Battle Armor of the Week - Fa Shih

[Colt Ward]

I am trying to remember if there actually are any other battle armor with Mag Clamps....It feels like this is a piece of tech that has not gotten much love. Either that, or mine-fields.

It was not spread too much until the Jihad . . . and then went from there to the point the Clans copied the system for Protos.

[Alex Keller]

They were the original battle armor with mag clamps.  The CC had no omnimech production at the time of their development.

Didn't mass production of the Men Shen OmniMech (3060) predate production of the Fa Shih (3062) by about two years?

I would say it's more that the CCAF had limited homegrown OmniMech production at that time, so Fa Shih helped bridge the gap. The CCAF was importing several other OmniMech designs (Sunder, Avatar, Black Hawk-KU, Blackjack, Firestarter) before they started production of them in the mid 3060s. We know that the CCAF conquered the St. Ives Compact in 3063 (just 1 year after production of Fa Shih Battle Armor) which allowed for domestic production of those OmniMech designs.

I think what's interesting is that Capellans can use Fa Shih on mechs mounting Stealth Armor, so the Capellan Shadow Lances get the benefit of carrying along mechanized infantry like a lance of OmniMechs.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

I said at the time of development, not production.

[Alex Keller]

That is true. The Fa Shih Battle Armor was in development after or concurrent with development of the Men Shen.

[Alex Keller]

Played my first game with Fa Shih Battle Armor thanks to this article. A couple things came to mind regarding tacticsand use:

1. Fa Shih pairs quite well with fast, stealthy scout mechs like the Raven. It felt like a symbiotic relationship with the Fa Shih gaining protection from the Raven's stealth armor and the Fa Shih providing some extra armor coverage on the torso. The Raven needed to get up close anyway for TAG, then dropped the kids off to go play with their mines. The Fa Shih were less useful on my slow/support mechs. They ended up detaching and jumping forward to get in range. I wish I had brought another Raven.

2. It's quite advantageous to mine the enemy sniper nests (elevated hexes behind cover and in woods) to discourage them from using them. I thought this was more effective than trying to anticipate where the enemy would be moving.

3. The TAG variant is superior. Being able to get 4 tries/shots to TAG a fast moving enemy unit is much more efficient than a single TAG on a mech or vehicle.

[Weirdo]

Being able to get 4 tries/shots to TAG a fast moving enemy unit is much more efficient than a single TAG on a mech or vehicle.

No. A squad of BA with TAG only gets one TAG to-hit roll per turn no matter how many troopers it has. The only way you're getting multiple rolls is if there's more than one TAG on each suit.

[Alex Keller]

Thanks for correcting that rule. So then, a TAG unit is actually less efficient than one equipped with weapons because there's no benefit to multiple TAG, right?

[Colt Ward]

No. A squad of BA with TAG only gets one TAG to-hit roll per turn no matter how many troopers it has. The only way you're getting multiple rolls is if there's more than one TAG on each suit.

Is there a page cite for that?  I know that would be the case with the Kage (TAG) for example but that is because it is a squad weapon rather than a individual weapon.  I do not think we have a single other unit besides a BA squad/point that would have multiple TAG unless it has a C3 Master & TAG.

[Weirdo]

Is there a page cite for that?  I know that would be the case with the Kage (TAG) for example but that is because it is a squad weapon rather than a individual weapon.  I do not think we have a single other unit besides a BA squad/point that would have multiple TAG unless it has a C3 Master & TAG.

Total War, page 218.
"When the controlling player of an attacking battle armor unit announces a weapon attack, all troopers in that unit for the same weapon at the same target."

TAG uses all the rules as a weapon attack, so this applies.

Total War, page 219.
"Different weapons can be targeted at different units, but all troopers in the attacking unit for the same weapon at the same target, using a single to-hit roll."

The only for BA to attack 2 different targets is with 2 different weapons. TAG is only one weapon, unless you design a suit with 2 or more TAGs on each suit.

[Colt Ward]

Yes, you make 1 to hit roll and like any other BA trooper non-missile weapon, see how many of them hit in the squad.  One to hit roll, 1-4 TAGs hitting.

[Weirdo]

I think most folks skip the cluster roll, since it makes zero difference how many TAGs hit once the number is higher than zero.

[worktroll]

1. Fa Shih pairs quite well with fast, stealthy scout mechs like the Raven.

True, but they also play well with fast hovers (terrain permitting.) See Regulator.

[StCptMara]

True, but they also play well with fast hovers (terrain permitting.) See Regulator.

This is why my Capellan force includes 2 Regulators. Nothing is nice as forci9ng someone to decide: "Do I shoot the battle armor laying mines and tagging my units for the Arrow IV Catapult fire? Or do I shoot the two mobile Gauss Rifles? Or do I rush across the field for the Arrow IV Catapult and Thunder guarding it, thus exposing my back to the mobile gauss rifles? And where is that Jingau and Menshen?"

[worktroll]

This is why my Capellan force includes 2 Regulators. Nothing is nice as forci9ng someone to decide: "Do I shoot the battle armor laying mines and tagging my units for the Arrow IV Catapult fire? Or do I shoot the two mobile Gauss Rifles? Or do I rush across the field for the Arrow IV Catapult and Thunder guarding it, thus exposing my back to the mobile gauss rifles? And where is that Jingau and Menshen?"

You're doing it right 

[StCptMara]

You're doing it right 

The Capellans have always been the best fit for me tactically: A tendency towards mobile front lines and indirect fire back lines. Augmented Thunder Munitions is my jam! I also like they are the faction that includes the most Hidden Movement special unit rules. Sure, the enemy knows you have those units, but....