Jaegerwolf
01-22-2010, 04:09 PM
Plan on doing this with Mercs as well, but was thinking it might be useful to create a thread detailing the Marshalls in faction and which 'Jacks would work best with them. Note I'm going from the 2010 Faction Deck and Prime MKII, so anything coming out of the Forces book won't be in here yet.
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (The Dude)
Probably the most talked about Marshall we've got, The Dude is best served running ranged focused 'Jacks that can take advantage of his Rune Shot ability.
Charger - A favorite when The Dude first appeared, the ability to buy another attack with the Marshall ability means you can pick up two strong ranged attacks with an added ability for only a couple points. Only problem is you won't be able boost any attacks or damage rolls without outside help.
Cyclone - Unlike the Sentinel's Strafe, the Cyclone's Rapid Fire ability isn't a special attack, so it can make use of Rune Shot. It can even use a different ability for each shot. With 2-6 shots per activation, there's a fair chance you can get off a Critical Brutal, and Snipe turns the Jack into a mini Longgunner unit. Thunderbolt is the most interesting, as you have the chance to knock apart Shield Walled units or completely ruin multiple charge setups.
The downside of course is the high cost of the 'Jack as well as only having one 'boost' available for what could be a large number of attacks.
Defender - Need to put a shell into the enemy's mess tent? Give The Dude a Defender and it'll get there. With it's long range you can usually sit still and get the aiming bonus, so most of the time you'll be using the Marshalling for boosting damage. Cost and not being able to support the 'Jack very well if it gets in Melee are the main issues here.
Grenadier * - Have a star on this one because its reliant on a larger combo with Trenchers. While that immediately ups the price of taking it, you get the benefit of up to three AOE attacks that can carry an attack type. Snipe gives you the equivilant of the Herne and Jonne, trading some POW for range. Though Critical Brutal Damage won't carry over to the AOE, you'll still get up to three chances to roll doubles. Thunderbolt becomes even more powerful here then on the Cyclone, as it will affect all models under the templet AND knock them all down on a critical.
Hunter - Similar to the Defender in its synergy with The Dude, the Hunter's better mobility and ability to get out of trouble easier make it a better choice if you plan on facing a lot of medium and large based units. Just don't expect it to be able to pull out of a close quarters jam.
Ability to run two jacks? - The Dude has a nice long command range, so I think he's able to stay out of harms way enough to be worth running two lights, though I'd suggest using two of the same to make your tactics a bit easier.
Next would be Captain Arlan Strangewayes, then Field Mechaniks, Stormblade Officer and Sword Knights. Anyone want to step up and give their opinions?
Arcane Tempest Gun Mage Officer (The Dude)
Probably the most talked about Marshall we've got, The Dude is best served running ranged focused 'Jacks that can take advantage of his Rune Shot ability.
Charger - A favorite when The Dude first appeared, the ability to buy another attack with the Marshall ability means you can pick up two strong ranged attacks with an added ability for only a couple points. Only problem is you won't be able boost any attacks or damage rolls without outside help.
Cyclone - Unlike the Sentinel's Strafe, the Cyclone's Rapid Fire ability isn't a special attack, so it can make use of Rune Shot. It can even use a different ability for each shot. With 2-6 shots per activation, there's a fair chance you can get off a Critical Brutal, and Snipe turns the Jack into a mini Longgunner unit. Thunderbolt is the most interesting, as you have the chance to knock apart Shield Walled units or completely ruin multiple charge setups.
The downside of course is the high cost of the 'Jack as well as only having one 'boost' available for what could be a large number of attacks.
Defender - Need to put a shell into the enemy's mess tent? Give The Dude a Defender and it'll get there. With it's long range you can usually sit still and get the aiming bonus, so most of the time you'll be using the Marshalling for boosting damage. Cost and not being able to support the 'Jack very well if it gets in Melee are the main issues here.
Grenadier * - Have a star on this one because its reliant on a larger combo with Trenchers. While that immediately ups the price of taking it, you get the benefit of up to three AOE attacks that can carry an attack type. Snipe gives you the equivilant of the Herne and Jonne, trading some POW for range. Though Critical Brutal Damage won't carry over to the AOE, you'll still get up to three chances to roll doubles. Thunderbolt becomes even more powerful here then on the Cyclone, as it will affect all models under the templet AND knock them all down on a critical.
Hunter - Similar to the Defender in its synergy with The Dude, the Hunter's better mobility and ability to get out of trouble easier make it a better choice if you plan on facing a lot of medium and large based units. Just don't expect it to be able to pull out of a close quarters jam.
Ability to run two jacks? - The Dude has a nice long command range, so I think he's able to stay out of harms way enough to be worth running two lights, though I'd suggest using two of the same to make your tactics a bit easier.
Next would be Captain Arlan Strangewayes, then Field Mechaniks, Stormblade Officer and Sword Knights. Anyone want to step up and give their opinions?