I see a fair amount of Rebel players running AT-RTs instead of Tauntauns. Tauntauns and Operative Luke are currently my favorite units, but RTs are also neato Mygeeto burrito. As a member of the Rebel Alliance, a traitor to the foul Empire, and a fan of all things frostbitten, snowy, and trve kvlt, I have a few questions about those loveable llama lizards and the coolest of combat chickens:

1) What do you think of both units in general (not compared to each other)?

2) How do they compare to each other?

3) Ignoring points, what would you rather run and why?

4) Ignoring points, how many of each would you run?

For the Rebellion!

1, I like both

2, they compare well, although I like to use atrt more front and centre and defensively, and tauns as Flanders and more offensively.

3. Either, it's whatever serves the rest of the list better.

4. 2 usually, 3 if the list and points allow.

Thanks! Are there particular lists in which you would run one over the other? It seems to me that Luke lists probably want Tauntauns to keep up the aggro and speed. Perhaps Leia lists would want them as well for some much needed punch on an otherwise defensive army. When would you run Tauntauns instead of RTs and vice versa? What Commanders do you think pair best with them?

Tauntauns are good for forcing your opponent to choose between the tauntauns or dealing with another threat. Because its hard to take down tauntauns if you dont focus them.

While AT-RTs with flamers pose enough of a threat that your opponent HAS to shoot them first to the exclusion of shooting anything else.

So if you just want your opponent to have to make tough choices each turn, tauntauns are good for that.

But if you absolutely need to discourage something else from being shot, the AT-RTs are good for that.

So I actually think AT-RTs with flamers are better with Luke than tauntauns. Because if they shoot Luke you get to flamethrower them. And if they shoot the AT-RTs Luke gets in melee. in my experience people tend to be more afraid of the flamers and shoot the AT-RTs first.

12 hours ago, syrath said:

1, I like both

2, they compare well, although I like to use atrt more front and centre and defensively, and tauns as Flanders and more offensively.

Ned Flanders is the opposite of offensive

But i like both as well. Tauntauns are better in all ways but are more expensive and require face-up commamd tokens to really be effective. AtRt can be used more generally now that their guns are evenly priced. Rotary hangs back and shoots. Flamer works well in an aggressive melee list

9 hours ago, buckero0 said:

Ned Flanders is the opposite of offensive

But i like both as well. Tauntauns are better in all ways but are more expensive and require face-up commamd tokens to really be effective. AtRt can be used more generally now that their guns are evenly priced. Rotary hangs back and shoots. Flamer works well in an aggressive melee list

Gotta luv autocorrect, I'd rather misspell than be misunderstood

Thank you all! I have a Cassian + Luke list I'm working on. I have a version with Tauntauns and a version with RTs. The Tauntaun version had to go down to 1 sniper and run R2 over K2 because of points. The RT version runs 2 snipers and, of course, K2. I prefer Tauntauns, but the list feels off with 1 sniper and R2.

4 hours ago, realsoupersand said:

Thank you all! I have a Cassian + Luke list I'm working on. I have a version with Tauntauns and a version with RTs. The Tauntaun version had to go down to 1 sniper and run R2 over K2 because of points. The RT version runs 2 snipers and, of course, K2. I prefer Tauntauns, but the list feels off with 1 sniper and R2.

Could you run 3 snipers and R2 as I feel you get a lot more mileage out of r2 with ATRTs instead of K2

22 hours ago, buckero0 said:

Tauntauns are better in all ways but are more expensive and require face-up commamd tokens to really be effective.

I don't think I would say that in ALL ways Taun Tauns are better, AT-RTs having Armor is a significantly better than not having armor, as well as the fact the firepower from the AT-RT doesn't drop by half when it takes half damage. Also surge to Crit is a lot better against cover/opposing armor.

Having said that I don't really have an opinion on which is better or worse, I think they offer 2 different play styles and achieve different objectives. so depending on what role you want them to fulfil means that either unit might be better in a given specific situation.

2 hours ago, syrath said:

Could you run 3 snipers and R2 as I feel you get a lot more mileage out of r2 with ATRTs instead of K2

It's possible. K2 does help a lot with tokens, though, and I personally don't care for snipers. I use them anyway because they're needed.

I could make an 11 activation list, but I'd have to cut some important upgrades to even get down to 800. Otherwise, 2 snipers and 10 activations with all the main upgrades I want leaves me at 768 points, so about 22 to work with while keeping a good 10 points available for the bid.

12 minutes ago, Mace Windu said:

I don't think I would say that in ALL ways Taun Tauns are better, AT-RTs having Armor is a significantly better than not having armor, as well as the fact the firepower from the AT-RT doesn't drop by half when it takes half damage. Also surge to Crit is a lot better against cover/opposing armor.

Having said that I don't really have an opinion on which is better or worse, I think they offer 2 different play styles and achieve different objectives. so depending on what role you want them to fulfil means that either unit might be better in a given specific situation.

Well said.

I tend to gravitate toward aggro or stealthy precision in new games. I don't think the latter is possible in Legion.

@Mace Windu you might be right. I guess I've had my AtRt one-shot so many times or crippled after one salvo but it's never happened to tauntauns. They always get a good lick in before they die. Probably because they can start outside of most ranged units and then their speed puts them so close or in melee where the AtRt s always need a couple of turns of setup

Tauns and AT-RT are both units your opponents will have to concentrate fire on to avoid havoc in his battleline.

Paired with Luke. Tauns and At-Rt are both great (luke can hide behind RTs) and opponent will be focused ont the support units allowing like to get into melee.

For the same reason I recommend to play R2 with AT-RT and tauns. It is an almost free victory point if your opponent focus only orn tauns or AT-RTs.

And if your opponent try to stop T3 he will have to send more than 35 points worth of unit to do so, allowing your support units to stay safe longer.

RTs with flamers of course

On 9/9/2020 at 6:02 AM, Krakus said:

RTs with flamers of course

So, flamethrowers over rotary blasters? I struggle with that decision a lot.

In my experience AT-RTs with flamethrowers often get prioritized over anything else. To the point where you may never even get to use the flamethrower.

So if you want your AT-RTs to get shot at the flamethrower is what you take.

Ahh, gotcha. Yeah, the only times I've used them, they were immediately focused down.

That is why players prefer to have three of them in an army. They are also good for the breakthrough objective

I suppose so. It seems hard to fit 3 on an Op Luke list, but I'm sure it can be done. It could probably be easily done on one of my Jyn + Cassian lists.