New to BFG: Anti-AC Tactics

[cibili]

We keep testing the game with starter set models. Playings 3vs3 in cruiser clash scenario.

My opponent fields 3 carriers. He launches topridos + 12 waves of aircraft. I couldnt find any solution against this blizzard.

So the game is like this? Everyone fields carriers and keep sending AC each other? So the game is about aircraft rather than cruisers and battleships?

[andrewchristlieb]

Ok if your playing cruiser clash 3v3 you should be playing to a pt value not just selecting 3 ships.

I take from your post that he is playing imp w/3x dictator? That would be 12 launch and 18 torps 660pts. For that many points you could take two cruisers and a heavy cruiser (and still have a legal list) if your using the chaos. Id take a styx, carnage and devistation against three dictators any day. Use the fighters from the devi to take out torps if you cant avoid then and the fighters from the styx to take out half of each of the waves that his three ships launch. Make sure the weakened waves are intercepted by the devi or styx if you can as the three turrets on each of them can really reduce the effectiveness of the bombers. With their primary weapons neutralised you can use the longer range and superior firepower of your cruisers to thrash him. Once he sees how easily the ordnance can be subverted i imagine his feelings towards them will change .

[Garvey]

Are you using the Blue Rulebook that came in the box, or have you downloaded the updated Rulebook PDF's from the GW Website (for Free)? Also remember that you can use your WB against the ordnance, you need a 6 to hit, but it destroyes the whole wave.

[cibili]

We just realized that they are different. I think web site is updated one, so we will be using that. Why? Btw 6 WB fires only 1 and needs 6s. So its a waste IMO

[fracas]

1. Take one carrier and launch fighters against his torpedoes
2. Mass turrets by placing your cruisers in base2base. This will add one turret die per friendly base in contact.
3. Make sure he is playing by the rules. Each torpedo and AC launch needs a reload special order. And the maximum AC he can have on the board at any time is the number of launch bays functional.
4. You should have greater firepower with more guns so focus your fire and force him to brace for impact ( thus cannot reload ordnance)

[cibili]

These are in bfg book, right? Not in faq or armada etc.

[fracas]

In PDF and FAQ

[Kharn_21]

Take alll slaughter class cruisers and go all ahead full to get stuck in on the first turn, he'll be bracing after that
Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

[Heidel]

Are you putting the cruisers into a squadron to mass turret fire?

[andrewchristlieb]

They dont actually have to be in a squadron to benifit from massed turrets. The only requirement is that the two (or more up to three additional) ships be in base contact and that ships that are crippled cannot add any turrets to another ship (although they may still receive the benifit from another not crippled ship).

So short list: maximum bonus of +3 to turrets, ships must be in base contact, cripple ships cannot add but can receive +'s to turrets, braced ships can add and receive +'s as long as they are not crippled.

A couple other bits to be aware of: if you mass turrets and fire at say torpedoes ALL ships that massed their turrets count as firing at torpedoes and therefore maynot fire at attack craft. Also if defending against bombers you can only use the base turret value of the ship attacked to deduct attack runs.

[sunnyside]

On the note of making sure your opponent plays by the rules, they have a limit of the number of attack craft they can have in play at any one point in time, and there are specific rules for combining them into large waves than a single ship can launch. Often you can shave waves down in size such that turrets can clear them. Also, since they have to reload, as the game point size grows it's harder to spam attack craft. If they don't squadron their cruisers they'll fail rolls, and then be unable to even attempt more reloads letting an opponent with less launch capacity maintain parity. If they do squadron than they have to brace them all if they brace one, preventing them from reloading and generally being a pain.


It's a bit of a different line of advice, but from what I've read BFG used to be carrier dominated, and Eldar were considered over powered. Supposedly the Necrons were added with rules designed to make them good against such forces. Necrons have no attack craft at all, but their special rules make them very potent against AC. So if you don't like AC in games maybe Necron are for you.

But since they added the rule about the number of AC being in play being limited by the launch capacity of the fleet I don't think AC is felt to be generally overpowered.

[horizon]

Yeah, in old BFG before ordnance limits AC was really strong, even with the double roll on reloading.
In the official rules Eldar are overpowered and underpowered at the same time.