Let´s talk about warhounds

[Dark Bjoern]

Let´s talk about the warhound. It was no question to magnetize the reaver and warlord, but what about the warhound? Is it worth the effort? If not,what is the best loadout for them?

[Chaeron]

I think given the relative ease with which one can magnetise all of the models in the range, it definitely seems worthwhile to continue this trend with the Warhounds too, especially if in future we might get things like Ursus Claws or similar, which would give them a greater close range capacity. Others may have more subjective views on the 'best loadout', but I think with the possibility of any additional potential weapons options in future, it'd be a good choice to magnetise to accommodate for if that occurs!

[Mendi Warrior]

Definitely worthwhile imho. I did magnetise all mine, weapons, heads and legs-torso joint. Also, if you do them in batch, it doesn't really take a lot of time (especially relative to the time you'll spend painting them).

[Sherrypie]

There is no definitive "best" in anything in this game, really. Except ripping and tearing. It is always best in life to RIP AND TEAR your enemies, see them driven before you and hear the lamentations of those doomed to clean the mess. Accept no substitutes.

 

That aside, the question is really what you want your engines to achive. Personally I know I'm getting enough 'Hounds to not bother magnetizing their guns (4 ready, two more in a box, I know I'll succumb to more eventually. Flesh is weak, weak shall purchase.), but it isn't really that much work if one wants to swap around or wait for future weapons.

 

On loadouts:

 

The weapons are quite varied in their purpose. Megabolters strip shields like no other, maximised plasma hurts pretty much anything as well as offering that important Str 10 to vaporize Knights without saves, turbolasers have range for opportunistic sniping without giving up too much hitting power and infernoes cause certain annoyance to larger engines while hurting Knights pretty good. There are merits to specializing in something and to vary things around. If you put two of the same gun on your Hounds, they always operate at their best when the circumstances allow, but you risk losing strategic levers when you lose them. If you for an  example have a doublebolter hound to take shields away and a doubleplasma to deal pain, your output drops harshly if the enemy just kills the bolter doggo.

Megabolter + Plasma is a classic for independent capability, as it can both deal with shields and punch hard. Double plasma hits hard buuut as I like to move with the Hounds would probably cook itself alive too fast. Double lasers is a fine partner for another in a squadron, hanging back and answering threats as needs arise while being able to touch things on the other side of the table. Twinferno is the aggressive one that runs to nip your enemy in their bum, licking away shields and systems with flames that cannot miss.

 

I often field a Venator maniple with four Hounds, two Megabolter + Plasma, one Twinferno and one with double Lasers. Squadroned with one generalist and one specialist in each pair, running out to fulfill objectives or aggressively close with the enemy while my leading Reaver rains Melta death down the field. Or Quake missiles, bless me little Krytos artisans :D

 

In short, take what fits your strategy. Everything has its use.

[Reyner]

I magnetised my Warhounds it was pretty easy to do - just trim down the ball joint on the arm and attach a couple of magnets. I did the waist too which was even easier lol!

[Spleenex]

Magnetizing the doggos is absolutely worth it, and not at all difficult. A sharp pair of hobby clippers will neatly shear through the weapon-attachment ball joint - no finger-shredding drilling or grinding required. Once that's done, give it a quick sand, then glue a 5x1mm magnet in place. Boom. The only slightly tricky bit is making sure the angle of the clip is right. Don't want your guns being all tilted. No need to modify the weapons at all - just drop a 5x1 in the mount point with some super glue, and poke it around until it is laying flat. Put a dab of putty/green stuff under it for more stability, if desired.

 

As for the "best" loadout - as others have noted, that's a tricky and highly-situational question. Part of the strategy of AT18 is figuring out where the synergies lie within your force. Every weapon, and combination of weapons has its place (with the possible exception of the warp missile - still baffled by that one). But loadouts have to be considered within the context of: a) The rest of the maniple, b) the rest of your force, c) your preferred play style and Legio rules. 

 

Personally, I think that over-specialization is problematic in this game. As a low body-count game, you just don't have the resilience to rely on specialized models (dakka Reaver, fire pupper, etc.). It potentially leaves a large chunk of your force without antything useful to do, or leaves you lacking key capability if it gets taken out.  But, Sherrypie above makes a good case for some specialized 'Hounds, so YMMV.

 

Basically, this was a long-winded, procrastinatory (at work and not sufficiently caffeinated yet) way of saying: 1) Magnetize, 2) Play a few games to figure out your preferred play style, and the "best" loadouts will suggest themselves.

[Dark Bjoern]

I magnetized the hounds.

[Sherrypie]

Obviously the purpose of the Warp Missile is to look cool. Just look at its majesty:

 

 

Seriously though, I think it has some reasons to exist. It is a cheap gun with a nice one time effect when you want to spend points upgunning others instead, it passes shields so you can use it to snipe guns off from that one First Firing Warlord down the range where you could not otherwise apply pressure fast enough and most importantly, it almost always does something useful with that one shot your melee Reaver is going to get in its short life as a distraction carnifex before it's focused on by everything. In that last job it performs admirably, as lifetime expectancy of dedicated melee engines tends to be shorter than some of their companions'.

[1ncarnadine]

Maybe a good use might be against squadroned Warhounds? Ignore shared shields and hit a plasma blastgun. Anything that's difficult to repair for a Warhound and its 2 servitor clades.

[Sherrypie]

Good point actually, that is indeed somewhat taxing on the squadron if it is otherwise under fire.

[Spleenex]

Hmmm. Interesting points re: the warp missile. Maybe not the frivolous bauble I thought at first. And using it to snipe at Warhound squadrons is clever. Though I suspect that would be more timing dependent than the first round snipe at the Volcano/Quake Warlord in the back corner, as it would be most useful if the doggos were already under fire. And now that I think about it, another use occurs to me: sniping at battlefield assets, which are often not visible for much of the game due to their low profiles. Artillery Warlord camping on a shield-booster thing (forgot the name)? Use the missile to put that little trick to bed right away.

 

Semi-related: Is there a tactica thread for AT-18 here on B&C? Is there demand for one? The more I get into this game, the more I realize how subtle the tactics are, and think some discussion would be great.

[1ncarnadine]

Semi-related: Is there a tactica thread for AT-18 here on B&C? Is there demand for one? The more I get into this game, the more I realize how subtle the tactics are, and think some discussion would be great.

 

We've made do with threads like this and the main AT18 thread, but it would make sense to have a dedicated tactica thread. It would be a nice place to post and evaluate lists, too :)

[Sherrypie]

Not sure if there's a dedicated thread, besides occasional spouting in the general chat. I posted my longer Legio tactica essay there.

[Warsmith Uveron]

So my Take on Warhounds. 

 

1) I dont Magnetize. My personal rule is I dont Magnetize anything under a $80 kit these days. When you go looking for Sales and discounts A single Warhound is $20 a pop and some games I want to run alot of them. 

 

2) Weapon Options.  Plasma is king. Its 'OK' at stripping shields when you have too and even without maximal fire S8 hits (effective 9 in a pack) are nothing to sneer at.

 

I have been running a pair of them, one with Mega Bolter + Plasma and another with Dual Turbo Laser. They always try and target the same titan and the Boter/Plasma acts first, bolter trying to take out shields, and then the plasma blasting one part of the body and then the Dual Turbo will aim and put shots into that same location trying to finish it off. The dice offten betray me, but on paper its a sound way to take out another hound quickly. 

 

But based on that proformance I have added too more Hounds to my collection recently, One is a Dual Plasma, Yeah he may explode if both maximal fire, but in a squad he is packing alot of death and the potential for a good 8 hits at a high S will fit well as the 3rd part of the pack. 

 

The last one, is an odder one. Mega Bolter and Flamer. I almost built dual Flamer but decided against it. The purpose of this Titan is objective grabbing an shield shreding and finishing crippled titans. Lots of potential hits makes my opponent roll a ton of dice.