Blister or Blaster?

[Goldwyrm]

I'm setting some time aside later today or tomorrow to assembly 5 boxes of Blister/Blaster Bugs. Now I have a slight problem. I have 15 models and want both types of unit represented.

Do I make them up for SST v. 1 units in 3's or do I go with units of 5 for SST:Evo?

Then..Do I go with more Blisters or more Blasters?

I could do 2 units of 3 Blasters, and 3 units of 3 Blisters, or the reverse. For SST:Evo, I could do 2 units of 5 Blasters and 1 unit of 5 Blisters or the reverse. Decisions, decisions.

Any help from the audience would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Gauntlet-]

Personally I would do all Blisters or all Blasters; thats assuming your heart isn't set on having both; its not like you can't use the models interchangeably anyhow...

Blasters would be my vote notably.

 

[daggers]

slightly smaller scale but I have 2 boxes to build too and still not sure blister or blaster :?

 

[Lieutenant Rasczak]

Blasters (IMHO).

 

[Galatea]

Take Blasters.

They have a higher range, ignore cover and are deadly to any light infantry.
Especially PAMI Squads will not be willing to walk into LoS of 10 Blasters (remember that cover doesn't help anything).


Blisters are too short-ranged. They pack a powerfull attack but will almost certainly be avioded or shot before they can use it.
Also they do not significantly limit the MIs movement capabilities (because of their schort range) - something you really need when playing loads of Warriors.

 

[Lieutenant Rasczak]

Take Blasters.

They have a higher range, ignore cover and are deadly to any light infantry.
Especially PAMI Squads will not be willing to walk into LoS of 10 Blasters (remember that cover doesn't help anything).


Blisters are too short-ranged. They pack a powerfull attack but will almost certainly be avioded or shot before they can use it.
Also they do not significantly limit the MIs movement capabilities (because of their schort range) - something you really need when playing loads of Warriors.

See, take the advice of those in the know (and me LMAO)!

 

[Gauntlet-]

I can never justify taking blisters when something as effective in firepower as a Firefry is available, which is way more flexible, mobile, and the armor issue evens out when examining reactions/move/shoot systems.

The Blaster however does fulfill a role of its own; essentially the Bug 'Hevay Archer'

 

[Goldwyrm]

I went with 10 Blasters and 5 Blisters. I still wanted at least one unit of Blister Bugs just to be complete. Got them all off the sprues and assembled.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

 

[Lieutenant Rasczak]

I went with 10 Blasters and 5 Blisters. I still wanted at least one unit of Blister Bugs just to be complete. Got them all off the sprues and assembled.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts!

You're a better man than me, mine are still in the Boxes Lol!

 

[Galatea]

I can never justify taking blisters when something as effective in firepower as a Firefry is available, which is way more flexible, mobile, and the armor issue evens out when examining reactions/move/shoot systems.

Well, the Blister DOES fulfil a specific role.
Blisters are a type of Bug you can easily deploy within a massive floodwave of Warrior Bugs - something you can't do with firefries.

Blisters are the 'though integrated D10' and firefries are the 'fragile mobile D10'.

Firefries are dangerous because they are so fast and have an effective range of 21", but they can easily be wiped out if once caught under fire.
Blisters project a completely other type of threat - a unit of 10 Blisters packs a REALLY ugly attack (10xD10), but still can weather anything a Squad of PAMI is able to throw at them and stay alive as a combat effective unit.

 

[Goldwyrm]

I'm appreciating the comments on use of the Blister/Blaster Bugs since I haven't fielded them yet. I've got 10 Firefries that have seen battle. I find they're very effective when moving along with another Bug unit or two, like 2 small units of Warriors or a Tanker Bug.

The Blister and Blaster Bugs will see their first battle under the command of another player(s) in a big game we're running locally. I'm just GM-ing, so I won't be pushing these around to make a gooey mess out of the MI. :wink:

I did just realize that I don't see cards for these yet under the SST:Evo rules. I was making an assumption of 5 per unit based on the other units that have cards. No matter, we're using V.1 rules in the big game, with perhaps just the single reaction rule from Evo in place. We may make Veteran troops capable of multiple reactions though. Something to discuss with my co-GM.

 

[Gauntlet-]

Firstly, let’s assume we are all talking about Version 1 SST with this comparison:

Blister Bug,

Range 12, movement 6, making for a threat range of 18 inches, by moving and then shooting.

FireFry

Range 9, jump of 12, making for a threat range of 21 inches, by readying and jumping.

The Blister has more in the way of general armor, and has piercing 1, but the FireFry has Flame, and their damage is the same and 3 inches more of threat range. But take this under consideration, in order to attack the Blister must first move into range to 12 inches away, under many circumstances this will end up being closer than you’d like to get decent shots and you will accrue an enemy reaction, thus the Blisters will likely suffer casualties Before firing. Also their movement may be slowed by terrain, as they have to move around a corner or through cover, limiting their ability to ambush the enemy.

Whereas the FireFry can ready and that ready can be 21 or so inches away from the enemy, safely out of reaction range, thus the enemy could not have fired on them before the FireFry shoots, thus they do their damage before being counterattacked, meaning more net fire power. Also the Fire Fry can ready and prepare within reaction range but behind terrain, the enemies reaction won’t likely be to shoot them, and then they come around the corner shoot and can go BACK around the corner all in one action, possibly avoiding enemy reaction fire again. In addition to this FireFrys can traverse more terrain by ignoring cover and shoot just as much, and can jump in from board edges. The Blister in order to cover the same terrain cannot also fire, and may be slower due to cover and such.

Thus the FireFry is clearer superior because it delivers its firepower more often while moving at a faster rate and avoids reaction fire before it shoots, and under the right conditions can avoid all reaction fire by landing out of line of sight. The Blister simply gets more armor and is More expensive!

Oh and flame on average is better than piercing 1, in the event of enemy with +2 cover or dodge saves… Piercing helps 1 less against cover, and won’t help against dodge, but is slightly more consistently useful.

There is a very good reason that I have 30 FireFrys built but only 8 Blisters/Blasters. Blasters at least have a 24 inch threat range.

 

[Goldwyrm]

There is a very good reason that I have 30 FireFrys built but only 8 Blisters/Blasters.

You laid out the tactical use of the FireFry very well.

However I might have guessed that since the FireFry box set is easier to assemble, is metal, and you get 5 models vs. 3 for the same amount of money, that they'd be much more common in most people's armies than Blister/Blaster Bugs. :lol:

 

[Gauntlet-]

HA

I break your mold, I custom build both my Blasters and my Fire Frys from spare parts! If anything the Blaster was easier to build (or at least paint)... so economics has nothing to do with why I have more of them!

 

[Ben2]

Firefries are something I would always field against PAMI or Exos, or Skinnies that are heavy on the soldiers and guard (or the LEET skinnies list).
However Blisters/Blasters look fun, and mixed in with warriors/workers should survive to fire in support of warrior assaults.

 

[Gauntlet-]

You mix in Fire Frys as easily with Warriors, in fact easier, as since they are smaller are even less visible to the enemy fire, which by the way is another bonus, smaller size.

That being said, I agree they are allot of FUN! And I would certainly field Blasters almost any day because they are just as fun as Blisters in fact virtually identical, and unlike the Blister have a tactical role to fill that just about no other bug excels at.

 

[Goldwyrm]

HA

I break your mold, I custom build both my Blasters and my Fire Frys from spare parts! If anything the Blaster was easier to build (or at least paint)... so economics has nothing to do with why I have more of them!

Yes, I saw the Blaster Bugs in your topic. Very nice. I'd like to find some big jawed beetles like that. It is kinda sad, but I actually can't wait to take my son to Chuck E. Cheese again so I can spend game tickets on getting some 1" long red beetles. I was considering making up a new Arachnid called a Firecracker Bug. They are small like control Bugs but get stressed out by enemy in their point blank range and explode like a grenade.

 

[Gauntlet-]

Thats a funny idea, and a very good name I think... could be a swarm based unit...perhaps.

 

[Galatea]

You mix in Fire Frys as easily with Warriors, in fact easier, as since they are smaller are even less visible to the enemy fire, which by the way is another bonus, smaller size.

Firefries and Blisters are both invisible if placed behind Warriors, there is no difference. The difference is that your entire Firefry Squad will be dead if hit by a firecracker, an underslung frag grenade or a Trip Hammer Mortar (be it direct or artillery fire).

Even a single PAMI Squad without any heavy weaponry is able to completely eradicate a Fry Squad in one shoot action - just drop them beside the Fries and have fun.
But you don't want to drop your Squad near a Blister Unit.

They may be not that fast as Fries but they are hard. You can place them in fireline of some Troopers without being sure they're all dead next turn.

Blisters are a bit like "small Tankers".
They have a powerful attack and still pack some serious armour - thus makes them perfect fire magnets.
And they are able to block an entire (terrain heavy) flank on their own (just supported by a small Warrior meat-shield), something Fries would never be able to do.


Fries are one-hit wonders and only capable of offensive moves.
Blisters are much more flexible. You can use them as firemagnet, heavy attack force, flank guard or heavy point blank defense.

Just imagine you are playing a scenario like sweep clean.
Place some blisters behind some rocks (in the table half the enemy is supposed to clear) and your enemy has a serious problem.
Place some fries behind a rock and they are dead from (underslung) grenades or Firecracker artillery once the enemy advances.
Place some Blasters there and the Exo Officer will walk in their Line of Fire, laugh and shoot them all.

So Blisters DO have their place and in most 'standard armies' I see them even more usefull than fries.
Fries excel when combined with fast moving bugs like Ripplers, Hoppers or Mantis. They are much less useful when put into a Warrior/Tanker-heavy army where they leave their supporting troops behind and get KIA long before the rest of the swarm arrives.

 

[Gauntlet-]

You are right in that Fire Frys are not defensive oriented, but even if they are a one hit wonder as you put it, they get more kills per point then blisters do. Blisters will be shot at before they get to fire negating much of their armor value by the fact that less will be shooting. Afterwards the shooting they are still in range and will be shot at again...

now typically the fries will get shot at after they fire, though certainly not before, but they have a chance depending on your placement and terrain of simply avoiding dammage by shooting and moving back out of reaction range. More of them shot though, and thus you get more kills...

So more kills before they are attacked, and then they all die perhaps... but they are cheaper. You get more kills per point with Fries then Blisters. They also gain more oppurtunities to kill because of their mobility and the fact that they just ignore terrain.

Mixing them with warriors is just as good as blisters, so we agree on that, but being size one is slightly better, in the event of sniper rifles hitting them, and they can hide behind smaller terrain easier then Blisters. Not to mention you can use less warriors to hide Fire Fries. One Firecracker will not wipe out 5 fire fries with any regular luck, just because it can doesn't mean it Will.

Their strength is in delivering that fire power all at once while avoiding any enemy reaction until they do, once done, you have a chance of continuing to avoid enemy fire, but not neccessarily.



I will say this though, the Blister has value in scenarios because you may need to be defensive (typically a foolish things for Bugs) and they do have survivabillity. Also your right in that the Blister has the fire magnet capabillity, by being more survivable.

Heres my problem though... if its asset is its survivabillity, and obviously not its weaponry as we have shown the Fire Frys are far more viable at delivering the same damage.... what purpose does the Blister have when you have Blaster Bugs available who have a better range and the same armor assets. Their weapon isn't as good admittedly, but that isn't exactly what they are special for anyways.

My argument isn't that you can't use Blisters well, they are not a bad unit, and as you said they can take ground its just that they don't have a very useful niche when you have Blasters and Firefrys available instead, oh and warriors to boot.