Data Sphere

So I am about to pick up a few more models. Have I mastered what I have? Heck no! But I am finally starting to paint what I have and the lack of availability means it will be some time before anything I order gets here.

Depending on what is available, I will be adding Steel Phalanx Starter or Devas but there is one guy I want to throw in the mix either way, the Ekdromoi. They are one of my favorite models and who doesn't like being able to reach across the board? But the question is, which one? They don't seem to have a chain rifle model, so I suppose it is really just the combi, the HMG and Diomedes.

The combi seems the most versitile model wise, but even if I get all three models there is the question of how to play them.

The HMG seems like a lot of resources to deploy off board, but there aren't a lot of HMGs on the board. For the cost I could deploy 2 dakinis (almost) or a zayin with total reaction. Super jum offers some ammusing possibilities, but I am leaning towards HMGs going elswhere.

The Hacker opens interesting possibilities. Dropping a repeater way behind enemy lines is a party in a box, especially with the Mul problems mentioned in another thread. The humble combi rifle seems nice, but if I have the extra swc (and until I get a better variety of models I always do) why not use a hacker?

The boarding shotgun is becoming one of my favorite Myrmidon weapons. For a relatively low cost you have a mobile teardrop template, or a pair of up close AP shots. In the past the Myrmidon BS has been great for clearing objectives, I can't help but fantasize what one in the enemy backfield will do.

And the humble chain rifle. I am saddened by the lack of a chain rifle model, but this guys is cheap (for ALEPH) and if I end up with Devas instead of the Steel box, I could really use another cheaper model. (My current 300 point load usually requires me to field both Asuras!)

And of course Diomedes. I could really use more Lt options, and NWI is always nice, and the MK12 aint a bad rifle. If I use him as an Lt, I can't start him off the board (well I can but...). It seems like Eredos is a better MK12 delivery system, but the lack of an swc and the ability to bounce from behind walls amuses me. If I have both it seems like a matter of whether I have more SWC or points in my pocket.

But what are your experience with the ALEPH airborne? Which do you use and why?

If i were you i would buy Diomedes or combi model.

To be honest, I will probably have all 3 eventually, and if they ever make a chain gun one, that too. It is mostly prioritization but I gotta lean towards your suggestion. Have you fielded them much? How to they play for you? Do you AD them or just bounce them up the field with Superjump?

Diomedes is a rockstar. He isn't that much more expensive than a regular Combi Ekdromos, and yet you gain a LOT for those points. Don't forget the Assault Pistol he's got there too... The Mk12 gives him good punch and very solid medium range bands, but the Assault Pistol lets him go to town on all those up-close cheerleaders. With Burst 4, your odds of flopping a dice roll and losing your expensive investment is less than it is with a regular Burst 3 Combi. Even if you do eat an unlucky Crit, or even suffer a bad scatter, No Wound Incapacitation means Diomedes can eat that damage and keep on functioning as a dangerous threat. He is a considerable upgrade to his rank-and-file counterparts, both in terms of equipment and function.

The Hacker is also amazing if you need a curveball for Scenarios or ITS missions. I find that players rarely expect him (his pricetag is high, after all, and sneaky maneuvers are not a strong point of Steel Phalanx) and yet he can swing entire scenarios in his favor if you're patient and disciplined with how you use him.

Ignoring list options and talking about models grab the combi first then hmg IMO. Most utility for list options etc unless you're 100% fielding diomedes in a no proxies allowed game.

The hacker is a go to bit of entertainment. It's double threat. Vs TAGs or HI that have no, or low quality, hacker defense/BTS he can be an early game disruption by shutting some things down. Using him as a repeater for a WIP 15 SpecOp hacker means he can have a good chance of shutting down even the toughest TAGs and even dominating them. Dropping this first turn could be game winning.

But don't neglect that sweet sweet chain rifle. It's a cheerleader harvester (literally) from heaven. It is expensive to not deploy at game start, but I find the less accessible points at outset puts me on heels a bit and gets the opponent on offense. This is good in two ways. They tend to hit chokes or at least move closer which enables my melee focused units to close the gap quicker. Second their planned formations may leave ITS objectives or hackable mini's more exposed.

Thread necro!

So the points costs have changed a bit now. So have the rules for template weapons.

That 19pt Chain Rifle Ekdromoi looks attractive for cost, but how does it perform? I find myself wondering whether even two of them would be as good as Diomedes on his own?

Burst 3 damage 15, the assault pistol option -and- NWI set him apart. He can threaten with suppressive fire.

Am I just selling them short with this thinking? Chain rifles can cover a lot of cheerleaders, I know - but it becomes a throwaway model.

I don't even mention the other options because the price hike between the chain rifle and the combi/BS/HMG profiles is so steep, I can't justify it. HMGs aren't exactly ideal weapons for drop troops anymore.

Boarding Shotgun has become a prefered AD weapon of mine.

The HMG Ekdromoi is nice, but a bit more occassional. It might prove a great way to exploit an attack angle, overlooked by your opponent. But the pin-point 'back-attack' is not meant for the HMG.

Chain is OK, still cheap option which is OK. Throwing away 19 points to get 50 is a solid trade in my eyes,

Okay, so after a few games I can definitely say that my flight plan is:-

2 Chain Rifle Ekdromoi
1 EVO Repeater
Co-ordinated order landing using combat jump.

The chain rifle is hit/miss and more often than not I will land them close to something and jump them straight into combat, where even with 'only' CC18 their MA skill makes them a major PITA for anyone to deal with.

Even with PH16 (effective) the hit rate I've had is 50% landing on target, but place sensibly and you're unlikely to scatter off the table.

In one game I managed to kill a fusilier hacker, roadblock a Father Knight for 2 orders on the opponents turn (only lost to a crit) and whittle down a Hospitalier Doctor (over the course of two turns) for one loss.
In another game, I dropped in and took out Phoenix with multiple chain rifle shots whilst sadly the second Ekdromoi ended up back in my deployment zone.

The chaos they cause is beautiful to watch.

Could Diomedes have done better? I don't know, but I doubt it muchly. And he wouldn't have landed half the time either.