Week four of my in-depth look at AT-43 is here, and this week we are taking a look at unit types.
Unit Types
Units in AT-43 are divided into two categories: Infantry and Armored Fighting Vehicles, or AFVs.
Infantry
The backbone of most armies, infantry is made up of ground-pounders and jump infantry, as well as armored fighting suits.
Type I Infantry (Basic Units): Much like troops options in AT-43, Type I infantry is the basic building block of any army. Most force organizations require one or two of these unit types, which are not anywhere near as good as their Type 2 & Type 3 cousins. The good news, though, is that Type I Infantry fills more of a support role, than the equivalent units in 40K would (i.e. Troops choices). Most Type I Infantry units have options to get Mechanics or Heroes that can influence other units in the field, both friend and foe.
Type II Infantry (Elite Units): Like Elite selections in 40K, Type II Infantry fills a more specialized role than Type I infantry. Better accuracy and weapons make Type II Infantry a better choice for the points, and depending on the force type, will likely make up the bulk of your forces. In addition, most Type II Infantry units carry mission specialists that can really put some stress on your enemies, and there are even a few armies that have great Type II unit Heroes.
Type III Infantry (Power Suits): These units are the AT-43 version of Space Marine Terminators, and much like Termies, they are brutal at range and in assault, and extremely difficult to hurt. Most armies have Type III Infantry in Power Suits (UNA TacArms, Red Blok Colossus, Cog Cyborgs, and Kharman Anacongas), and each type of suit provides a different advantage. In addition to their specific advantage, each power suit has two weapons that can always split fire (i.e. all left arms shoot at one target and all right arms at another). No army is really complete without at least one of these expensive units, and many armies require 2 or more to be truly terrifying.
Armored Fighting Vehicles
Walkers, Hoverbikes, and Tanks make up the ranks of the AFV units, and are divided up according to size. All AFVs have structure points, set in three locations (Propulsion, Frame, Weapons). Unlike 40K, where one lucky hit can destroy a tank, even small Type I AFVs require more than two frame hits to kill. To make matters even worse, hits are randomized on a table, though fortunately all overflow hits default to Frame. Another nifty thing about the AFV is that it can run down enemies (not tank shock, actually running over) with a rush move, and can effect multiple enemy squads!
Type I AFV (Recon Units): Smaller, faster, and lightly armed, the type I AFV is AT-43's ubiquitous Sentinel Scout Walker. For the points, Type I's are the best buy available, and tend to make or break the army depending on their loadouts. Type I AFVs are often deployed in Squadrons of 1-3 led by a sergeant. Like power suits, they can split up their right and left weapons fire (if they have two weapons).
Type II AFV (Combat Units): Robust and really tough, the Type II AFV makes most opponents tremble. Frankly, the best way to take one of these big boys out is with another AFV, or a really dedicated anti-tank unit. Heavier armor and more structure points are a pretty good trade-off for reduced speed, but for the most part, Type II's are not that much slower than Type I's. The big issue with Type II's: They are singletons, which means that Heroes cannot hide out in the unit, letting other models take the hits. Luckily, most Type II AFV Heroic units have the mechanic ability.
Type III AFV (Heavy Units): As impressive as a Land Raider or Leman Russ can be, nothing compares to the awe-inspiring spectacle of a Type III AFV. These units are well nigh impossible to take down, with incredibly heavy armor and a whole lot of structure points, and have the biggest, nastiest guns in the game. Want to take out a Fire Toad with one volley? Bring a Type III AFV! Thankfully there are no heroic Type III AFVs (yet), but at 500-700 points per model, the fact that they can eat any opponents for breakfast more than makes up for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment