VP and RP Strategy
AT-43 is best played with objectives, this is well known, but with limited infantry forces on the board which should you go after first? Getting VP locations will give you an edge in winning the game early, while going after RP points will let you bring all your reinforcements onto the board first turn. Whichever you choose it is important to devise a strategy around your choice and execute. The following are a few of those strategies.
Mixed VP – RP
This is the most common approach, send your point holding unit towards a VP location while your smaller support units take some RP locations and give covering fire from there. This is not a bad strategy at all and requires you to design your reinforcements in such a way that you can bring one unit on in the second turn and then the rest the following turn. In this strategy you get a slow build up of forces over time to make up for the firepower of troops that have been killed or grounded in their turns.
RP Blitz
By focusing more on RP points you can have all your reinforcements come onto the board on turn 2. This type of strategy lends itself to a massive turn 2 assault on the enemy positions taking advantage of your newly reinforced firepower. An opponent that does not recognize this and hasn’t dug in properly will be in for a world of hurt as all those extra guns come blazing down on them turn 2.
You could potentially be behind in the VP count if your opponent managed to take some VP locations early. For this reason it is a good idea to put any of your grounding forces on the table turn 1 in order to try and stop this from happening.
VP Blitz
If you see your opponent is light on grounding weapons the VP blitz can often pay off. The idea is to go straight for the VP points on the map and hold onto them for dear life. The idea is to get a point lead and hold onto it, even if it means you suffer heavy losses. You will still want to be generating some RP but only with one long ranged unit. Red Blok’s Frontline list excels at this sort of strat as they can park a sierp on a RP location and still be able to bring in reinforcements. The rest of their army rushes forward to pick up VP locations and fight off the advancing enemy. Having a good point holding unit is key for this strat to work.
You will generate a first turn VP lead and force the enemy to come to you. If they want to win they must take points from you (flamers anyone?), being behind in VP means you have to go on the offensive.
Yet another fantastic write up! Thanks!
Can armies with expensive, fragile units– like Karmans– convincingly threaten a VP blitz? Or is the pain of each lost unit so high that their point holders won’t keep the enemy away?
They absolutely can. Put guru lucius with some anakongas armed with flamers. They can quickly reach a centrally contested VP location, their stealth will keep them protected and the flamers and drum guns will fend off the enemy. Use a smaller unit of wendigos keep them out of line of sight to grab another location.
Arceo with jamers and jindo is a nasty combo with this list as well as the captured AFV’s can suddenly control points too. turning an empty RP/VP point on the opposite side of the board into one you control.