N18 Van Saar Starter List Advice

[some_goob]

Hey all,
Just picked up the Hive War set and a box of Van Saar gangers/upgrade sprues - Choice paralysis is real! I've worked out a list of 7, Here, but I want to avoid going all plasma/lasguns, as it seems a bit boring & I'm hoping to keep a relatively mobile or dynamic playstyle. That said i'm still having issues budgeting for anything while still keeping a list above 6 members, and worried im losing out by taking subteks (juves) over teks (gangers). Any advice for the list as I have it?

List (without link) for reference:

Prime: 250 creds
Laspistol
Plasma Gun
Mesh armour
Armored Bodyglove
Skill: Fast Shot

Augmek 1: 245 creds
Grav-Gun
Armored Bodyglove
Mesh armour
Skill: Munitioneer

Augmek 2: 265 creds
Meltagun
Laspistol
Armored Bodyglove
Mesh armour
Skill: Hip Shooting

Tek Specialist: 75 creds
Lasgun
Armored Bodyglove

Tek 2: 75 creds
Lasgun
Armored Bodyglove

Subtek 1: 45 creds
Lasgun
Armored Bodyglove

Subtek 2: 455 creds
Lasgun
Armored Bodyglove


Grand total: 1000 credits

 

[Psyan]

A good friendly list, if you're avoiding plasma spam. I'm assuming that you know that any special weapon in a Van Saar gang that isn't a Plasma Gun is generally considered suboptimal, particularly the Grav Gun, which shouldn't cost more than 70cr.
Backup pistols are "extra" in starting lists, so you could consider dropping those pistols in favor of some more Mesh Armor or a Lasgun on your Melta Gun Augmek.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

A solid none plasma spam list.
Consider using magnets for the arms so you can use more of the weapon options in the kits. The Van Saar bodies have shoulder pads that hide any imperfections excellently.
Unlike most factions juves sub teks are not actually poor. They may shoot worse than your teks but your teks are above average shots to start with. Sub teks with lasguns function perfectly well.
If you are picking the las pistols for back up weapons don't bother. Just get a normal lasgun instead van Saar's should not be in combat where the side arm rule is in effect. That is for Goliath's and corpse grinders. You would be better off saving the creds for armour, new weapons later.
Meltas of any description rule. The lower range compared to the other weapon requires finesse but you are leaning that way anyway so best of luck.
I actually a fan of the grav gun. Yes you can get almost anything via the trade post but I usually go for non weapon items, armours accessories etc, and stick for the most part to house weapon. Van Saar's lack a grenade launcher on thier list and this weapon is a excellent cheap crowd control weapon. The nearest van weapon in the same general price range is the grav gun. It may lack the killing power of the melts or plasma guns, but is not by any means actually poor just not as damaging, it actually give your gang a tactical tool to hamper and control the other gangs actions. Yes it may be a little over priced but you are a van Saar gang everything cost a lot anyway.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

Most Van Saar gangs are top heavy hitter gangs. The prime augmeks and archeoteks carry the real killer weapons The teks and sub teks are best used as lasgun (or carbines if fancy ) fire teams to pin others down. If they actually hurt someone, great, but stopping that rampaging stimmer a long long way from your lines is thier purpose. Concentrate, take singular targets down as a gang then move on to to the next and stay away from any opponent with a maul or better.

 

[Stompzilla]

A solid none plasma spam list.
Consider using magnets for the arms so you can use more of the weapon options in the kits. The Van Saar bodies have shoulder pads that hide any imperfections excellently.
Unlike most factions juves sub teks are not actually poor. They may shoot worse than your teks but your teks are above average shots to start with. Sub teks with lasguns function perfectly well.
If you are picking the las pistols for back up weapons don't bother. Just get a normal lasgun instead van Saar's should not be in combat where the side arm rule is in effect. That is for Goliath's and corpse grinders. You would be better off saving the creds for armour, new weapons later.
Meltas of any description rule. The lower range compared to the other weapon requires finesse but you are leaning that way anyway so best of luck.
I actually a fan of the grav gun. Yes you can get almost anything via the trade post but I usually go for non weapon items, armours accessories etc, and stick for the most part to house weapon. Van Saar's lack a grenade launcher on thier list and this weapon is a excellent cheap crowd control weapon. The nearest van weapon in the same general price range is the grav gun. It may lack the killing power of the melts or plasma guns, but is not by any means actually poor just not as damaging, it actually give your gang a tactical tool to hamper and control the other gangs actions. Yes it may be a little over priced but you are a van Saar gang everything cost a lot anyway.

I like the Grav-gun too. Ok, it's not always the easiest to wound with but when you do it's D2 with no save allowed and the graviton effect can be handy.

 

[Psyan]

I like the Grav Gun (and the Grav Cannon), but it's just so expensive that I have trouble taking it before I feel like I've adequately covered my other bases. Plasma, Melta and usually a Heavy weapon all tend to come first for me.

 

[Psyan]

Also, kudos on the Melta Gun/Hip Shooting Augmek. That's one of my personal favorite combinations. When you have a Melta Gun, most opponents try to actively avoid getting within 12" of the fighter carrying it. Hip Shooting makes that a more difficult proposition. The combination can not only produce some reliable OOA's, it also forces your opponent to play in a manner that accounts for the threat of getting melted.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

Also, kudos on the Melta Gun/Hip Shooting Augmek. That's one of my personal favorite combinations. When you have a Melta Gun, most opponents try to actively avoid getting within 12" of the fighter carrying it. Hip Shooting makes that a more difficult proposition. The combination can not only produce some reliable OOA's, it also forces your opponent to play in a manner that accounts for the threat of getting melted.

Very true.
One campaign I had a augmek with the same weapon and skill. She only got two shots off in the second half of the campaign because all the enemy crew spent most of the game running away out of range. She ended up virtually controlling half the board just by showing up.

 

[GratLurking]

Might be a personal thing for me, but you might want to consider some Energy Shield/Lascarbine troopers at some point, probably with the Tek level of base statlines. These can be used for cheapish frontline troops in case enemy gangs start closing in on campaign, without having to make something super dedicated like a Torso-augmented Archaeotek with a spiderrig or something.
Neoteks can also make great driveby shooters as well, and makes up for the slightly slower speed of some of the other gang troops. If you can keep a neotek alive long enough to reach upgrade, you can even grant them access to Augmek or Archaeotek gear while still using the grav cutter, which can make some stupidly cheesy endgame setups.