If you want to keep your friends, how many robots are enough

[Ulfast]

Hello there

 

I got 2 robots with all shooting and allready my opponents thinks they are too good. I got in christmas present another two and I´m wondering if I´m going to make the into the shooting one too? But will that make my friends being sad?

 

I´m right now more thinking to turn one of the two robots to shooting and the second one for close combat. And latr buy another pair of robots for close combat and that would make 3 shooting and 3 for close combat. What is your advice?

[Frostglaive]

Tell your buddy to get some more anti-tank weapons. Robots hurt like hell, but they can die to 1-2 well rolled lascannon shots.

 

Build them however you wish. Shooting variants are still the best imo, but close combat robots are no slouch either. Especially with their new detachment from Vigilus.

[Trixie]

Take as many as you like, admech aren't exactly viewed as the unbeatable horde of evil in 8th edition. Sure the bots have good shooting, but they can be punched easily or even outranged and shot at with a few lascannons.

[Canadian_F_H]

If you lose a friend over a match, were they ever really your friend?

 

Build and purge!

 

What mode of play are y'all using? Robots cost points. If he counters them and you've got little else then it's on him to figure it out.

 

Different missions require different things. A gun line will lose if it can't sight it's targets camping on wining objectives behind terrain.

[Prot]

Honestly I think you play with whatever you need. AdMech is really difficult in 8th and so many armies have great tools for handling Kastelans. The fact is I okay random matchups so if I say I’m only going to take 2 bots and face dual riptides or Ork Lootas/tank bustas.... forget it. I’ll get tabled.

 

You have to bring what you think makes it competitive wit( your meta. People really don’t win tournaments with AM. Plus with new missions there are some serious set backs.

[KhorneHunter57x]

I´m right now more thinking to turn one of the two robots to shooting and the second one for close combat. And latr buy another pair of robots for close combat and that would make 3 shooting and 3 for close combat. What is your advice?

I run four shooty and two with fists, in either one or two mixed units, and I find that to be reasonably effective. Sure, I'm losing a bit of shooting, but that pair of fists can be a pretty decent charge deterrent against more elite units.

[Charlo]

Four is the minimum for them to be remotely effective IMO.

 

They aren't insanely tough and they have a lot of drawbacks with inflexible protocols and bad BS on heavy weapons makes moving unattractive.

[MajorNese]

They aren't insanely tough and they have a lot of drawbacks with inflexible protocols and bad BS on heavy weapons makes moving unattractive.

...and locking them down in CC is only hindered by overwatch. Once you get into CC, they can't even pile in (for more attacks) or fall back when in shooting mode, and changing mode becomes impossible if done by stratagem. Then a few guardsmen would be enough to lock hundreds of points in an eternal CC.

[brother_b]

I don't ask my friend to leave his tanks and argullery and swarms of men at home, nor do I ask him to hold off on issuing orders.

 

That's an extreme but seriously dakka bots are some of the best toys we have. Why can't you use them?

[Ulfast]

Thanks for all of your advices. It seems to me that 4 is ok so Im going for that

[DeStinyFiSh]

Yeah, it is really scary to have 4x18 shots thrown at you, especially with Karl and Wraith of Mars, but there are many drawbacks:

 

- Huge point investment

- Protocol mechanic is slow or costs CP

- Once stuck in melee they are worth maybe 5% of the points you inversted

- low to zero mobility

- they can go down quit easy due to dedicated anti tank

 

You opponents have to find a way to deal with them, which should not be to big of a problem.

[Frostglaive]

I had the same issue for a little while with my robots and my friends. As well as some of the newer people showing up in my local group. People wouldn't know how much firepower the robots could dish out, so they didn't fully dedicate to killing them just yet... until I had a couple turns of shooting with them. They got mad that "robots are overpowered and undercosted and are so broken" and yada yada yada... until they faced them again. And again. And again. Needless to say, I tend not to rely heavily on robots anymore since they tend to get destroyed within the first 2 turns. They learned just how easy it is to kill them with just a bit of dedicated anti-tank power. Or better yet, just lock them down in close combat with some cheap bodies. Problem solved.

 

Robots die easy. They dish out a ton of damage, but they can take it just as easily.

 

That being said... don't be that guy who brings 8 dakkabots to a casual 1500pt game. That's just cruel and unusual punishment at that point.

[Xisor]

I'm still (broken record here!) a bit dismayed by dakkabots being so simple.

 

My vote is: 2 dakka is plenty, take some fistbots.

 

Not out of fairness to your opponent, but simply as a matter of general taste.

 

Or go heavy on robots such that they're rarely all on dakka protocols...

 

---

 

I sortof wish the protocols weren't so... Drastic.

 

Double shooting, no punching is fine.

Double punching, no shooting, also fine.

 

But the movement thing riles me up a bit.

 

Might it have been better to be as it is, but from a 6" base move, switch to 3"/9" moves?

 

----

 

For my part, I just can't stomach dakkabots as it is.

 

No matter how effective they are, they feel too intensely boring doing what they do when stationary.

 

That's fortification business, not dauntless 1950s robot business!

 

(Haha, that's a thought: make their fist-guns pistols!)

[Feral_80]

I agree. Protocols are boring and awkward to use. They either encourage static play or force you to waste weapons you have paid for. Plus, bots desperately need that 2+ save from aegis to stay alive, especially in melee since they have no invulnerable save. When you'll find the need to switch protocol you will be desperate to do so thus you'll want to use the stratagem rather than the little guy, who is just a waste of points (he is still barely more worth it now with the cohort formation stratagem).

 

I'd welcome a simpler and more balanced implementation of protocols. But no way, I am afraid.

[KhorneHunter57x]

I'm actually a huge fan of the way Protocols work currently. They feel solid, and it's a nice in-game reflection of the fact that these aren't thinking, learning soldiers, but brainless automatons with the critical thinking ability of a Roomba.

 

Might it have been better to be as it is, but from a 6" base move, switch to 3"/9" moves?

Bots move 8", not 6".

[Xisor]

I'm actually a huge fan of the way Protocols work currently. They feel solid, and it's a nice in-game reflection of the fact that these aren't thinking, learning soldiers, but brainless automatons with the critical thinking ability of a Roomba.

 

 

Might it have been better to be as it is, but from a 6" base move, switch to 3"/9" moves?

Bots move 8", not 6".

That's why I said but from a 6" base move.

[KhorneHunter57x]

That's why I said but from a 6" base move.

...and I misinterpreted that as meaning "they move 6" or not at all now, but it would be nice to see them be able to move a little bit when shooty and quite a bit more when trying to punch people".

 

Now that I know what you mean, I do like your idea.

[SydonianDragoon404]

Make two lists, one with robots and one without. Gauge your opponent and see if they really truly can handle them. If your opponent is bringing magnus, morty, knights, ir any quinessential meta list, then bring the bots. If not, you probably dont need them.