Guardian's Overprotective Mandatory

[Cadilon]

I enjoy me some Guardian in a number of Guild crews. I love his Overprotective ability to pick up extra movement when I need it. It states:

If this model is not in base contact with a friendly model during End Closing Phase, it Pushes into base contact with a friendly model within 6".

My problem is, it often gets in the way. I read that ability to say that he MUST push into base contact if there is a friendly model within 6". This can lead to some issues where he just can't get away and do what I want him to do. Last night I was trying to get him away to grab some objectives but he kept being pulled back by this ability. I can only imagine how comical this would be if you had two Guardians within 6" of each other. Wouldn't they clunk together like a pair of magnets?

I think I am right that this is a mandatory push, but I am really really hoping someone will tell me I am wrong and the Guardian can chose whether or not to make this push. Because, you know, thats the way I want it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[nix]

I read it as a mandatory push as well.

[dsmiles]

Yeah, AFAIK, it's mandatory.

[tadaka]

I have allways played it that in the event there are 2 of them the owner picked one to move into contact with the other

[Palmerdoc13]

of course if hoffman were near a Guardian, he could ignore that talent in such a circumstance that it negatively affected you

[tadaka]

Hum can it be its own frendly model

[Turbodog]

I love me some Guardian too.

I play it as it IS MANDATORY.

That said - Hoffman can maintain this machine to ignore it if it is within his range.

That's led to some really interesting battles for my opponents as I read maintain machines to NOT be mandatory. So I can choose in a Hoffman crew it get that extra free movement or make the Guardian stay where I put it.

In addition (since this is Guild afterall) I find it fun to charge in with a Guardian tying up his models in melee with no intent to kill them. At the end of the turn, the guardian pushes out of melee leaving the model out in the open and likely in range of all the guns I just moved around it. The next turn the guns open up, since the model isn't in melee and waste it. Guardian + Ortegas ftw.

Guardian + Watcher work wonders together as a delivery. With careful placement, the guardian can be "pushed" to the Watcher to get to where he needs to go. The watcher then has enough movement to simply fly away (and even if it is "engaged" in melee) leaving the Guardian more than 6" from any friendly model. If the guardian is that far away, he won't overprotective push.

Yessir, love me some Guardian!

[Kadeton]

Since the push has to be into base contact, you could avoid it by having no friendly models within 6". Not that you're getting the most out of the Guardian by leaving him all alone, but whatever.

[Cadilon]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. A lot of good stuff here.

[Jackanory]

One problem I have with The Guardian is his lack of mobility actually. I run a construct heavy Hoffman crew and If I'm wanting to surge forward to take on the enemy I've got the Peacekeeper and Wardens going forward 15" with Hoffman and the Mobile Toolkit going along with them automatically. This tends to leave the Guardian playing catch-up for at least the first couple of turns.

Any tips?

[tadaka]

Walk him 2x and then jump forward at end of turn hardly playing catch up. Guardian moves just fine imho.

It can help if you make a chain out of hoffman and took kit. So you put the PK up the 15 inches, then hoffman behind pk, then toolkit behind hoff. If you walked 2x and left that chain behind there is no reason the pk cant jump forward to catch them.

Also helps to keep in mind he can jump past any thing in the way so if there is a wall you had to move around with the PK the guardian can scoot around the wall in base contact and not use up the movement. Also when you place him you may only have the back part of a model in that 6 inches and still place the guardian at the front of that model.

Edited December 12, 2011 by tadaka

[Cadilon]

I agree with what you are both saying. He can move 14" with the 6" push. But I do find myself having problems with him too. When he's moving, he ain't protect'n.

I find myself holding Hoffman and the PK back at the guardian's speed and saving their lunge as a one or maybe two time deal when its most effective and surprising.

[Jackanory]

Yeah, if he's casting protect he's only got one AP left so that's 4" of movement in the first turn. I've definitely had games where I've thrown PK into melée in the first or second turn, leaving the Guardian playing catch up. It does tend to work ok though because by the time the Guardian's made his way into the fight Hoffman's still alive so the guardian just soaks up the damage for the rest of the game...