Dust Chronicles Issue 4

dust chronicles issue 4
decisions, decisions
20
decisions, decisions:
wotan vs. wotan ar
by Leutnant Manfred Hirtzel
When the Wotan first arrived to
the tables of Dust players, there
was some controversy over the
usefulness of the Wotan AR in
Dust Tactics. The extra point cost
was difficult to swallow, and for
many they could see no use for the
upgraded armor. After all, most
weapons are just as strong against
Armor 6 as they are Armor 5. And
with only 6 health, any allied Napalm
Throwers would still kill this
unit with a single shot.
Yet as new units have arrived to the field, the
Wotan AR’s purpose has become clearer. With
them, I hope to provide to you a definitive guide
of when springing for the Wotan AR might save
your precious Kampfläufer from certain death.
i’m an axis player,
battling the axis
So you’ve chosen to fight your own faction,
most likely because you’re playing in a tournament.
Either that or all of your friends have
chosen to acknowledge the clear superiority of
the Axis, but skipped the whole “join our cause”
phase. When should you plan to mount those
armored plates?
…If your opponent favors infantry. Specifically,
there are two you should watch your enemy
for: The Jagdgrenadiere and the original Laser
Grenadiers. Despite their meager anti-tank firepower,
the Jagdgrenadiere distinguish themselves
as being the only infantry unit with range
U, a note that will cause your opponents to favor
them for picking off wounded tanks like a
lioness hunting gazelle on the Serengeti. However,
the firepower of their Caseless PaK drops
by two dice at Armor 6, leaving a measly 1/1 in
their place. The Laser Grenadiers, on the other
hand, derive their anti-tank firepower from the
old Laser Werfer. However, it is unable to damage
Armor 6 and 7 targets, turning this weapon
into a laser pointer for all it’s worth.
i’m an axis player,
battling the allies
Ah, the timeless battle of good vs. evil. What
could possibly go wrong? (You are the good
side, right?) Either way, the U. S. of A. will not
lay down their arms to bask in your glory, so
you’ve decided to make them bask in the heat
of your Schwer Laser Kanonen. When will the
Wotan AR be better at crushing your foes?
…If your opponent favors Phasers. Armor 6
is the bane of Phaser weapons in Dust Tactics.
Both the 120W Phasers of the Honey and the
60W Phasers of the Red Devils, and their charismatic
leader, lose all effectiveness against an
Armor 6 target. They might as well shoot bubble
gum at you, at least that would leave you
pink and vaguely sticky. The Allies must go all
the way to the Cobra’s 180W Phaser in order
to damage your metallic hide. Even then, the
180W loses one of its dice against a Wotan AR,
which is one less chance to hit and up to 6 less
damage it can potentially deal.