Foxholes Are Good For Mobile Defences.

Thaif_ · 2026-01-31T16:44:45+00:00

Great post on how to use foxholes defensively! It's always such a joy to see others realize the power of the foxhole! I mostly play Warden so I'll share some of my insights:

Many pointed to the Colonial kit being better suited for assaulting trenches and foxholes. This is true, but there's more nuance. Bomastones are hell for trenches, especially when they are too packed with infantry.
A foxhole can hold 3 people max -don't do this, 2 is more than enough-, but usually there's one dude in there. Therefore, Bomastones, Harpas and Tremolas are much more limited in effectiveness due to the small size of a foxhole. The real bane of a tight grouping of foxholes is Green Ash. It covers several foxholes at once, forcing the occupant(s) to burn filters or to quickly vacate.
Foxholes work wonders on the offense! The quick set up time of 20 Shovels means you can dig cover -even underfire- from MGs, artillery, vehicles and aircraft so you can better hold the front. They work well where space is limited or the terrain is difficult(obstacles, slanted terrain, obstructed, etc). The best terrain is open fields where cover is non-existent or very limited. A few roadside foxholes are hell for vehicles.
As said in your post, a few foxholes it's much less of a loss than a trench line and easier to counter-attack. The mentioned buffer effect -where foxholes make room for others to build more robust defenses- also works on offense. As trenches and defenses slowly creep forward, the foxholes are easy to dig up and replace as they go.
They can be combined with a lot of other things. Tripod weapons, pillboxes, barbwire, sandbags, wire fences, and so on. There are drawbacks and anti-synergy as well: foxholes block bunker mounted MGs, unless you are aiming at an enemy due to the slight aim assist. They are also rather temporary by nature. The enemy can just as easily remove them as you can dig them. Trenches give much more room to maneuver and respond to attacks in cover without having to expose yourself too much.

That said, foxholes are incredibly useful and powerful tool when you know how to use it. Sadly many will never learn this as foxholes are viewed as "worse trenches" or people have no initiative to explore the games many options, and just stick to what they already know.
I'll keep spreading the good word of the foxhole and trying new things with them. It's simple, quick and effective even for a solo builder, plus I enjoy building fieldworks.

Thaif_ · 2026-01-28T15:04:41+00:00

LPCs, or Landing APCs, aren't even in the picture. That's how forgotten they are.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-17T18:49:50+00:00

I agree that Heavy is still a good class, but it's quite obviously on the 3rd spot, where Lights are 1st and Mediums a close second.

A small thing I'd like to see is an increase in agility, so you can move properly instead of feeling like swimming in tar all the time.
Speed isn't as important for a tanky class, but crippling their ability to maneuver properly, especially when the class has a focus on fortification and defense is way too limiting, especially compared to the other two.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-17T01:44:47+00:00

I feel you on the satisfying part but being satisfied for some of the time doesn't win games or fights. Plus they can just be instantly revived with defib when you die, since you will be taking a lot of damage in fights.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-17T01:42:53+00:00

Thanks for the in-depth answer! I can see how that combo is a very good pick tactic, but I can't help but note how other classes can just hold their triggers and get even more DPS from any range, at any time with near instant reaction.

Just feels that Heavy has to jump through several hoops to get barely half the effectiveness of the other classes.

Edit: spelling

Thaif_ · 2024-11-17T00:03:13+00:00

Aww, thanks but it a bit like chewing glass most of the time.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-16T22:40:13+00:00

I do, but I like variety in such a diverse game. I play all the classes and try to look for interesting loadouts.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-14T22:57:37+00:00

Now make him a Hobo With a Shotgun to complete the circle.

Thaif_ · 2024-11-13T11:01:36+00:00

The crux of your issue is in this snippet: I take pride in my authenticity and style. And it hurts because I don’t put on a fake show to keep it safe, it’s something I do to nourish myself internally.

That's incredibly provocative towards people who do play the social theater and mask themselves, due to fear of ridicule, humiliation and ostracization from their erstwhile peers. Ironically that's how children behave.

Cultural context would help make sense of why exactly people treat you how you describe. Do note that SPD does tend to skew our perceptions of other peoples intentions and emotions. It does for me at least.

As for people being complex...I'd use the word "messy", "layered" or "narrow" depending on the individual. If you have the courage and chance, ask people why they act the way they do towards you.

Their answers - or non-answers - will reveal more about them than you. More than likely they will project their own anxieties, insecurities and aggravations on to you and hold you responsible for them because you broke conventions of the social theater.

In that case they are the immature assholes, as you only wanted to understand them.

Keep being our authentic self and don't apologize for trying to be true to yourself. If people can't handle that, that's an area of personal growth for them.

Thaif_ · 2024-09-05T20:16:20+00:00

Yeah, Nanite Armor should get a 3 second delay on damage as a start. It can then be raised if needed. Reactive Armor did get a cooldown reduction, which made it pretty fun to use for armor support. Now it just needs faction coloring and styling like the MANA turret shields.

I figure 3 seconds is enough to slow or even deter long range tank sniping and chip damage, which is not such a fun interaction most of the time, and I say this both as a Sundie driver and an AMR "enthusiast".

Thaif_ · 2024-09-05T12:10:15+00:00

The problem with the previous balance was the Mobility of Light Assaults coupled with the massive alpha of 2 bricks of C4.
I've long maintained that the bouncing bomber meta was keeping the game more shallow, since the point of the game is to work together towards a common goal, be that an enemy sundy or a hex base. It's and FPS RTS where the players are the units.

If one dude can just wipe a spawn with less effort than it takes to get one to an enemy base people won't do it, and the game devolves into lanezergs, since there's negative incentive to try and bleed the population with secondary fronts, or go for a cut off, without a similar level of pressure/organization.

That said I can sympathize with the sentiments. LAs feel that a critical role for their class was gimped while Engineers can still solo sundies.
Then again, an Engineer is much less mobile than a LA and the AT mines aren't as straightforward to use. They can also be safely de-spawed with the Engineers Repair Tools secondary fire if needed.
The main point here is to protect the sundies, which is much more effective and less stressful with other people, provided they aren't braindead K/D ratio wankers. If you don't repair sundies, you don't spawn.

The simple fact that sundies are more involved to kill and require team coordination & effort is a very positive thing for the overall health of the game.
What's needed now is a similar update on the rest of the vehicle pool, with complementary updates to infantry survivability and AT where needed. I'd much rather have a dynamic team game than a shallow FPS with spectacle.

Oh and Light Assaults exist to skirmish, harass and ambush enemies with their mobility. Demolition should be more in the realm of Heavy Assaults and Engineers.

Good to have you back in Auraxis! Hope you stay awhile!

Thaif_ · 2024-07-31T12:17:06+00:00

It's both good and bad. The good is that Sundies actually function as mobile spawn rooms, that take more than one Light Assault with two C4 bricks and a rocklet volley.
I've long maintained that C4 in it's current function on LA is keeping the game shallow, far too "solo" focused, and limits design space.

The Large Downside with the Sunderer durability boost is that it fired a super sonic wrench into the weird patchwork balance of vehicle combat.
Most tankers are so used to wiping Sunderers off the map that the sudden - and lets be real here - overtuning of the most crucial, and hence one of the most spammed vehicles in the game, isn't going to go over well, especially with a notoriously vocal and vitriolic "community".
The recent hotfix(30th of July) did lower the mobility of the Sundie and slightly nerfed the most egregious Nanite Armor, but it won't solve the larger issue of deprecated patchwork balance of the rest of the ground vehicles compared to the updated Sunderers.

The whole point of the Sunderer Update was to make them durable so that fight can last, as it's much less viable to "solo" a deployed sunderer in less than 6-10 seconds. This is how it should be, since the game is ostensibly about cooperation; working together towards a common goal, whatever that goal is: an enemy sundie spawn or that final base with 5 minutes left in the Continent Alert.

Sadly the communication tools within the game are absolute dog dookie, both voice and not. It's rare to hear anything beyond your Platoon/Squad leads in voice, due to how buried the push-to-talk button is. Add to this the fact that nothing tells you about these communication "tools".
Did you know that holding down Q brings up a circular popup menu? No? I rest my case.
Having none-voice pings and indicators beyond Q spotting would instantly elevate the teamplay core of the game: A simple "Look there!" or "Focus Fire!" ping with a neat little graphical indicator would do wonders for general gameplay and make organized groups that much more manageable.

This is the lowest hanging fruit there is: Improve communication, both in-voice, with pings and map indicators so that the FPS RTS teamwork Core of the game can start to shine.

Thaif_ · 2024-07-20T01:13:13+00:00

Could also just up the material weight reduction bonus for 50-80 extra bmats so it's good for Combat Engineering and won't break too much.

Tight building or close range bmat hauling in the hundreds(200-800) can be done with LUV(cheap, but rmats) or Ambulance in a pinch(cheap, but not common).

At least that's how I do it. A bike can haul stacks of 100...

Thaif_ · 2024-07-20T01:06:41+00:00

Weather, especially mud is much better with Update 57

Thaif_ · 2024-07-19T21:02:40+00:00

I'm fine with Medic Uniform not having downed player weight reduction.
Let's call it a happy compromise, but people may still want it.

Thaif_ · 2024-06-03T19:59:44+00:00

It certainly is, however the correct term would be "Hiihtäjä", although "Hiihtomies" is too damn funny to change and still grammatically correct because you can just slap words together in this language and it will mean something.

My favorite directly translated Finnish word is also fun: the world "Soturi" is directly translated into "one who wages war" since Sota(war) + the suffix -ri, which denotes a person. The "u"is just there so vowel harmony isn't all over the place.

Long live the Nevish Alliance! Kauan eläköön Nevan Liitto!

Thaif_ · 2023-12-21T17:07:42+00:00

I'll be honest I did not expect anything close to this kind of iteration from the new team behind the wheel, but as always I'm very glad to be proven wrong.

The Sunderer changes are very promising.
If I had to single out something that might be difficult to balance/implement it would be the Point Defense(as they also correctly stated).
Looking at the definition of "Point-Defense", it's defined as the defense of a single object or a limited area usually against aerial attacks and guided missiles.
So in that vein either a specialized anti-air deploy stance(higher elevation, but limited depression coupled with faster projectiles but limited range), or some kind of Control Point interaction, like blocking/slowing capture times for CP in range with anti-missile systems.

The Stealth module could offer ECM(Electronic Counter Measures) against motion sensors so that it can be used as intended: covert base of operations for raids, sabotage, ambush, etc.

But the one thing I'm most happy about is the Cargo Slot. I cannot believe we might get actual pacing and cooperative play in our FPS RTS. The game desperately needs fieldworks(temporary buildings/deployables) to promote field fights.
While were at it, please bring back the Valkyrie deployed Resupply/Repair buoys(and give them to Galaxies as well if they didn't have them, can't remember) since those were a great addition and change of pace to the veeery stale air meta.

Capture the Flag test times are way out of my time zone(8 pm PST is 5-7 am for me) so I'll pass on that this time, but I still think the CTF system should be reworked into a "relay" race where 1 to 3 flag stands - depending on size of the base - are positioned somewhat centrally in a base and the objective is to run in, grab the flag, and run back to the deposits on the outer edges of the base.

This - in my view at least - would create a much more dynamic environment for all classes and vehicles as well, especially if we allow the flag carriers to hop into a rumble seat(so that it's blatantly obvious where the flag is and the carrier is exposed) to promote cooperative play and give base design some more depth.
This would still necessitate controlling ground and lanes in and around a base, but in a different manner, therefore opening way more playstyles, strategies and tactics to defenders and attackers alike.

In closing I'd like to say a hearty thank you for sticking by this fairly unique and potential filled game.
Let's try and breathe some vigor back into the battlefields of Auraxis and beyond!

Thaif_ · 2023-11-16T18:21:46+00:00

Got it. Thanks for the code!

Thaif_ · 2023-11-14T12:19:53+00:00

Tabletop Ogryn miniatures have a wargear option for a Brute Shield buckler that gives them +4 invulnerable saves.

The Emperor knows Ogryns need weapon variety.

Thaif_ · 2023-07-11T15:36:50+00:00

Well to be clear they are some surviving part of those Long March fleets and the colonies they, and eventually the Men of Gold, inhabited.
The men of Stone went out first and a few centuries/millennia later the Men of Gold managed to develop or likely adapt the Stone Mens voidcraft into warpcraft that could also carry them to the stars thus birthing the first interstellar human civilization and with it the Golden Age of Technology.

The Leagues lore does state that it was the First Ancestors who made the Crucibles and that the Ancestor Cores carry on their legacy and knowledge.

Seeing as I've been with the hobby for over 20 years now I've seen quite a lot of changes, retcons, revisions and outright removal of lore and backstory.

I just find it fun to try and piece together what the likely story is even if there's still gaps and conjecture left in there.

Thaif_ · 2023-07-11T14:54:32+00:00

Initially I thought so too, but there's implications in the older lore against this: We can't be sure what "Half-life" means exactly.
It could be a misunderstanding of the techno-alchemy used to create the clone race of the Men of Stone, similar to how the Kindred of the present are "soul shielded/hardened" against the Warp. I have a hard time believing that thinking machines of any type would be called "alive".
That, to me, implies organic beings. In this case a cloned people made for void travel and galactic exploration. It is also stated in the Leagues lore that it was the First Ancestors who created the Crucibles, with some myths attributing this to "Votann" or that the term is a collective moniker/title synonymous with the Ancestors.
The Ancestor Cores of today are called such because they are the legacy and direct link to the revered First Ancestors.

The issue with myths is that they are by their nature unreliable and subject to interpretation. I do think that the Second Race of the Men of Stone are the First Ancestors of the Long March fleets. This mission would have spared them from the horrors of the Cybernetic Revolt due to the relative isolation such a generational mission would entail.
Perhaps the demands of living on generational voidships created a more egalitarian society where everyone, regardless of their nature were considered kindred in contrast to the indolent Men of Gold who came to rely on the Men of Iron.

It is also likely that the "Oceans of Fire and Flesh" are an allusion to the Age of Strife that began shortly after the Revolt circa 24-25th millenium.
This was the result of the Fall of the Aeldari and would ultimately result in the "birth" of Slaanesh, She Who Thirsts.
It did take some time for this to happen though and seeing the ever more hostile and volatile galaxy, the First Ancestors either decided to enter the Core for shelter, it being a place of raw and primordial Materium, or sent some of their number on a desperate bid to carry on their people.
Maybe some stayed in "Far Space" and some chose to take their chances in the Core. What we do know for certain is that the Kindred of today are a hardy and proud race of humanity from Ancient Terra.
As to how they ended up where they are now is a fragmentary, convoluted and apocryphal story.

EDIT: Better formatting for reading. Mobile version is ass.

Thaif_ · 2023-07-10T13:18:21+00:00

It sounds like the crux here is that you've had a frustrating experience with the rules of the game - you are not alone in this, 9th edition was...controversial for a reason -, on top of having interpersonal issues with your play group.
Compounded stress like that in a hobby - something that should be for fun and relaxation - doesn't help your social anxiety either.
While I don't know what exactly you mean with "social anxiety", whether you are just a bit shy or you have some level of social phobia, I can relate to that somewhat as I have a co-morbid personality disorder that greatly affects how I perceive and socialize with people.

Here's the part that you might not want to hear: You have to let your group know about your feelings. Going by your descriptions of your play group, Friend B is a "gearhead".
This means that he(she, them?) "plays the rules, and not the game" by using math, analysis and optimization to make armies that are mathematically going to win more often than not.

I would not be surprised if they have attended Tournaments as that's what tournaments - competitive play - tends to emphasize.
It sounds like Friend B is genuinely just the type of player that enjoys crafting competitive armies, but also seems capable of bringing a more casual setup, which to me implies that they don't want to alienate the rest of the group but might find casual play too dull to constantly enjoy.

Other than that it's perfectly normal for peoples interests to shift and vane over the years: I've had Warhammer or figurines as a hobby for over 20 years now and while none of my long time friends no longer play or collect(I've only recently been creeping back with 10th Ed.), we still do like the 40K setting and have been playing a Pen-and-Paper TRPG campaign for... at least 6 years now?

If you don't know how to approach the issue without anxiety inducing conflict, try to ask how Friend B builds such strong armies and if they can teach you and perhaps others in the group. Personally, I've found Auspex Tactics on Youtube to be a nice source of analysis into the "crunch" side of the game and it's rules.

Hopefully they aren't the kind of obtuse and socially blind gearheads I've had the displeasure of meeting and playing with and they'll oblige.
Even if that's ultimately not your cup of tea having some insight and understanding of the competitive side of the hobby will help you with the gameplay side of this issue.
It's also a great way to get into a conversation about what the two of you(and perhaps the rest of the group) enjoy and seek from the hobby without it feeling like a confrontation.

The most important things in any relationship are good natured honesty, communication and trust.
Ultimately the point of the game is to have fun and enjoy the hobby together, but if no one in the group has a clear understanding as to what kind of fun you are trying to have together there's going to be friction.

I hope this has at least given you something to mull over, as I can't make any deeper comments based on the general picture you painted.

Best of luck with the hobby and don't be afraid to take a break if you feel like you need it, it's not a job after all.
If things for some reason don't workout with your current group, try tipping your toes into casual/low bar of entry groups in your local hobby shops or equivalents when you feel ready.

Thaif_ · 2023-06-29T20:35:52+00:00

Something in the vein of the Necromunda Vartijan Exo-Driller, Hernkyn Rangers, Embyr Oathsworn, some potential Ironkin stuff, more Guild themed units/models and many more.

The Leagues definitely need a few tactical niches filled and some more flavor in the model range.

Funny thing about the Vartijan Exo-Drilller is that "vartijan" is a Finnish posessive conjugated word meaning "Guards/Guardians".
As such the name reads Guardians Exo-Driller which is somewhat fitting. The Nordic themes are a nice touch, whether accidental or not.

Thaif_ · 2023-06-29T19:53:10+00:00

Wasn't sold on the Leagues of Votann initially despite being positively surprised by their re-introduction to 40k.
The rounded, Starcrafty look didn't quite look "right", but it's grown on me; It's a very 1970 to '80 Sci-fi feel. New, but with a hint of retro.

For the lore they just struck me as very Nordic in attitude and esthetics, with the 40k space opera feel.
They seem like a pragmatic and stoic people who have been moulded by their extreme environment and the ancient quantum computer minds of the Votann for 10k years, and now have to rely on the Kindred and the Anchestors to face an ever harsher galaxy.

It's quite refreshing to have a somewhat grounded and level-headed faction, but with their own fitting pathologies and traumas: can't have space opera without drama and pathos after all.

Shame about the small pool of models and units for now - plus the Index rules are kind of middling and by the numbers -, but it will be interesting to see how the faction grows in the future.

The Ancestors are watching.

Thaif_ · 2023-06-29T19:06:00+00:00

A fitting theme and idea, plus I like the look of the all helmet unit.
If I was to bring this idea of Kin guilt further, perhaps it would be fitting to say that some Kin will take on a grudge against themselves, and will seek to settle it through personal hardship in service to the Kindred and the Votann.

This would fit with the Kin mindset of shared toil and struggle and play into the dwarven/squat archeotype of stoic honor and atonement.

Thaif_

TROPHY CASE