Which MI platoons can hold their own?

[Poi]

Marauders
Exosuits
Power Armour
Light Armour
Pathfinders
Roughnecks

Six armies to choose from!

I haven't played much, so can I call on your wisdom. How does each platoon stack up? Are they all usable on their own, or should I be aiming for a mixed force?

My yearnings are to either an exosuit, marauder or light armour platoon.

 

[Mage]

I think marauders rock a lot, as do exos, than power suits, in that order.

 

[cordas]

Exosuits are good, but they are supprisingly fragile if they get caught off the bounce. PAMI by themselves need something with some grunt to back them up, but otherwise are good, the same goes but more so for LAMI.

 

[Goldwyrm]

I like the PAMI the best. I feel they are the most versatile, with the most weapon and equipment options. In one platoon you could have different squads with either WASP packs, mini-platform weapons, reliant platforms or other assets, with a Marauder, on LA-50 Sprites, or with various weapon upgrades. And the platoon command can be in Marauders as well, without being a Marauder platoon. They can also use drop capsules like the Exosuits and Marauders.

My impression of the others:

LAMI- Their advantage is numbers and emplacement assets but they are vulnerable to being too static and being overrun. Firezone restrictions are a negative too. They're still fun if you like the movie.

Marauders or Exosuits- A lot of firepower concentrated into fewer models. They lack the "in game" mobility of the PAMI since none of the squads can get hover/18" through WASP packs or Sprites.

Roughnecks- This is really more a unique character list to add to a PAMI platoon rather than a separate type of organization. I consider them good flavor and fun if you're a fan of the Roughneck Chronicles series.

Pathfinders- No opinion yet. I'm still waiting on that army book to show up in the mail..

Despite how effective I think they are, I still collect all of the above for flavor purposes. They're not all table ready yet, but I've got a Marauder platoon, 2 PAMI platoons, the Roughnecks with a CHAS, a small PAMI WASP platoon, 2 LAMI platoons, and an Exosuit platoon. I'm just starting on Pathfinders.

 

[mallymoocow]

... They're not all table ready yet, but I've got a Marauder platoon, 2 PAMI platoons, the Roughnecks with a CHAS, a small PAMI WASP platoon, 2 LAMI platoons, and an Exosuit platoon. I'm just starting on Pathfinders.

wow now thats a force! out of interest if you fielded all that what kinda total points value are we talking about?

 

[Goldwyrm]

wow now thats a force! out of interest if you fielded all that what kinda total points value are we talking about?

You think that's large? BuShips has me beat. :lol:

I do have the forces written up by platoon on a spreadsheet at home. I'll post later tonight. I think it is close to 10,000 points. I know my WASP platoon is written up for 1000 points- 1 LT, 2 NCO "group leaders" with trench lasers and plasma munition, and 2 squads of 6 with 2 hel flamer upgrades in each squad. The Marauders were around 3000 or so.

I've got a smaller collection of Bugs, somewhere between 5000-6000 points. My next convention game is 4000 per side.

 

[mallymoocow]

:shock:

 

[Makoto]

Marauders and Exosuits - too lacking in numbers, especially Marauders. Imo it's too serious a weakness of them to send them out on their own. Both those platoons shine as a support unit in a large battle, but I find them somewhat lacking in games below 2.000 pts, especially on their own.

Power Armour - most versatile and powerfull platoon imo. Especially that they can be reinforced with a Chickenhawk or Grizzly w/twin Firestorms or two (or more ^^ ) for extra firepower. Enough options to use them in any scale engagement.

Light Armour - excellent line troops, however they do need some mobile support. Imo should be used exclusively only in battles large enough to provide them with a handfull of Skyhooks for extra mobility.

Pathfinders - excellent support platoon. Sniff out camouflaged bugholes, provide some extra missile punch, that kind of thing. However they're not supposed to be front line grunts, but special forces. So imo they're very good for tiny skirmishes (750 pts and below), but in larger battles they should be used as support for LAMIs or CAPs.

Roughnecks - never seen them, but personally I find the idea of using merely a handful of heroes instead of a real army somewhat repulsive.

 

[Rob_A]

I'd say Exo's with Marauders and PAMI.

PAMI have the manouverablity, Exo's have the toughness and some good weapons and Marauders have damn good weapons.

I went with PAMI and Marauders. I wouldn't mind getting some exo-suits though.

 

[BuShips]

My play experience is limited, but it would be hard to say on a Platoon level which force is best. Theoretically, the points values come out generally balanced. You'll notice that the various types of MI are based on a sliding scale from "quantity" to "quality".

Now if the question is raised a notch to company-level forces, then I'd say a mixed force of the more common troops like CAPs, supported by Marauder and Exosuit platoons. Each platoon could support the others in a better way than just having a force made from one type.

One of these days I'll drag out all of my forces and inventory them as to point values, but I'll probably wait until the new Evo rules to do that.

 

[Alexb83]

LAMI I've found very lacking except where backed up by air assets and/or marauders or other heavy hitters - on their own they're just too inflexible and lack sufficient heavy firepower (even if they can deal with those rank and file bugs).

Pathfinders are another odd one - they suffer at higher point levels since you can sink lots and lots of points into relatively few squads - but they do make up for it with some very neat tactical advantages (like the ability to roam around tunnels, shredders, reavers).

Not played with power armour too much.

Marauders are very cool - and against other MI they're nigh to invulnerable -but they suffer from the eggs in one basket syndrome.

Exos - like marauders, but less punch and better movement - they feel wounds even more, as a single wound on a squad is going to screw them over.

 

[cordas]

Exos - like marauders, but less punch and better movement - they feel wounds even more, as a single wound on a squad is going to screw them over.

Hopefully that is changing in SST:Evo, it does rather nerf the Exo's as its better to have 1 killed than 1 reduced to 1 hit.

 

[JoseDominguez]

I love my pathfinders...... I always take lots with minimal upgrades to allow them more javelins (with reaver). Over powering them makes them too expensive to risk. Keep them close to basic with lots of cheap snipers and javelins (which are cheaper for them than PAMI). There 12" reaction range and other advantages are pretty good, sticking loads of traits and flash weapons always seemed to be false economy.. of course, that needs lots of pathfinders. I had 112 at plus my silly canine force.... 48 pathfinder dogs on the table.... just about as useless as you'd think
They are changing pathfinders in Evo though.

 

[cordas]

Eberything is getting tweaked to some degree or other for evo.

I have fancied getting a Neodag MK2 for my Cougar Leiutant, but unfortunatly the dog would get lost when he starts jumping

 

[BuShips]

Eberything is getting tweaked to some degree or other for evo.

I have fancied getting a Neodag MK2 for my Cougar Leiutant, but unfortunatly the dog would get lost when he starts jumping

Reading that, I just imagined what would happen if the Pathfinder was using a leash, lol. :shock: :lol:

 

[cordas]

Eberything is getting tweaked to some degree or other for evo.

I have fancied getting a Neodag MK2 for my Cougar Leiutant, but unfortunatly the dog would get lost when he starts jumping

Reading that, I just imagined what would happen if the Pathfinder was using a leash, lol. :shock: :lol:

I would imagine the path finder would get taken for a rather brisk walk.... they aren't that big compared to a neodog....

Can just imagine the Skinnies creasing themselves in half with laughter as they see the Pathfinder lieue being dragged around the feild as it he tries to get his Neodog to sit at heel.

 

[BuShips]

I would imagine the path finder would get taken for a rather brisk walk.... they aren't that big compared to a neodog....

Can just imagine the Skinnies creasing themselves in half with laughter as they see the Pathfinder lieue being dragged around the feild as it he tries to get his Neodog to sit at heel.

I was thinking more in the reverse as you said that the PF would start to make a jump and all sorts of bad combinations would happen. The dog would get yanked by the leash, burned by the jump exhaust and seriously harm their bonding. Yikes, and not a drop pod to be seen for the mutts. :lol:

 

[cordas]

I would imagine the path finder would get taken for a rather brisk walk.... they aren't that big compared to a neodog....

Can just imagine the Skinnies creasing themselves in half with laughter as they see the Pathfinder lieue being dragged around the feild as it he tries to get his Neodog to sit at heel.

I was thinking more in the reverse as you said that the PF would start to make a jump and all sorts of bad combinations would happen. The dog would get yanked by the leash, burned by the jump exhaust and seriously harm their bonding. Yikes, and not a drop pod to be seen for the mutts. :lol:

Hadn't considered the PF using his jump pack to try and bring his mutt to heel, but I can see this ending in a huge mess and withone someone getting bitten.

 

[BuShips]

I would imagine the path finder would get taken for a rather brisk walk.... they aren't that big compared to a neodog....

Can just imagine the Skinnies creasing themselves in half with laughter as they see the Pathfinder lieue being dragged around the feild as it he tries to get his Neodog to sit at heel.

I was thinking more in the reverse as you said that the PF would start to make a jump and all sorts of bad combinations would happen. The dog would get yanked by the leash, burned by the jump exhaust and seriously harm their bonding. Yikes, and not a drop pod to be seen for the mutts. :lol:

Hadn't considered the PF using his jump pack to try and bring his mutt to heel, but I can see this ending in a huge mess and withone someone getting bitten.

This must be why leashes are prohibited in the Pathfinders. :wink:

 

[cordas]

I was thinking more in the reverse as you said that the PF would start to make a jump and all sorts of bad combinations would happen. The dog would get yanked by the leash, burned by the jump exhaust and seriously harm their bonding. Yikes, and not a drop pod to be seen for the mutts. :lol:

Hadn't considered the PF using his jump pack to try and bring his mutt to heel, but I can see this ending in a huge mess and withone someone getting bitten.

This must be why leashes are prohibited in the Pathfinders. :wink:

Maybe there is such a thing as military intelligence after all........ 8)