Ashlynn: What to do with 6 Jack points.

[LEJKaya]

I'm new to Ashlynn and trying to work out what's good as far as her 'jack choices go.

Now she has 6 points and I think a Vanguard would be a good 'jack in general and useful for its abilities. That's 5 points leaving 1 point left so I'd have to get at least one more 'jack to fill her free points up.

Ashlynn has only focus 6 and her spells are actually quite good so I don't want to be trying to manage 2 focus hungry 'jacks with her.

I'll also be taking a Mule but it will be 'jack marshalled out to the Gunmage UA so I can't spend the WJ points on it.

So my options are:


Keep the Vanguard and add a Talon (I'm hoping that between powerful charge and stall I can keep focus allocation to it low)
Keep the vanguard and add a Buckaneer (Cheaper)
Just buy her a Nomad. I think this is the best option so far but I have noticed people saying she isn't great with the nomad here and on Battle College.


I think the Nomad would be my choice because I want to minimise points on 'jacks other than the mule but none of her spells really seem to help it and it does need some focus too.

Any better suggestions?

[Robert Shepherd]

Just buy her a Nomad. Personal experience suggests that outside very cornercase lists, you always, always need a heavy, and if he's going to get stuck in, being marshaled just wont cut it. A Vanguard is an excellent choice for a second 'jack to tag along with her, since it runs lighter on the focus when it needs to. That said, a Vanguard is probably equally good on the Gun Mage UA, if you don't mind painting a massive bullseye on his forehead (but at least he has a shield guard model around to help him out with that).

The thing about Ashlynn is that although she has a few nice spells, two of them are upkeeps and the rest tend not to get used unless she's either dangerously close to the enemy, or in melee. In all other circumstances she can easily run a 'jack or two without stretching herself too far.

[Defenstrator]

Just buy her a Nomad. I've been playing her with one since she first appeared in NQ#1. Over time I migrated to the Mule and Mariner, but it's never bad to have a cheap POW 17 beatstick around. Also, on Ashlynn's feat turn you can pull off some mean tramples with him. If yuo can scrounge up 2 points (or play a bigger game) the Manger is another nice choice. He's a bit more expensive, but brings some great anti-infantry action to the table.

[DevonV]

I play Ashlynn with a Mangler, and the ATGM Officer with a Mule and Vanguard. The Vanguard is very good for keeping Ashlynn and The Dude alive, but marshalling it saves Focus and increases the odds that the shield cannon will do something.

Ashlynn is now ARM 18 with three Focus, so she can afford to fuel a heavy for a crucial turn.

[Mod_Faultie]

I 3rd (or 4th, or whatever) a Nomad. I've got one for my Ashlynn, and I figure that's the best way to run her. Gives he a simple, cheap heavy with a giant sword. What more do you want?

[photogasm]

My Ashlynn uses a Freebooter.

[Angelust]

I also use a Nomad. When you do use it, you'll usually be pumping all your focus into it to totally thrash a heavy or caster. Otherwise, it just stays out of sight, picking off a solo here or there.

I think Forgeguard work just fine for Ashlynn's anti-heavy department, but the Nomad is just a bargain (especially when Ashlynn has the perfect 6 JPs)

[LemmingStampede]

I'm liking the idea of a Freebooter with her now. Between Mules, Forge guard, and now ATGM, that's a LOT of sources of knockdown on her feat turn so that the Freebooter can use Trash.

[LEJKaya]

I think I'll get a Nomad for her.
I only want one 'jack in her battlegroup and it'll work, while only needing focus late in the game to beat face.
It's cheaper than a Talon and Vanguard combo which gives me points for other cool stuff (Like Taryn when she comes out) and other than the shield guard loss I think it'll do better than them.

[mikethefish]

You are going to miss that Vanguard terribly. Just saying. Stick it with a jack marshal or something, honestly. A Nomad and a marshalled Vanguard are almost standard equipment for Ashlyn

[Drillermaniac]

As to the title of this thread, spend them on jacks. :) (sorry couldn't resist)

[LEJKaya]

You are going to miss that Vanguard terribly. Just saying. Stick it with a jack marshal or something, honestly. A Nomad and a marshalled Vanguard are almost standard equipment for Ashlyn

This seems likely, The gunmage UA will maybe marshal a Mule and a Vanguard. I'm not looking to minimise 'jacks just minimise 'jacks in Ashlynn's battlegroup.

Unless I decide to go for that double mule on the Gunmage UA list...

[mikethefish]

Gotcha, I thought you meant you were removing it from your whole list, not just the battlegroup. Carry on then :)

[petegrrrr]

Ashylnn really, really wants you to bring a mule.

On her feat turn, it basically auto crits. It's devestating.

[The Happy Anarchist]

Ashylnn really, really wants you to bring a mule.

On her feat turn, it basically auto crits. It's devestating.

He mentioned the Mule is marshalled on the Gun Mages for Sniped or super pushing autocriting zaniness

[Brandubh]

Ashylnn really, really wants you to bring a mule.

On her feat turn, it basically auto crits. It's devestating.

I see this alot. So we take a 'jack so it can Auto-Crit one shot a game? I'm not sold on that. Don't get me wrong, the Mule is a warjack I take with Ashlynn...but it's the second string choice.

First and foremost, I take a Nomad. That jack is a beast and at its price you can afford to throw it away if you have to. The Nomad doesn't have any frills but it's ARM & P+S are outstanding.

[krom71]

I play old school.. I run Ashlynn with 2 Mules almost all of the time. And the Master Gunner for the extra range 1/game and Herne and Johnne to snuff the low ARM infantry.

[generic4562]

errr... you missed option 4 (the one I use)

Keep the vanguard and smile at the point you end up not using.

[DevonV]

I see this alot. So we take a 'jack so it can Auto-Crit one shot a game? I'm not sold on that. Don't get me wrong, the Mule is a warjack I take with Ashlynn...but it's the second string choice.

No, you take the Mule so you can start trying for ~40% Critical Devastations at 16", then start going for Thunderbolt-Devastations at 12", and then when you can see the whites of thier eyes, you near-lock the critical. Thunderbolt-Devastations are brutal. AoE knockdown, 2-9" push back, and potential collateral damage. You can cut up a unit and potentially throw them out of charge range.

It's still a POW 15, 4" AoE even when it's not criting, and now it's got better range than a stock Mariner, and it has a d3 push.

[Angelust]

Yeah, that 1/game devastation will often throw them out of their charge range, allow you to land another shot on them, and the mule is still a beatstick when it needs to smash something on its head.

I definitely think the Nomad is better on Ash, but having one great feat turn can often mean 50-75% of the opponent's army in the dust.

[lastspartacus]

She loves a Vanguard. Its also very fluffy.

[Kaptain Von]

Mariner? I'd have thought Lash was very useful for a 'caster who effectively loses the game if she's knocked down.

[brotherscott]

I haven't had the chance to run the ATGMs in a Highborn Covenant just yet. With that in mind, I have found Ashlynn works well with two Mules (as in "Two Mules for Sister Ashlynn").
In an early MK II game I ran her with a Mule, Nomad, Vanguard, and Talon with pretty decent success against a Retribution army led by Kaelyssa. She takes to Nomads well, but on her feat turn the two Mules can really tear things up.

And her 'jack points don't count for marshaled 'jacks, so you might as well use them up, right?

[Defenstrator]

The only problem I have with putting the Mule on the ATGMs is that you are invariably boosting the hit role for the Crit, but lots of times I would really like to be boosting the damage roll as well. An unboosted POW 15 only does so much against hard targets.

[DevonV]

Mariner? I'd have thought Lash was very useful for a 'caster who effectively loses the game if she's knocked down.

It's a double-edged sword. She hates knockdown, but she hates standing next to large metal things that people shoot and boost blast damage on her too.

@Defenstrator:
That's the trade off, but Snipe is so tempting... Personally I find that while boosting attack and damage is nice, having a good target every turn is nicer. If you want to break something, forgo the critical and boost the damage.

[LEJKaya]

errr... you missed option 4 (the one I use)
Keep the vanguard and smile at the point you end up not using.

What does the vanguard offer over a Nomad?
You get shield Guard but then she has to stand next to a low def jack which is bad for chain lightning, blasts etc...

[The Happy Anarchist]

Actually, you can stand 2" away (or even behind a jack) and that leaves only 5" AOE, of which there are relatively few and chain lightning or ashes to ashes which at Pow 10 are not that tremendous of a threat. She is ARM 15 now after all. The only real caster you have to worry about Ashes to Ashes death is Severius with BoV which you can camp 2-4 focus and be pretty safe from or the High Reclaimer, which you can camp 1-2 focus and likely be pretty safe.

[mikethefish]

Indeed. Ashlyn doesn't care that much about blast damage and Pow 10's. She's fragile, but not THAT fragile.

[generic4562]

she doesn't need it, her solos need it.

[brotherscott]

The only problem I have with putting the Mule on the ATGMs is that you are invariably boosting the hit role for the Crit, but lots of times I would really like to be boosting the damage roll as well. An unboosted POW 15 only does so much against hard targets.

Just an observation- If you boost the hit on a Critical Brutal Damage shot you have a better chance of getting the critical and possibly boosting the damage. And, of course, a Critical hit with the mule sends things flying....

...a little more bang for the buck, potentially.

[Solarc]

With Ashlynn, I think A Vaguard and a Nomad are good at 35 points. @ 50 points, you can up the Nomad to a Mangler and it's worth the cost to help clear heavy infantry and cav that you are likely to face in a 50 point game. Reach, chain weapon, and thresher @ POW 17 are good set of abilities to have on a heavy. @ 35 you have a 6 pointer option that can work just as well and are not likely to face as much stuff with high armor.

Oh... don't ever place your caster behind your shield guard jack, especially if it's a light. It'll just get slammed and knock your caster over. the Shield guard works just as well on the side or from behind the caster

These days I have been taking a Mariner with gun mages (cuz, why not? A boosted PoW 14 on turn 1 is great opener.) so if I run into lots of knock down stuff (Stryker, Kreoss, ect.), I can keep her close to the Mariner until I'm ready to charge in for a kill.

[mikethefish]

Well in the Vanguard's defense, it happens to be Def 15 against slams, but yeah - when it's protecting Ashlyn in my games, I always keep it to her side, never in front of her.

[Lanz]

I used to run a Mule and Vanguard with Ashlynn, but as of the new ATGM option, I'll probably marshal the mule instead.

Because I rely more on ranged combat than melee combat, thus making something like a nomad a liability(since it'll be the only thing advancing into melee), I think I'll take a Bucaneer instead, to deny enemy melee 'jacks instead.