Inspired by my own discussion in the Archipelagon thread, I was wondering about other people: how many of your 20 units are 2+ cost specialist units?
“Specialists” are, in this case, defined as units with pure support abilities, such as the Command Ape, Power Pod, Arbiter Monolith, Juror, Temple Giant, and the like. Or, they can be single units that you bring because you want a specific Action or unique trigger on an attack.
I wouldn’t generally consider Elites to be specialists except in the case when they are brought without their associated grunts because they have a desired rule.
I generally start to feel strongly constrained with 3-4 cost 2 units in my list. What about you?
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I tend to think of units as filling roles on the map rather than grunt/elite/specialist, but I think I understand what you’re getting at.
In Destroyers, I almost always bring a Juror, Hellion, Task Master, Mollock Berserker, Vorota Walker, and LTA Gunship. Depending on the list, I may make room for an Abrogator or Miasmist as well. These tend to be units that are exceptionally good at securing, holding points, or attacking. I think they will stick around long enough to make up the steep cost, get a discount on them, or use their abilities to ensure that they earn me back a disproportionately high number of power dice.
In Protectors, I’m bringing an Arbiter Monolith, Brontox, Carnidon Elite (for Nesting), C-Type Shinobi Elite (for Cargo), Temple Giant, Water Avatar, and a Psi-Eel. I’ll sometimes find room for a Rocket Ape, Temple Monolith, or Crusher, depending on the list. I included the elites here because I’m taking them for their specific interaction with other models (Transport/Cargo or Nesting)
So, I guess in most lists I’m packing 6-7 2-costers, but I sometimes bring even more if I have a reliable way of getting them out cheaply like with the Ancient Ones, Savage Swarm, Terrasaurs, or Vegetyrants units.