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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 9/14/2010
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Whenever I have built a squad in the past, I have usually included at least one decent melee piece and at least one decent nonmelee piece (shooter). I don't like to put all my eggs in one basket, and I like to be prepared should I come up against a squad with good defense against one or the other.
But I'm wondering now if this is the right approach. In general terms, could a squad with only shooters still be competitive? Or is it wise to always include a melee piece? Which builds would a shooters-only squad struggle against?
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 6/23/2010
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Location: The Hutt, New Zealand
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I think shooter only squads are less viable then they used to be, if anything, and that the balance is shifting towards melee. There are lots of really good melee pieces coming out with extra speed or with Greater Mobile - Jaina can move 12 and triple attack, Mace has GMA, Chazrach and Master Thon have charging assault, Vong Slayers can get evade and GMA, and the upcoming Corran Horn can get evade, Speed 8 and GMA. I think pieces like these mean that it's hard to run an all-shooter squad. If you're going to try it, you might get away with something like a diplomat wall, depending on what the other Hawera guys are running? But I think some kind of melee interference, even if it's something relatively small like Jarael or Brianna, is generally a very good idea.
With Bev in your meta, it's worth noting that most shooter only squads are going to auto-lose against a Lancer.
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 9/14/2010
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Thanks for the feedback, Graham. Excellent point about Jarael. You're right that I need to consider Lancers, too. I got owned by kfc's_waiting_for_you running one with Poggle Bombs in the first game of our Hawera Regional.
What is the reason that shooters fare poorly against the Lancer, though? I would have thought melee pieces are just as vulnerable unless they have Jedi Reflexes, Djem So or Riposte?
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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My though is that the "melee attack" ability is a liability. It may take Evasion out of play and a few other things but all of them have melee analogs. Taken as a whole if melee is on a piece it is worse that if its not. Now the "problem" is that to "fix" that little hiccup pieces with melee are getting stronger while the allowed maps (depending on how you play things) are doing little to aid shooters. Shooters should win on an open map but with many maps engagement ranges are reduced to the point where a ranged advantage isn't so great.
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 6/23/2010
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Location: The Hutt, New Zealand
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With the shooters, i was mainly just thinking that they have less hit points against a Lancer. Pieces like TBSVs and Echanis probably won't survive one pass from a twinning Lancer, unless you can bring in something with Lobot to help keep them safe. So with higher hit point melee pieces you have a bit more chance to get to the Lancer, although you probably need something like a movement breaker or accurate shot against a good player who's protecting their Lancer properly.
And Poggle Bombs are horrible.
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Good call, StevenO. My most detested of maps is Rhen Var Citadel. So many doors, and very claustrophobic.
I was doing fine against the Poggle Bombs until that pesky Lancer interrupted Bastila's ABM. I learned a hard lesson about keeping her safe and will put her way out the back next time. The hard lessons are the ones you remember!
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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A straight shooter squad wouldn't cope with a quad death shot squad ;) I generally choose shooters over melee pieces, so my squads are heavily shooter-based with the lone melee piece being a commander to help those shooters.
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Rank: Dark Trooper Phase III
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Joined: 10/11/2010
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The only pure-shooter squad that I have seen to have any tier 1 viability is Weir and his storm commandos. Don't know enough about V & CB to know if they will persent another alternative.
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Location: SWMing now in the 936
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@ Darth O must respectfully disagree with your point, a Weir squad can most definitely handle the DDS.
On a different note... How I love the Poggle Bomb on the Asteroid Base, with Iggy Pop as the boomstick! ;-)
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Rank: Advanced Bloo Milk Member
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Joined: 12/10/2010
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I have to second Darph Nutter on the DDS deal. That Wier squad of his is nasty and he plays it likewise. Good luck in that match up. I will have to concede that a pure, competitive shooter squad will be a rarity. Firstly, beats are too much fun as they have lightsabers. Let's face it, lightsabers are the reason we got into this game and dorkiness in general. What is more, some of those beats have nice CEs that help your shooters. "Oh hi, Lord Vader. You can put talcum powder on your remote control flying fists and slap Zannah and GOWK around with the greatest of ease? Awesomesauce, you're hired. Uh, what's that? You have a CE? Well now, that's pretty wizard." Hard to ignore. I'll have to give it a try. I think I'm on to something with the Karma Chameleon Droids squad I modified from tolzsolt's winner. I still think it needs work. Maybe Nute Gunray for the option of tempo control. Of course, Bastila ruins that party. But then again, she ruins (nearly) every party...because she's a tart. /rant
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