[Dornigdrache]

I have recently tried out a new creation of mine, it was worth a lot of points, but it was a big game.

Shas'o: (weapon of choice, depending on who youre fighting), vectored retro-thrusters, shield generator, iridium armor, stimulant injector, hw drone controler and two shield drones. pts=165+weapon points (I used a flamer, but if you want a better weapon and still be under 100 points of wargear, take only one drone.)

Mind you, these shield drones share the 2+ armor save.

I landed this, accidentaly because of drift, only inches in front of 12 gene stealers, 12 spine gaunts, 5 warriors, and 2 zoanthoaps(dont know how spelled). I shot the flamer, killed 3 gene stealers. In the enemy turn, everything shot, but all saved. Then, the charge. Everything but the zoanthroaps charged and attacked, killing the drones, and dealing 1 wound to the Shas'o. He killed 1 more gene stealing in close combat. At the end of the enemy assult phase, he used his vectored retro thrusters to leave, and left the entire tyranid force clustered for my crisis suits and hammer head pie plates to shred. None of the tyranids survived the next shooting phase.

I was wondering who else has delved into damage soaking units and how...

[Falstead]

The withstandinator.

I haven't actually tried using a suit like that before but I'd imagine it'd be a lot of fun.

Give him a nice weapon and let him have some fun! Maybe a CIB or plasma rifle.

Remeber also weapons points don't count against your wargear limit!

[heliodorus04]

Well, by conventional wisdom, it's just too many points for too little flexibility.

It's an interesting idea, but you spend those 160 points with one objective in mind - to lure the enemy into a trap. It's not going to work often, and once a few people get the idea, they'll stop walking into the trap.

I admire the creativity that goes into imagining this suit up - I'm not that creative. But overall I just would never try it.

[ToastMaster]

Damage Soaker:

Shas'O w/flamer, shield generator, drone controller, iridium armour, stimulant injector, +2 shield drones.

This is the cheapest, and most effective damage soaking commander, (staying with at least one offensive weapon).
While a Shas'el is 15 points cheaper it has 1 less wound meaning it cannot take as much damage, (meaning it is not the best damage soaker). On the commander you have iridium armour so he has a +16.6% chance of saving all shots, and keeps his armour resistant to all AP 3 weapons, while the generator gives him a good invulnerable save against power weapons and AP 1-2 weapons. He has feel no pain with the stimulant injectors so there is an even less chance of him getting wounded, (fails armour save gets the 4+ feel no pain save), and the two drones technically count as two extra wounds, (1 wound each with the same invulnerable save as him).

"What? No retro thrusters?"

While these do give the commander an edge, and help him escape getting damage through getting him out of close combat, they do not technically take any damage.
Retro thrusters do hold a spot in another similar commander upgrade, though, most defensive?

Most Defensive:
This takes into play damage soaking and all around defensive capabilities.

Shas'o w/plasma rifle, shield generator, vectored retro thrusters, iridium armour, hard-wired drone controller, +2 shield drones.

Okay, the shield generator, and the drone+controller setups still work the same as in the previous summary, but the other upgrades are new. We have the thrusters, getting you out of close combat after an assault, and the plasma rifle. The plasma rifle is a lot more defensive then the other weapons, though. It offers a steady offensive burst, but will increase, (due to rapid fire), when enemies get closer, thus it shows an increased offensive and defensive burst when needed. However, the iridium armour is kind of good and bad in the defensive line-up. It offers you a better armour save, but also subtracts from your J-S-J effectiveness, thus lowering your general defensive ability. However, because it does not completely limit your J-S-J tactic it is still considered defensive.

[khanaris]

Originally Posted by ToastMaster

Damage Soaker:

Shas'O w/flamer, shield generator, drone controller, iridium armour, stimulant injector, +2 shield drones.

This is the cheapest, and most effective damage soaking commander, (staying with at least one offensive weapon).

My only complaint with this configuration is that your opponent has little reason shoot at it. He is an IC, so he can't hold down objectives, and his weapon loadout poses too little threat for the enemy to spend much firepower on. Spending a few more points for a second weapon makes him more of a threat, and hopefully induces your opponent to waste more firepower on him. He might even kill something.

It would definitely work well against an assault army like Orks or Tyranids, but you are going to need the Thrusters in order to free up enemy units to be fired at.

[Falstead]

This just occured to me.

I'm pretty sure you can't take the Vectored retro thrusters if you have drones.

So either you go the Withstandinator route (Stimms, Iridium, Sheild gen, sheild drones)

Or the Ninja route (Stimms, and thrusters + optional shiled/iridium)

[Vash]

True, the Thrusters are only aviable for Monats.
Drones takes away that status.


Yours Truly

Vash

[Savient]

Originally Posted by Khanaris

My only complaint with this configuration is that your opponent has little reason shoot at it. He is an IC, so he can't hold down objectives, and his weapon loadout poses too little threat for the enemy to spend much firepower on. Spending a few more points for a second weapon makes him more of a threat, and hopefully induces your opponent to waste more firepower on him. He might even kill something.

Actually, it DOES count as a unit, with the drones attached. The unit just retains the ability to attach to other squads.

Page 31, in the Drones box, 3rd paragraph. Thus your commander with drones can hold table objectives.

Cheers!

[Impulse]

Then he looses his IC status (which is probably the second best defense, behind JSJ).

I said it before, JSJ and IC is a better defence than all these toys. Why? Because when an oppenent can't shoot at you, you always save 100%. However, even if all these toys give a 99% of saving, I still prefer 100%.

But at the end, it's up to you to decide how many pionts you use on toys.

[ToastMaster]

Originally Posted by Khanaris

My only complaint with this configuration is that your opponent has little reason shoot at it.

Yes there is, the damage soaker setup costs 159 points!

And sure, besides that there is little reason to shoot at the Commander, but I was not aiming for a Commander that would stick out and would be a target. Sure, without this your setup might be wasted, but I was just going for a damage soaker, and through basic math that is the best setup for the job.