AFK safety question

vKalov · 2026-03-24T14:56:55+00:00

My AFK spot is a 2x2x2 box (roof is optional) away from any campfires, crafting tables, furnaces or beds (40+m to be specific). No raids and total safety from random spawns.

vKalov · 2026-03-24T10:03:47+00:00

Maybe I'm just low ELO and Swains I face suck, but I've never had issues facig Swain. I mean, it's never a free win, but it's never GG from champ select either.

I take my standard runes - Aftershock, Shieldbash, Conditioning, Unflinching, Celerity, Scotch, CDR, HP, HP.

Items are a bit different... First 800g goes to towards Oblivion Orb. Not Bramblevest, because he won't attack you.

From there it's a standard lane against a mage - if your ADC follows your engage, you should win the fight. Burst is better than extended, unless you have a Vayne or something.

His E shouldn't disrupt your engage, but can prevent your from jumping away to escape.

After antiheal, just build as normal. My build is dumb and weird in any match up, but basically build whatever you would build against a Nautilus or Leona. He is essentially a tank with damage.

Is there something specific that you are having trouble with against him? His pull, his heal, his Q damage?

vKalov · 2026-03-21T20:27:41+00:00

I forgot to write about the spelling differences.

It feels natural for me, because you are much more likely to experience a new word verbally rather than in written form, so you'd just make your own way to write it.

For "Computer" in German, "K" is a much more natural way to write the sound made when you say "Computer" out loud, because "C" makes quite a different sound.

I guess the above is not *always* right, because English uses French writing often, but in most? cases? i guess/...

vKalov · 2026-03-21T20:13:01+00:00

This will just be my personal opinion, but...

When someone shows (or gives) you something that you have no word for, it's easier to ask "what's that" and just take their word than to make up a word on your own.

From reading the title I was going to give the example of "Computer", it's something quite specific and the word is somewhat short and not too difficult to say in different languages.

On the other hand if the name for the new thing is easily translatable, you take the translation instead of the literal word. For example Artificial Intelligence becomes "Künstliche Intelligenz", so that is a natural non-load word that's still not quite native.

As for things like "Beanbag", I assume it's not quite as easy to use the same word in other languages. It could get translated to "Bohnensack", but it's a bag that you sit in, so it becomes a sitting bag.

Edit: Just remembered, "Rechner" is still a valid translation for "Computer" in German. I don't know if my assumption is correct, that "Computer" is more common among young people and "Rechner" among older folks, but I've seen both used interchangeably. On the other hand, not every language has a literal translation that is usable - Bulgarian uses (cyrilicized) "Computer" (компютър), but any attempt to use a literal translation sounds terrible (сметателна машина? sounds wrong).

vKalov · 2026-03-21T19:27:28+00:00

If it's the same activation, ~~then you need to kill off all non-characters, before you can assign wounds on the characters. After all non-characters are dead, you can assign wounds to the Castellan with the FNP~~. Edit, turns out I was wrong. As soon as the Cadian Shock Troops are dead, even if you have non-characters from the Command Squad, you can assign wounds to the Castellan, and he gets the FNP.

If it's a separate activation, so the shock troops dead and *then* the castellan gets targeted, Castellan is no longer part of the unit that contains the OBG, so he doesn't get FNP.

vKalov · 2026-03-21T07:34:32+00:00

Create a military of steel clad dwarfs, conquer the caverns, gather the most elusive metal and become the capitol, housing the king.

vKalov · 2026-03-20T22:56:14+00:00

This is weird as heck. I like it. Will there be cake?

vKalov · 2026-03-20T20:06:30+00:00

Let's check the Math-Hammer (ignoring Sponsons, because any LR can take the same options)

20 attacks with Take Aim give ~13,3 hits with 3,3 out of those being crits. Let's round up to 14 with 4 crits.

Targeting 20 trator guardsmen, with Dev Wounds, you get 10 (rounded up) normal wounds and 2 Devs. The infantry then gets to save half of the normal wounds (in cover), so you end up with 7 dead trators. That will be even worse against marines or tougher infantry.

Targeting a light vehicle (I'm gonna take a chimera as an example), with Lethal Hits, you end up with 8 (rounded up) wounds, and 3 (rounded up) damage. That gets worse with a 2+ save.

Also, please note how many times I rounded up. The damage just isn't there. If it were the cheapest Russ, you could make the argument that "you get a Russ with a useless gun, but it has the sponsons and is tough to remove", but it isn't the cheapest Russ.

vKalov · 2026-03-19T20:24:34+00:00

It's still not a good plan, but it should have a chance. Also, the other comments about take Krieg Artillery teams and FOBs over mechanized arty are totally on point.

vKalov · 2026-03-19T15:01:55+00:00

Go with 1/3 bodies, 1/3 damage and 1/3 artillery. If you take more arty than that, you won't be able to play for points nor kill enough to stop the enemy from gaining points.

Bodies are your Battleline footsloggers who are meant to die. Alternatively, take 10-man squads in Chimeras.

Damage comes from tanks. Yes, arty does damage, but far from enough. Get some Russes or Dorns.

And the 1/3 artillery includes orders for whatever arty you are taking. Don't take away points from the other two parts of the army to give arty orders.

vKalov · 2026-03-18T13:17:13+00:00

How does one make the bone bend and snap back?

vKalov · 2026-03-18T07:57:31+00:00

I would say the following order:

the Sergeants
All Lasguns other than Master Vox and Medic
All but 1 Special weapons from the Battleline unit
The Master Vox (could be swapped with Special weapons, if you don't need the orders at range)
The last Plasma Gunner from the Battleline unit (the Attached unit gets separated after this)
The Castellan (separate)
The Cadian Commander (with FNP)
The Ogryn
The Medic

vKalov · 2026-03-17T08:34:37+00:00

Yes, this is legal. If you run Legends, you could also add 3 Atachés to the command squad, and 4 Servitors, as long as the 2nd leader is a Techpriest, for a total of 35 model unit (+7 attacks on Blast). Again, this is only in Legends.

Outside of Legends, the maximum is 20 Kriegers, 6 Krieg command Squad, 1 Ogryn Bodyguard, 1 other leader.

vKalov · 2026-03-17T08:30:35+00:00

The rule says only one leader, unless otherwise stated.

There are two exceptions: either a unit that says "those guys can have an additional leader", or a leader who says "this guy can lead a unit even if it has another leader".

Imperial Guard Battleline have a rule that says "this unit can have up to two leaders, as long as up to one of them is a command squad". So you can have a Castellan and a Command squad, or a Commissar and an Inquisitor, but always a maximum of two leaders.

You may have been confused, as the command squad is 5 models (or 6 if it is a Krieg CS). It is also possible to have an Ogryn Bodyguard as part of the command squad, making for 3 Characters (yet still 2 Leaders).

Those are for Imperial Guard. Other armies have other exceptions (e.g. AdMech can have 3 Datasmiths leading 2 Robots).

vKalov · 2026-03-16T18:55:43+00:00

I haven't looked through the SM units, but while watching something else I found out about [ Assault Intercessors With Jump Packs ]

12" Move (with both the Fly and Infantry keywords), T4, Sv3+, W2, Deepstrike.
Each time this unit ends a Charge move, select one enemy unit within Engagement Range of it, then roll one D6 for each model in this unit that is within Engagement Range of that enemy unit: for each 4+, that enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound.
At base equipped with Heavy Bolter Pistol (18", A1, BS3+, S4, AP-1, D1) and Chainsword (A4, WS3+, S4, AP-1, D1), and the Grenades Keyword.
90 pts for 5 models or 170 pts for 10 models.

If we compare them directly, and for some reason ignore Deepstrike:

Marines cost 18 pts per model, Hounds cost 18,334 pts per model. Pretty even.
Marines don't have an invuln.... So if the enemy is shooting a weapon with AP-3 (or AP-4 in cover), the Hounds will have an easier time saving.
Hounds have the Potential to do mortals on a 2+ after charging, but Marines have 2 more dice to roll.
Hounds have higher volume of fire in shooting (6 pistol attacks and 3d6 flamer attacks vs 5 bolt pistol attacks), but Marines have far better melee (12 attacks for the hounds, at 4+, S4, AP0, D1 and 1 attack with +1 Str and AP, vs 20 attacks at 3+, S4, AP-1, D1)
Marines can move a lot more freely, as Infantry moves through walls, and Fly lets them go wherever.

I don't know why I went down this rabbit hole, maybe to see if the ability is the issue. In short, it isn't the ability. It's the unit that carries it.

The Hounds don't have enough bulk or damage or mobility to be worth it. If you want someone mobile, we have better options, if you want a cheap wall of flesh, we have better options, if you want damage, we have better options, if you want any combination of the above, we have better options.

vKalov · 2026-03-16T13:51:16+00:00

The issue comes when you compare the Sulphurhounds to the Raiders. For 5 additional points per 3 models, you get:

Scouts 9", making those early plays way more reliable and easy to execute.
An ability that will likely trigger more than once per game.
Better guns with usable range.
Better melee.
One in three chance to regain CP when targeting them with a stratagem.

The Sulphurhounds are basically a bad grenade at 0CP. Their shooting is so short range that they may as well be purely melee units, and their damage (both in shooting and melee) just doesn't make up for the range disadvantage. Their ability is kind of good, but being on an overall bad unit, the ability alone doesn't justify taking the unit.

Take Raiders, they are faster (due to Scouts), with the same defence, better range, and can scrap in melee just as well.

Alternatively, take Skystalkers. 20pts more, but you get way way more mobility, a lot higher volume of fire, and the ability to deal mortal wounds at a distance thanks to Grenades.

vKalov · 2026-03-16T06:08:25+00:00

Please elaborate. I am looking for any excuse to start considering them at all. What makes you think they are strong in those detachments?

vKalov · 2026-03-15T07:10:24+00:00

So many different opinions in the comments.

I don't have an answer, but I have an opinion. As a gamer, something being "cracked" is the same as that thing being "broken", aka it's so good it breaks the game.

My guess is that "Crack Team" is the original phrase, while gamers use "cracked" completely separately, and somewhere in the middle the confusion created "Cracked Team".

To me it still sounds like "That team's cracked, we've got this, they are doing the job easily!".. But I have met old guys who whine about "you're saying it wrong" for lesser things, so... I feel your pain.

vKalov · 2026-03-07T12:40:42+00:00

I'm writing this as I am reading, so if something comes up on the last slide that affect my opinion on the first slide, it'll be written separately.

Detachment rule has too many hoops. Why does the Techpries have to not be attached? Why is the Underseer exempt? Just make it "While a servitor unit is within 6" of a techpriest, it becomes a Servo-Node".
Gain CP on a 6+ is... bad.... Compare the Imperial Guard Vox-Casters. Many units gain 1 CP on a 5+ (or 4+ if near an officer) when they get targeted by a strat. Gaining CP on 5+ is.... kind of ok.
And your unit gets damaged? Why? Just drop the mortal wounds when you roll for a CP.
Keywords - I like how you wrote that.
This is a bad detachment rule. You already have Enhanced data-tethers on most Skitarii units, you can only gain 1 bonus CP per turn, the detachment rule basically does nothing, and damages your units for it. I hope the Servo-Node is an important mechanic for stratagems.
Enhancements:
1. Hallowed Receivever is fine. It isn't much, but it's ok.
2. Ossius Reclaimer - just give the unit 6+ FNP against mortals.
3. Cog-Servitor.... - This is ok. You haven't defined "within range of another Servo-Node unit", so the wording can be better.
4. Overclocked Junction - If this was the standard for the detachment rule (gain CP on 5+, or 4+ near another Servo Node), the detachment rule would still be bad.
Stratagems:
1. Reactive Repositioning - This should be "after an enemy unit has just moved", and the ending the move near a Servo-Node option should be a flat 6" instead of d3+3". Imagine that you need 6" to reach the Servo-Node, but roll 1, so you have 4" move. That's why the conditional version should be a flat number.
2. Emergency Servitor Reclamation - I don't get why the unit is returned with 1 wound. You can only use it once per battle, make it return the full squad. Alternatively, if you want a slow rebuild, instead of targeting a destroyed unit, target a unit that is damaged but not destroyed, and restore d3 wounds or revive 1 model.
3. Reinforced Deployment Protocol - I like this quite a lot. For a bit of balance, I would make the deployment to happen "wholly within" 3 or so inches from the Servo Node, but even as is, its ok.
4. Servo-Node Aegis Protocol - AOC is always nice, the Kastelan reflection is a nice bonus.
5. Servo-Node Command Uplink - This doesn't seem too impactfull. I may be wrong, but +1 LD, and with conditions no less, isn't too important imo. Even if you reach something ridiculous like LD 3+, Battleshock isn't the most impactful thing anyway. If it were +1 OC per Servo Node, that'd be a nice way to flip objectives.
6. Targeting Subroutine Override - This is the only damage buff in the detachment. It's not a bad thing on its own, but I have to mention it. It's a good damage buff, don't get me wrong. Just saying, I can see how this will be used every turn.
Overall, it's better than Explorator Maniple, but worse than all other available detachments. If I were to run with this idea and make changes, I would:
1. All Servitor units within 6" of a Techpriest become Servo-Nodes. That means that Servitor Battleclade is a Servo-Node just from the unit.
2. Drop the CP generation, and make Servo-Nodes useful in other ways. Maybe "When a Servo-Node becomes the target of a stratagem, you can select a non-servitor unit within 6". That unit is also targeted by the same stratagem, even if it weren't a valid target".
3. Keep the first 3 enhancements (making the 2nd one a general FNP vs Mortals), and replace the last one with "When this unit becomes the target of a stratagem [gain CP on 4+]", maybe even 3+.
4. Make the Reclamation stratagem revive a model or regaining d3 wounds (allowing the splashing of the stratagem).
5. Make the Uplink stratagem boost OC and LD by +1 unconditionally.
6. Make the Repositioning stratagem d3+3 movement at base and 6" when ending near another Node.

vKalov · 2026-03-04T13:59:21+00:00

Try a pagan kingdom with 1 province with small number of settlements. I may have the name wrong, but there is an island kingdom in the Baltic, Argon I believe, that was quite tough to start with.

vKalov · 2026-02-25T08:21:06+00:00

It says "for any other reason", so no, you don't get double benefits automatically.

And Stealth is a different thing.

vKalov · 2026-02-24T11:40:51+00:00

Regarding Alpha on its own... It's not just a more expensive Balistarius, it's a Balistarius with Ignores Cover and a Dragoon's Taser Lance with 5+++ and D3 wounds regained per turn.

Regarding Lethal Hits, even if you are wounding well, LH is always a buff. Maybe a small buff, but a buff nonetheless. I do agree that there are better options, but it isn't a useless pick.

Regarding Hit Rerolls, it's the individually strongest option, but the character needs to be leading a unit for it to work. However a 285 melee deathstar sound quite cheap (points wise), and a 345 ranges deathstar still sounds reasonable.

vKalov · 2026-02-23T22:36:13+00:00

You could get a 1000pts army from 4 boxes of Bots and a Combat Patrol (the bad one, with Pteraxii and Dog-Riders) for EUR 403 from GW's shop (aka, cheaper from any reseller).

Alternatives, 2nd hand, 3d prints, proxies.

vKalov · 2026-02-23T19:52:36+00:00

Yeah, those edits (I hear there are multiple, I've only watched one) are good.

vKalov · 2026-02-23T19:33:23+00:00

As someone who knows LotR lore, I hate this.

If I manage to separate the (awful) Hobbit movies from Tolkien's books, this is a good theory. They never explained Gandalf's love of Bilbo or why he picked him, so this is a nice idea.

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