Interesting take on Nomads! The standard Nomad GML package with 2 Morans is indeed quite swc heavy. With the advent of Gator however, you can include a Liberto or TR-bot AND another hacker easily in you list. For example, the now cheaper Zondnaut hacker for 23 points looks like an interesting add. Wishlist: maybe some ITS scenario specific strategy videos, pretty please!
I really enjoyed your fresh take on Nomads! Although the Nomad "meta list" is pretty good, I think you made a convincing argument that Nomads have a lot more versatility. If you are interested, it would intriguing to hear your take on "armor spam" lists. I mean lists that spam cheap heavy infantry (Tankos, Diggers, Domarus, Wu Mings etc.) and maybe even add a TAG into the mix. I've seen those type of lists a few times and they can just walk over opponents that are unprepared for them, but struggle against some factions and lists. How would you build (and play) a list that retains the ability to brutally walk over unprepared opponents, while having a decent chance in almost every matchup? I think Ikari, JSA and Corregidor might have the best armor spam potential, but there can be others.
It's an interesting concept and something I've toyed around with before. As a personally terminology choice though though, I've conceptualised that kind of list not as 'armour spam' but rather as 'wound spam'. For me, it's the second wound / no wound incap / occasionally dogged that provides the huge bulk of the value, although two wounds at ARM1 aren't quite the same as at ARM3 or 4 or 8. (Ultimately, the metric you're really looking at when you get right down to it is how many orders/AROs your opponent needs to spend to kill one of your pieces. But experience with Tohaa in particular leads me to the conclusion that in a choice between wounds and armour on what to value, pick wounds.) Tohaa are also especially relevant the the conversation because they're just about the only faction that side-steps the major vulnerability just about every other wound-spamming army has, which is enemy infowar when trying to launch an attack. JSA comes in a close second place thanks to wide access to stealth on generally cheap HI, but there's no substitute for just not being susceptible to oblivion and carbonite when you're trying to throw a punch. Among other reasons this is why I tend to conceive of pieces liked Diggers and Diablos as defensive elements first and offensive elements second (once the way is clear, or when opportunity arises). However, with those caveats, building a really solidly resilient list that has a lot of wounds (and armour) and just takes a long time to kill is super, super good. Most of the reason that things like 5pt warbands en masse in N3 was so good was because every one of them represented an order your opponent had to spend to kill, from a limited budget over the course of the game. A tough, wound-heavy army in N4 accomplishes a lot of the same thing within the 15 trooper limit, and is the root of Tohaa's power in particular. Tohaa always, always take slightly too long to attack by most enemies and tend to go into the late game with just a few more troopers/orders/resources than you'd like after slugging at them for multiple turns. Other factions can duplicate this and the ones you listed do so well. Overall it's a style I'd encourage people to look into, or splash into lists, because being able to absorb damage and defend against an enemy attack in N4 is more critical than its just about ever been, and resilience is a highly effective trait on the defence especially.
@@R0bertShepherd thanks for your comment! I agree that your choice of the term "wound spam" is more appropriate. With "armor" I was referring to durability, which is a bit confusing as we all know how durable those arm3 medium infantry are :D You make a good point that Tohaa definitely belongs into the wound spam conversation. I guess the wounds come so naturally to Tohaa that I just forgot about them :D The only downside in Tohaa - from wound spam perspective - that I can think of is that their most spammable multi wound unit, Sakiels, are not very dangerous. BS12 combi rifles are a bit underwhelming when compared to Domarus or Diablos with direct template weapons, Berserk and great CC skills. But Sakiels are still hard to kill and especially the Paramedic is a really nice filler in link that can press buttons and revive its fallen comrades. One downside that every other wound spam list, except Tohaa, seems to have is that they are naturally quite light on specialists. I guess they can take a couple of cheap specialists (like FO bots) that can press buttons later in the game. And I guess an engineer is something you want in lists with lots of HI. Another approach would be to try to kill two birds with one stone and take a couple of KHDs that can deal with opponent's hackers and press buttons. Most wound spam factions also have access to fast warbands that offer another way to deal with hacking threats (Yojimbo, McDoggo). What's your take on this? I like how you highlighted the defensive aspect of wound spam lists. It's hard, for example, to have an efficient alpha strike if the opponent has to inflict 2 wound on almost every target and you will save many valuable orders. I also like to offensive element with wound spam. It can be terrifying to face a bunch of 2W high armor models in the midfield that have DTWs and good CC skills. The fact the many of them also have an access to impetuous order makes them even more order efficient to use when they get close to the enemy. What's your approach for offense with wound spam lists?
@@pandabeastmode2434 I wrote a lengthy reply and then youtube ate it, and I am now very sad. However, the TLDRs were; For Tohaa, look past Sakiel and toward pieces like Rasails and Kerails. Their native high wounds plus peripherals means they're bringing more durability for their cost and a *lot* more for their troop slot. Both add four wounds and have relatively cheap 32-35pt profiles for what you get. Peripherals generally are the best way for many factions to get this offensive and defensive durability into a list if they don't want heavy infantry. Peacemakers, puppets, lawkeepers all add a lot of weight to a list if you keep the controller alive before the peripherals have finished trading up. When attacking with a wound-heavy list, it will depend on the specifics of the list you're using, but as a general principle I think the approach heavily favours close assault (if you can get there). Specifically, it's an approach that lets you blow through single wound enemies with chain rifles or shotguns, knowing at worst you'll take one wound, which maximises the benefit of the extra wound on models like Tanko. The premier troops for this probably are Tanko themselves, who have haris-linkable shotguns (for burst three templates/BS13 shooting), have stealth to push through an enemy hacker network, and can have a big (ish) gun Daiyokai for fire support to close. But many troops can do the same thing - Rasails as noted above are great at close assault, the Su Jian is a known terror, etc. Close assault high-wound troops are a special kind of power, if you can just deliver them to make the attack.
@@R0bertShepherd Sorry about your comment. TH-cam seems to do that sometimes :/ That's a good point you make about peripherals, Rasails and Kerails. An additional advantage with Rasails and Kerails is that the controllers have 2 (or 3) wounds, which makes them a lot harder to kill before their peripherals. I think I need to look into building Tohaa lists that have Rasails, Kerails or both. Thanks a lot again for your comments!
There was only one other game that event as I took a bye in round two, and I don't have good photos. But I'm sure there'll be more nomad content in future. :)
Not at all - my opponent for the match steams a good ham. It's been a bit too long since the game for me to reconstruct it in it's entirety but you should be able to from the report. :)
@@chrishoj5277 no need for NCOs when Kornak leads the army! I've been quiet on the uploads while preparing for CanCon, but keep an eye out for reports later in the month. :)
I really prefer this format of battle report to the "shakey-cam and announcing the numerical outcome of every roll" style. Keep it up! Thanks
Thanks for the video, it's really refreshing to see something other than 2x Morans in a Nomads list.
Two armies I'm interested in for N4, thanks for including a lot of knowledge and fun tips.
I'm super happy to see more nomad games!! :)
Awesome to see more videos
These a super interesting lists love your videos
Also I know you briefly mentioned it in the tierlist but I'd love to hear any more in depth thoughts you have on vanilla's duos
Interesting take on Nomads! The standard Nomad GML package with 2 Morans is indeed quite swc heavy. With the advent of Gator however, you can include a Liberto or TR-bot AND another hacker easily in you list. For example, the now cheaper Zondnaut hacker for 23 points looks like an interesting add.
Wishlist: maybe some ITS scenario specific strategy videos, pretty please!
How have you found the zondnaut now that it's stuck as impetuous it feels like it loses alot
Great battle report!
I really enjoyed your fresh take on Nomads! Although the Nomad "meta list" is pretty good, I think you made a convincing argument that Nomads have a lot more versatility.
If you are interested, it would intriguing to hear your take on "armor spam" lists. I mean lists that spam cheap heavy infantry (Tankos, Diggers, Domarus, Wu Mings etc.) and maybe even add a TAG into the mix. I've seen those type of lists a few times and they can just walk over opponents that are unprepared for them, but struggle against some factions and lists. How would you build (and play) a list that retains the ability to brutally walk over unprepared opponents, while having a decent chance in almost every matchup? I think Ikari, JSA and Corregidor might have the best armor spam potential, but there can be others.
It's an interesting concept and something I've toyed around with before. As a personally terminology choice though though, I've conceptualised that kind of list not as 'armour spam' but rather as 'wound spam'. For me, it's the second wound / no wound incap / occasionally dogged that provides the huge bulk of the value, although two wounds at ARM1 aren't quite the same as at ARM3 or 4 or 8.
(Ultimately, the metric you're really looking at when you get right down to it is how many orders/AROs your opponent needs to spend to kill one of your pieces. But experience with Tohaa in particular leads me to the conclusion that in a choice between wounds and armour on what to value, pick wounds.)
Tohaa are also especially relevant the the conversation because they're just about the only faction that side-steps the major vulnerability just about every other wound-spamming army has, which is enemy infowar when trying to launch an attack. JSA comes in a close second place thanks to wide access to stealth on generally cheap HI, but there's no substitute for just not being susceptible to oblivion and carbonite when you're trying to throw a punch. Among other reasons this is why I tend to conceive of pieces liked Diggers and Diablos as defensive elements first and offensive elements second (once the way is clear, or when opportunity arises).
However, with those caveats, building a really solidly resilient list that has a lot of wounds (and armour) and just takes a long time to kill is super, super good. Most of the reason that things like 5pt warbands en masse in N3 was so good was because every one of them represented an order your opponent had to spend to kill, from a limited budget over the course of the game. A tough, wound-heavy army in N4 accomplishes a lot of the same thing within the 15 trooper limit, and is the root of Tohaa's power in particular. Tohaa always, always take slightly too long to attack by most enemies and tend to go into the late game with just a few more troopers/orders/resources than you'd like after slugging at them for multiple turns. Other factions can duplicate this and the ones you listed do so well.
Overall it's a style I'd encourage people to look into, or splash into lists, because being able to absorb damage and defend against an enemy attack in N4 is more critical than its just about ever been, and resilience is a highly effective trait on the defence especially.
@@R0bertShepherd thanks for your comment! I agree that your choice of the term "wound spam" is more appropriate. With "armor" I was referring to durability, which is a bit confusing as we all know how durable those arm3 medium infantry are :D
You make a good point that Tohaa definitely belongs into the wound spam conversation. I guess the wounds come so naturally to Tohaa that I just forgot about them :D The only downside in Tohaa - from wound spam perspective - that I can think of is that their most spammable multi wound unit, Sakiels, are not very dangerous. BS12 combi rifles are a bit underwhelming when compared to Domarus or Diablos with direct template weapons, Berserk and great CC skills. But Sakiels are still hard to kill and especially the Paramedic is a really nice filler in link that can press buttons and revive its fallen comrades.
One downside that every other wound spam list, except Tohaa, seems to have is that they are naturally quite light on specialists. I guess they can take a couple of cheap specialists (like FO bots) that can press buttons later in the game. And I guess an engineer is something you want in lists with lots of HI. Another approach would be to try to kill two birds with one stone and take a couple of KHDs that can deal with opponent's hackers and press buttons. Most wound spam factions also have access to fast warbands that offer another way to deal with hacking threats (Yojimbo, McDoggo). What's your take on this?
I like how you highlighted the defensive aspect of wound spam lists. It's hard, for example, to have an efficient alpha strike if the opponent has to inflict 2 wound on almost every target and you will save many valuable orders. I also like to offensive element with wound spam. It can be terrifying to face a bunch of 2W high armor models in the midfield that have DTWs and good CC skills. The fact the many of them also have an access to impetuous order makes them even more order efficient to use when they get close to the enemy. What's your approach for offense with wound spam lists?
@@pandabeastmode2434 I wrote a lengthy reply and then youtube ate it, and I am now very sad. However, the TLDRs were;
For Tohaa, look past Sakiel and toward pieces like Rasails and Kerails. Their native high wounds plus peripherals means they're bringing more durability for their cost and a *lot* more for their troop slot. Both add four wounds and have relatively cheap 32-35pt profiles for what you get.
Peripherals generally are the best way for many factions to get this offensive and defensive durability into a list if they don't want heavy infantry. Peacemakers, puppets, lawkeepers all add a lot of weight to a list if you keep the controller alive before the peripherals have finished trading up.
When attacking with a wound-heavy list, it will depend on the specifics of the list you're using, but as a general principle I think the approach heavily favours close assault (if you can get there). Specifically, it's an approach that lets you blow through single wound enemies with chain rifles or shotguns, knowing at worst you'll take one wound, which maximises the benefit of the extra wound on models like Tanko.
The premier troops for this probably are Tanko themselves, who have haris-linkable shotguns (for burst three templates/BS13 shooting), have stealth to push through an enemy hacker network, and can have a big (ish) gun Daiyokai for fire support to close. But many troops can do the same thing - Rasails as noted above are great at close assault, the Su Jian is a known terror, etc. Close assault high-wound troops are a special kind of power, if you can just deliver them to make the attack.
@@R0bertShepherd Sorry about your comment. TH-cam seems to do that sometimes :/ That's a good point you make about peripherals, Rasails and Kerails. An additional advantage with Rasails and Kerails is that the controllers have 2 (or 3) wounds, which makes them a lot harder to kill before their peripherals.
I think I need to look into building Tohaa lists that have Rasails, Kerails or both. Thanks a lot again for your comments!
Tactics videos on tunguska would be amazing!!!
I second this one.
Any chance you could post the other games that you played as Nomads?
There was only one other game that event as I took a bye in round two, and I don't have good photos. But I'm sure there'll be more nomad content in future. :)
@@R0bertShepherd no worries, looking forward to more reports.
Great as always
Is it wrong to say I’m very interested in that Morat list?
Not at all - my opponent for the match steams a good ham. It's been a bit too long since the game for me to reconstruct it in it's entirety but you should be able to from the report. :)
@@R0bertShepherd 100% Anyat + 2 Dayurazi (Harris), Yogat sniper, Suryat HRL, 2 Dartok, Rasyat (best diplomacy 😂), 1 lonely paramedic Morat, kornak lt., oznat w/ gaki/preta… only curiosity is no NCOs. Anywho, awesome report and instant subscription!
@@chrishoj5277 no need for NCOs when Kornak leads the army!
I've been quiet on the uploads while preparing for CanCon, but keep an eye out for reports later in the month. :)