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Author Topic: The Phantom Menace: Harlequin Phantoms  (Read 11548 times)

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Offline faitherun (Fay-ith-er-run)

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Re: The Phantom Menace: Harlequin Phantoms
« Reply #40 on: December 2, 2008, 09:06:04 AM »
So I managed to get in a game with them against Nids... using the spectors as part of my DE force.

I used a squad of 10 with no upgrades - cost 400pts

I had first turn, and they moved quickly across the board to assualt a squad of 8 guants 20 inches away

Bad roles saw me kill only 4 and lose two spectors in return. The guants passed LD, and I slaughtered them in the Nids turn. - return value 72 pts

After this, I took a gamble, and went after a winged Hive tyrant. He had the following: Acid Maw, A glands (I), A glands (WS), Flesh Hooks, Implant Attack, Toxin Sacs, Toxic Miasma, Winged, x2 Scything Talons, Warp Field

We struck at the same time. I lost another two spectors, but manged to land 18 hits, fully half of which wounded, and only one saved, thus killing the tyrant - return value 229 pts

Unfortunaly this left me in the open, and a squad of guant opend fire on me. 8 shots, 5 hit, 4 wound, only one spector died. This left me with 5 spectors left.

I wanted to disrupt the comunications of the hive mind, and so elected to try and charge a Zoaranthrope, moving 19 inches to do so. Striking first with 15 attacks, I easliy dispached the Thrope before he got any attacks back - return value of 65 pts.

At this point, my opponent decided enough was enough. I was shot at with two Venom cannon shots, and a Barbed strangler, resulting in 1 more death, then charged by a squad of 18 Hormaguants.

I got to strike first with 8 attacks, 6 of which hit, killing four of the guants. However, I could not weather the 36 return attacks and my spectors died. - retun value for the 4 guants, 60 pts

So I managed to get a return on my 400 pt squad of 426pts. But more importanly, I killed 2/5 Synapse creatures, and left a large hole in the army which I exploited with other units.

My thoughts:
  • This unit worked very well for me. They are almost the opposite to wyches, receving no save in combat, but (almost) always gettin a 4+ save from shotting. I feel this gives them a very nice unique role
  • This unit must hit hard and fast. They should go for relatively large targets, and stay as far away from swarms as possible. Their lack of save in combat means that they can be easily overwhelmed. However, for units that have payed to get power weapons, and have reduced their numbers due to increased cost, they will find no benifit in fighting spectors.
  • Their speed is formidable, but they can survive a round or two of shooting. I never faced a voley of shots, so I cant speak  to how they would do, but with just a few aimed their way, they seemed to die a bit to fast to endure much more. Although their suit does not allow them to utilize cover at all - this can actually be a draw back as they can not make use of a 3+ cover save. I think this is a fair trade off though for the ability to always have that cover save

All in all this was a fun unit to use, although I truly feel it is a glass scalpel. Use it to quickly cut out the threats, and avoid the masses.
So, what your saying is it's not your fault you look stupid by using words you don't get?
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Offline Spellbinder

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Re: The Phantom Menace: Harlequin Phantoms
« Reply #41 on: December 10, 2008, 03:27:48 AM »
- Thank you for clarification on that matter, Rasmus. You're the man. 8)

- Outstanding battle report, faitherun! I am honored by your play-testing and subsequent approval of the unit. My only wish is that I could have been there and watched as the Specters ripped the 'Nids a new one and created utter carnage in their ranks! The look on your opponent's face after raping his Flyrant must've been priceless! ;D


I had the pleasure of finally getting to play-test these baddies myself against the Tau this weekend in a massive 5,000 point game. A good friend agreed to the play-testing of Specter units as part of an entire Harlequin Masque (army). I was able to field a unit of my own, while he lent me two units of his own Hellions to use as Specters. He's a good sport.;)  In exchange, I lent him a large portion of my Tau army to augment his own Tau force, so such a massive game could be made possible.

The game was played on an 8'x6' (L/W) table w/ an 18" Deployment Zone. Terrain consisted of roughly 1'x2' Jungle, just outside each sides' DZ, on the respective Left. At the center of the table was a ruined stronghold, roughly 1'x1' in total...Hopefully this description makes some sort of sense for visual purposes. If not, I apologize.

In addition to the rest of my Harlequin force, I fielded 3 squads of 10 Harlequin Specters w/ full upgrades (Plasma, Haywire and Tanglefoot Grenades). - Total Cost: 1,410 points.

To help avoid confusion in the following battle report, I will henceforth refer to each of the 3 Specter units as "S1," "S2" and "S3." For simplicity, and the fact that they were the unit being play-tested, this report will address only their exploits, omitting other units involved in this game.

Turn 1:

- I get lucky, and get first turn. All 3 Specter units advance fullspeed towards the Tau, two making it into cover, preventing LOS.

- A Hammerhead fires a Submunition shot from its Rail Gun at S2. The shot misses.:D A Broadside Team then fires, but they too fail to wound any Specters! ;D

Turn 2:

- Good Fleet rolls allow S1 and S3 to assault a Devilfish, still carrying a unit of Pathfinders. S1 assault the front of the vehicle, only managing to Stun. S3, however, assault the rear and destroy it! 2 Tau Pathfinders die in the crash. S1 and S3 consolidate into ruins. - return value: 181 points.

- S2 take heavy casualties from Tau shooting (1 Crisis team [ALL of his Crisis teams had the following: Bonded, 2 w/ Missile Pod, Burst Cannon & Shield Drone Controller; 1 Shas'vre TL w/ twin-linked Fusion Blasters, Missile Pod & Shield Drone Controller -- 6 Drones total = UGH!!], 2 full Pathfinder teams, and 1 Fire Warrior team). 6 Specters die in the firestorm.???  However, the unit miraculously manages to pass their subsequent Morale and Pinning Tests.

- The survivors of the downed Pathfinder unit attempt to maneuver around the ruins to get LOS w/ a Specter unit. Only 3 manage to do so, and they fail to fell any Specters. Foolishly, they then charge, and are slaughtered by S3, w/o ever making a single attack. :P - return value: 98 points.

Turn 3:

- Seeking to avenge their fallen brethren, S1 assault the nearbye Crisis team, annihilating them instantly! - return value: 280 points.

- Similarly, S3 sweep into another Pathfinder team in the jungle, completely eviscerating them w/o mercy. - return value: 124 points.

- S2 finally make it into combat, engaging a Fire Warrior team in the jungle. They easily dispatch 5 warriors, along w/ 2 Gun Drones. S2 suffer 2 more casualties in return. FWs pass Morale Check. - return value: 75 points.

- Hammerhead fires into the jungle, incinerating 2 Specters of S3 w/ a Submunition shot. Luckily, its missiles fail to kill any others.

- 2 Devilfish also fire into jungle at S3, punching 3 more full of holes.

- Last Pathfinder team in jungle opens fire on S3, but fail to blast any out of the sky. Apparently, still not having learned his lesson, my opponent charges w/ the full team. The remaining 5 Specters slay all but 1 of the Pathfinders, who does manage to kill 1 more Specter before he is chased down and sliced to bits... :P - return value: 124 points.

- The last 2 members of S2 continue their bout w/ the Fire Warrior team in the jungle, decapitating 4 more w/o receiving so much as a scratch in return! The remaining 3 FWs break, running like cowards through the woods, only to be caught and wiped out.  ;) - return value: 107 points.

Turn 4:

- All 3 Specter units break cover. S2 and S3 each engage 2 Devilfish from the rear. S2 have no luck, while S3 destroys the other. - return value: 155 points.

- S1 assaults a Fire Warrior team at full strength, cutting down 5 warriors and destroying 2 Gun Drones, losing not a single man while doing so.:D - return value: 75 points.

- At this point, my opponent just about had it w/ my Specters and unleashed Hell upon them. A Crisis Team, Command Squad and Fire Warrior team all unloaded on the last 4 members of S3, killing all but 1. Infuriated by the survivor's refusal to die, he managed to hit w/ a Markerlight from Aun'Shi's Fire Warrior bodyguard, sending a Seeker Missile into his face, effectively wiping out the unit.  ???

- The surviving Devilfish fired at S2 w/ its Burst Cannon and Gun Drones, killing 1 of the 2.

- In the Tau Assault Phase, S1 succeeds in wiping out the rest of the FW team, again w/o taking any losses. - return value: 107 points.

Turn 5:

- The last member of S2 passes his Morale Check, and manages to avenge his fallen comrades, destroying the Devilfish! He then consolidates back into the jungle.- return value: 155 points.

- S1 charge Hammerhead, but fail to inflict any damage. They are now completely exposed... :-\

- The Hammerhead, in return, Tank Shocked S1, succeeding in killing 1 w/ its Fletchettes. It then proceeded to fire all its weapons into the unit. However, its Rail Gun missed, and its missiles and Gun Drones failed to kill any Specters. Unfortunately, this did not deter my opponent, who was determined to eradicate the unit...

- The Tau Commander then took aim, firing his missiles into S1 w/ unerring accuracy, expunging 2 more specters. For good measure, 2 Fire Warrior teams unload 40 shots into S1, completely obliterating the unit.  :'(

Turn 6:

-Last Specter of S2 heads for a Crisis team through cover...

Turn 7:

- Specter engages Crisis team, fails to wound, and is beaten to a pulp.


Conclusion:
  • For my hefty investment of 1,410 points for the Specters, I got a return value of 1,481 points, a net gain of 71 points. While this may be considered a slim margin, I'd like to point out that these were the first of my forces to engage the enemy, and they effectively wiped out ALL of my opponent's Pathfinder teams AND their Devilfish, severely disrupting his battle plan and ability to fire both Seeker Missiles and hit on 2+ w/ other units. Additionally, thanks to their speed and use of cover, it was difficult for my opponent to keep up w/ them once they hit, and all told, they were not only able to break my opponent's line, but they also managed to completely destroy his entire left flank!
  • Despite being wiped out, I honestly feel that the Specters singlehandedly won me the battle. Their elimination of the Pathfinders allowed the rest of my forces to advance very close to the Tau w/ minimal losses. Also, by breaking his line and destroying his left flank, it made it much easier for my Harlequins to swarm his remaining forces, which were then forced to crowd together on one side. Admittedly however, I did get a bit cocky once his line broke, and it ended up being a VERY close game in the end (I repeatedly underestimated the devastation of FW RF volleys. Fish of Fury was also a cause of severe headache). That said, had it not been for the Specters' success in the initial assault, I am convinced the Tau would've successfully blown my Harlequins appart, piece by piece. I feel I truly do owe my victory in this battle to their exploits.

Additional Thoughts:
  • I was skeptical about taking the grenades at first, but they definitely were worth it in the end, as I found an occasion to use every type to my advantage at least once during the game.
  • Specters proved to be nothing short of spectacular when it came to taking on infantry in assault. Granted Tau are easily dispatched, period, in an assault by ANYONE, but Specters made especially short work of them, slaughtering entire units in a single assault phase, whilst at half-strength or greater. Even the 1 Crisis Team (w/ 6 Shield Drones!) I managed to destroy was completely wiped out in a single turn. The sheer number of power attacks these guys can unleash is simply amazing!
  • Despite having S6 on the charge, Specters seem to have an exceedingly hard time dispatching vehicles. Granted, I was up against skimmers in this case, but even so, I would not advise using them as tank hunters in general. While they were able to destroy the first Devilfish w/ relative ease, this had more to due w/ the fact that there were 20 of them attacking the thing than anything else! The other 2 were much more difficult to bring down, and even this was simply out of luck. The assault on the Hammerhead was a complete failure, and ended up costing me an entire unit, previously at full strength! I would only ever advise targeting isolated vehicles w/ them, but even that is a stretch...
  • Specters proved to be quite cunning and resourceful, using their speed and special save to full advantage. They can definitely keep the enemy on their toes, dish out severe beatings, and even take some hits in return. However, and I can't stress this enough: DO NOT EXPOSE THEM TO VOLLEYS!! I lost an entire unit in one round of shooting because of this, and I lost another unit because I exposed them to too many units. Take every advantage of cover w/ these guys, and always use their speed to get them to grips w/ prime targets. Preferably elite infantry.
  • As this was a play-test, my opponent, or anyone for that matter, had never faced this unit before. While he agreed to their use, and was familiar w/ their rules, I feel my opponent may have still underestimated their speed, which may explain why they were so successful, and why he practically fed me his Pathfinders...By the same token though, both units on each side were basically racing for key strategic locations -- my Specters just happened to win the race.  ;)
  • All bias aside, I truly feel, after this play-test, that the current rules for Specters are nicely balanced (i.e. the price feels right; they do not seem too overpowered, and they fit w/ Harlequin fluff -- elite, powerful fighters, yet quite fragile). Also, the unit seems to fulfill a unique roll on the battlefield, and have a very different feel from Jetbikes and other Harlequins...which is EXACTLY what I was aiming for. Personally, I was very pleased w/ their overall performance.

faitherun was absolutely right when he said that "this unit MUST hit hard and fast." That could not be more true w/ these guys. He was also right when he said that Specters are a "glass scalpel." Use them to cut out the heart of the enemy, and then flood that gaping wound w/ salt in the form of Harlequins!  ;D  That is precisely what brought me victory in this case. I will note however, that it becomes easy to forget just how fragile these guys are when they kill so much so quickly. If left exposed, even for a moment, Specters WILL shatter like glass.


Lastly, I'd like to note that I am still working on the conversions, and anticipate having some pics up around Xmas at the latest, hopefully.

Let me know what you guys think, and PLEASE, continue to feel free to play-test this unit on your own and post your results.  :D
« Last Edit: December 10, 2008, 11:36:01 PM by Spellbinder »



"Never apologize for asking questions, young seers. Through asking questions we find answers, and through those answers we gain greater knowledge of ourselves and the universe around us. Our race stopped asking questions once before and our complacency all but destroyed us. That must never happen again."

Offline faitherun (Fay-ith-er-run)

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Re: The Phantom Menace: Harlequin Phantoms
« Reply #42 on: December 10, 2008, 03:39:18 AM »
Wow! Three decked out units! That must have been fun to see. Congrats on the win.

I am hoping to get in another round with them in by this time next week, and I am hoping to go up against Orks, so.... we shall see how well they hold up to the masses, although I feel that this may be a good bit more chalenging.

Interesting note on the vehicles. Just curious, what is the Armor Value on the vehicles you attacked?
So, what your saying is it's not your fault you look stupid by using words you don't get?
Flawless logic.

Offline Spellbinder

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Re: The Phantom Menace: Harlequin Phantoms
« Reply #43 on: December 10, 2008, 03:25:28 PM »
The AVs were as follows: Devilfish = 12,11,10 ; Hammerhead = 13,12,10.

Again though, I'll note that despite having S6 on the charge, and the option of Haywire Grenades, the Specters still had a surprisingly difficult time w/ these. This was primarily due to the fact that they were all skimmers, but even so, I still feel that the unit's talents would be best utilized by targeting elite infantry, or primary threats w/o AV.

OTOH, if you're going up against Orks, you may have better luck bringing down War Trukks and Killa Kans than Tau skimmers, so I'd say you should definitely give it a shot, but IDK if those units should be made prime targets...secondary targets, definitely. Ultimately, its completely up to you. I'm already eager to know the outcome of you're battle. Best of luck! I hope you kick the crump out of 'em! :P



"Never apologize for asking questions, young seers. Through asking questions we find answers, and through those answers we gain greater knowledge of ourselves and the universe around us. Our race stopped asking questions once before and our complacency all but destroyed us. That must never happen again."

 


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