Post by Fadril Adren on Mar 24, 2015 18:53:51 GMT -5
HUGE AND SPECIAL THANKS TO JAMES MacKAY FOR DOING THIS!!
Ok, just a little thing here.
Each box makes 4 models that were not included in the starter box.
With the Zentradi box you have some big choices, to pin or not to pin. With the destroys box, the choices are cosmetic.
The cards are the key, and it looks like they switched to a round corner style AND remembered to stick the malcontent cards in there.
But the battlepod box includes just what you would expect and need. The destroys box comes with a lot more! BUT you can't use half of them without buying a second box or waiting for the wave 2 expansions (which may never come).
These are NOT all the UEDF core cards. These are your units when playing the game.
The starter box gives you 5 (+1 battloid) veritechs, 2 Tomahawks and 2 defenders.
The expansion adds 2 Spartans and 2 Phalanx.
The all Valkyrie squad is perfectly covered in the starter box, as is the area denial unit.
With the expansion the fire support squad can be made.
But the close combat, artillery and armored destroid squads need additional expansions to field.
Another Spartan/phalanx box would cover it nicely on the one side, but a different expansion is needed for the extra tomahawks. And there doesn't appear to be a 4 defender unit. An oversight perhaps?
Not so many choices here.
Your basic regult squad fields all 12 pods in the starter box.
The attack and recon squads trade pods for Glaugs. When you would use these? I don't know, they offer no advantage by themselves. Perhaps there are some point cost crunching combos that make them more ideal.
The new Artillery pod card in the expansion is kind of a slap in the face. The unit needs 6 models that only come in boxes of 4!
And since the support cards add one of the three variants in groups of 2, you're going to end up making 2 of 2 of the three choices in the box.
SO you gotta get 2 boxes. Make 4 with missile pods, 2 with quad batteries, and 2 with twin cannons.
And with the other core cards available, your best choice is to start with 2 missile pods and 2 quad batteries.
The twin cannon units look way way cooler than they actually are.
The malcontent cards were neglected from the starter box, so these are just what came from the expansion.
The artillery support squad can be made with units from both expansions.
The light raider squad takes 6 basic pods and 2 Spartans from the destroid expansion.
The mixed infantry squad needs zentradi infantry unit from wave 2 and cannot be fielded.
Support and special option cards. This is the second step in customizing your units.
These are still not all there are.
specials: only 1 per core unit.
VF-1S- the Roy fokker, Skull1, Jetfire. Only 2 allowed per army, can only be added to Valkyrie squads, can be further customized with wave 2 options.
Command destroid: add Leadership to one destroid in the unit. It counts as an officer for the sake of the UEDF special ability.
Glaug: the most important unit in the Zentradi army. These are the guys that resurrect your battle pods every round.
Support options: up to 2 for each core unit.
You can add more units or upgrade existing ones.
There's enough cards to repeat each possible combination over and over, give or take. The advantage is going to be in the number crunching, not in any abilities.
Just getting the maximum model counts here
4+2+2+1=9 veritechs
4+2+2=8 destroids
12+6+6=24 battle pods +1 Glaug
6+2+2=10 artillery pods +1 Glaug
Valkyrie unit.
I included the cats eye cuz I had it. Otherwise this represents the full limit of customization until wave 2, as I know it.
4-9 models
80-300 points
For a complete model set you need
Sx1 Jx1 Rx4 Ax7 = 13 models
Right out of the box you can only make 5 units. The R is a worthy upgrade, but it's not one that demands unique models, especially since it is a direct upgrade to an A or J.
Special character cards are upgrade options to an individual model. This is where your unique abilities come in.
The UEDF can field their whole classic lineup with 2 destroid characters. The expansion gets you the third destroid pilot. Only Magnus, the armored valkyrie pilot is left out waiting for wave 2.
The Zentradi have far far fewer options.
Azonia, Khyron and Grell can take Glaugs, but there is only 1 available.
Grell and Pirion can take Regult battle pods, of which there are plenty.
The rest are all waiting for wave 2.
I just focused on a 2 of all formation cuz that's the most I can field without buying 2 more expansions.
8 models
60-170 points
Compared to valkyries, there's only one officer instead of all.
Lesser or equivalent stats to a battloid.
Their advantage is the bigger health pool of the Spartan and Tomahawk along with the heavy duty firepower.
The Spartan really needs to be in Hand to Hand.
The defender just shoots, preferably from way at the back.
A Phalanx can splash blasts all over the table, making him best right smack in the middle.
But the Tomahawk is bristling! He's your go to guy to lead the other destroids or to build a dedicated unit.
Freeman in a Defender is almost necessary
Dietrich adds another command point and getting an extra attack makes him an auto take, guarenteeing a tomahawk in your squadron somewhere.
Kain has the speed you need to get your Spartan where you want it. If you choose to run a pair of Spartans, you will take him.
To me, the best choice of squadrons to build is the 2 of all. Spread them around so they can cover each other and protect your Phalanxes with your Tomahawks. Let the Spartans charge pods before they can jump away and position the defenders for flanking fire.
The Phallanxes have some powerful weapon upgrades, shortening their shooting time and cranking their agro through the roof. Don't expect them to live too long so get as much firepower out of them while they last.
Actually, it occurred to me, the artillery pod box allows me to make up to for of each of the 3 artillery pods. And since the weapon pods are interchangeable, it's very easy to modify a standard battle pod.
So any player never rightly needs more than one of these boxes and grabbing a standard box of 6 Regult Pods makes for a more efficient choice to feed 2 people.
We may have to do that when/if you get around to starting your set
Zentradi army sheet with 2 core units.
For the starter box the big 12 pod unit is really the only choice.
The other one is more for maximizing your support choices, but you actually lose some space to the Glaug that comes preinstalled. Unless another special becomes available in wave 2. But it's best if you want to recycle some basic pods into artillery pods.
The malcontents get the best mileage out of the starter box and they have some unique upgrades and big pricey support options.
However some of the units lack their more powerful upgrades from their parent factions.
The faction makes the most of your collection, especially if you have an opponent with their own box and want to actually PLAY larger games.
2 phalanx, one standard and one with the devastating Scorpio Launchers
2 Spartans, one with a baton another with a gun pod. Same long range rifle veritechs use.
Artillery expansion
Turns out I miscalculated. There's not enough weapon pod mounts to go around.
You can make up to
4 cannon pods
And
4 missile/rocket pods
Stay tuned folks, I'll have done all the pertinent math later. I know Spencer was looking starting a set too.
- Fadril
