Hello all! This is my first post so please excuse me if I'm a little slow.

Anyway, I wanted to ask around the community and see what kind of experiences people have had using light walkers. I absolutely love the look of both the allied and axis LWs and I have been thinking about making them sort of a main stay in my lists but I have no idea how they handle in combat. So I thought I would ask around and see if anyone has any advice on fielding them.

Morning Resv.
I have to admit i have personally only played with 2 different light walkers, both from the revised core set, though I've a few notes to spare on both the hans and the blackhawk.

On the allies side, the blackhawk is a fine little armour cruncher, if a bit of a glass cannon – with the ability to roll twice the number of combat dice it should once per game you can expect to roll a fist full of dice when you really need to against any light or medium enemy walker. Add fast into the mix and you’ve a unit that really needs to stay totally out of line of sight, but can frighten off any close assault walker with the exception of the heavy types (though as currently the axis have only 2 heavy walkers, both operational at a 36 inch range, its unlikely you would have to deal with one up close and personal).

On the other side, the Hans is an astounding little beast, and possibly my favourite axis walker thus far for AP cost to utility ratio. Picture this – A small walker that gets a move boost on its first ever turn, can consistently put out N+1 shots vs any infantry, and or armour (with damage vs armour being reasonable for the price). Another great point for the hans is that its scouting rule can be used to allow it to stay in reserve and come on any table edge later in the game, meaning it can hang back and then support your assaults exactly when you need it, avoiding having to walk up the table and suffer fire.
One of my regular opponents takes the platoon upgrade that lets a reserve unit move 6 inches after it enters the table via the reserved rule – meaning that little walker can arrive, move into the board and support any fire fight where light armour and handfuls of dice can help. This makes it astounding at getting itself involved in fights where the enemy have no way to counter it.

I say go for it Resy – What lights lack in survivability they make up for in sheer utilitarian uses.

Ah, and kleine Hans also counts as an Artillery weapon! Which is huge, for 25 points. Beobacher team, anyone? Also, the U.S. Wildfire is a very effective little anti-infantry beast for 20 points.

I only wish the original U.S. light walker looked as cool as the one that comes in the Revised basic set. Riding on a tractor seat, poised 5m in the air, with no armor, and a clearly-marked pseudo-nuclear reactor a couple of meters from one's dangly bits, is no way to go into combat.

Warboss Krag said:

Oddly enough, that is why I like the Allied walkers so much. I think of it like riding on a awesome Motorcycle rather than a Tractor. I do agree that the original design is pretty great looking too but I think the new designs will allow for some awesome modeling opportunities.

@caecitas: The utilitarian aspects is what I was hoping to hear about. I am all for the bigger walkers going toe to toe but I kinda rather have a unit that I don't feel terrible about losing but that can really present a threat. Thanks for your insight!

Yeah, I just have the Revised Set light walkers, but I want the expansion walkers, more because of how the allied walkers look than for any of their stats.

very welcome Resv. I intend to write a tutorial for every unit in 3 weeks time, and the Hans will be getting a lot of attention. Good hunting

Warboss Krag said:

OMG! I almost pee'd a little! That is too funny. Don't you know they have invisible force shells [completely making this up] around the pilots?

caecitas said:

Awesome news! I look forward to seeing what you'll write.

The wildfire is my favorite model in the whole game. Impractical, sure. Wicked super awesome, oh yes.

The Blackhawk's ability All in One is not once per game anymore. It doubles the number of attack dice on a sustained attack, but gives you a suppression token afterwards(which vehicles ignore). Pretty good walker at 25 points, but not great.

The Honey is much better in this game than in Tactics IMO. It ignores armor and can double the number of dice it fires during a sutained fire at the cost of a reload marker. Its also fast and range 24", which is pretty sweet for 25 points.

The Wildfire is pretty all purpose useful. At 20 points, it gets 6 dice against armor 2 infantry at 24" range and is fast. Its a really nice throw in for extra points and a great way to reliably put suppression markers on your opponents units. Great candidate for a shoot order in the command phase.

I think the Hans is likely the best overall value in the game at this point. It has the only weapon in the game that can fire indirectly without needing to be reloaded. It also has an unlimited range when firing indirectly. Throw in the scout move, which can be pretty useful, and a solid antitank weapon and you have an awesome walker for 25 points. Just remember that the turn you arrive using scout you count as marching and can't attack.

The Heinrich is basically the same walker as the Wildfire, but with one fewer combat die against armor 2, 6" longer range, and no fast. Still a good value.

The Hermann is the only one I very rarely have much luck with. It all comes down to how lucky you feel with the laser cannon. Roll two hits with it and you'll be singing its praises. Miss, and you'll know its a pile of trash.

Jowimus said:

sorry mate but i think you'll find all in one is a once per game ability.

And so it is. Thanks for the heads-up; we were using it wrong last night.

On a different (and funnier) vein, has anyone else experienced the "burning pig" effect of having a walker damaged and getting the 'on fire' effect? And then noticing that it makes a fast walker into a mobile, movement-based, flamethrower? Hello, game designers, is there a way we can simulate this effect during the game at will? It would be perfect for a light American walker; light that puppy, and watch it barrel through ranks of German untertoten and kampfaffen!

ive not had a walker on fire be close to enemy infantary, but now you mention it, i think you're right.

Ive seen a Hans destroy my presious mickey in a turn 5 shot that won my opponant the game. Less humerous, more heart breaking. He just scouted onto the board and shot it in the rear, giving him the superiority point he needed to win.

Dunno how I missed that All in One was once per game. Makes more sense this way.

How did your opponent scout onto the board and shoot you in the rear though? Why didn't you just turn around and shoot him first?

Hans couldn't have scouted onto the board and fired in the same turn.

your right felkor, it cant traditionally.

However it can react if shot at, or it can scout the first turn, then attack in the next.

youd be supprised how often people shoot at light walkers that ninja their way out of the darkness of the table edge

Yes the hans didnt fire on the turn it arrived, luckily all concentrated fire was on my advancing zombie units and the hans was ignored. It seems common that light walkers are underestimated.

Although from an axis point of point im disspointed their other lights are so woefully outclassed by the hans. No special rules making them unique only the laser kannon which will rarely do anything.