Forces of the Algoryn: An Army list review
Following on from my previous post on the Concord army list, it is the turn of the Algoryn today!
General overview:
At first glance the algoryn profile doesn't look stunning but what you get in the package is a solid all rounder that doesn't cost the earth. Generally algoryn utilise mag weaponry which tends to be cheap, reliable and brings in decent volumes of fire. The basic AI squad also brings pairs of micro x launchers and can easily lay down barrages of OH fire or utilise specialist ammo to punch through or disable heavier units. They tend to have a higher base RES than other factions and have a lower susceptibility to scramble and other technological effects (especially in the published campaigns). Though the standard troops come armed with mag weaponry, a number of elite squads sport plasma weaponry and it is present throughout the support weaponry available. The algoryn also have several excellent close combat units and a higher ratio of support slots than some other factions making them excellent all-rounders.
Tactical
A strong and varied list of units sets the force up for great flexibility and allows the Algoryn player to tailor well to the mission's requirements.
AI infiltration squad
AI support squad
The basic and cheap utilitarian support squad, extremely available even at 1k points with 5 slots open to you! At an extremely modest starting price of 38points, you get either a mag light support or an x-launcher with two crew. The x-launcher is a hugely useful platform and the special munitions open up options for allsorts of different on-table uses, the main ones you'll want are scramble and net but all the others will also come in handy depending on opponent and mission. There is also a mag-cannon option for a 10point upgrade and a near-mandatory spotter upgrade at 10points also as well as the usual spread of special ammo for the x-launcher. Less useful options are also present, extra crew can be taken and one can be upgraded to a Leader. The crew can have their pistols upgrade to mag guns, I guess it could be useful if the main gun gets taken out, but to be honest, there are better things to spend your points on as the pistols are fine for using them as a small assault unit in that situation!
The mag cannon provides some anti armour utility which is extremely useful when those transports roll up or the Ghar get dropped opposite you! Overall, these are extremely solid and at that price, you'd be daft to leave them on the shelf. I personally like the X-launcher with special ammo and a mag-cannon but the mag-light brings a nice little pin machine with a good range at a cheap cost and the extra SV comes in handy given the low SV on your basic troops' weapons. Watch out for fast-movers like bikes as they can dispatch weapon teams with ease.
Main strengths:
-Cheap firepower
-Access to special munitions on X-Launcher
-Versatile weapon selection
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to fast moving assault units
-Tend to be easy to pin into "Down" state
-Single shot weapons very vulnerable to crappy dice
AI specialist support squad
These guys come at a higher price but pack a higher punch than their bargain-basement brothers above. At 68points, the included weapon is the plasma light support which sports a higher SV than the mag-light above, but generally performs a similar role. Its a versatile platform as it just breaks the "heavily armoured" threshold for many of the game's tanks and transports meaning its a good option for dishing out pins on heavies as well as hurting infantry reliably.
If you're not after the plasma light support, you've got other options here too; a plasma cannon brings in a higher SV anti-armour gun and the compression cannon brings a lethally high SV in its effective range band, but drops off at longer range. The last option is the Fractal cannon which is situational; gaining in strength and automatically hitting the target if neither the gun nor the target has moved since the last shot. This works better against buildings and heavy artillery units that don't move much, but often you're better bringing higher power guns to kill more mobile units outright.
This squad commands a higher price of entry and brings slightly more niche weapony, that said, either of the plasma weapons will find great utility in most lists.
The upgrades available for this unit are the same as the above, I'd tend to keep it cheap and just take a spotter for the re-roll, especially on those single shot weapons.
Main strengths:
-Cheap firepower
-Access to special munitions on X-Launcher
-Versatile weapon selection
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to fast moving assault units
-Tend to be easy to pin into "Down" state
-Single shot weapons very vulnerable to crappy dice
General overview:
At first glance the algoryn profile doesn't look stunning but what you get in the package is a solid all rounder that doesn't cost the earth. Generally algoryn utilise mag weaponry which tends to be cheap, reliable and brings in decent volumes of fire. The basic AI squad also brings pairs of micro x launchers and can easily lay down barrages of OH fire or utilise specialist ammo to punch through or disable heavier units. They tend to have a higher base RES than other factions and have a lower susceptibility to scramble and other technological effects (especially in the published campaigns). Though the standard troops come armed with mag weaponry, a number of elite squads sport plasma weaponry and it is present throughout the support weaponry available. The algoryn also have several excellent close combat units and a higher ratio of support slots than some other factions making them excellent all-rounders.
Tactical
A strong and varied list of units sets the force up for great flexibility and allows the Algoryn player to tailor well to the mission's requirements.
Nothing in this section feels like a "tax" and a solid core of infantry should see the basis of most lists
AI Command squad
At base, this unit brings you a standard 3 man team armed with plasma carbines and the commander has an xsling with optional overload and slingnet ammo.
They have standard command squad rules of Follow and Command which allow for coordinated manoeuvres with nearby units and also provides an aura buff effect for nearby units for CO checks. Given they come standard with plasma carbines, I'd recommend making the most of it and adding a couple of extra troopers to the unit, the flexibility of the fire modes and higher SV than mag-gun armed troops is handy. For infantry based forces, synchroniser drones and medi drones can be good upgrades, further extending the command aura and creating a small buff aura of extra resilience for nearby units too! All in all, these are solid troops and well positioned to lead the infantry into battle, but they're largely wasted for faster troops that tend to fall outside of buff aura ranges.
Main strengths:
-Follow rule
-Plasma weaponry
-Lots of buff auras to support troops
Notable weaknesses:
-Can't keep up with faster troops
-Fairly limp wristed vs heavy armour
AI assault command squad
A much fightier version of the above option, this squad brings d-spinners to improve on the above offering and makes them much more lethal in combat! All of the above analysis stands true for this team except that this squad is much better suited to close assault as their name implies. They will be high priority because of this, so extra bodies will not go amiss to make sure they live to see the late game. Their D-spinners have two modes, either improving their damage output or improving durability and they can chain hits into one large, high SV hit like with grenades should you need to take down a transport or tank too.
Main strengths:
-Excel in close combat
-D-spinners flexible against all targets in CC
-D-spinners flexible against all targets in CC
-Follow rule
-Plasma weaponry
-Lots of buff auras to support troops
Notable weaknesses:
-Can't keep up with faster troops
-High target priority for enemy
AI Squad
Nothing to do with artificial intelligence, these guys are the bread and butter of the armoured infantry. Solid, versatile and durable, they're awash with options and can fulfil a variety of roles on the battlefield. As standard they come in at sub-100points for a 5 man squad with a micro x launcher and a leader with a pistol. The option of swapping a mag-gun for a second micro x or mag repeater should always be taken, at short range the micro x is functionally identical in single shot mode but brings extra utility and access to special munitions. The mag repeater is more niche but brings an extra shot at the cost of poorer performance at range and lower SV. The leader also has options of trading up from his pistol to a mag gun or mag repeater and the unit can take extra bodies as well as a spotter drone, grenades plus overload and/or slingnet ammo! The leader weapon upgrade should always be taken, he retains his xsling so always counts as having a hand weapon anyway and the mag gun or repeater increases pin and damage reliability. Taken with leader with repeater, extra repeater and micro x with slingnet and grenades on the unit, they make a capable pseudo assault unit. Taken with a pair of micro x launchers with special ammo and a spotter, they become a handy artillery and anti-drone unit.
Whichever build you choose, they're a solid and capable choice and will do you proud. Just make sure when you build your list, you have a role in mind as they're easy to tool up and end up confused in application and become inefficient in points. They can also take synchroniser drones which can extend CO aura buffs to friendlies within 10" and spotter drones for OH patching.
Main strengths:
-Extremely versatile
-Access to OH fire
-Access to special munitions
-Access to drones for army-wide support
-Capable in combat when built right
Notable weaknesses:
-Easy to overtool and waste points
-Low SV on mag guns
AI assault squad
The fighty version of the basic infantry, they espouse the flexibility of the AI squad's loadouts in favour of a pure CQB kit. They sport mag repeaters and d-spinners but their options are limited to a spotter drone, synchroniser drone, homer drone or extra troopers. Given their role, I'd happily up their starting numbers as they're likely to take casualties and extra numbers are always helpful in hand to hand fighting. Their mag repeaters are great for lacing huge volumes of fire into enemies at short range but will drastically fall off in utility against dug-in enemies at range. An over reliance on these units will leave you struggling to deal damage at range so plan for that if you're going heavy on assault squads. Their D-spinners are superb however; in plasma shell mode, they can chain their hits together like grenades into higher SV (and they start at SV2!), making them potent hunters of armour as well as brutally efficient anti-infantry melee fighters.
Main strengths:
-Excellent in combat
-D-spinners flexible against all targets
-D-spinners flexible against all targets
-Excellent rate of fire in effective range
-Great at dealing with light troops at range
Notable weaknesses:
-SV 0 guns leaves them limp wristed against dug-in enemies at range
-Very specialised in combat role
-High threat unit, will attract fire
AI infiltration squad
This unit has the infiltration rule which means they can effectively start well up the board out of standard deployment zones. This can be a huge advantage in missions requiring mobility and they bring a spotter drone as standard and are armed with mag repeaters as above given the nature of their work! The spotter obviously synergizes well with OH fire which is present in abundance in the algoryn forces and they can also lay minefields with whatever grenades they're armed with (they have options for solar charges as well as plasma) and make for excellent forward operating troops. The leader needs an upgrade to a mag repeater and the camo drone option should be taken (can take some heat off them if you deploy aggressively), extra bodies are always welcome here as they're likely to be taking casualties and getting stuck in!
For me the unit works well in the early game at taking fire, laying minefields and providing OH patching duties before laying down brutal point blank shooting and assaults in the late game. Synchroniser drones are useful here too if you're taking fast units like intruders but not mandatory as they're not cheap.
Main strengths:
-Start way up the board
-Versatile unit
-Durable with camo drone
-High rate of fire
-Can lay minefields with solar charges
-Fairly good at point blank shooting and assaults
Notable weaknesses:
-SV 0 guns
-Dependent on grenades vs armour
-Spend a lot of time "down" when using camo drone
-Easily isolated and picked off if deployed aggressively
Support
A varied selection of units reside here and a plentiful slot allocation means you're not restricted in build options. Most of the light gun options work out very cheap as well, so it is easy to cover off against multiple threats without hurting your list build.
Intruder Command squad
As per most races, the mounted command squad acts as a gate/tax for taking more than one of the "vanilla" biker units. This particular squad gets the benefit of plasma carbines on the dismounted troopers and all the usual trimmings that a command squad gets; Command, Follow, Leader etc. These rules are largely going to be wasted unless the rest of your forces can keep up however, so the other command options sync better with slower forces. The bikes themselves mount twin mag repeaters which at four shots per bike, soon rack up kills on light opponents and make for fearsome point blank shooters (especially if utilising the disengagin tactic).
Alongside this armament, they can also take a compactor drone which allows the dropping of shards and combat drones (algoryn have none!) or taking a compacted weapon platform (mag light support or mag cannon) which are niche options for getting a weapon team up the board quickly for flanking shots, but largely wasteful on a mobile command squad such as this as there are cheaper options where you're not paying the premium for the uprated guns + command rules.
Main strengths:
-Fearsome ROF with mag repeaters
-Very fast
-Command rules sync well for fast moving forces
-Can transport drones/shards for cheap
-Capable in CC
-Can shred light infantry
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-Poor sync of command rules in standard forces
-Rely on "Run" orders for durability
Intruder Skimmer squad
The vanilla variant of the above squad, they come in significantly cheaper due to to shedding the plasma carbines and special command rules whilst keeping most of the utility you'd need from such a unit. Generally speaking they're happiest on run orders, utilising their speed to create resilience until you need them for a surgical strike. They excel at shredding backline units like weapon teams and small HQ units but will struggle to hurt anything with high RES values given their SV0 on their twin repeaters. With that in mind, identifying a good target in the deployment phase is key and assigning them that target above all else. Once their primary mission is complete, then send them on harrassing duties or mop-up duties, they're extremely useful, especially in the late game when units have taken casualties and are more vulnerable. It is key to keep them away from scramble munitions, especially before they've had chance to activate. a good one-two punch with scramble and massed fire will see them evaporate early in the turn, so don't be afraid to utilise reactions or retained run orders when things look dicey.
As the above command squad variant can take compacted weapons, so can the vanilla unit. They provide a nice option for getting a big gun up the board which can be very nifty if LOS on your boards tends to be heavy or restricted but doesn't sync well with the core mission of the bikers.
Main strengths:
-Fearsome ROF with mag repeaters
-Very fast
-Can transport drones/shards for cheap
-Capable in CC
-Can shred light infantry
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-Tend to be away from command auras
-Rely on "Run" orders for durability
-Vulnerable early in the turn
Intruder Command squad
As per most races, the mounted command squad acts as a gate/tax for taking more than one of the "vanilla" biker units. This particular squad gets the benefit of plasma carbines on the dismounted troopers and all the usual trimmings that a command squad gets; Command, Follow, Leader etc. These rules are largely going to be wasted unless the rest of your forces can keep up however, so the other command options sync better with slower forces. The bikes themselves mount twin mag repeaters which at four shots per bike, soon rack up kills on light opponents and make for fearsome point blank shooters (especially if utilising the disengagin tactic).
Alongside this armament, they can also take a compactor drone which allows the dropping of shards and combat drones (algoryn have none!) or taking a compacted weapon platform (mag light support or mag cannon) which are niche options for getting a weapon team up the board quickly for flanking shots, but largely wasteful on a mobile command squad such as this as there are cheaper options where you're not paying the premium for the uprated guns + command rules.
Main strengths:
-Fearsome ROF with mag repeaters
-Very fast
-Command rules sync well for fast moving forces
-Can transport drones/shards for cheap
-Capable in CC
-Can shred light infantry
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-Poor sync of command rules in standard forces
-Rely on "Run" orders for durability
Intruder Skimmer squad
The vanilla variant of the above squad, they come in significantly cheaper due to to shedding the plasma carbines and special command rules whilst keeping most of the utility you'd need from such a unit. Generally speaking they're happiest on run orders, utilising their speed to create resilience until you need them for a surgical strike. They excel at shredding backline units like weapon teams and small HQ units but will struggle to hurt anything with high RES values given their SV0 on their twin repeaters. With that in mind, identifying a good target in the deployment phase is key and assigning them that target above all else. Once their primary mission is complete, then send them on harrassing duties or mop-up duties, they're extremely useful, especially in the late game when units have taken casualties and are more vulnerable. It is key to keep them away from scramble munitions, especially before they've had chance to activate. a good one-two punch with scramble and massed fire will see them evaporate early in the turn, so don't be afraid to utilise reactions or retained run orders when things look dicey.
As the above command squad variant can take compacted weapons, so can the vanilla unit. They provide a nice option for getting a big gun up the board which can be very nifty if LOS on your boards tends to be heavy or restricted but doesn't sync well with the core mission of the bikers.
Main strengths:
-Fearsome ROF with mag repeaters
-Very fast
-Can transport drones/shards for cheap
-Capable in CC
-Can shred light infantry
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-Tend to be away from command auras
-Rely on "Run" orders for durability
-Vulnerable early in the turn
AI support squad
The basic and cheap utilitarian support squad, extremely available even at 1k points with 5 slots open to you! At an extremely modest starting price of 38points, you get either a mag light support or an x-launcher with two crew. The x-launcher is a hugely useful platform and the special munitions open up options for allsorts of different on-table uses, the main ones you'll want are scramble and net but all the others will also come in handy depending on opponent and mission. There is also a mag-cannon option for a 10point upgrade and a near-mandatory spotter upgrade at 10points also as well as the usual spread of special ammo for the x-launcher. Less useful options are also present, extra crew can be taken and one can be upgraded to a Leader. The crew can have their pistols upgrade to mag guns, I guess it could be useful if the main gun gets taken out, but to be honest, there are better things to spend your points on as the pistols are fine for using them as a small assault unit in that situation!
The mag cannon provides some anti armour utility which is extremely useful when those transports roll up or the Ghar get dropped opposite you! Overall, these are extremely solid and at that price, you'd be daft to leave them on the shelf. I personally like the X-launcher with special ammo and a mag-cannon but the mag-light brings a nice little pin machine with a good range at a cheap cost and the extra SV comes in handy given the low SV on your basic troops' weapons. Watch out for fast-movers like bikes as they can dispatch weapon teams with ease.
Main strengths:
-Cheap firepower
-Access to special munitions on X-Launcher
-Versatile weapon selection
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to fast moving assault units
-Tend to be easy to pin into "Down" state
-Single shot weapons very vulnerable to crappy dice
AI specialist support squad
These guys come at a higher price but pack a higher punch than their bargain-basement brothers above. At 68points, the included weapon is the plasma light support which sports a higher SV than the mag-light above, but generally performs a similar role. Its a versatile platform as it just breaks the "heavily armoured" threshold for many of the game's tanks and transports meaning its a good option for dishing out pins on heavies as well as hurting infantry reliably.
If you're not after the plasma light support, you've got other options here too; a plasma cannon brings in a higher SV anti-armour gun and the compression cannon brings a lethally high SV in its effective range band, but drops off at longer range. The last option is the Fractal cannon which is situational; gaining in strength and automatically hitting the target if neither the gun nor the target has moved since the last shot. This works better against buildings and heavy artillery units that don't move much, but often you're better bringing higher power guns to kill more mobile units outright.
This squad commands a higher price of entry and brings slightly more niche weapony, that said, either of the plasma weapons will find great utility in most lists.
The upgrades available for this unit are the same as the above, I'd tend to keep it cheap and just take a spotter for the re-roll, especially on those single shot weapons.
Main strengths:
-Cheap firepower
-Access to special munitions on X-Launcher
-Versatile weapon selection
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to fast moving assault units
-Tend to be easy to pin into "Down" state
-Single shot weapons very vulnerable to crappy dice
Hazard Command squad
Introduced in the Chryseis shard, these guys are up-armoured troops with experimental plasma weapons, given them 3 shots in scatter fire mode rather than the standard 2. They take extra pins when they tank a high SV shot and are banned from sprinting due to the weight of their armour.
That all taken into account, they sport a very decent RES 6(10) so can count as "heavily armoured" against light weaponry when in terrain with a good RES bonus. They also have a special rule which boosts their ability to declare "firefight" reactions, so they make for excellent mid-range gunfighters, especially if you can get them stuck into some decent terrain. On top of this, they also sport D-spinners, increasing their lethality in CC. This is counteracted by their lack of speed though, so they work best with a transport if CC is your aim. They are however, spectacularly vulnerable to scramble munitions as it will dump them back down to RES6, making them expensive sitting ducks so deal with sources of scramble swiftly lest you lose your big lads. Although the like cover to shoot from, their low AGI will trip them up when trying to navigate area terrain.
This unit also gains all the benefits of Command as standard for the Algoryn infantry command squads, gaining access to medi-drones, spotters and synchroniser drones. The medi obviously up their own survivability nicely and that of nearby units too and the synchroniser drone allows them to neatly spread their Command aura around to distant units.
All in al, these make for an excellent infantry command squad, able to hold the line and dish out damage whilst supporting your force as a whole.
Main strengths:
-Durable, especially in good terrain
-High ROF
-ACC 6
-Excellent access to reactions
-Very capable in CC
-Aura buffs for nearby and distant troops
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to scramble munitions
-AGI 3
-Slow
-High threat unit, expect opponents to focus fire on them
-Pricey
Hazard Squad
These guys are the vanilla squad variant of the above and come in significantly cheaper per unit given they're not paying for the Command rules and buff auras. They do take the penalty to their ACC though, dropping back down to the standard 5 for the algoryn forces. They start at 3 man strength, but would be well worth paying the upgrade to 5 man strong to really crank out the most out of their guns and make the most of their durability. They also keep the option of the synchroniser drone so can share around command buffs to nearby units, a good choice if playing a pincer strategy or where you expect your forces to end up scattered. Much of the same as above applies here for obvious reasons. Hazard squads make solid additions to any Algoryn force, just make sure you mentally plot routes of advance for them in deployment as terrain is likely to ruin their hope of a speedy advance.
Main strengths:
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to scramble munitions
-AGI 3
-Slow
-High threat unit, expect opponents to focus fire on them
-Pricey
Avenger attack skimmer
A light vehicle with access to big guns, the Avenger straddles a bit of a dangerous knife-edge being both a great threat to enemy forces and a reasonably easy kill. It isn't particularly cheap either, coming in at 106pts for the basic RES11 version with a mag light support. You do get a mobile platform with the much-coveted MOD2 rules meaning you can act twice per turn or mix in a reaction with an order each turn. As well as the mag-light it comes with as standard, it has upgrade options for either a mag-cannon or a twin mag-light support. For durability, you can also give the skimmer a hyperlight booster (taking the RES up to 12) and a batter drone, but it is worth noting that with both of these options, you're adding 44pts to the cost and a lowly plasma carbine in single shot mode still denies you the "heavily armoured" benefit. The twin mag light support is capable of laying down a huge ROF with 12 shots each turn over the course of its MOD2, so if you can keep it away from big guns, it is capable of withering smaller squads and disseminating pins. If you're going this route and are giving it both defensive upgrades, you're pretty much into liberator (hi-mag) point costs already and that is a much more durable platform to start with and can multi-target with its weapons. The Avenger's mag-cannon makes for a solid anti-armour option though, its spotter drone upgrade and the MOD2 meaning the otherwise-risky single shot of the gun is largely accounted for, making it one of the more reliable AT platforms available to the Algoryn, even if it is pretty squishy.
If going with an Avenger, i'd recommend keeping it cheap and keeping it out of sight until you need it, utilising runs of dice draws to advance out from cover to shoot before dashing back out of LOS before retaliation hits. if you're after a proper combat vehicle, you'll need a liberator instead.
Main strengths:
-MOD2
-Reliable AT firepower
-High ROF anti infantry platform
-Mobile
-Versatile weapon loadouts
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive when upgraded
-Easily killed
-Outcompeted by the heavy armour options when taking multiple upgrades
Defiant transport skimmer
The algoryn's dedicated wheels, this unit has been moved across from a strategic to a support slot enabling mechanised play, especially now it's base cost hits the 106pt mark. It shouldn't be overstated however, as when kept cheap, it is just that, a cheap transport . It comes unarmed at RES 11 and is MOD2 which keeps it movile but it is extremely vulnerable to medium SV weapons and wont get "heavily armoured" bonuses against many basic weapons. Thankfully, there are a number of options that can increase it's survivability; shield drones, batter drones, hyperlight boosted armour(RES12) and fixed emmision armour(RES13) can be purchased from the standard 10pts for a shield up to the eye-watering 48pts asked for the RES13 armour.
Weapons can be equally pricey, though if you're a MOD 2 unit that needs to be on advance orders to drop troops, you might as well get a ranged weapon on there to make the most of it!
A simple mag light starts you off at 20pts and there are options for a mag-cannon or twin-mag light (again eye-wateringly expensive). The mag light would suffice for utilising the transport as a pin-generator and might do some damage against smaller units, but the twin mag-light is where its at for causing real damage and getting the best mileage out of the MOD2. The mag-cannon is a decent option however, if you're light on AT options elsewhere in your list, a MOD2 tank with spotter and batter certainly gets the most out of the big gun. I personally think the basic version is too fragile, at RES11 it seems too much of a deathtrap for your boys inside and lacking weapons wastes the potential of the MOD2 imho. Although its expensive, a twin mag light, fixed armour and batter makes for an excellent APC equivalent which can dish out a lot of hurt on infantry and get your units where they need to be relatively safely. The mag cannon on the same platform with a spotter makes a decent pseudo-tank with transport capacity too. Both of these builds are pricey, but actually get the best out of the platform imho.
Main strengths:
-MOD2
-Can rapidly reposition your forces with double run orders
-Good AI/AT platform
-Safe-haven during missions with special atmospheric rules
Noteable weaknesses:
-Gets very pricey, very quickly
-Needs upgrades to get best out of MOD2
-Deathtrap for occupants if left un-upgraded
Strategic
The slot for the big guns! This slot doesn't open up until playing games of at least 1000pts in size
and even at those game sizes, many of the options will require you to carefully consider what choice you need and if your army can successfully utilise it whilst having enough other tools to do the main mission. Algoryn choices are fairly "vanilla" here with a mix of artillery and tanks
AI heavy support team
The cheapest stategic slot available, it acts as the bigger brother of the standard support team, coming replete with options for anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and both standard OH fire choices; the mag-mortar and x-howitzer. As standard, it comes in at 97 points with a mag-heavy support with 3 crew members. The crew can be upgraded with a leader, an extra body and upgrading their pistols to mag guns or repeaters, but I'm not sure I'd want to spend my points on these options as they're less likely to come in than spending those points on main-line units. The pistols are the better option in any case as you'll be fighting with sidearms most in CC and they count as hand-weapons for that purpose.
The mag heavy support is a good all-rounder with a decent SV, good range and good ROF and will come in handy against most opponents, especially as a reaction piece. it particularly likes being on ambush as not many infantry units like to take a round of fire from it out-of-activation.
The heavy mag-cannon is a small upgrade cost but gives much greater punch against armoured targets at the cost of the risk of being a one-dice wonder. Its "massive damage" rule makes it that much more reliable at taking down heavy hitters but it struggles with getting rounds on-target due to low ROF. The spotter drone is a mandatory upgrade for this option and a batter should be highly considered given the threat level this will pose if your opponent is bringing heavy armour or transports. Your artillery options here are the Mag mortar and X-Howitzer, both variations on a theme of dropping templates onto clumped up infantry and laying waste to them at long range. You also have access to the full bevvy of special munitions which opens up a huge amount of versatility depending on opponent/situation. Scramble and Net munitions are the obvious winners here; scramble for killing off hyperlight bonuses, buddy drones and softening up drones/armour and net for subduing enemy units. That said, for 5 points more than just taking those two, the other rounds provide huge situational benefits that shouldnt be overlooked as you never know when they could be clutch to winning, especially at such a small investment.
All these teams are extremely vulnerable to fast movers however, so opposing bikes and fast moving assault units should be targetted with extreme prejudice. High volumes of low quality fire can rapidly suppress your teams with pins, so batter drones come in handy and keeping those artillery units behind obsucring terrain is vital, remembering to patch sight via drones for OH fire of course.
All these options only do real work for you if you're hitting your enemy, so support from friendly spotter shards, spotter drones and targetter shards will get you much more mileage out of your investment.
Main strengths:
-High damage output vs AI/AT depending on option taken
-Access to special munitions opens up huge versatility
-Batter shield can help protect backline units
Noteable weaknesses:
-High threat, will be drawing fire early
-Susceptible to crappy dice on low ROF options
-Need support from across your force to shine (spotters/targetters)
-Extremely vulnerable to fast-moving assault units
-Prevents access to heavy armour
AI specialist support team
These guys bring the niche heavy weapons at a slight premium to the above support team, mainly being deployed for Anti-tank duties but can also be viable for anti-fortification duties if that is something your meta requires. Being somewhat meta-dependent, these are largely forgettable given that the plasma and compression bombards are premier heavy armour hunters and the cheaper heavy mag cannon team above does an equally good job vs most targets. If you are seeing the MOD3 heavy armour units a lot in your meta though, it may be worth the upgrade as the extra SV is certainly nice to have (and may become more relevant late 2018 when these units start getting their sculpts on the shelves). In any case, they work functionally the same as the above team, being dependent on high quality/low quantity fire capable of one-shotting even the heaviest armour. Because of this, they are extremely vulnerable to crappy dice, so take that spotter and a targetter shard!
Main strengths:
-Can cut through heavy armour reliably
-Fractal bombard useful for anti-emplacement due to auto-hitting in subsequent turns
-Batter shield can help protect backline units
Noteable weaknesses:
-High threat, will be drawing fire early
-Susceptible to crappy dice
-Need support from across your force to shine (spotters/targetters)
-Extremely vulnerable to fast-moving assault units
-Prevents access to heavy armour
-Niche units, utility dictated by player's meta
Liberator combat skimmer
This is the main-line combat tank for the Algoryn and comes in three variants. The first is the x10 Hi-mag. This is the cheaper of the three and is kitted as standard with x2 individual mag light supports so is capable of dishing out quite a number of pins. The main turret can be upgraded either to a mag-cannon or to a twin mag light for extra anti-infantry firepower. In a primarily infantry-based game, this one obviously seems the "best" choice given it is the cheapest and won't struggle for targets. That said, it is largely pillow fisted against anything with a modicum of armour, so make sure you've covered off AT options from elsewhere in your list. The Mag cannon turret clearly covers this well given the available spotter drone and base MOD2 of the liberator.
The second option is the Plasma destroyer variant. coming in at 234 points base, its not cheap but comes as standard with plasma light supports which have superior SV to mag light supports, making it more of an all-rounder, capable of dealing with weapon drones and just beating the "heavily armoured" threshold of RES13 for pinning purposes (though you'll probably find better targets than these normally). This variant can upgrade the main turret to a plasma cannon, giving a reliable MOD2 AT gun on a resilient platform which is a sensible option in most cases.
The third option is the X10 special, instead of the plasma weaponry, it swaps the main turret out for a fractal cannon which can be swapped out for a compression cannon for no cost. Interestingly, the MOD2 platform gets more out of the fractal cannon than the static support teams given that you can auto-hit with your second dice if you draw 2 in a row (or use army options to swing that second draw). I think I'd still go with the compression cannon most of the time given the option though as the liberator has the mobility to get into its good range bands and wreak havok against those heavy units. It does also come stock with a spotter dronen which is handy.
For protection, the Liberator has RES 13 as standard and access to shield drones, batter drones and the self repair rule across all its variants. It sports ACC6 on all its platforms as well, making fire orders in your good band a fairly safe bet (especially with spotter re-rolls or targetter shard support)
All these things taken into consideration, the tank is still very vulnerable to assault units (especially those with grenades or d-spinners) and can be one-shotted thanks to the vehicle damage chart. Caution should be used when deploying these units and don't be tempted to over-extend just because you can. The tank is a significant investment of points and needs to be protected, especially as your opponent will want it dead!
Main strengths:
-Variety of loadouts dependent on need
-High strength AT guns available
-High ROF anti-infantry weapons available
-Fairly durable
-MOD2
-ACC6
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-High threat unit
-Vulnerable to assault units with grenades
-Can be one-shotted
-Dictates your list build heavily
Bastion heavy combat skimmer
The bastion is one sexy looking render (currently, model due late 2018). Functionally, it fills a similar role to the much cheaper liberator (the bastion starts at a staggering 388 points!). The ACC remains the same as the liberator, but its armour has been upgraded to RES15 and it sports MOD3 instead of the liberator's MOD2. Coming in at RES15 means most light->medium AT guns are still going to leave you with a decent amount of SV left to make your saves, but specialist heavy AT guns like plasma bombards are a big threat that need to be taken out ASAP. Its armament starts off mag based, a mag light support and a heavy mag cannon with a complementary spotter drone gives it serious punch against heavy armour but leaves it somewhat pillow-fisted against infantry. The heavy mag-cannon comes with the "massive damage" rule, making those vehicle damage chart rolls much less swingy, the MOD3 and spotter make getting those heavy mag cannon shots on-target much more reliable too.
Thankfully you can upgrade the mag light to a twin mag light or a plasma light support for exra ROF or extra damage potential. As with the liberator, there are options for extra durability; shield drones, batter drones and the self repair rule (for patching up immobilisation and damaged weapons). The batter is a cracking option as you'll be taking small volumes of high quality fire and each missed shot can really save your bacon; even a bastion can be one-shotted! The heavy mag-cannon makes this platform a fairly specialised heavy-armour hunter and for such a huge investment of points, you'll want to make sure its got enough targets to warrant using it over the cheaper liberator plasma destroyer or X10 special. It is currently a niche pick, but I suspect as the other races get their big guns, there'll be more of a need for heavy armour hunters across the board.
Main strengths:
-"Massive damage" rule
-High ROF anti-infantry weapons available
-Durable
-MOD3
-ACC6
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely expensive
-Very high threat unit
-Somewhat vulnerable to assault units with grenades
-Can still be one-shotted
-Dictates your list build heavily
Auxilliary
This slot rounds up the last of the available troops to the algoryn and generally mirrors that of other races.
Targetter shard
A largely cheap and useful order dice, these come in handy for reducing scatter and improving ACC when other units target the same thing as the targetters. Given the preponderance of OH fire in the faction, they make for a good choice, especially in support of X-howtizers/mag-mortars. They're generally useful however, so you'll never regret putting these in your list.
Scout probe shard
A shard of spotters, these are again a lovely cheap order dice that supports our glut of OH fire nicely by allowing patch-sighting to hit those units that are out of LOS otherwise. They can also detect camouflaged units but thats a situational bonus rather than their reason for being taken. You won't regret taking these guys if you're taking at least an X-Launcher , but you can leave them at home if you're not.
Medic team
The real gold in the section, for 30pts you get a two-man team that gives re-rolls on failed RES tests. In a mob of infantry, this can vastly increase the durability of nearby squads and this can be further enhanced with taking a medic drone (though this nearly doubles their cost). They can also take mag guns or repeaters but you'll generally want them in a clump of infantry giving out aura buffs rather than on the front-lines doing the fighting. Their pistols count as hand weapons for assault purposes anyway if thats where you want them, but at a push if you've got points spare, the repeaters are the better choice and allow a semi-decent option for shooting up small teams like x-launcher crew with point blank shooting. They can also take a spotter drone, but there are better locations than this for spotters imho as their weaponry doesn't justify taking one.
Unless you're taking a pure biker army, these guys can almost be considered an auto-take, able to hugely increase durability of nearby units for a very low investment.
ISO drone
A largely niche option, it is at least a very cheap order dice and affords nearby units protection from scramble munitions and environmental effects. Other races get better use out of this (C3 Nuhu with drone clouds for example) but they are worth their weight in gold for those campaign missions that have damaging environmental trigger dice.
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to scramble munitions
-AGI 3
-Slow
-High threat unit, expect opponents to focus fire on them
-Pricey
Hazard Squad
These guys are the vanilla squad variant of the above and come in significantly cheaper per unit given they're not paying for the Command rules and buff auras. They do take the penalty to their ACC though, dropping back down to the standard 5 for the algoryn forces. They start at 3 man strength, but would be well worth paying the upgrade to 5 man strong to really crank out the most out of their guns and make the most of their durability. They also keep the option of the synchroniser drone so can share around command buffs to nearby units, a good choice if playing a pincer strategy or where you expect your forces to end up scattered. Much of the same as above applies here for obvious reasons. Hazard squads make solid additions to any Algoryn force, just make sure you mentally plot routes of advance for them in deployment as terrain is likely to ruin their hope of a speedy advance.
Main strengths:
-Durable, especially in good terrain
-High ROF
-Excellent access to reactions
-Very capable in CC
-Aura buffs for nearby and distant troops Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely vulnerable to scramble munitions
-AGI 3
-Slow
-High threat unit, expect opponents to focus fire on them
-Pricey
Avenger attack skimmer
A light vehicle with access to big guns, the Avenger straddles a bit of a dangerous knife-edge being both a great threat to enemy forces and a reasonably easy kill. It isn't particularly cheap either, coming in at 106pts for the basic RES11 version with a mag light support. You do get a mobile platform with the much-coveted MOD2 rules meaning you can act twice per turn or mix in a reaction with an order each turn. As well as the mag-light it comes with as standard, it has upgrade options for either a mag-cannon or a twin mag-light support. For durability, you can also give the skimmer a hyperlight booster (taking the RES up to 12) and a batter drone, but it is worth noting that with both of these options, you're adding 44pts to the cost and a lowly plasma carbine in single shot mode still denies you the "heavily armoured" benefit. The twin mag light support is capable of laying down a huge ROF with 12 shots each turn over the course of its MOD2, so if you can keep it away from big guns, it is capable of withering smaller squads and disseminating pins. If you're going this route and are giving it both defensive upgrades, you're pretty much into liberator (hi-mag) point costs already and that is a much more durable platform to start with and can multi-target with its weapons. The Avenger's mag-cannon makes for a solid anti-armour option though, its spotter drone upgrade and the MOD2 meaning the otherwise-risky single shot of the gun is largely accounted for, making it one of the more reliable AT platforms available to the Algoryn, even if it is pretty squishy.
If going with an Avenger, i'd recommend keeping it cheap and keeping it out of sight until you need it, utilising runs of dice draws to advance out from cover to shoot before dashing back out of LOS before retaliation hits. if you're after a proper combat vehicle, you'll need a liberator instead.
Main strengths:
-MOD2
-Reliable AT firepower
-High ROF anti infantry platform
-Mobile
-Versatile weapon loadouts
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive when upgraded
-Easily killed
-Outcompeted by the heavy armour options when taking multiple upgrades
Defiant transport skimmer
The algoryn's dedicated wheels, this unit has been moved across from a strategic to a support slot enabling mechanised play, especially now it's base cost hits the 106pt mark. It shouldn't be overstated however, as when kept cheap, it is just that, a cheap transport . It comes unarmed at RES 11 and is MOD2 which keeps it movile but it is extremely vulnerable to medium SV weapons and wont get "heavily armoured" bonuses against many basic weapons. Thankfully, there are a number of options that can increase it's survivability; shield drones, batter drones, hyperlight boosted armour(RES12) and fixed emmision armour(RES13) can be purchased from the standard 10pts for a shield up to the eye-watering 48pts asked for the RES13 armour.
Weapons can be equally pricey, though if you're a MOD 2 unit that needs to be on advance orders to drop troops, you might as well get a ranged weapon on there to make the most of it!
A simple mag light starts you off at 20pts and there are options for a mag-cannon or twin-mag light (again eye-wateringly expensive). The mag light would suffice for utilising the transport as a pin-generator and might do some damage against smaller units, but the twin mag-light is where its at for causing real damage and getting the best mileage out of the MOD2. The mag-cannon is a decent option however, if you're light on AT options elsewhere in your list, a MOD2 tank with spotter and batter certainly gets the most out of the big gun. I personally think the basic version is too fragile, at RES11 it seems too much of a deathtrap for your boys inside and lacking weapons wastes the potential of the MOD2 imho. Although its expensive, a twin mag light, fixed armour and batter makes for an excellent APC equivalent which can dish out a lot of hurt on infantry and get your units where they need to be relatively safely. The mag cannon on the same platform with a spotter makes a decent pseudo-tank with transport capacity too. Both of these builds are pricey, but actually get the best out of the platform imho.
Main strengths:
-MOD2
-Can rapidly reposition your forces with double run orders
-Good AI/AT platform
-Safe-haven during missions with special atmospheric rules
Noteable weaknesses:
-Gets very pricey, very quickly
-Needs upgrades to get best out of MOD2
-Deathtrap for occupants if left un-upgraded
Strategic
The slot for the big guns! This slot doesn't open up until playing games of at least 1000pts in size
and even at those game sizes, many of the options will require you to carefully consider what choice you need and if your army can successfully utilise it whilst having enough other tools to do the main mission. Algoryn choices are fairly "vanilla" here with a mix of artillery and tanks
AI heavy support team
The cheapest stategic slot available, it acts as the bigger brother of the standard support team, coming replete with options for anti-infantry, anti-vehicle and both standard OH fire choices; the mag-mortar and x-howitzer. As standard, it comes in at 97 points with a mag-heavy support with 3 crew members. The crew can be upgraded with a leader, an extra body and upgrading their pistols to mag guns or repeaters, but I'm not sure I'd want to spend my points on these options as they're less likely to come in than spending those points on main-line units. The pistols are the better option in any case as you'll be fighting with sidearms most in CC and they count as hand-weapons for that purpose.
The mag heavy support is a good all-rounder with a decent SV, good range and good ROF and will come in handy against most opponents, especially as a reaction piece. it particularly likes being on ambush as not many infantry units like to take a round of fire from it out-of-activation.
The heavy mag-cannon is a small upgrade cost but gives much greater punch against armoured targets at the cost of the risk of being a one-dice wonder. Its "massive damage" rule makes it that much more reliable at taking down heavy hitters but it struggles with getting rounds on-target due to low ROF. The spotter drone is a mandatory upgrade for this option and a batter should be highly considered given the threat level this will pose if your opponent is bringing heavy armour or transports. Your artillery options here are the Mag mortar and X-Howitzer, both variations on a theme of dropping templates onto clumped up infantry and laying waste to them at long range. You also have access to the full bevvy of special munitions which opens up a huge amount of versatility depending on opponent/situation. Scramble and Net munitions are the obvious winners here; scramble for killing off hyperlight bonuses, buddy drones and softening up drones/armour and net for subduing enemy units. That said, for 5 points more than just taking those two, the other rounds provide huge situational benefits that shouldnt be overlooked as you never know when they could be clutch to winning, especially at such a small investment.
All these teams are extremely vulnerable to fast movers however, so opposing bikes and fast moving assault units should be targetted with extreme prejudice. High volumes of low quality fire can rapidly suppress your teams with pins, so batter drones come in handy and keeping those artillery units behind obsucring terrain is vital, remembering to patch sight via drones for OH fire of course.
All these options only do real work for you if you're hitting your enemy, so support from friendly spotter shards, spotter drones and targetter shards will get you much more mileage out of your investment.
Main strengths:
-High damage output vs AI/AT depending on option taken
-Access to special munitions opens up huge versatility
-Batter shield can help protect backline units
Noteable weaknesses:
-High threat, will be drawing fire early
-Susceptible to crappy dice on low ROF options
-Need support from across your force to shine (spotters/targetters)
-Extremely vulnerable to fast-moving assault units
-Prevents access to heavy armour
AI specialist support team
These guys bring the niche heavy weapons at a slight premium to the above support team, mainly being deployed for Anti-tank duties but can also be viable for anti-fortification duties if that is something your meta requires. Being somewhat meta-dependent, these are largely forgettable given that the plasma and compression bombards are premier heavy armour hunters and the cheaper heavy mag cannon team above does an equally good job vs most targets. If you are seeing the MOD3 heavy armour units a lot in your meta though, it may be worth the upgrade as the extra SV is certainly nice to have (and may become more relevant late 2018 when these units start getting their sculpts on the shelves). In any case, they work functionally the same as the above team, being dependent on high quality/low quantity fire capable of one-shotting even the heaviest armour. Because of this, they are extremely vulnerable to crappy dice, so take that spotter and a targetter shard!
Main strengths:
-Can cut through heavy armour reliably
-Fractal bombard useful for anti-emplacement due to auto-hitting in subsequent turns
-Batter shield can help protect backline units
Noteable weaknesses:
-High threat, will be drawing fire early
-Susceptible to crappy dice
-Need support from across your force to shine (spotters/targetters)
-Extremely vulnerable to fast-moving assault units
-Prevents access to heavy armour
-Niche units, utility dictated by player's meta
Liberator combat skimmer
This is the main-line combat tank for the Algoryn and comes in three variants. The first is the x10 Hi-mag. This is the cheaper of the three and is kitted as standard with x2 individual mag light supports so is capable of dishing out quite a number of pins. The main turret can be upgraded either to a mag-cannon or to a twin mag light for extra anti-infantry firepower. In a primarily infantry-based game, this one obviously seems the "best" choice given it is the cheapest and won't struggle for targets. That said, it is largely pillow fisted against anything with a modicum of armour, so make sure you've covered off AT options from elsewhere in your list. The Mag cannon turret clearly covers this well given the available spotter drone and base MOD2 of the liberator.
The second option is the Plasma destroyer variant. coming in at 234 points base, its not cheap but comes as standard with plasma light supports which have superior SV to mag light supports, making it more of an all-rounder, capable of dealing with weapon drones and just beating the "heavily armoured" threshold of RES13 for pinning purposes (though you'll probably find better targets than these normally). This variant can upgrade the main turret to a plasma cannon, giving a reliable MOD2 AT gun on a resilient platform which is a sensible option in most cases.
The third option is the X10 special, instead of the plasma weaponry, it swaps the main turret out for a fractal cannon which can be swapped out for a compression cannon for no cost. Interestingly, the MOD2 platform gets more out of the fractal cannon than the static support teams given that you can auto-hit with your second dice if you draw 2 in a row (or use army options to swing that second draw). I think I'd still go with the compression cannon most of the time given the option though as the liberator has the mobility to get into its good range bands and wreak havok against those heavy units. It does also come stock with a spotter dronen which is handy.
For protection, the Liberator has RES 13 as standard and access to shield drones, batter drones and the self repair rule across all its variants. It sports ACC6 on all its platforms as well, making fire orders in your good band a fairly safe bet (especially with spotter re-rolls or targetter shard support)
All these things taken into consideration, the tank is still very vulnerable to assault units (especially those with grenades or d-spinners) and can be one-shotted thanks to the vehicle damage chart. Caution should be used when deploying these units and don't be tempted to over-extend just because you can. The tank is a significant investment of points and needs to be protected, especially as your opponent will want it dead!
Main strengths:
-Variety of loadouts dependent on need
-High strength AT guns available
-High ROF anti-infantry weapons available
-Fairly durable
-MOD2
-ACC6
Noteable weaknesses:
-Expensive
-High threat unit
-Vulnerable to assault units with grenades
-Can be one-shotted
-Dictates your list build heavily
Bastion heavy combat skimmer
The bastion is one sexy looking render (currently, model due late 2018). Functionally, it fills a similar role to the much cheaper liberator (the bastion starts at a staggering 388 points!). The ACC remains the same as the liberator, but its armour has been upgraded to RES15 and it sports MOD3 instead of the liberator's MOD2. Coming in at RES15 means most light->medium AT guns are still going to leave you with a decent amount of SV left to make your saves, but specialist heavy AT guns like plasma bombards are a big threat that need to be taken out ASAP. Its armament starts off mag based, a mag light support and a heavy mag cannon with a complementary spotter drone gives it serious punch against heavy armour but leaves it somewhat pillow-fisted against infantry. The heavy mag-cannon comes with the "massive damage" rule, making those vehicle damage chart rolls much less swingy, the MOD3 and spotter make getting those heavy mag cannon shots on-target much more reliable too.
Thankfully you can upgrade the mag light to a twin mag light or a plasma light support for exra ROF or extra damage potential. As with the liberator, there are options for extra durability; shield drones, batter drones and the self repair rule (for patching up immobilisation and damaged weapons). The batter is a cracking option as you'll be taking small volumes of high quality fire and each missed shot can really save your bacon; even a bastion can be one-shotted! The heavy mag-cannon makes this platform a fairly specialised heavy-armour hunter and for such a huge investment of points, you'll want to make sure its got enough targets to warrant using it over the cheaper liberator plasma destroyer or X10 special. It is currently a niche pick, but I suspect as the other races get their big guns, there'll be more of a need for heavy armour hunters across the board.
Main strengths:
-"Massive damage" rule
-High ROF anti-infantry weapons available
-Durable
-MOD3
-ACC6
Noteable weaknesses:
-Extremely expensive
-Very high threat unit
-Somewhat vulnerable to assault units with grenades
-Can still be one-shotted
-Dictates your list build heavily
Auxilliary
This slot rounds up the last of the available troops to the algoryn and generally mirrors that of other races.
Targetter shard
A largely cheap and useful order dice, these come in handy for reducing scatter and improving ACC when other units target the same thing as the targetters. Given the preponderance of OH fire in the faction, they make for a good choice, especially in support of X-howtizers/mag-mortars. They're generally useful however, so you'll never regret putting these in your list.
Scout probe shard
A shard of spotters, these are again a lovely cheap order dice that supports our glut of OH fire nicely by allowing patch-sighting to hit those units that are out of LOS otherwise. They can also detect camouflaged units but thats a situational bonus rather than their reason for being taken. You won't regret taking these guys if you're taking at least an X-Launcher , but you can leave them at home if you're not.
Medic team
The real gold in the section, for 30pts you get a two-man team that gives re-rolls on failed RES tests. In a mob of infantry, this can vastly increase the durability of nearby squads and this can be further enhanced with taking a medic drone (though this nearly doubles their cost). They can also take mag guns or repeaters but you'll generally want them in a clump of infantry giving out aura buffs rather than on the front-lines doing the fighting. Their pistols count as hand weapons for assault purposes anyway if thats where you want them, but at a push if you've got points spare, the repeaters are the better choice and allow a semi-decent option for shooting up small teams like x-launcher crew with point blank shooting. They can also take a spotter drone, but there are better locations than this for spotters imho as their weaponry doesn't justify taking one.
Unless you're taking a pure biker army, these guys can almost be considered an auto-take, able to hugely increase durability of nearby units for a very low investment.
ISO drone
A largely niche option, it is at least a very cheap order dice and affords nearby units protection from scramble munitions and environmental effects. Other races get better use out of this (C3 Nuhu with drone clouds for example) but they are worth their weight in gold for those campaign missions that have damaging environmental trigger dice.
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