What are your favorite units?

[Fear Factory]

As the title says... what are your favorite units?

For me, I have a few:

1) Huge fan of the "fasts" that translate pretty good in the game.  Assassin, Cicada, Banshee, Charger...  all really good with charging and/or physicals.

2) Love using "cheaps" like the Scorpion Light Tank and Harasser.

3) After today, I realized how good the Panther is when you play it in a group.  I had the little Panther that could that took out 2 'Mechs (Hunchback and Vindicator).

I'm still impressed by how well the game plays and how much use you can get out of ANY unit.

[Firesprocket]

As I have only played 2 games of AS I can't say I have a favorite unit yet.  I can say that AS opens up the use of certain mechs that I'd never use in a standard BT game.  For example, a Bombardier, which I played over the weekend.

[Scotty]

Heavy Cavalry.  That means 10" or 8"j at minimum.

Tempests, Hercules, Anvils, a good deal of the reseen heavies like the -8L Crusader, -6X and -7X Rifleman, -9D Warhammer, and then high speed assaults like Chargers and -6X Battlemasters.

[malk2651]

Mostly playing 3050 right now, but a Viper D has done some pretty good work for me.

http://www.masterunitlist.info/Unit/Details/920/dragonfly-viper-d

[IronSphinx]

I'm a big fan of lighter, faster 'Mechs with TAG paired up with Arrow IV 'Mechs (and the occasional  missile boat). Nothing ruins your opponent's day like taking a homing Arrow IV to the back of his shiny new Assault 'Mech! O0

[Fear Factory]

I love my heavy fasts.   >:D

The QKD-4G Quickdraw is one of my favorites as well.  Physicals, medium range, IF, it has it all.

[ActionButler]

ENF-5D Enforcers and Elementals

[malk2651]

ENF-5D Enforcers and Elementals

I was expecting Elementals to fall over without much effect.  I was pleasantly surprised by their effectiveness.  Looking forward to adding more battle armor.

[Klat]

The Karhu Prime is a wonderful "rabbit" unit in my experience; jump up ahead of the main push, throw some heat on something and watch everything waste shots trying to make it disappear. With a TMM of 4 on the jump and plenty of armor just hitting it isn't enough; you have to hit it hard.

[Fear Factory]

I was expecting Elementals to fall over without much effect.  I was pleasantly surprised by their effectiveness.  Looking forward to adding more battle armor.

You know, so did I.  I recently played a scenario out of the First Somerset Strikers Sourcebook that gave me 2 Elementals (single units) and Kristen Redmond's Mad Dog.  We scaled the Elementals down to 1 structure, 1 armor, and 0* damage out to medium range, they still did pretty good on their own.

I can't wait to play more Clan battles and use my Fire Moth and Elemental minis.

[malk2651]

You know, so did I.  I recently played a scenario out of the First Somerset Strikers Sourcebook that gave me 2 Elementals (single units) and Kristen Redmond's Mad Dog.  We scaled the Elementals down to 1 structure, 1 armor, and 0* damage out to medium range, they still did pretty good on their own.

I can't wait to play more Clan battles and use my Fire Moth and Elemental minis.

I've used that pairing in a game.  They can pretty much go where ever the heck they want.  If you ever need some elementals on an objective, a Fire Moth can get them there fast.

[Fear Factory]

I've used that pairing in a game.  They can pretty much go where ever the heck they want.  If you ever need some elementals on an objective, a Fire Moth can get them there fast.

I wouldn't expect anything less.  The Fire Moth is one of my favorite 'Mechs ever, and Alpha Strike made it AWESOME compared to what it is in BattleTech.

[Tai Dai Cultist]

I'm loving Rokurokubi's.  They've got the speed to close with scary things, the armor to survive closing, and then that dastardly sword that is excellent on backstabs.  They're harassers par excellance.

What makes them so much more fun is how less good they are at all of that in CBT.

[malk2651]

I'm loving Rokurokubi's.  They've got the speed to close with scary things, the armor to survive closing, and then that dastardly sword that is excellent on backstabs.  They're harassers par excellance.

What makes them so much more fun is how less good they are at all of that in CBT.

I'd never seen one of those, that's a heck of a lot of armor for a light 'Mech.

[victor_shaw]

1. Nightstar NSR-9J (Reissue and on)
2. Timberwolf Prime (Clan)
3. Marauder 3R/5D (3025-3050 or so)

[GoldBishop]

Although I'm a huge fan of how great Light and Medium units play in Alpha, I'm conflicted on my "likes".  While I remain pretty well sold on "bigger is better" when center-piecing my armies, I hafta admit the that the little guys really DO come in handy.

As of this moment, I'm a big fan of ALL combined arms on the ground.  Nothing I've seen has been a disappointment, and there's still many more for me to explore/exploit.  I will, however, list the two I am notorious for fielding against my peers:

The Mars Assault Tank [HAG] variant has, without a doubt, been a real game-changer.  Slower but similar to the clan Daishi, it definitely won't win any foot-races at a meager 4" move, but it pretty much OWNS and claims anything that it can SEE (9/9/8 damage band means One-Shotting nearly all medium and light mechs and going internal on well-armored heavies).  My group learned to respect their presence on the battlefield (I field 2 per clan formation rules), which forces them to spend resources dealing with such a slow but destructive enemy, or chase after my other fielded units....

...of which happen to be Protomechs.
Ever since the rules' change (giving them independent movement and individual unit cards), I've been gloriously successful in presenting secondary and tertiary targets (anything that isn't a vehicle, mech, or objective at least).  They have proven to be an invaluable asset for both defense (anti-assassin swarm-line or zone control), AND offense (multiple 1-pt damage against damaged/open-armored units = more chances for crit).  Like BattleArmor, they gain a +1 size to TMM which helps their chances to live longer, but they have as much protection as my Fire Moths (1:1, A/S) so they tend to die in a hurry... however, without split-fire specials (Multi-Tasker is popular in our circle), anything that deals more than 4 pts of damage is considered a waste on these little guys.

Combined?  Havoc.  Both of these types can hide behind hills fully protected and (Gorgons and Minotaurs) can rain indirect fire on any spotted units.  Out in the open, opponents could take the easy route and pick off a Protomech, or --as has been most cases-- take aim at the well-protected tank that's a dice roll away from ruining [that unit's] day.

[Klat]

The Warhammer IIC 8 is an absolute monster in my experience. My biggest problem with it is that everyone targets it. The HT special on it allows you to wreck other units with similar movement profiles and I've seen players simply freeze up with slow assaults for fear of being shutdown the next turn while being unable to generate a TMM.

[Komodo-1970]

I love my heavy fasts.   >:D

The QKD-4G Quickdraw is one of my favorites as well.  Physicals, medium range, IF, it has it all.

Agreed, and love using Quickdraws as well!

I have not fielded my Swayback (ENE) yet, but once the conversion is done, it will serve as the "bodyguard" to my Company captain's Atlas. The idea being that as the Atlas closes, folks will focus on it, and the Hunchback will help take the heat off of it by bring it's impressive Short and Medium damage capabilities to bear as they get in tighter. I may even be able to get it in position for a few +1 damage rear arc shots!

[TonUp]

...  I can say that AS opens up the use of certain mechs that I'd never use in a standard BT game.... 

This X 1000.

What I like about AS is that I don't sweat the small stuff of favorite individual mechs and instead I start to look at bigger picture ideas of overall flavor and theme. Kind of a tactics vs strategy shifts in thinking that I was never good at with BT.

[Von Ether]

That may have been more about AtlasChessTech than you. Over time, I noticed that while I was aiming for a game where many mechs did many jobs, I usually lost to players who could maximize their hex-maps moves while swinging their arcs of fire with assaults who could ignore most lights.

Watching a guy do this effortlessly was a thing of beauty. Watching a dude attempt this but take forever to do it was an eternity of torture.

[Fear Factory]

Both the tactics and strategy of Alpha Strike is something I have struggled with for a while.  It is similar to BattleTech but it has much more at risk per round.  I've been paying a lot more attention to partial cover, may it be from depth 1 water or level 1 hills and buildings, and line of sight.

It is refreshing to be able to run almost anything and get use out of it.

[cavalier1645]

I use a nasty combination of combined arms involving fast light mechs and heavy onboard direct fire artillery

For Clan era to Jihad era I use
1. A lance of Hermes HER-1Sb and Mercury MCY-99 for scouts and spotters
2. A Lance of Lancelot LNC25-01 and Trebuchet TBT-3C for engaging force and hunter-killers
3. A lance of 2 Warhammer WHM-7A, Marauder MAD-2R, and Archer ARC-2Rb
4. A Lance of 4 LRM Carrier (3055 Upgrade) as my hammer
5. A lance of 2 Alacorn Heavy Tank Mk IV, 2 Zephyr Hovertank (Royal)

For Dark age I use

1. One Company of Celerity CLR-03-OE (9 Celerity CLR-03-OE and 3 Celerity CLR-03-OB if I am facing an opponent who has/knows how to use ECM)
2. On lance of JES II Strategic Missile Carrier (Support) as my hammer
3. A Lance 3 Hi-Scout Drone Carrier (Standard) and one Alacorn Heavy Tank Mk IV

[Tai Dai Cultist]

I'm enjoying the DRG-7KC and its -7K predecessor.  Both are great 2nd wave c3 spotters with an excellent combination of TMM, armor and firepower all packed into a decent PV.

[Lysenko]

I've not tried it yet, but I was worked up the unit cards for some of my BT units. Here's the 1st Century of the 1st Maniple of the 4th Cohort of the 4th Legio (Marian Hegemony) circa 3075:

Unit                                              Type                  Skill   PV Tonnage
Awesome AWS-9Q                      BattleMech           4     45     80
Schrek PPC Carrier (Standard)    Combat Vehicle    4     25     80
Schrek PPC Carrier (Standard)    Combat Vehicle    4     25     80
Heavy LRM Carrier (Standard)     Combat Vehicle    4     31     80
Heavy LRM Carrier (Standard)     Combat Vehicle    4     31     80
5 Units                                                                           157   240

And as I describe it in my blog:

This is the extra maniple for the cohort and is pure support. It is surnamed Boanerges or "the Sons of Thunder" which is the title given by Jesus to the two brothers James and John. And that is what this maniple brings: thunder and lightning from above. The I Centuria is supported by the Awesome as a bodyguard but we have 10 PPCs and two of the Hegemony's shiny new Heavy LRM carriers. The II Centuria is air support: some striking and spotting. The Karnovs are the Periphery gunship variant.

(II Centuria is Warrior and Kharnov VTOLs for air support.)

It's one of those units that I never really got to use in the BT game...1st century alone is 5641 BV and usually lance on century, I'd go with a pure 'Mech century.  Looking at it last night in AS stats, though, it can be even more brutal played right. and it qualifies as a DF Fire Lance. :)

[IroncladChemist]

My most used unit has quickly become my favourite: the Charger 1A1. I mostly play objective-based games, for which a cheap, fast assault 'mech is always an attractive option. Good speed, tanky, affordable. It doesn't do a lot of shooting damage, making it cheap (18 PV) and that also means you don't forgo a lot of potential damage if it doesn't shoot for a turn(sprinting or doing objective things). It is a steel brick, to throw in an opponents face.

After the CGR-1A1, it is the J. Edgar Light Hover Tank (MG). Fast enough to cross the board and get behind units to do decent damage. TMM 4 with 3 armour and 2 structure makes it surprisingly durable. Also a good taxi for XMEC battle armour.

My third place goes to the Bulldog medium tank. Nothing fancy, just a very decent dog of war to throw into the grinder.

[Charistoph]

...of which happen to be Protomechs.
Ever since the rules' change ...Like BattleArmor, they gain a +1 size to TMM which helps their chances to live longer...

I MISSED THAT the last time (and first) I played with Protomechs in Alpha Strikes.  They were annoying enough for my opponent in that game (didn't even lose one), but this would have made them even MORE annoying. 

I used a pair of Roc 5s as my aggressive units, who already have a Jump TMM of 4!, along with a pair of Basilisk 3s.  The Basilisks hung back to support my Ebon Jaguar and Flamberge on one flank, while the Rocs basically hopped to his rear to try and secure that objective.

The other flank was a sub-Point of 4 Gorgons, a Viper carrying an Elemental point, a Savage Coyote and a I want to say a Timber Wolf (it's been a month) all in Z Configurations.  I might have been more aggressive with the Gorgons (which were securing my rear) if I could expect them to have a regular +2 TMM equivalent.

He was running Legion of Pesht, though, all Skill 5.  I was facing 12 Mechs (8 went after the Basilisks, Flamberge, and Ebon Jaguar), 2 Infantry (stayed at his home Objective), and 4 Combat Vehicles (joined the remaining 4 against.  I didn't have the firepower to gun him down AND secure the Objectives.

[Elmoth]

We play pre-clan invasion, and mostly intro level games.

- Wolverine in the uparmoured variants. Specially the Kurita one as it is a 330 even if it does not jump. In the same point, you can add the griffin. in the 1S and 1E variants. And the cronus. They are all the same mech in practical terms with different names.
- Quickdraw!
- Stalker and Battlemaster.
- Vulcan 5T for a fast harasser (for a mech)
- Jenner. Like a Vulcan but with TMM3 and armoured with a prayer.
- The Toro A6. 
- Warrior VTOL
- Fast hovers!!! Love these. Harassers (no armor) and saracens (can survive a single hit) FTW
- Jump infantry.
- Cheap conventional aircraft. VERY cheap and can place some nasty syrprises in the head of yoiur opponents. We do not tend to use ASF or conventionals, but when we do, oh my.
- Ferrets for spotting with a high TMM
- Socorpions and myrmidons when we want to play conventionals.
- Hunters and strikers if we want to play convoy protection

For indirect fire I like the LRM scorpions, but we tend to gravitate to mechs and hovers for units. Lack of hulls until now (except if we go heavy on proxies) has dictated this.

Yes, we centre our games around mediums. I do not even know what the profile of Assualt mechs even *is*.


Kind regards,
Xavi

[warp]

Phew the list is long, but I am particularly keen on

• Saladins (fast, annoying and cheap enough)
• Nova Cat E / Warhammer IIC 3 (hitting 7 damage at medium range is just crazy)
• Almost any Kingfisher (huge durability)
• Elemental III AP Gauss (2 damage at medium and STL is a game changer)
• Arrow IV Carrier (at skill 2, it just erases those nasty Fire Moths)
• Wulfen (TMM4 + STL is great is you keep away from short range)

The popgun Charger and cheap infantry (APC'd) are also great additions

[Hammerhead]

As most of my Alpha Strike experience has been in earlier eras, I’ve come to look at units with a decent Overheat value as great closers and finishers. Have them chase down something wounded and unload an OV enhanced barrage to confirm the kill. The Overheat mechanic in general is pretty cool, I’ve found.

The Crusader-3R has served me very well in this capacity.

[VectorStrike]

There is the Ebon Jaguar and then there is the rest.