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Post by gromik on Nov 7, 2014 17:25:49 GMT
I don't have my shipment yet (showdown + addons), but from what I've read of the rules, the Phalanx will be deadly. 48" range with multiple missiles having the Blast ability. Avoiding LoS as the Zent looks difficult. But a question on aircraft and AoE attacks:
If AoE attacks do not differentiate between airborne and grounded targets, does anything stop a Phalanx (or any AoE attack) from always targeting a spot on the ground, requiring only a 5+ to hit? Is there ever a benefit to targeting a unit with a blast attack and not a point on the ground? Because I'm not seeing one.
The 5pt upgrade (I believe) to the Defender to make the guns AoE seems way too cheap.
-Grom
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Max
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Post by Max on Nov 7, 2014 23:52:25 GMT
Where is the 5+ to hit the ground coming from?
In the abstract sense, what you're trying to do by shooting at the ground near a mecha is actually trying to hit that mecha, not the ground nearby. In my mind that is the same thing as targeting the mecha, since that is what you're really trying to hit, so you would use the defense value of the mecha that you are actually trying to hit and not the ground, because that is an attempt to end-run the rule set for an advantage.
In the strict sense, RAW says that you first target a mecha and roll to hit normally, then deal with the blast template based on whether or not you hit the target mecha. I didn't see where it says you can target anything that doesn't have a profile with a defense value. I could be wrong, since I haven't extensively read the rules, but that is how I see it.
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Post by gromik on Nov 8, 2014 2:38:19 GMT
Under the last paragraph in the Roll to Strike section, it says:
"Targeting a specific spot on the ground (with a Blast weapon system) is harder than one might think, especially since the purpose of targeting a spot on the ground is to affect the nearby mecha. This requires beating a DF of 5."
That pretty much states it's legal to do so, not circumventing the rules, and as easy as targeting a base Regult.
I thought about it some more and there are some odd situations where targeting a mecha would be easier - back strikes and coordinated fire from the same squad. Those don't seem too likely to occur for a Phalanx, but might be more beneficial to a Defender or even Zent MPA.
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Max
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Post by Max on Nov 8, 2014 2:50:58 GMT
I stand corrected. I didn't see that during my read through.
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Post by ItsUncertainWho on Nov 8, 2014 7:13:05 GMT
... but from what I've read of the rules, the Phalanx will be deadly. If AoE attacks do not differentiate between airborne and grounded targets, does anything stop a Phalanx (or any AoE attack) from always targeting a spot on the ground, requiring only a 5+ to hit? Is there ever a benefit to targeting a unit with a blast attack and not a point on the ground? ... Yes, the Phalanx is a monstrosity. I played a demo at GenCon and that mech rolled everything. Anything with a blast template, from my very little experience, will always be the better option and targeting the ground was the default attack, more or less. |
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Post by gromik on Nov 8, 2014 14:15:31 GMT
Max, I wasn't meaning to be snippy if came off that way. My apologies if it did.
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Max
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Post by Max on Nov 8, 2014 15:21:43 GMT
Max, I wasn't meaning to be snippy if came off that way. My apologies if it did. No worries. |
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Post by deniper on Nov 8, 2014 20:43:18 GMT
Blast template attacks that are also missile attacks can have any number of affected mecha attempt to shoot them down. This mitigates somewhat the power of those weapon systems.
Counting to hit bonuses and sorting out the best attack mode is certainly part of the decision process.
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Post by mike1975 on Nov 16, 2014 21:28:55 GMT
That is going to change. At present the errata is you shoot at a unit OR a terrain feature such as a tree. Missiles cannot target a specific spot on the ground. Only the Monster can.
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