Onastar

[mmimzie]

Howdy all I've been running my cohort cybernetica too great success. I think I'll run a tactical if thier is any interest. I wanted to pick some brains about a possible onastar.

 

Depending on how strict the starter set formations will be it would be, the formation might be a nice way for me to add a 3 man onager squad to my army. Even without the formation they could still be good

 

I compare them to a knight.

 

They can get 12" out turn 1, but later are quite abit less mobile.. They also have a much larger foot print as a unit for better or worse, and can also protect each others rear armor.

 

They don't split fire (i believe) so might waste some shooting, but should do work against what every they shoot.

 

Not so good in combat even with the manipulator, but the snap firing might be nice from the cognis.

 

Defensively: Both have 4+. Knights loose it to drop pod alpha strike or tau mirror trickery. Onager get it reduced when one doesn't. I'd argue the onagers might be alittle tougher against D one shot can only every take out one crawler??? Also crawlers would definitely have IWND for all that's worth.

 

So what do you guys think?? What would be the best weapon options?? I was thinking the day would work best. They could do a number to any unit type with days, and when the enemy gets close they'll get some nasty face damage. The neutron would be very deadly, but might waste alot of damage and be very expensive. Phoser is just a kinda bad kastelan.

[Terminus]

Neutron laser and manipulator would be my kit of choice. This does set you back 420 points, but that's not terrible in this day and age.

 

It gives you a mobile firing platform that ignores terrain, and dishes out 3 S10 AP1 blasts. I don't think you're wasting damage. For example, against a Knight, a group of three Onagers will average 2 hull points and 1-2 rolls on the damage table at +2, before ion saves. Against Thunderwolves each blast will probably only tag one guy unless your opponent clumps them up.

 

Defensively it's AV12 with a 4++ and 9 rotating hull points with It Will Not Die and potential repairs from a nearby Magos. That's quite solid. They aren't amazing in melee, but again it's more S10 AP1 attacks. You get a "free" cognis stubber, too.

 

I've been having fun with two of these guys. I am very tempted to pick up the Start Collecting Skitarii bundle for a third one. I don't really need another Magos or another unit of Vanguard, but it works out to $19 extra for both over the price of the Onager alone. Seriously love these bundles, especially with another discount from online retailers.

[Dawnstrider]

I must be missing something cause you lost me at "formation". What formation are you talking about?  Are you talking about the War Cohort? That is the only one to my knowledge that allows for 3 Onagers. 

 

I have just started collecting AdMech this Christmas so have not played with them yet so this is all based on theorycrafting:

 

I would hold a unit of  back nearby in cover because this unit will do heavy damage and as soon as your opponent sees that, their next move will be to try and lock it in combat. Since this will be 350+ points with the Laser, I would keep a unit nearby to ensure it never spends more than one round in combat if it gets assaulted or can intercept those who intend to assault the Onagers.  A Lancer Dragoons would be ideal for this. I would not consider anything but the Neutron Laser for this unit as it is to many points to maybe get the range you want out of the Beamer. When you get close enough with the Beamer to do what you want, you are also close enough to lock in combat since you are a walker.

 

If you do want to go with Beamers on them, I would also use a several units of Sicarians, Lance Dragoons, or Fulgurites. With the Onager base size and unit coherency being tso large, you could move them forward and multicharge when the time came to lock several units in combat for your melee to mop up. 

 

If you could get a couple of units of Sicarians into assault position, then the turn you plan to charge use a WS Imperative. Fire all three Onagers at the back ranks of enemy units near the units you want to charge. Watch as the concussive Neutron laser scatters onto other nearby units thanks to the low BS of the Onager. Declare assault and save against the overwatch with you Conversion field and watch all those blind tests against Initiative 1.

 

I think three Onagers will be a good unit as long as they shoot at targets worthy of them. I would try to place them close to the center of the deployment zone to maximise the odds as heck have good targets available while spreading out the Data Tether and Mindscanner.

[mmimzie]

Nah i'd just move them up the board with my Cohort cybernetica.  Both unit's are big enough that they could stretch across the better parts of both halves of the board and suport each other when needed. From here a few back field kataphrons with dominus escorts would rock. If i'm afraid of the walkers moving up the field they can stay back and the kataphrons can come up with the cohort.

 

Formation i'm talking about is the one that should be coming with the new starter sets coming up. If it doesn't limit you to just 1 onager model, and instead lets you bring a unit of onagers i'll run them.  I escort all my kataphron with a dominus. It makes them  waaaay better. Plus i'm also crossing my fingers they'll get canticles, but failing all of that I could just take 2 min squads of vanguard for em if i must. Info in the B&C rumors section: here

 

I was thinking maybe the erradication ray could work.... it's pretty cheap, but the variable weapon is kinda silly, and it forces you to play them back field if you want the large blast or up field if you want the small one. 

[clanfield]

also don't forget you will gain a second magos from the starter set who could run with the spider tanks.

 

my original theoretical had 3 beamers how ever the first was pretty sad compared to the neutron las .

 

the possibility's are sound but like the aqu8bus I think it will miss I would be tempted to mix in a phosper canon with ether build thou

I think she's over looked a lot as a support role.

 

iv not run the convocation as my meta wont let me use it (sad I know also have same problem with my knights)

[Terminus]

Nah i'd just move them up the board with my Cohort cybernetica. Both unit's are big enough that they could stretch across the better parts of both halves of the board and suport each other when needed. From here a few back field kataphrons with dominus escorts would rock. If i'm afraid of the walkers moving up the field they can stay back and the kataphrons can come up with the cohort.

 

Formation i'm talking about is the one that should be coming with the new starter sets coming up. If it doesn't limit you to just 1 onager model, and instead lets you bring a unit of onagers i'll run them. I escort all my kataphron with a dominus. It makes them waaaay better. Plus i'm also crossing my fingers they'll get canticles, but failing all of that I could just take 2 min squads of vanguard for em if i must. Info in the B&C rumors section: here

 

I was thinking maybe the erradication ray could work.... it's pretty cheap, but the variable weapon is kinda silly, and it forces you to play them back field if you want the large blast or up field if you want the small one.

 

This is the first I'm hearing of formations in the starters, that's interesting. The magos is a sweet HQ, getting multiples would be great. Hmm, I may need 2 sets, but that puts me at 50 skitarii and 3 magi.

[MajorNese]

Onastar...well, I personally don't see the deathstar potential in this one. Too slow, too big a footprint to be flexible enough. Manipulator for everyone will be wasted most of the time, unless you want to go into CC, in which the onagers still suck. 4++ is good, and brings them halfway to superheavy resiliency, but that's nothing extraordinary at that points cost. 3 neutrons are overkill for many targets, unless it's a vehicle, in that case haywire is far superior and frankly cheaper.

 

Only useful variant I see is 3 with just additional stubber. Beamer will be the ranged bane of horde armies with 3 large blasts, it has considerable resiliency, while not being overpriced. Screen with infantry or countercharge units, and they are a good mid range artillery platform. Plus, if something gets closer, the probability of not hitting your own guys increases (problem with every other artillery), as well as the probability to kill the target.

 

 

The magos is a sweet HQ, getting multiples would be great. Hmm, I may need 2 sets, but that puts me at 50 skitarii and 3 magi.

 

Considering the money saved, the magos is free, though otherwise really expensive. If you don't need him at all, ebay is your friend.

[mmimzie]

Thier footprint isn't so much a liability if you ask me. Similar to cohirt cybernetica, since the unit does take up so much spaces its hard to actually kill a model.

 

That's because it's hard to get all of your attack on 1 model. Unit on the right side of the field will shoot 1 onager, unit of the left have to shoot a different one, and ones in the middle may shoot set another onager. So you can really concentrate one down. Though explode, immobilize result will quickly become problems, edit: but I'd say it's not much worse than explode results on a knight.

[Terminus]

Ah, but the logic in this thread says weapons that cause explode results aren't good. It's all haywire, grav and the D, amirite?