Early discussion on the new strategies.

[Maniacal_cackle]

It is early days since we don't know the schemes, but I think we can safely assume the schemes will follow the usual format (either do something to your opponent's models or cross the centreline and do something).

So with the caveat that schemes will change answers a bit, what do people think of the new strategies? For reference, the two we know are:

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Recover Evidence

After Deployment, starting with the player with Initiative, each player alternates placing a total of five Intel Tokens on enemy non-Master models without an Intel Token. If a player cannot place a Token, they must instead place a Strategy Marker on the Centreline at least 6" awayf rom another enemy Strategy marker.

After a model with an Intel Token is killed, it must Drop a Strategy Marker into base contact with itself. If a model with an intel token would be buried by friendly-controlled effect, the opposing player may choose for it to not be buried.

A friendly-controlled model in base contact with an enemy strategy marker can take the interact action to remove the strategy marker.

At the end of each turn, a crew gains 1 VP if it removed an enemy strategy marker that turn.

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Symbols of Authority

Before deployment, starting with the Defending player, each player alternates Creating four Strategy Markers on their Table Half, at least 8" away from another Strategy Marker and not in any player's Deployment Zone.

Strategy Markers are Concealing and Impassable.

A friendly-controlled model in base contact with an enemy Strategy Marker can take the Interact action to remove the Strategy Marker. At the end of each Turn, a Crew gains 1 VP if it removed an enemy Strategy Marker that turn.

A big difference from past strategies is you can't stock up on strategies. With plant explosives you could drop all your explosives and then go disrupt the enemy. No longer (at least for these two). So that'll be a big deal.

I trialled recover evidence last night. Grave golem seemed like it would be good, but the game is way too cat and mouse for it to keep up (although it does do a good job of creating an enemy-free zone). It seems to be all about schemes, but I suspect summoners are going to smash this strategy because they can summon models without intel tokens and send them after the enemy while keeping their intel tokens safe. Transmortis seems particularly brutal, as whenever they kill a model with an intel token they can summon another model to do the interact on the token.

Symbols of authority... Seems tricky. Do you spread them all over the map, or do you focus them all on one side so you can defend them? Do you place them centrally and then just go straight through and hit your opponent's table half? I have no idea, will be interesting to see. Molly seems good on this one because she can change her table positioning at will (well, her crew can).

[thatlatinspeakingguy]

I'm pretty sure Molly can be good at both, but in case of RE she will also give up a lot of points due to the squishiness of Forgotten models. Ancestors and Tormented can probably shine in RE, as these are tanky crews with access to repositioning tricks in-keyword. Summoners are usually good at everything, and in RE they get additional advantage which you've pointed out.

To score full SoA you need to be able to pick strategy marker every turn from turn two, and preferably without telegraphing to your opponent were are you going to be next turn. Seamus and supermobile crews like Transmortis and Forgotten are going to be strong picks here. Same of Archie regardless of the Keyword, unless he got nerfed in mobility department. Reva seems OK for SoA, but that's probably only if you are commited to play her anyway. Asura and her zombie summoning from the table edge may prove handy. These are my initial thoughs. Can't wait to see entire GG1!

[Graf]

10 hours ago, Maniacal_cackle said:

Transmortis seems particularly brutal, as whenever they kill a model with an intel token they can summon another model to do the interact on the token.

I'm not saying Transmortis would be bad, but I disagree with this reasoning. A nice move for sure, but I don't think "particulary brutal" fits. The Transmortis summon shouldn't happen more than once per game, if at all. Even more so with stronger telegraphing which of your opponents models will be targeted by an upgraded Transmortis model. There are simply to many loops to jump through. In my opinions, if the summoning happens more often, then it's because the opponent really messed something up.

[asrian]

I played a SoA game last tonight. My Molly vs  Levi. Symbols of Authority - Assassinate, Power Ritual, Search the Ruins, Outflank, and Harness the Leyline. 

Levi took Assassinate and Search. I took Power Ritual and Search. 

Game ended 7-7. I denied him 1 point of Assassinate by having Manos finish off Ashes & Dust and Levi in the same activation then ran Molly away next activation. He denied me one Authority marker as I just couldn't safely get to it with my crooligans or night terrors due to all of his strong ranged weaponry all over it. 

It was a close game and I honestly thought I'd lost by one until the last couple activations when I had Molly reactivate a crooligan to By Your side and drop my 3rd Search token.

 

What I found, seeing this Strat in action, is that it was definitely tricky to get all 4 SoA points if the opponent has a strong defense guarding one or two, not counting Don't Mind Me which Ressers are lacking outside of Yan Lo hiring Sun Quiang. Meanwhile I was unable to defend fully vs a strong killy crew due to the squishiness of my Forgotten models. 

 

For my placement choices, I did roughly a line of SoA markers across-the-board, typically behind terrain or in severe/dense terrain to hopefully slow them down. I also didn't put any near the table edges due to Ashes & Dust in case he split and Dust Storm popped up next to one of the markers.

 

Overall, I enjoyed the Strat, and the One per Turn interact/score aspect made me plan out my moves a lot more than I feel I do for Power Ritual or Corrupt Idols.

[Mycellanious]

By Your Side seems really strong for both new Strats and the new Scheme

 

[Maniacal_cackle]

1 hour ago, asrian said:

What I found, seeing this Strat in action, is that it was definitely tricky to get all 4 SoA points if the opponent has a strong defense guarding one or two, not counting Don't Mind Me which Ressers are lacking outside of Yan Lo hiring Sun Quiang. Meanwhile I was unable to defend fully vs a strong killy crew due to the squishiness of my Forgotten models. 

I think our equivalent of Don't Mind Me is shieldbearers charging and bashing models away from a marker, then interacting. Not sure if they're mobile enough for SOA, although I assume you'd have rider to help.

38 minutes ago, Mycellanious said:

By Your Side seems really strong for both new Strats and the new Scheme

 

Yeah, it was great on recover evidence!

[Maniacal_cackle]

Also Toshiro feels like he is going to be super strong on symbols of authority.  Chuck him with a grave digger to guard your pillars, and you can have super tanky Ashigaru protecting every strategy marker (note that each one will have a 30mm blind spot where enemies can still interact).