SKULLSWORDS MIND TINGLING THOUGHTS!

Hi there fello dropzoners, 

I though it was time to give some tips and advice for the PHR when facing certain forces or specific models. Also some ideas on deployment. 

Most of the units in my army have dropships. The only units that do not actually benefit from them are Enyos or Hyperions. However if you are having your commander walk on the table edge he is going to need some bodyguards not too far away from him. Choose that option and your commander is going to have to rely on some scouts. 4 Janus will work but any opponent will know how valuable these are so you need to play them defensively and in great numbers. Playing with your boss walking on almost makes you castle up around him. Don't hesitate to fly those Neptunes up someone's flank (avoiding AA). I prefer to team a Zeus with an Odin. It's cheaper than also buying the scouts option and he can take a beating in the front-line (and punch back). I think my boss has only ever died twice. Both by my team-mates (sad face)

Here is a sample list playing your commander walking on:

HAND OF SPHERE - 583

Zeus 81(battle vizier 90), Hyperion 59, Hyperion 59

4 x Janus 92

- 2 x tritons 40 (missile pods 30)

2 x sirens 

- triton 132

BATTLE PANTHEON - 126

2 x Phobos 126

BATTLE PANTHEON 2- 171

2 x Phobos 126

-Neptune 45 

IMMORTALS PHALLANX 312

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

HEAVY PANTHEON 1 - 175

2 x odins 130

- Neptune 45

HEAVY PANTHEON 2 - 130

2 x Enyos 130

Here is a sample list with him playing forward:

HAND OF SPHERE - 413

Zeus 81(battle vizier 90),Odin 65

-Neptune 45

2 x sirens 

- triton 32

BATTLE PANTHEON - 129

2 x ares 126

- neptune

BATTLE PANTHEON 2- 171

2 x Phobos 126

-Neptune 45 

IMMORTALS PHALLANX 312

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

2 x immortals 

- triton 32

HEAVY PANTHEON 1 - 340

2 x odins 130

- Neptune 45

2 x Helios 120

-Neptune 45

HEAVY PANTHEON 2 - 130

2 x Enyos 130

( is that my objective your holding)

As you can tell you get some extra models with the boss man walking on. But you become quite immobile, focal point missions become very hard to win. What you do get is fire power from turn 1 though. The backboard army has 2 x neptunes, where as the list with the commander in a dropship has 5. 

In general i would advise making sure that when you deploy you have AA range on as much of the board as possible, there is normally one or 2 good alleys/corridors of fire that you can try and dominate. Only overlap ranges by a few inches to cover each other. We move slow and cannot risk having to get back in a Neptune with the AA so plan very wisely, most good commanders will concentrate on our AA first. That also said if the enemy is silly enough to deploy his exotic troops or tasty unit in  potential range of a quick turn 2 dropship annihilation take it! 
Don't be scared of redeploying your anti tank walkers if you have no target, if they have avoided you already then they will do it again. You can gain a decent 14"out of a redeploy don't underestimate it. People will avoid the hades like the plague so try and deploy it with multipy targets in mine. 
Battlegroups, when building lists think of which units could work together. Anti tank in one battlegroup could over power an aliminate a squad. Are you going to want to activate your applos/helios and erebos on turn 1 when you try and search for objectives with your infantry, i think not.

Okay let's look at how we could deploy going up against a UCM force.

If they have a Ferrum, then it's a turn 1 disembark, try and wait for them to activate the Ferrum before your AA so you can position them ready to deal with the drones. If you are using a back board army then take down the building the Ferrum is hiding behind, then lance it with the Hyperions never-ending range. 
As I said before make sure that when you deploy you have AA range on the majority of the board and only overlap ranges by a few inches. 
Apollos are another great asset here as they can quickly move up a flank and get some shots on the sand crawler. if when facing the Ferrum, if you can kill 4/5 drones a turn, then you're doing well and the drones attack will be weak. Another option is the Erebos, drones have a 6" range so keep these fellas near your most likely drone victim, normally a Hades, Phobos, light dropships or whatever you want kept alive. 

Against the Scourge jellyfish. 

In deployment there is one unit to watch out for......the reaper. Reap by name reap by nature. 
Too many times have I lost a unit of infantry (normally sirens as they are further forward *sad face*) because these guys go zooming across the board and have the ability with cards with make them even speedier. try and activated your anti-air last to see what direction you will need to cover most.

1 good thing against the scourge, the turn they disembark their skimmers don't get there bonus. If you have a chance to shoot them do it before they move next turn. 

At the moment all the good scourge lists are Prowler spam or Reaver spam or a combination of both. So your AA units will be your best friends here. 
Decisions decisions, who to shoot?, who to reaction? I would normally say get them all, but you cannot! There will be at least 6 different aircraft coming towards you. In my experiences I would rather have the Reavers still flying about than someone dropping off 16 prowlers on my front line. It would take the whole force to destroy them and even then 1 or 2 are deadly. Always reaction the light dropships ASAP. No point trying to shoot empty ones. The Reavers will come into range and will still be there after they have shot. So you could wait till your normal shooting (no reaction penalty) if you're still there.

Against Shaltari, there are some units you must keep an eye on. The Fire Drake's template weapon is fun for no man or machine. Keep your units distances and spread out. 

The other is the Tarantula. These spiders pack a venomous punch, the tougher the armour the easy to kill, it's just wrong and backwards. Smaller less armoured units are key to squishing these critters.

The Ocelot, never put your commander in a position where an ocelot can see him, EVER. They ignore passive counter measures and have the energy to destroy whatever is in it's path. A counter for the Shaltari shenanigans is to concentrate on the gates, this is the source to the cheating spiked headed aliens. With all the shalatri having a passive 5+, try not spread your fire about. Concentrate on a unit onces its dead move on.

Brothers in arms

As fun as it is to blow the hell out of each other, because I wanted to blow that building up instead of you, it's hard it's slow and it's annoying. You have two static armies plodding around hoping to get the drop on each other.  A backboard army will have some more shots early on but will lack the movement to deal with any real threat that comes. Dropships will win you this game with clever manoeuvres and ganging up on units. This is my least favourite army to play against, and I normally look to remove the smallest/softest battle-group so I have the activation upper hand. you have to play the mission. If all your walkers die but you grabbed all the objectives you win.

well i hope you will enjoy this little read. Skullsword out!