I started writing a post about how to effectively use the attack helicopter and walker transport heli and its aero-walkers. It was just meant as some quick thoughts and a request for input, but kind of grew away and ended up as a tactica article on my blog, Fire Broadside . There is a lot of Dust Warfare stuff on the blog, so might be interesting in general.

Anyway, I'm debating the pros and cons of the different units. For those who don't like to read more than a few sentences here's some bullet points:

• The Airblaster and Burner seems more useful for most SSU armies than the (more expensive) Striker. Antitank duty.
• Death Rain might actually be a decent budget alternative if you know you won't face more than a couple of walkers.
• Napalm seems to me to edge out 250kg bombs by a small margin.
• The only reason I can see getting Nastasia would be for AAA, and even that is debatable. Superseeded by Natasha in almost every way.
• Nina seems like the only Aero-walker that I would actually bother trying to drop in. It would be a gamble but could pay off if used correctly (with Red Yana perhaps?)
• Nikita's artillery might look a little weaker than the Axis or Allied counterparts, but ignoring cover and not having to reload is pretty good stuff! Assault and Air Lift completely wasted. Should switch places with Natalya.

Thoughts and opinions? Would love to hear from people who've actually used these units in game!

Don't have one yet, so I haven't actually played with it. I'm sorry to say that I have little use for the heli drop carrier; not only do I intend to stick my chibi KV in artillery mode - best arty in the game; it actually does better than the Hans! - but you have to expend an extra support 'slot' to get the heli. That's a problem when your support choices are so dear, given that the SSU sniper team takes up a 'slot' too/

I'm contemplating getting two of the aero walkers, so one could serve anti-tank duty. Like the Chinese volunteers, I resent that one has to pay for the heli as well in order to get them.

I couldn't agree more! Having to give up a support slot for the transport heli is something I didn't touch upon in my article but that is a very good point. I really can't see myself using drop-walkers (and actually dropping them!) either in anything but experimental games where I just try it out for fun (like a Nina with Red Yana inside).

The Nikita looks really good though, so I might do like you and get two of them… and to helis I'll probably never use.

The walker heli should have been a purchased upgrade for the walker instead of taking up a slot.

blkdymnd said:

This. Since the unit price point is so high for the Walkers, there's not much risk of suffering abuse from having multiple heli/walkers. At current point values you are looking at 80-85pts per pair, so two are going to be half your army.

blkdymnd said:

You are absolutely right. I can see the regular transport heli taking up a support slot as you can use it to transport any infantry, but the walker transport is so specific and the amount of points you need ot invest so large that it makes a lot more sense having it as an upgrade.

Oh well… something to hope for for v2.0.

Thank you, gentlemen. I had not considered the upgrade idea (kudos to Poe). Your discussion has stated even more than my simple points, and well.

What would be nice is a platoon upgrade allowing a non-aero walker to be transported, like the air Cavalry upgrade.