Saurian Starhost Tactics
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| Saurian Starhost | ||
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| Setting: | Grimdark Future | |
| Games: | Grimdark Future, Grimdark Future: Firefight | |
| Species: | Saurian | |
| Version: | v2.50 | |
Note: as v2.50 is in constant development the following might not be accurate.
Why play Starhost
The Saurian Starhost are a melee focused faction with good mobility and devastating monsters. While there aren't many cheap and reliable ranged units, most of the monster units have decent range options, which usually come at a hefty price.
Pros:
- Decent quality and defense across the board
- A lot of mobility, allowing those hard-hitting units to get into melee
- A variety of monsters in the form of dinos, providing melee, support and ranged fire power
- Tons of AP
- Fearless offers a lot of Durability.
Cons:
- Lack of reliable cheap ranged options. Geckos are cheap, but their quality isn't the best while the Saurians and monsters have to pay quite a bit for their guns.
- Relying on dinos for both deadly and blast
Special Rules
- Beacon: Friendly units using Ambush may ignore distance restrictions from enemies if they are deployed within 6” of this model.
- Deep Strike: The hero and its unit get the Ambush special rule.
- Drop Bombs: Whenever this model moves over enemies, pick one of them and roll 1 die. On a 2+ it takes 3 hits with AP(1).
- Good Shot: This model shoots at Quality 4+.
- Heavy Shield: Attacks targeting units where all models have this rule count their AP as one step lower.
- Pack Hunter: Once per activation, one friendly unit within 12” of this model may move by up to 6".
- Predator: For each unmodified result of 6 to hit when attacking, this model may roll 1 extra attack. This rule doesn’t apply to newly generated attacks.
- This will be seeing a lot of use with Saurians and Gators being more powerful in combat.
- Primal Roar: Once per activation, pick 2 friendly units within 6” with Predator, which may roll extra attacks on results of 5-6 next time they attack.
- Shield Wall: Enemies get -1 to hit when they attack units where all models have this rule.
- Teleport: Once per activation, before attacking, place this model anywhere within 6”.
- Vicious Attack: The hero and its unit get the Furious special rule.
- Will of the Gods: The hero and its unit get +1 to AP, but you must pick whether it applies to shooting or melee when you start the game.
Psychic Spells
- Scrutiny (4+): Two enemy units within 12” get -1 to hit next time they fight in melee.
- Serpent Egg (4+): Enemy unit within 12” takes 5 hits. Better for swarm management.
- Energy Reservoir (5+): Two friendly units within 6” get +2" next time they Advance, or +4" next time they Charge/Rush.
- Jaguar Pounce (5+): Enemy model within 12” takes two AP(4) hits. Better left for heroes or to finish off a weakened Tough unit.
- Piranha Swarm (6+): Two enemy units within 6” take six AP(1) hits each.
- Transcend (6+): A friendly unit within 12” gets Regeneration next time it takes wounds.
Unit Analysis
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Heroes
- Frog Mage: One of your costliest heroes in the list and for good reason: It's one of the very few models that come with Psychic(2), so you know that it's meant to be casting for your army. It also has an elite 2+ Quality and Toughness, its combat output isn't the most stellar, with only A3 in melee (which can't be improved) and its Rending Magic Blast (which you can improve for either a Magic Beam made to snipe heroes or a Magic Shock with better range). Its durability is also only okay with Tough(3). For this, you can purchase a Cyber-Palanquin for not only a +3 to Tough, but also an additional 3 attacks in Melee and Fear, giving more bang when accompanying a fight.
- Saurian Veteran: Most likely your go-to hero, the Saurian Veteran is the most flexible in combat and its 3+ Quality and Defense makes it an elite tank. That said, its shooting effectiveness is sadly limited by its options so you're likely kitting them out to be focused on melee.
- Shooting: Aside from the stock options, you only have two options for guns. There's the carbine for a bit more range (and making it the best for gunlines) and the rapid-fire Needle Pistol for some Rending.
- Melee: Outside of the base CCW, you can pick up the Heavy Power Spear for some Impact work (improving mounted builds), the Power Claw for some Rending and the Power Maul if you intend to rip through heavy armor with AP(4).
- Upgrades: You have two upgrades to pick between: Crusader for Will of the Gods, for if you intend to make more of a Deathstar unit, or Coordinator, providing extra movement and better to letting other units fight first.
- Mounts: The Raptor gives you a nimble mount that also has a special attack on top of Impact. The Tyrannosaur gives you the monstrous mount, not only giving an inflated Tough value but also a tanky 2+ defense and several devastating attacks. On top of that, you can also buy Primal Roar for the Tyrannosaur for some improved Predator rolls.
- Gecko Champion: The budget hero, capable of moving around with Strider. Where the Saurian Veteran is better suited for melee, the Gecko Champion has more options at range as well as some support options.
- Shooting: The Shock Pistol the champion comes with is a surprising weapon with AP(4), allowing them to handle armored foes easily. Your other options provide better range for shooting. The Shock Rifle gives you extra range with that AP(4) while the Toxin Rifle replaces that high AP with Poison. If you want to go all-in with shooting and don't care about Chameleon's Good Shot, you can exchange the CCW and pistol for a Sniper Rifle to pick off priority targets.
- Melee: Neither option to replace the CCW really does much to improve the champion's melee prowess. The Sacred Mace only gives Blast(3) if you're planning to go up against other mobs while the Energy Shield gives Shield Wall if you intend to make a Gecko bunker.
- Upgrades: The Gecko Champion has two different lists of upgrades to pick from.
- Chameleon gives quite a bit, not only offering Good Shot but also Scout and Stealth for extra mobility. The Phase Backpack gives Teleport, which can offer an extra bit of movement even when shooting.
- Pit Master provides Vicious Attack if you intend to attach the champion to a unit of bruisers. Priest gives Psychic(1) if you need a bit of casting support. Spearhead provides Deep Strike if you intend to use Ambush on a unit.
- Mounts: The Palanquin gives a slightly bigger Tough value and an additional A3 attack, but not much else. The Pterodactyl gives you a swift flying mount that you can upgrade to either a Ripjaw Breed for charging prowess with Furious and more Impact or a Bomb Carrier if you intend to utilize Drop Bombs.
- Gator Veteran: While their Quality is only a 4+, they're a good bit more dangerous with AP(2) Power Knuckles for a fight as well as Furious and a tanky Tough(6). However, they lack any sort of shooting without spending for a Rapid Missile Pod.
- Melee: Each Power Knuckle can be replaced with other weapons. Power Spikes provide easier ways to take down monsters, but a 4+ Quality might make such a move risky. Heavy Maces might not rip through armor as easily, but Blast(3) gives Blast(3) to handle mobs.
- Upgrades: Blessed One provides Will of the Gods, which will likely be dumped into Melee unless you're relying on the Gator's Missile Pods. Primordial Warden provides a cheaper Primal Roar if you have a lot of Saurians and Gators to exploit it. Storm Leader has Deep Strike for any Ambush squads of Gators.
Infantry
- Geckos: Your cheapest unit, but they're also the most vulnerable with only a 5+ defense. Fortunately, they have Strider to easily hide behind cover and Shock Pistols to surprise unsuspecting foes. If you intend to stick with these pistols, then the Phase Backpacks will see plenty of use as they offer Teleport. If you're more interested in keeping them in the field but not in a fight, then you can sacrifice their CCWs for shields since that gives Shield Wall.
- If you intend to dedicate to shooting, then you can exchange their weapons for a Sniper Rifle if you want to pick out targets.
- Saurian Warriors: The mainstay and most flexible unit you can pick, Saurians come with 4+ to both Quality and Defense while Predator maximizes their efficiency when fighting. This isn't only in melee either, as the unit can swap out from their Pistols to Carbines if you intend to focus at ranged combat.
- Strangely, going to Carbines will lock your Saurians out of the special guns, where one option can replace a single Pistol. Shock Chargers provide long-ranged AP(4) shots to pop high defenses. Blast Guns are your tank-busting implements. Flamethrowers serve as crowd control like in any other army. Spike Shooters provide give you a mid-ranged rapid-fire option.
- Chameleons: While both Geckos and Chameleons are weedy marksmen, the Chameleons are a lot less capable of standing up in a fight in exchange for being covert with Scout and Stealth and more accurate with Good Shot. Their loadout is a lot more static, relying on their Toxin Carbines for any offense. While they can also purchase explosives for AP(4) in melee, they remain just as dodgy up close. Advanced Locator gives Beacon, which works more if you are intending to rely heavily on Ambush.
- Saurian Guardians: The elite among the elites with 3+ to Quality and Defense as well as AP(2) Hammers, so these will be the strongest bunkers. If you aren't using them for a hero bunker, then you can purchase Hardened Elite for Heavy Shields and blunting any AP you are facing.
- While the Hammers lack shooting, you can replace up to two of them with Great Hammers to take care of any enemies that outnumber them or Tough foes. If you do want shooting, you can replace those Hammers with Maces that lack AP in shooting but have AP(1) when they shoot.
- Gators: The big bruisers of the Starhost with 3+ Defense and Tough(3) wielding AP(2) Power Knuckles. Each knuckle can be replaced with Power Claws for Rending or Bludgeons if you want to focus on Impact. You can also buy Heavy Shooters for some fire support, and these can be supported with Missile Launchers if you want to ignore cover.
- Pterodactyl Riders: The airborne cavalry is fairly durable with Tough(3) and with Shock Rifles, they can deal with plenty of foes without having to charge anything. If you intend to bolster their defenses, you'll need to sacrifice those rifles for Shield Wall and an option of either Shock Pistols or CCWs, which also forces them into entering close quarters.
- The riders aren't the only things that can take upgrades either. Ripper Breed emphasizes on the charge by improving Impact and providing Furious on the Pterodactyls while Bomb Carriers gives Drop Bombs for some off-turn damage.
- Raptor Riders: While lacking Tough, this cavalry unit is tankier by having a 3+ Defense. On top of the Pistols and CCWs, each model also has an AP(1) courtesy of the angry raptor. Their ranged game won't be much, since all they can do is either stick to Pistols or buy Spike Pistols, their melee choices do more for them. Power Claws make their attacks potentially deadlier than the Raptors', Power Spears stack onto Impact and Power Maces have the means to rip into heavy enemies.
- Cyber Swarms: The ever-present Tough(3) but defenseless swarm unit for this army, benefitting from Poison.
Monsters
- Dragon Lizard: A midrange monster with its rapid-fire Flame Burst that can handle getting into melee with Furious to support it. It probably benefits the most from buying the Lizard Handler so it can get that extra chance to trigger Predator on the charge.
- Spiked Lizard: Tankier than the Dragon Lizard with its 2+ Defense. Its Arch Rockets make this lizard better suited for bombardment, though it comes at the cost of Furious - aside from that, it can still buy a Lizard Handler if you are worried about it needing to fight.
- Triceratops: A hefty behemoth with Tough(12), a set of Rending attacks and a decent amount of shooting from the Gecko Crew. If you want to keep it cheap, you can sacrifice the shooting for Transport(11), giving you your only form of Transport for a discount. You also have one upgrade that keeps the crew but also slaps on Psychic(1) for a casting monster. You can also trade up the crew for either a Heavy Rocket Launcher for a barrage or a Heavy Missile Launcher so you can destroy tanks more easily.
- Spinosaurus: The aggressive monster, given Predator and a lot of Poison attacks in melee and at range, giving you plenty of ways to handle Tough enemies, though not a lot against armor. There are only two upgrades: Primal Roar gives you a means to support your other Predator units while Priest Rider gives you a Psychic monster.
- Ankylosaurus: The living fortress of the monsters, gifted with Heavy Shield for AP reduction. It comes with a lot of AP between its Mace Tail and stomping, but its deadliest weapon is its Twin Fusion Cannon. If you are looking for crowd control, you can instead purchase the Heavy Plasma Burster. Buying an Advanced Locator can be a useful idea, as it gives you a walking wall for your Ambush units to hide behind when they arrive.
Titans
- Dread Titan: The Dread Titan is a simple towering monstrosity, carrying an entire array of attacks to rip apart tanks and infantry with the same efficiency, though it has no ranged capability. The only upgrades you can select for this massive beast both give +6 to the beefy Tough value as well as its singular gun between the Scorcher's Scorcher Cannon for a barrage of Rending shots and the Behemoth's Quad Beam Cannon if you intend to eradicate all tanks and even other titans.
List Building & Tactics
General Advice
Note: This section needs more content. You can help the wiki by expanding it.
Tactics
Note: This section needs more content. You can help the wiki by expanding it.
See Also
- Saurian Starhost
- Saurian Starhost Quickplay Armies
- Grimdark Future List Building
- Grimdark Future Strategy
- Grimdark Future
| Saurian Starhost |
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