Weird samurai question

[Killersox]

So what is the point of "run through". It's 2 AP. Shorter range than a charge or the same as a walk/attack. I have never even thought of a use for it. As anyone actually used this?

[Gottkaiser]

It's nice if you want to attack a model but are currently engaged to another model as you get around a disengaging strike. Or you can use it to move out of cover, make an attack, and move back to cover.

[ArcticPangolin]

Yeah, for me it's pretty much a way around his 1"  range, say if you're engaged with someone with a 2"+ range. It's pretty nice if you can get a Focus onto him first too, whether through Shen Long crew antics, Envy or Obeys.

I think you start to pay more attention to the ability once you move on from simply taking a Favour of Jigoku gun platform.

[Rathnard]

I use an Earth Samurai all the time, and have even tried 2 & 3 Samurai lists (3 with Lynch is hilarious, BTW). But I've never used Run Through. I can see how it might be useful in corner case scenarios, but that sort of situation has never come up.

[Killersox]

I have never really tried to use one as a melee beat stick. I always end up with one as the gun platform. I always get tempted by that big gun and I need to use it. I see them as baby fuhatsu. But I guess if you take the extra wounds upgrade they are more like baby izamu. Some times I get stuck in a rut of some things fight well and some things shoot well. If you can do both you are not using something to its full potential. I'm not sure if that thinking is true or not but that's what my previous gaming experience tells me. How do you guys use them in game? Like for what purpose? They are probably my favorite ten thunders models.

[Rathnard]

 

I have never really tried to use one as a melee beat stick. I always end up with one as the gun platform.

I primarily take a Samurai for his shooting, but it's his flexibility that I really value him for. 

Generally I'll advance them into a good firing position in the first turn (usually with push effects) and just shoot any targets of opportunity I can. His 14" range, effectively ignoring cover and the potential for a Walking Fire trigger makes it hard for the opponent to advance safely, so they'll either advance cautiously, or ignore the shooting threat and run straight up. Both are fine by me, but thanks to Walking Fire the Samurai is unusual in that target saturation is actually a good thing for him. I've had games where my Samurai has killed or maimed 2-4 models in a single activation. 

The fact that the Samurai is actually great in combat is a massive bonus to me. My opponent can't safely neutralise the Samurai by engaging him (unlike many other shooters) and they're an excellent tool for taking out armoured models like Izamu or Gracie. 

In terms of upgrades, I tend to see Jigoku as the upgrade for shooting, Heaven as the melee upgrade and Earth as benefiting both (hence why I prefer Earth). Taking 4 Damage on the Earth Samurai from his Gatling only puts him down to 5 wounds so he's still going to take some effort to kill. 10-T also has a tonne of access to healing, so I'll often pair my Earth Samurai with an Obsidian Oni or Wastrel to keep him going. 

 

Overall, the old addage of specialists being more cost effective than generalists doesn't apply to the Samurai. He's worth 8SS at range and he's worth 8SS in melee, especially when you factor in his resiliance. More importantly, there's rarely a situation in which he won't find himself useful. A model who's specialised for range or melee only can find themselves doing nothing if the opponents models are all engaged or too far away (respectively). But the Samurai almost always has something constructive to do with his AP, regardless of where your opponents crew is at. 

[Skitt_Happens]

I've not used a samurai as of yet, but run through could be used the same way I've had lone marshals used against me: large area of severe terrain, don't worry about the attack in the middle, just use it to push through the terrain and get to an area of the board that would otherwise be inaccessible. 

[Drowsheep]

I've used it a few times, mostly to get him to a position that he normally wouldn't be able to get to, often to have him complete a scheme or strategy point mid-late game.

[Yvarre]

Yea, I've used Run Through in instances where he was engaged at over an inch and needed to get in, pushing out of range afterwards while leaving the enemy model tied up with something else.  I've also used it to bomb through severe terrain, even hiding on the other side of some dense, severe terrain.  I've also used it to get a samurai left for dead with burning in range for condition removal and a heal from Chiaki, aided by my opponent's discounting of the Run Through ability.  It is corner case, but I've found it effective when it comes up.

[Solicitor 6]

Try using it as part of a 1-2 punch.  Samurai pushes in, slices through the armor doing decent damage, then pushes away.  Then let one of your shooters (sniper, second samurai, etc.) take out those last couple of wounds without having to worry about randomization.

It can be very useful for Interference to create separation and getting across a table quarter border.

 

(3 [samurai] with Lynch is hilarious, BTW).

*leans forward* Tell me more.

[Inquisitor Wall]

I have used run through a few times.  It also works if you do not have the LOS to declare a charge but the push can put you in range, or as an escape.  Granted there are often better ways to get out of combat, but on occasion it is awesome.  It is also the type of move that an opponent will forget about since it is used infrequently.

[Duront]

The couple times I have used it were very similar in their set up. I engaged something with armor and almost kill it, next turn they put something else in my engagement  and push my target away but its still got 2 or 3 wounds left. I activate samurai and push kill and push to finish off the target. Really corner case but super cool when it happens.

 

[Math Mathonwy]

Have to say, reading the topic title and coming here I was a bit disappointed this wasn't something like "Do Samurai wear underpants?" or "Do Samurai like broccoli as I really wanted to convert one eating broccoli?".

[Yvarre]

 

Have to say, reading the topic title and coming here I was a bit disappointed this wasn't something like "Do Samurai wear underpants?" or "Do Samurai like broccoli as I really wanted to convert one eating broccoli?".

Spoken like a true Gremlin.