Re: Infantry Walkers!

Kenneth spake thusly upon matters weighty: 

> 
>	Greetings!
> 
>	Riddle me this...
> 
>	What do people think about infantry walkers?
> 
>	I love 'em.  They have that "sci-fi" feel to them, they can be
> moderately well armed, and they have a good deal of mobility.  True,
they
> don't have much in the way of armour, but they are cheaper than a tank
> (well, in theory).  Nice close infantry support...

Personally, I think they are a bit unlikely. It is hard to make a 
mech walk. It wastes previous space for servos and delicate gyros and 
control systems, so pound for pound they'd always be weaker than a 
vehicle without these glitzy componenets. They seem like a 
maintenance nightmare (imagine logistics if every squad had one). 
They seem like they'd have to be complex and expensive and prone to 
problems relative to simpler designs. 

OTOH, If you have PA, they make sense. And they could fill a useful 
tactical role. Mark me down as luke warm. 

>	What do other people think?  Do you find them worthwhile?

Like most things, it is not the tool, but the deployment that 
determines the effectiveness.
 
>	On an ancillary note; how do you all find vehicles in SGII?  Do
> they have a high survival rate on table?

In my big con scenario, one side had a wheeled TD with HKP and an 
ATST combat walker with HEL/2s. The other side had four aliens APCs 
with DFFG/1 and SAW and two aliens gunships with SLAM/3, RFAC/1 and 
GMS/H. By the end of the battle, 1 APC (with infantry inside), both 
VTOLs and the TD and the Walker were all slagged. 3 APCs were still 
standing. I think in an even battle, where people aggressively use 
their vehicles, they will be expended. If it is an unfair battle, he 
on the powerful side may take less casualties....
 
>	I am just starting to paint up a bunch of walkers for DSII, so I
> have yet to find out their value in that scale.  I think that they
have a
> role...in theory.

Testing, my man. It's easy to do with lead guys... they don't bleed. 
  
/************************************************
Thomas Barclay		     
Voice: (613) 831-2018 x 4009
Fax: (613) 831-8255

 "C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot.  C++ makes
 it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg."
 -Bjarne Stroustrup
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