump up their entire gang in a nice big heap for you, of course.

For hitting multiple targets, there are weapons like the heavy bolter and autocannon who, again, have better chances of dishing out flesh wounds than the rad cannon. They even have a bigger "splash zone" (3" from the base of the primary target instead of 2.5" from the center of the blast). And if the enemy decides not to clump up, they can concentrate all their firepower into one model.
Let's not forget the intimidation factor of a 5" pie plate either
Again, missile launcher. Its pie plate is a lot more intimidating, because it is actually a threat.
 
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Has no one else tried using a rad cannon as a support piece?
It shouldn't be employed as a dps piece imo, you should instead be using it to break key toughness thresholds, preferably on multi wound fighters, for wounding with the rest of your gang, such as reducing goliath to T3, it's often that one FW that dramatically increases your overall gangs wounding odds while bypassing the multiple wounds that these kinds of higher toughness fighters rely on to maintain their high durability.
Let's not forget the intimidation factor of a 5" pie plate either
I have and that's why I don't hate it. Just being able to pin multiple models (including models out of LOS) made it useful to me.
That said, everything MrAnderson said is correct. If you're seriously looking to maximize the return on your credits, take a different heavy weapon (or none at all). I've had very good results with the Missile Launcher.
My upcoming campaign is looking at boosting the Rad Gun and Rad Cannon to S3 and possibly slightly reducing the prices to make them a little more useful.