playa1
01-20-2009, 09:57 PM
So far, I have only a limited number of figures (not having gobs of money to throw at such a hobby) and for better or worse my collection seems to be composed primarily of GUARD figs. This has allowed me to glean some insight, as I invariably play GUARD in all competitive games (due to my plethora of supporting units).
In comparison with a relatively few fellow monsters, I've found that
1)Sky Sentinel's range (7 due to radar in alpha form) and flight are his greatest assett. The ability to maintain good distance and pick off enemy units and get hits on the enemy monster is awesome. When fighting a non-flying heavy hitter like Armadox or Deimos, you can use hazards to really mess up an opponent's strategy. On the right board, you can virtually stop them in their tracks.
2) Sky Sentinel's high defense really annoys the enemy. This usually doesn't result in misses (though the occasional one is always sweet), but rather it often forces a few more action or power dice into the throw -- a great advantage.
3) Sky Sentinel has few reasons to go into hyper form early in the game. The main advantage of hyper form is the lightning attack which allows SS to virtually do ranged Super Damage.
One strategy that takes advantage of this is "Snipe and Wipe". During the early Power Up turns of the game, conserve on Action dice and horde power dice by sniping enemy units from range 7. If you pick key units (like a unit between two buildings that is helping to secure both) then you can keep your enemy busy while you accumulate power dice. The enemy will undoubtedly gain more power dice than you, and the key here is to aviod them and concentrate on units. If done right, the enemy can find him or herself with 10 red dice and no way of reaching you to do much about it. Meanwhile, you can maintain 2-3 consecutive monster activations in Alpha form by taking advantage of bonus dice you receive for blasting. At that point you switch to Hyper form (or allow yourself to brawl into it) and use lightening attack from range to eliminate your enemy. You will undoubtedly run out of red dice before your enemy goes down, but if you take the occasional break to throw someone on a building or a couple of units, then you can maximize your power dice. Don't forget the red die you can recieve by swatting enemy units as well.
Despite the advantages, GUARD suffers from a general lack of bonus dice for power and brawl attacks. Also, the maximum of 5 action dice for power attacks always seems to hinder good play. SS goes down fast when cornered and Power Attacked, since even flying monsters can get extra damage from hazards when thrown into them.
Another aspect is the prolific supporting units (tanks with range 5, repair vehicles, and spotting helicopters). While it is tempting to load the board up with tanks and helicopters, these can often be fodder that help opponents power up quickly. I like to spread spotters out and take advantage of them when my enemy monster stops too close.
These have made GUARD (a relatively boring and goody goody "monster") a pretty fun faction to play.
In comparison with a relatively few fellow monsters, I've found that
1)Sky Sentinel's range (7 due to radar in alpha form) and flight are his greatest assett. The ability to maintain good distance and pick off enemy units and get hits on the enemy monster is awesome. When fighting a non-flying heavy hitter like Armadox or Deimos, you can use hazards to really mess up an opponent's strategy. On the right board, you can virtually stop them in their tracks.
2) Sky Sentinel's high defense really annoys the enemy. This usually doesn't result in misses (though the occasional one is always sweet), but rather it often forces a few more action or power dice into the throw -- a great advantage.
3) Sky Sentinel has few reasons to go into hyper form early in the game. The main advantage of hyper form is the lightning attack which allows SS to virtually do ranged Super Damage.
One strategy that takes advantage of this is "Snipe and Wipe". During the early Power Up turns of the game, conserve on Action dice and horde power dice by sniping enemy units from range 7. If you pick key units (like a unit between two buildings that is helping to secure both) then you can keep your enemy busy while you accumulate power dice. The enemy will undoubtedly gain more power dice than you, and the key here is to aviod them and concentrate on units. If done right, the enemy can find him or herself with 10 red dice and no way of reaching you to do much about it. Meanwhile, you can maintain 2-3 consecutive monster activations in Alpha form by taking advantage of bonus dice you receive for blasting. At that point you switch to Hyper form (or allow yourself to brawl into it) and use lightening attack from range to eliminate your enemy. You will undoubtedly run out of red dice before your enemy goes down, but if you take the occasional break to throw someone on a building or a couple of units, then you can maximize your power dice. Don't forget the red die you can recieve by swatting enemy units as well.
Despite the advantages, GUARD suffers from a general lack of bonus dice for power and brawl attacks. Also, the maximum of 5 action dice for power attacks always seems to hinder good play. SS goes down fast when cornered and Power Attacked, since even flying monsters can get extra damage from hazards when thrown into them.
Another aspect is the prolific supporting units (tanks with range 5, repair vehicles, and spotting helicopters). While it is tempting to load the board up with tanks and helicopters, these can often be fodder that help opponents power up quickly. I like to spread spotters out and take advantage of them when my enemy monster stops too close.
These have made GUARD (a relatively boring and goody goody "monster") a pretty fun faction to play.