Stupid ATST

By Ophion, in Star Wars: Legion

All terrain scrub turkey!

Does anyone get good value out of this thing?

Even with 2 close range volleys with weiss, the grenade launcher and the mini gun as well as the main gun its total damage was one storm trooper...

It concentrates all your firepower in one bit of the board where it is easy to either ignore or kill if your opponent can be bothered...

Its armour doesnt really mean anything when most units (especially jetbikes) will get a natural crit or two and another out of impact.

I really feel it needs some interpretation of offensive surge, more suppression generation or a free pivot (swivelling the turret)?

Its just a massive points investment compared to its impact on the game...

Yes, I've been getting good value of of it.

To be completely honest, it gets into my army list so frequently because of how frikken cool the model is, but I don't feel like it has been a dead-weight. I experimented with a pair, but have been finding a single much better armed one is a better idea. I also don't find it fits with Vader very easily; they have no synergy.

My current approach is very unusual for me; I usually run minimum upgrades and maximum hull/shields/models in every game but in this case actually buy everything for it. Not just all 3 additional guns, but also Weiss and the HQ uplink (which resets along with Weiss, making it a good pick), and then trail Veers behind boosting it.

It's very expensive, and as we all probably know it's not as efficient as its points worth of Bikes. In order to justify its existence, I'd like it to get stuck in early, and then since it's rarely contributing to the final score in scenarios, draw enough fire away from scoring units to be dead or nearly dead by the end of the game :D

To get that value usually means getting in to range 2 of targets. The 3 Reds, 3 Whites and 5 Blacks with ignore cover can overwhelm defence in the way more numerous smaller attacks can't.

I faced it for the first time recently, it damaged one at-rt and took down a damaged one. It killed 2.5 rebel squads.

Weers spotter ability + aim action is crazy.

Spotter from Veers makes him scary, as jocke01 said. and also his Commandcard that let the ATST ready his Pilot Weiss! I think soon with the HQ Uplink you will be able to play a nice opening:

1. Turn- Maximum Firepower, Spotter for veers and ATST. (ATST with HQ-Uplink, aktivates it, so you can activate the ATST when you want!)

Veers makes some damage

When the ATST is aktive, you'll use his Pilot Weiss and fire every weapon!

2. Turn- Imperial Discipline, give one order to ATST, that readys HQ-Uplink and Weiss! and maybe a Tropperunti with missilelauncher!

I find it synergizes with Vader greatly. Especially when that jedi ninja skywalker ambushes vader. Send in the escorting ATST to get a supporting strike!

I've used it every time I play, and always gotten my money worth. I love the mortar launcher the most - making units start the game with suppression is awesome, and just one time the circumstances lined up so that on their first activation, a unit of Rebel troopers panicked off the board. So lovely.

I haven't experienced it dying quickly, between its large health pool, Armor, and defensive surges, it's a daunting target compared to attacking a unit of troopers and being nearly assured to actually decrease their offensive potential.

It's also my most consistent AT-RT killer, just using its main blasters, perhaps bolstered by Aim, I consistently take out the puny imitations in a couple of volleys.

I've sworn to myself that the next time I play, I'm trying it with the grenade launcher so I'll run it up into range and shoot with those and the main gun for lots of dice that ignore Cover...except I love my tasty mortars... ?

I believe the AT-ST is not competitive. Have not seen any winning tournament army with it. I do believe that it should have the offensive surge. I think that this small change would make it good enough to see use. 2 bike squads and an extra 30 pts of upgrades is the much better option right now. Spending 210-260 pts on this thing is not something I would recommend, and this really stinks because the model is so **** cool! The veers squad with 6 DLTs and 3 bikes can take the ATST down by mid-round 2 easy, the armor doesn't help that much and I think FFG put too much stock into thinking it was a huge deal. Just our experiences here.

33 minutes ago, lukecook said:

I believe the AT-ST is not competitive. Have not seen any winning tournament army with it. I do believe that it should have the offensive surge. I think that this small change would make it good enough to see use. 2 bike squads and an extra 30 pts of upgrades is the much better option right now. Spending 210-260 pts on this thing is not something I would recommend, and this really stinks because the model is so **** cool! The veers squad with 6 DLTs and 3 bikes can take the ATST down by mid-round 2 easy, the armor doesn't help that much and I think FFG put too much stock into thinking it was a huge deal. Just our experiences here.

I'm pretty certain that both rebels and empire will get a pilot upgrade that gives offensive surge.

1 hour ago, jocke01 said:

I'm pretty certain that both rebels and empire will get a pilot upgrade that gives offensive surge.

That would be awesome. I'd like a hardpoint upgrade for the T47 that ups its firepower in the front arc. Say add 2 Red dice and Sharpshooter 1.

I don’t care about tournaments — in casual listbuilding games with friends it’s been a solid powerhouse. I never Weiss it out though - just the mortar and the side blaster tops.

Ive wiped out units before with it, sent others scurrying to far reaches of the board for LoS blocking cover (sure I can’t shoot you now but you’re getting nothing further done either)

AT-ST has been the MVP in 2 out of 5 games and a solid contributor in the other 3. I went full Weiss and 4 weapons once but lately I dropped it to no Weiss and used the mortar pod and the light blaster. I post it up in a corner to start, giving it the ability to hit nearly the entire battlefield then slowly walk it forward. So I love it and will continue to use it on my lists.

I think the problem with the Veers synergy is that its so reliant currently on activation order. I'm actually a huge fan of the Veers combo once the uplink comes into play, that way I only need to control Veers activation and can do what I like with the ATST.... That might make it more worth the points investment... maybe.

Just got 2nd place in a tournament today with a double AT-ST list, with each AT-ST running mortar and concussion grenade launcher. I like the unit because with 11 hp each it is difficult for the enemy to remove from the table. You can suppress enemy squads early in the game as well as towards the late game if you find enemy forces on the opposite side of the table. What I like the most about it is that it is very easy to get 2 activations tokens placed on the AT-ST with Imperial Discipline (***), Assault (***), Push (**), and Evasive Maneuvers (**). That leaves either only troopers or troopers and veers in my token pool. Ideally, Veers is putting aim tokens on the AT-ST, but if I know that next turn I will not be moving my AT-ST, I can risk putting a pip card with 2 unit activations down and throw Veers in the pool and just have my walker take an aim action. They are very helpful for hunting high priority targets, other armor, and squishy commanders but typically the enemy reacts strongly to them by either trying to focus fire or ignore. In case of the latter, I can play more aggressively with them or play more defensively with my troopers depending on the terrain.

Edited by Fauste

I just took second in a tournament today with an at st. It performed really well. I found that it tends to do best when used as a board control piece. Place it in a corner and close in once combat has centralized. It's fast enough to push a flank and lay down widespread suppression.

I tried a full wiess at st in practice and found that It never really needs wiess more than once a game. Mine today had the mortar and twin blaster. It was the fulcrum piece that pulled 2 out of 3 games for me. I noticed that if opponents focused on it, they wasted too many turns and units on killing it, while it continued to tear up squads. If opponents ignored it, it found it's way into useful firelanes and harried troops very effectively.

The at-st is going to be an essential part of my lists for some time to come.

I think it's a very powerful tool. It forces reactions to it. But it is a big point sink. And it's hard to have enough troopers with it. A lot comes down to the board and how the opponent deals with it.

7 minutes ago, Brightguy said:

I think it's a very powerful tool. It forces reactions to it. But it is a big point sink. And it's hard to have enough troopers with it. A lot comes down to the board and how the opponent deals with it.

9/10 times that 'reaction' will be 'ignore it'... thats the problem. You can't ignore 270pts of bikes but you can feasibly ignore 250pts of ATST!

Indeed. Which is why I don't love it. I wish people would shoot at it more. Sure, put nine damage on it. It's still there. But the dominant move is to avoid/ignore. I think it's oddly a victim of it's own power and might be more valuable if it took fewer wounds to damage it.

I'm not an Imperial player, so I haven't used an AT-ST yet. But if I was using one and my opponent was trying to ignore it, I would use it very aggressively to push up and flank their main line. It's easier to ignore if it's just sitting in one place aiming and shooting. Use it to where they can't ignore it.

10 hours ago, Matt Antilles said:

I'm not an Imperial player, so I haven't used an AT-ST yet. But if I was using one and my opponent was trying to ignore it, I would use it very aggressively to push up and flank their main line. It's easier to ignore if it's just sitting in one place aiming and shooting. Use it to where they can't ignore it.

A big part of why you can ignore it is that it can’t contest objectives. So physical positioning isn’t s huge factor. Also Jedi will shred the thing so range can be super inportant.

46 minutes ago, beefcake4000 said:

A big part of why you can ignore it is that it can’t contest objectives. So physical positioning isn’t s huge factor. Also Jedi will shred the thing so range can be super important.

While it is true they won't score points for an objective they can make sure if your opponent does he will have a hard time of it. Especially those missions that require troops to come into base contact with the objective.

And, while the Jedi/Sith will certainly cause a few hits, they will have a hard time taking an undamaged AT-ST out in a single activation. At which time the AT-ST can reverse and shoot the Jedi/Sith as can the rest of what was supporting the AT-ST. In WW2 tanks fled if they came under fire and were not supported by infantry, the AT-ST is no different.

I think the AT-ST is a meta choice, if you are facing a horde army with Speeder Bikes or AT-RTs, then I don't see the AT-ST as being that bad a choice. More so as the units that perform Anti-Armour duties are not often taken.

Not saying you are wrong, because what I am saying is situational too, my main point is that there are a whole mess of grey in this discussion. Not just black and white.

On ‎6‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 9:58 AM, lukecook said:

I believe the AT-ST is not competitive. Have not seen any winning tournament army with it. I do believe that it should have the offensive surge. I think that this small change would make it good enough to see use. 2 bike squads and an extra 30 pts of upgrades is the much better option right now. Spending 210-260 pts on this thing is not something I would recommend, and this really stinks because the model is so **** cool! The veers squad with 6 DLTs and 3 bikes can take the ATST down by mid-round 2 easy, the armor doesn't help that much and I think FFG put too much stock into thinking it was a huge deal. Just our experiences here.

I agree that it is weak in the tournament realm.

what I see working best out there is lots of troops and heavy weapons.

lost my AT-ST to storm trooper fire in 1.5 turns. well not just storm troopers but speeder bikes as well.

my plan was to tie up his units by drawing their fire from my troops, well I succeeded in that but there was just to many of them, and I didn't have enough of my own troops to do the damage I needed to on his troopers because I had the points into the AT-ST and Vader. I will never run Vader and AT-ST in the same list again just because of the point sink and the limit it puts on the rest of your list.

Edited by KILODEN