Would you like to explain the Retribution to me?

[HannibalTheGreat]

Hi all,

I´m somewhat interested in the Retribution and therefore I got the book, but seriously I can´t see any outstanding units or tactics. I simply don´t understand what Retribution is all about.

I also surfed these boards and read about the killyness of the Mage Hunter Assasine, but her stats look mediocre to me. I can´t see why this model should be one of the hardest hitting pieces out there.

Sure, I see the somewhat increased survivability of Retribution warjacks, but this alone goes only so long.

Honestly, I don´t see it. Therefore please help me and give me some insight in Retribution tactics. I like some of the models, but I can´t see the deal. :(

HTG

[theorymachine]

The retribution wins not by superior tactics but by shear force of will alone!

No... kidding aside, to address the Mage Hunter assassin, one need think of the following:

9 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = max damage roll possible for them, what is so awful about 33 you may ask? Answer? Decapitation. Every point over the target's armor value doubles damage, so for instance if she hit an average caster having an armor value of 15 for example, with that very above average roll, she is capable of doing 36 points of damage. 33 - 15 = 18 * 2 = 36. She also has a 4 inch reach (only when she strikes that reverts to .5 after hitting or missing). Finally Arcane Assassin cannot be overlooked. Any buffs to the caster's armor or defense characteristic are ignored.

She is capable of a 14" charge and that frightens some children and Cryx's very low armor statistics.

[Redphantasm]

Welcome,

First off, I would go digging around for threads written by Lord Xalys. He has some great write ups.

The shtick of Retribution to me has always been one thing: Flexibility.

All our units have a lot of it. For example, Sentinals have not only the power of weapon masters but also the armor to hold the line (defensive line). To use just one of many examples.

Addressing the Mage Hunter assasin. Her stats are pretty good for solos, but her hitting is not a sure thing. When she goes hit (on charges) she does obcene amounts of damage. Her charge is a POW 9+4D6, and any damage exceeding a targets armor is double. Very strong, but has a decent chance of missing her targets or dying to AOEs. It's her balance.

What models do you like?

I'll give you some of my favorite tactics and combos.

Mage Hunters + UA = RAT 6 crossbows (POW 10 RNG 12) that can see through everything thanks to Phantom Seeker (no cover, no interveneing models, no blockers, no walls, no nothing). They keep the ability when the officer dies too.

Battle Mages = Simple POW 10 magic attacks that push/pull the enemy d3" with every hit. This can really screw with your opponents battle lines, drawing targets closer or pushing them back, also has crit knockdown.

Invictors = Powerful ranged attacks, and decent melee attacks. These become very strong melee attacks when a jack is nearby to give them Flank.

Houseguard Halberdiers = Have it all, on both offense and defense, and are dirt cheap to boot. Gain great mobility and hitting power from their UA.

A few caster combos:

Kalyssa = Use backlash on one of your foe's jacks, then pepper it with crossbows from mage hunters and kill the caster indirectly.

Rahn = Use his feat with lots of battle mages to throw long range, fully boosted magic bolts around. They hit for great, have a good chance of knocking down, and push/pull too.

Garryth = Gallows, enough said. Push/pull whatever you want d6". For more hilarity, hit it with battle mages after this.

Garryth + Halberdiers & UA = Cast mirage on the Halberdiers. They can now advance 11" a turn while maintaining shield wall (2" mirage, 6" move + shield wall, 3" reform)

Manticore = Very strong in combat, but also gives you a covering fire AOE. Your battle mages can push/pull models into this to kill them on your turn, and it stays around preventing the enemy from moving into it on his turn.


You'll hear from other people I'm sure, but remember, we are a very Flexible army, capable of adapting our playstyle both on and off the field. Take the models you like and you can build one hell of an army no matter what you pick.

[HannibalTheGreat]

Thanks for that fast answers here and the advice you gave.

Well, the models I like are
- Battle Mages
- Houseguard Halbediers
- Stormfall Archers
- Mage Hunters

Just to name the units. The mounted solos I also like due to their rules, but their models aren´t released yet, therefore I´m not sure about them.

Unfortunately I don´t like the look of most of the jacks, especially the light jacks look somewhat dull IMO, while the heavies are ok looking.

Is there any possibility to run an army with the above listed models?

HTG

[Redphantasm]

The more I read the more I love battle mages. Glad you like em too Hannibal.

It's certainly possible to fit the models you like into a list. thecsharian has been playing very similar things:

http://privateerpressforums.com/showthread.php?t=1564

The models you listed will cover most of your bases with regards to ranged combat, mess with the enemy movement, AOEs and melee combat. You are going to want something heavy hitting though.

This is where the jacks come in, or Sentinals, which are a great alternative. When a Juggernaught is bearing down on you, you can only knock him down so many times, or plink him just so much. At the end of the day, you need a Manticore to break him in two.

That said, dig around Modeling and Miniatures forum, you may find that it's the scheme you dislike, not the jacks. That was the case with me. Myrmidons were "meh" then I saw some grey and blue ones and they popped. I went with a mix of Sanguine and Cryx Bane on mine, very militeristic and imposing. :)

Happy hunting and welcome to the fold.

Fun trick: Mage hunter's all have "Arcane Assasin", against Warcasters this means they will always be rolling against base stats. Doesn't matter if there is fury on them. Doesn't matter if they have a spell on them. Can be a very nice boon for dropping exposed casters.

Speaking of which, you know a caster you like?

[FranzGrenstein]

I love my Sentinels.

Things killed by Sentinels:
Warp Wolf killed by 2 sentinels
2 Seraph in the same turn
Destroyer
Entire unit of Bastions
Ahh.... good times. :D


Also I have turned a many a caster into a pin cushion w/ MHSF and UA.

[Curved]

Not great at anything, but good at everything. Also, the army is overall highly mobile.

In strategy, the mobility means the Retribution player gets to pick who gets to fight who. Since Retribution's units are fairly balanced, that means you can always find an edge. -- You can kite a close combat unit, pin a ranged unit, and attack vulnerable locations.