[SST:Evo] Brain Bug

[Paladin]

1. Can they use ID sending as a Reaction? The card makes no mention either way, but seems extremely powerful.

2. It says it ignores Armor rolls, but makes no mention of ignoring Dodge. We assumed it ignored it, but would be a good idea to make it official on the card.

3. If the Brain bug joins the Guard Bug squad... What happens if the Guard Bugs move outside of 12"? Can they still designate a leader from amongst their Guard bugs or are they "stuck" as out of command?

4. Can the bonus action be used to grant a Ready to a Plasma in preparation for the next round? I know there has been some argument on whether Ready actions rollover to the next round in BF:Evo.

 

[Paladin]

5. After playing with the brain bug a couple more games, I really don't like the current version of ID sending. The bonus to damage on ID Sending based on size doesn't really make sense. Ultimately, the attack is still occuring against a human when attacking the MI (except the CHAS). Whether the human is on foot, in a Grizzly or Ape suit, it's still a size 1 human. Why should they be more susceptible to mental attack in larger armor than on foot?
It also results in almost auto hits on larger targets which can kill a lot of points off in hurry. It was killing two Grizzly's a round (67% chance of success each) and a LAMI (anything but a 1) or PAMI on every reaction.

6. The ID Sending ability needs to be clarified on the card to identify available targets. Does it have to declare a Fire Zone or simply pick a target in range (our assumption based on v1). It may be clearer with the Adv. rules.

 

[Rabidchild]

The answers to your questions are on the cards:

1: If the card doesn't say, it follows the normal rules. So yes it can react.

2: All the "dodge" saves are not armor rolls, so yes they get them.

3: On the guard bug's card it has the "swarm" rule: "Any guard bug may be nominated as unit leader at the start of every action." So if the brain moved away, the guards would be able to choose a leader from among their number when they take an action.

4: I agree it's not fully clear on the card, but in v1 "ready" was a state that carried over from turn to turn, no longer in the Evo rules. I would say no, but the card isn't clear.

5: I don't know? From a rules perspective, it allows the brain to hurt nearly anything. From a background perspective, it can destroy machines as easily as living things, so maybe the larger the target, the more things that can go wrong? The brain doesn't have to attack the pilot of a grizzly to take him out, an ammo feed jam or a misfiring jump jet is just as deadly as an aneurysm.

6: If the card doesn't say, it follows the normal rules. So yes, it creates a firezone as normal. With only one shot and no line of sight needed, often my Brain bug can pick off unit leaders and special weapons with this ability, since it's obvious who is going to be hit.

 

[Paladin]

2: All the "dodge" saves are not armor rolls, so yes they get them.

So the ability to roll/tumble/dodge out of the way from an incoming blow also works against mental attacks? :? I think it would make more sense to fix the card to ignore Armor and Dodge.

3: On the guard bug's card it has the "swarm" rule: "Any guard bug may be nominated as unit leader at the start of every action." So if the brain moved away, the guards would be able to choose a leader from among their number when they take an action.

Sort of. The Swarm says it may act as a leader for any Gaurd Bugs. That doesn't work with the core rules "you may nominate another model in the unit to become unit leader, so long as the original unit leader has been removed from the table." One way or the other you still have one half of the unit out of command. I'd recommend putting a caveat like, "The Brain bug may never be out of command." on the card or forcing the gaurd bugs to stay within the 12" to truly "gaurd" the Brain. Though in both of our game the Bugs were low on minis and wanted to send the guards to the front lines to help.

4: I agree it's not fully clear on the card, but in v1 "ready" was a state that carried over from turn to turn, no longer in the Evo rules. I would say no, but the card isn't clear.

I'd say no point in carrying over the bad ruling from BF:Evo to SST:Evo(which wasn't in the rules, but clarrified via the forums). :lol:

5: I don't know? From a rules perspective, it allows the brain to hurt nearly anything. From a background perspective, it can destroy machines as easily as living things, so maybe the larger the target, the more things that can go wrong? The brain doesn't have to attack the pilot of a grizzly to take him out, an ammo feed jam or a misfiring jump jet is just as deadly as an aneurysm.

I wasn't aware of it's ability to affect machinery as well. I guess that makes sense, but it still seems a tad powerful, especially if it were used as an anti-aircraft weapon (I'm guessing aircraft will be a size 4-6+).

6: If the card doesn't say, it follows the normal rules. So yes, it creates a firezone as normal. With only one shot and no line of sight needed, often my Brain bug can pick off unit leaders and special weapons with this ability, since it's obvious who is going to be hit.

So if I put a trooper in the center of a circle of his buddies he's immune to a mental attack that doesn't require LOS.... :?

 

[Rabidchild]

3: On the guard bug's card it has the "swarm" rule: "Any guard bug may be nominated as unit leader at the start of every action." So if the brain moved away, the guards would be able to choose a leader from among their number when they take an action.

Sort of. The Swarm says it may act as a leader for any Gaurd Bugs. That doesn't work with the core rules "you may nominate another model in the unit to become unit leader, so long as the original unit leader has been removed from the table." One way or the other you still have one half of the unit out of command. I'd recommend putting a caveat like, "The Brain bug may never be out of command." on the card or forcing the gaurd bugs to stay within the 12" to truly "gaurd" the Brain. Though in both of our game the Bugs were low on minis and wanted to send the guards to the front lines to help.

The rules on the cards modify or alter the main rules, so the swarm rule would supersede the need for the first leader to be removed from the table. I'm not sure if I understand your question entirely, so bear with me here. I think the answer depends on if you are attempting to split the unit mid action. That has been a question in the past also. If you have a unit of say 10 warrior bugs that takes its first action to run 5 bugs out of command, can both groups take a second action? The swarm rule allows them to pick a new unit leader at the start of each action. I think that you could pick one group or the other to have a new leader, but not both since it's the same unit. Or are you asking if a Brain can leave a unit of guards and stop acting as their leader, which I would say yes to.

6: If the card doesn't say, it follows the normal rules. So yes, it creates a firezone as normal. With only one shot and no line of sight needed, often my Brain bug can pick off unit leaders and special weapons with this ability, since it's obvious who is going to be hit.

So if I put a trooper in the center of a circle of his buddies he's immune to a mental attack that doesn't require LOS.... :?

You don't need LOS for the firezone, so if you put the FZ behind the unit (where you can't most of the time because the models themselves block LOS) and measure it so that the guy in the middle would be the first to be allocated a die, then there you go. With only the one die, there's no point to putting the FZ where it catches the most enemies.

 

[Paladin]

3: On the guard bug's card it has the "swarm" rule: "Any guard bug may be nominated as unit leader at the start of every action." So if the brain moved away, the guards would be able to choose a leader from among their number when they take an action.

Sort of. The Swarm says it may act as a leader for any Gaurd Bugs. That doesn't work with the core rules "you may nominate another model in the unit to become unit leader, so long as the original unit leader has been removed from the table." One way or the other you still have one half of the unit out of command. I'd recommend putting a caveat like, "The Brain bug may never be out of command." on the card or forcing the gaurd bugs to stay within the 12" to truly "gaurd" the Brain. Though in both of our game the Bugs were low on minis and wanted to send the guards to the front lines to help.

The rules on the cards modify or alter the main rules, so the swarm rule would supersede the need for the first leader to be removed from the table. I'm not sure if I understand your question entirely, so bear with me here. I think the answer depends on if you are attempting to split the unit mid action. That has been a question in the past also. If you have a unit of say 10 warrior bugs that takes its first action to run 5 bugs out of command, can both groups take a second action? The swarm rule allows them to pick a new unit leader at the start of each action. I think that you could pick one group or the other to have a new leader, but not both since it's the same unit. Or are you asking if a Brain can leave a unit of guards and stop acting as their leader, which I would say yes to.

I thought we already determined that in the Evo rules you can only have 1 leader of a squad regardless of Swarm. Otherwise you can separate 10 bugs into 10 squads. Yes, they should be able to act independently, but I don't see how they can "legally". In this case, if you change leaders to a guard bug, have you taken the leadership role from the Brain or split into 2 squads (1 brian, 1 w/guards = i.e. fireteams from BF:Evo)? The card is extremely vague on the Swarm ability.
-Swarm does not allow you to pick a leader that isn't of the same "species".
-If you take leadership from the brain and pick a guard as leader via Swarm and are >12" from the Brain, you leave the Brain out of command.
-If you leave the Brain as leader and the guard bugs move > 12" from it, they are out of command and cannot pick a new leader unless the Brain dies.

Something on the card needs to be changed to squash the ruleslawyering/confusion.

You don't need LOS for the firezone, so if you put the FZ behind the unit (where you can't most of the time because the models themselves block LOS) and measure it so that the guy in the middle would be the first to be allocated a die, then there you go. With only the one die, there's no point to putting the FZ where it catches the most enemies.

Duh. I wasn't thinking about the abuse tactic that lets you hit the back guys over the front targets in a squad. Put it where the very front, outside edge of the 6" radius is on the one guy you want in the FZ.