Dagger

Dagger was started at roughly the same time as Claude Valmore, but I have been busy completing a final assignment for a course, which has drastically impacted my painting, and meant a delay in painting Dagger. Some sudden painting momentum from Zomtober on one of my other blogs has helped me get Dagger done, so that was very pleasing, especially as it has been a month since my last Anima Tactics unit was finished.

It is funny that in the last couple of months or so I have managed to add 3 more units to my Azur forces. That certainly wasn't planned, but then there really is not too much planning to what minis I paint and in what order I paint them!

Dagger looks to me like a more selectable proposition than Claude Valmore; they have some similarities in their durability (Defense, Armor and LP), yet Dagger can be used more offensively than Claude, and is much less dependent on enemy Actions.

Given that all of Dagger's Actions use 3-4 Actions, then with his 3 AP recovery I think he really needs Advantage Cards that help AP recovery, which for me means his best options are Clock of Cronos or Fate Clock. I think it will be tricky to use him, as his Actions work best when used at full AP (4), which means that getting him into the right position is vital. I hope that before too long I can get around to putting an Azur Party in battle so that Dagger gets some game time as I love the model and find his Actions very interesting, even if it may take a while learn to to get the best out of him.

For the year I am way behind my target for Anima Tactics, and I hope that in the next couple of months I start to recover some of that. I currently have less than 100 units to paint - at my current rate I am still looking at just under 3 years from now to get that done. I feel that I also need to add more Samael and Summoners; Samael especially is the only Organization that I cannot really get a decent Party on the table for at present, and something I feel I really want to rectify.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing, but I still have two minis on pre-order)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 64 (60 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 39.3% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release, and has been for a long time)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 39.5%
Year to Date Target: 23 of 30 units (3 per month target; 77%)

Additional Organization Advantages

The core Anima Tactics rulebook lists 3 Organizational Advantages per Organization. Interestingly, the Spanish and English versions of the books have a different listing for Wissenschaft. Black Sun were covered in their own mini booklet with 2 Organizational Advantages.

From the Spanish 'HELS' tournaments, there appears official corroboration of additional Organizational Advantages. These have not yet been placed in an officially endorsed or presented publication, but they do nonetheless appear official (this link is through to a source of the English language translation).

The additional Organizational Advantages are:

• Black Sun: Corporate Espionage
• Wissenschaft: Manipulation for English rules/Project Gear for Spanish rules
• Empire: Empire Tactica
• Azur Alliance: Death Squad 
• Church: Miracles
• Samael: Forbidden Lore

Given that there is no news about any imminent expansion book, and that Anima Tactics has not had the same attention as its stable-mate Helldorado, I hope that when the Addendum that was mentioned as forthcoming addresses these additional Organization Advantages in a more 'official' format.

Arbiters

Figure 1

Arbiters are an unusual class of units. Initially limited to Azur, since last year other Organization Parties have access to Arbiter benefits through Mijhail Mashen'ka.

Arbiters offer a small extra resource to their Parties. Each Turn they receive 3 Order Points, and each Arbiter has 3 or 4 Orders to choose from. Each Order uses between 1 and 3 Order Points, and each Arbiter has a different suite of orders they can use, although some Orders are common to two or more of them.

Orders may be a small extra 2 inch move (Motum), or a free hand to hand Attack (Opugnis; very useful for units with hard-hitting Basic Attacks). All Arbiters so far have one or both of these Orders available to them.

Figure 1: In a Party including Team Les Jaeger, The Colonel becomes an Arbiter. The Colonel uses Opugnis on Maximo Ligori who has already Activated earlier in this Turn; Maximo Ligori can now make a free Attack on Sho. 

Orders are used when the Arbiter Activates, so it is important think ahead to get the best out of them; in the example above it would be more helpful if The Colonel was better positioned to Attack or Charge Sho or Janus Faith; but then again, that kind of planning ahead is true of any good strategy game isn't it?

Initiative

Figure 1: The Colonel adds to the Party's Initiative roll

A simple ability, Initiative adds to the die roll for Deployment, and then in each Turn to the Initiative roll (goes without saying, but I said it anyway!).

Multiple instances of Initiative stack, so it is an ability which can weigh the odds of winning the Initiative roll in a player's favour. While I don't suggest picking a Party to win just one roll each Turn, when faced with some choices of unit, it may be a factor to weigh up.

Figure 1: For example, The Colonel has Initiative. If playing him, then the Tactical Advantage Plot Advantage Card is worth consideration as it also adds +1 to your Initiative roll. Doubling up the bonus means that the odds significantly shift in your favour (around 64% of winning/74% chance of not losing - assuming no extra dice etc. - if my maths serves me well), which can be useful tactically and psychologically (will your opponent burn a Gnosis point for the increased chance to win the roll?). Again, it is not the be all end all strategy, but something to think about.

Azur have the most easily-combined options for Initiative, followed by Church, Empire and Wissenschaft; In terms of synergies for Party-building, I would suggest that Azur have the better options, which helps compensate their relative fragility.

Claude Valmore

Claude Valmore is a former member of the Cerberus Division, thought dead when they disbanded. A devout follower of the Arbiter Arkeid, and now serves the Azur Alliance when once he was a soldier of the Empire.

Finishing this model this week this surprised me. I started him as an afterthought when painting Dagger, since I decided they would share some colour scheme similarities. Once I got under-way I found I had done more and more, and it was useful to resolve a couple of colour problems on them both. Claude had been assembled for some time I know, because he was under-coated in black which I haven't done for quite a while. So a long wait after assembly, but a fairly quick turnaround (in my terms!) once painting was commenced.

I cannot see Claude getting much game time, unless his rules get fixed at some point. He has a reasonable trait line for his costs and looks quite tough, however even as a 'tank' type the problem for me is his Actions; they are all dependent on your opponent's Attacks, which means that Claude can be largely ignored in a straight fight. Unlike similar units, he does not have a Special Attack or Charge. Since basic Attacks can be  used by everyone, there is nothing really advantageous for him or a compelling reason to choose him over other units at the same cost. Individually his Actions are not terrible, it is just that they are all reactive and enemy-dependent which is a big flaw in my opinion; if he had his own Special Attack or Charge he could be an excellent choice.

Maybe he will get trotted out in a themed Azur-'Armor force', but even that seems unlikely. It could be that I am missing or overlooking something very significant about him, but I don't think so.

Running Totals
Anima Tactics Units: 163 (added: nothing new but I still have two minis on pre-order)
Anima Tactics Units Painted: 63 (59 different units)
Painted Units Percentage: 38.7% (percentage of AT minis owned and painted)
Anima Tactics Range: 152 units (including 2 LE minis; including September as he still is due for presumably imminent release)
Percentage of Whole Range Painted: 38.8%
Year to Date Target: 22 of 27 units (3 per month target; 81%)