Tactics with Sapper units?

[valthonis]

I'm curious how do you use your Sapper models effectively?

Looking at units like the Sapper Zouaves. I would almost think you'll be spending a fair bit of time hoping for AROs or just laying down suppression fire, can't imagine you'd be moving them around much.

[Victor]

For my part, I have used the sapper sniper once and it was quite effective when well placed. I try to place it on a rooftop with no cover so it can see.
I also think it's good to support it with another sniper or long range weapon.

In the only game it was used, he was on a rooftop of the tallest building with a good view on the center of the board. I also had a briscard sniper with almost the same view. They both prove to be useful to make my opponent waste orders on throwing smoke grenades.

[valthonis]

That was sort of my thought, the sniper would potentially be more useful than the HMG Zouave due to both only being a Burst 1 shot at Str15 in ARO.
It seems unlikely that the Zouave HMG would get to use it's full burst that often unless an enemy had to cross suppression fire.

[Pierzasty]

I use them as a guided artillery without a hacker requirement

[valthonis]

Are you referring to the Haiduk and it's guided ammo variant? I'm more curious about sappers without guided weaponry.

[Pierzasty]

Yes I am sorry, I don't have other sappers. Maybe as Suppression fire with a "fuck you flanker, I've got cover from this side too" flavor? There's a lot of situations where a normal SF Corridor can easily get dismantled.

[Killionaire]

Sapper's kind of weak. Since any unit with Mimetism and cover pretty much has the same benefit.

No real tactics, besides just... put them in fire lanes and wait, I guess. Pretty cruddy, since AROs aren't something you should rely on :/

If only they got NWI or something when in the foxhole, that'd be /very/ useful then.

[valthonis]

So really in the case of the Zouave the Sniper might actually be better than the HMG due to the cheaper cost and less likely ability to use the HMG's full burst.

[Victor]

I have both the zouave sniper and hmg because the models are badass.
But I have to admit with after thoughts that if you don't want to buy them both than the zouave sniper is the best option.
For ariadna vanilla players, 1 zouave sniper + 1 normal zouave DEP is a great combo.

[valthonis]

I have both sappers as well, but partly tempted to convert the HMG into a sniper now...

[SgtHulka]

Disclaimer: I don't know what I'm talking about.

So purely theoretically, wouldn't the real point of sappers be putting them where there's NO cover? I.e., making your own terrain element for board control? Like, stick them in the middle of a street to create a death zone. Normally you couldn't put a figure in the middle of the street totally exposed.

Also, I would think you'd need a few covering each other to make up for the fact that you're relying on them for ARO's instead of active turn shenanigans.

I've never used them...don't know much about them...I suspect they're too expensive maybe to to use them the way I'm describing.

[aleph]

So purely theoretically, wouldn't the real point of sappers be putting them where there's NO cover? I.e., making your own terrain element for board control? Like, stick them in the middle of a street to create a death zone. Normally you couldn't put a figure in the middle of the street totally exposed.

exactly, I agree with that. For example, a sapper sniper can be placed in the corner or back of your side, as a protection against AD, or provide support from locations where there isn't cover available . .

[Killionaire]

I like the Zouave Sniper. He's reasonably cheap for being a basic 12-36 inch ARO'er. And that's not a bad role. The HMG is a bit wasted I feel, for being much pricier, and for Sapper not really working very well on the active turn.

However, he does compete with the Foxtrot and Chasseur snipers, both of which are cheap and come with mines... plus full camo and real infiltration.

[valthonis]

Yeh, makes me really consider modding my Zouave HMG into a Sniper so I have 2 of them.