In an effort to be fully transparent about this, here's the feedback I received from the ERC (specifically Dave and Mordoten) on the initial submission for the Skitarii list:
Quote:
Mordoten
So here's my thoughts:
First off i think the list is kinda boring.
And it's also very hard to play with. It is very slow and have expensive units which gives a low activation count.
I'm missing a theme in the list. Right now it neither neither like a defensive nor offensive list. Is just something bland in the middle.
If the theme is supposed to be defensive:
I would add some kind of slow shooty formation like the rapier + robots formation from the EpicUk list. It could be a 6 unit stong rapier squad for 150p with the option to add +2 units for 50p or +4 for 100p.
I would also like some kind of static defense laser 2-3DC WE with 0cm move and 2x4+ MW (TK) or something to give the army some high tech defese bastions. Just something thats feels like it protects a forge world.
If the theme is supposed to be offensive:
Then the army needs to be given more speed. 10 chimedons for 200p is just to expensive. I would rather go for chimeras to keep the cost down (going from 450 to 375 for a mechanized century).
Other stuff:
Other than that i think it's a great idea to lower points for the minoris and also for the avengers (but maybe down gun the some also). With theese changes i might consoider voting yes.
But i lack more troop choices and a clearer theme for sure.
Quote:
Dave:
For me, I find the core formations too rigid and their starting price points too high. Upgrades are expensive as well, and make for an even lower activation count so I never took them. The support formations are costly, and lack a variety as well.
Overall, I found the list made for a slow, foot-slogging army. That's fine, but usually those are your defensive armies which have access to emplacements, artillery or other long range shooting that.
From that feedback these changes where introduced into 2.1:
Minorus chassis dropped by 25 points.
Minorus coy can add an additional minorus for 100 points.
Majoris chassis dropped by 50 points.
Ordinatus gain Fearless
Crusaders, Avengers, Chimedons, Demi-century, Sagitarii, and Secutor upgrade dropped by 25 point
Colossus and Magos drop by 50 points
Carapace Landing Pad to 50 points
Quake Cannons +25 points to 100 points.
Support Missile +25 points to 75 points
Avengers gain +1 Lascannon per unit.
Ordinatus Golgotha (hellfire missiles) stats replaced with 3bp MW, Slow Firing, Indirect, Uses Orbital Bombardment Template. Cost increases +50 points to 200 points
The goal of these changes was to reduce the cost of the army as a whole to allow for a few more formations to be taken addressing the issue of the army point cost being too high.
The remainder are unactionable. I asked for clarification as to what "too rigid" means for the core formations and what "lack of variety" means and or would look like for support formations but I have not received any clarification. I disagree with both of these statements.
EDIT:
Here are my thoughts on the list theme. Mordoten desired lists that were either baked offensive or baked defensive defined by having emplacements of some kind. This list was not intended to be that. It's been in the dev goals for years.
Quote:
Re, theme
Per the dev goals thread here's what I'm aiming for:
1. Slow moving units with limited transport access to represent the implacably methodical almost mechanical advance of AdMech forces.
2. Fewer formations on the table at a given game size compared to other lists to represent the elite nature of the individual AdMech units.
This was supposed to be balanced by Admech having access to long range firepower through Minrous upgrades to the core formations and overall more durable formations.
Basically they are supposed to be in between full offensive and full defensive and ideally function kind of like a moving trench line.