Ish

Well, I do like the color...

$10.99 USD on Amazon, so might as well catch’em all.

What tripes me up, however, is that it’s not keyed to a Predator keyword but to the dataslate name “Predator.” Which I think means that the Forgeworld Deimos Predators aren’t technically eligible for the Stratagem. I don’t think most players would notice or care, but it’s a funny quirk.

I think it’s interesting that Killshot isn’t keyed to a weapon type: Predator Annihilators and Destructors can cooperate with each other to make it work. Baal Predators too.

I need more tea. ☕️ 😡

I’ve been very deliberately making sure that all of my bare-headed Marines have their helmets attached to their belt.

Well, Astartes helmets do have thermal- and low-light optics... Or the crew could, y’know, reach out and move the netting.

Thunderhawk and Repulsor are their only “in game” models, but there’s also Space Marine Landing Craft in the fluff (they even had an old Epic model). It was basically a Thunderhawk Transporter with three times the capacity.

“Should happen” and “does happen” are little more than kissing cousins. Probability curves have pointy ends as well as the fat bulge in the middle... Throw two dice, probability says you’ll get a ‘Seven,’ but Las Vegas was built by people who knew that plenty of people would also get snake-eyes whilst chasing that elusive ‘Eleven.’

Stowed rolls of camouflage netting. They fix everything!

Box mag, no scope: Auto Bolt Rifle; Straight mag, big scope: Stalker Bolt Rifle; Sickle mag, small scope: Bolt Rifle. I have been modifying my Stalker Bolt Rifles (using the fore-end, barrel, and suppressor from the Scout’s Sniper Rifles) to make them standout more.

So glad I assembled ten of my first twenty Intercessors with Auto Bolt Rifles...

That’d be Storm of Fire, probably on a Captain giving them +1 to Hit already. And let’s not forget to have a Lieutenant (+1 to Wound) nearby. Dear God-Emperor. I’ll be able to alpha strike with rank and file infantry. Ten Intercessors so buffed will cause 8.95 dead MEQ. Hoorah.

Ten Imperial Fists Intercessors with Bolt Rifles, 1 CP for Indomitus Crusaders Specialist Detachment, 1 CP for Veteran Intercessors, 1 CP for Rapid Fire Stratagem, 1 CP for Bolter Drill... 24.444 Hits on average. 😁

It basically makes Rapid Fire weapons for Adeptus Astartes and Heretic Astartes work the way they did during Third Edition. • Didn’t move? Double tap at all ranges. • Did move? Double tap up to half range, single shot up to max range. • You are a Bike, Terminator, Vehcile, or Tonka Mahreen Centurion? Double tap at all ranges.

I played a Not-Skaven Operator/Mechanic hacker engineer in a couple of “let’s try this out” games with some friends back in Michigan when it debuted. It’s been my experience in sci-fi games that hacking is too often either utterly boring “Roll your Computers skill. Okay, you passed.” or painfully overly complex “Okay, I access the LTG then try to hack on to the RTG, then the next LTG, scan for the GPC, USB, GPU. How much ICE is on the TLA?” Hacking in Starfinder was actually quite a lot of fun. Without becoming just a boring yes/no skill check, a complicated mini-game like early Shadowrun, and not some thinly veiled rehash of a spell-casting system. It was also equally useful in social/investigative scenes, face-to-face firefights, and starship combat. Plus, I was an chainsmoking, foul-mouthed anthropomorphic rat with a Scottish accent. Always fun.

This is giving me Chrono Trigger flashbacks... 🎼I am Gato. I have metal joints. Beat me up and win 15 silver points. 🎶

The only true Marneus Calgar is the one on the toilet.

Auto Bolt Rifles cost one point per man and have no AP. Is it really worth the extra 1d6” Movement? Also, like I said before: Reivers. Five Intercessors with Auto Bolt Rifles and no other upgrades: 90 Points. Five Reivers with Bolt Carbines and no other upgrades: 90 Points. Same stat line, same weapon profile, but the Reivers get shock grenades and the terror troops rule, and one more attack on the sergeant...

People have an annoying habit of conflating “house rules used at this event” with “actual rules of the game.”

Blood Angels, Black Templars, and Death Watch are the only Chapters I can see having much use for it... and it’s a tiny niche even then.

Anyone understand how this will interact with the Death Guard’s Inexorable Advance special rule?

Reivers with Bolt Carbines have the exact same statline and weapon profile as Auto Bolt Rifle Intercessors... But bring their special Shock Grenades and Terror Troops rule, plus the option for Grav Chutes or Grappling Hooks. They’re much better suited for the “always advancing all the time” role than Intercessors. The Bolt Rifle is 30” Rapid Fire 1 S4/AP-1/D1, the Auto Bolt Rifle is 24” Assault 2 S4/AP0/D1... So from 30” to 24” the standard rifle is better, from 15” to 0” the rifle is better. Between 24” and 15” the auto rifle has a higher rate of fire, but still no armor pen.

So, Auto Bolt Rifles are now officially the absolute worst way to equip Intercessors...