To Kick or To Receive...That is the Question

[Kilion 1]

Thoughts???

I’m leaning towards kicking... We get the starting momentum, we decided where the ball is, and we get to go last which means Harriers can be used to their fullest effect.

I was think V. Hearn to kick or maybe Mataggi..

What do ya’ll think?

[novi 1]

I prefer receiving to deny my opponent extra movement ... plus if you can score first this puts extra pressure on them and you can just focus on TOs from then on..  

[Kilion 1]

Makes sense...Ikaros your first turn goal?

[novi 1]

* i've only played around 15 games with Falconers, so don't take this as gospel

I'm not going for turn one goal even when receiving and I'm not playing with Icaros ATM ... I try to  defend the ball, put out 3 harriers and do damage in the first turn (hopefully legendary too - if I can hit a least 3 models). I try to score in the second turn with Mataag, the plan is to try to go up 8 points (goal + 2 kills) in the first 2 turns (or as close as possible).

[jahatch28 16]

So, I don't have a lot of games under my belt with Falconers, but my first 2 games I received, and it was too difficult to manipulate the ball and get my set up (Harriers, etc) out.. part of that was probably mis-allocation of influence and inexperience... but I felt like I didn't have a safe model to keep the ball on.  the one advantage was enough momentum for Last Light but then the opponents only really had put their kicking model forward so it wasn't like most of the team could get involved.  In one game, that kicking model was Bonesaw, so with his Stamina and ability to move over players, he could literally end up anywhere so pre-planning for Harrier locations was rough... And I didn't really want the ball on Devana as I knew she was trying to go last and use the Harriers but then the ball was kind of dead on her... I guess using Air Mail to really just throw off my opponents attempt to get to the ball was an option, but I didn't have anybody that spread out that wanted the ball to set up for a turn 2 goal run at the time.

In another game, Ikaros kicked down the flank, and the opponent missed the pass back to their lines, so he was easily able to Take Flight, Sprint, get the ball and score.. and then he was just chewed up by the entire opponents team... so they won momentum and got 2 of the 4 VP back PLUS got the ball back... 

Maybe kicking with a sturdier model (Vet Hearne with 2" reach, low KD counter-attack, option to Skewer and Teleport away potentially) would be good, but Hearne suffers from the low influence... he can't buy Skewer, teleport, attack to tackle the ball, and shoot.. If you could get 2 momentum to Last Light himself then yes.. but in Turn 1, that's hard to achieve if he kicks... I suppose living the dream is he charges, gets a wrap, is able to Tackle, Skewer someone else, Teleport, and then shoot... but that's super unlikely.  

The other thought was throwing Frelsi forward but in turn 1, Loved Creature probably won't matter much, the Tackle in non-momentous, although TAC 4 does increase the odds of wrapping, it's still not likely vs a 4/1... 

Next time I'm kicking, I'm thinking it should be with a model that can drop a Harrier... as much as I fear for Mataagi being too squishy, I feel like with the 6" Far Strike to potentially trigger a Harrier, Snap Fire to potentially put out Bleed, and 9" sprint with 8" kick (even if it's only 2 dice) he does threaten the most area if they give the ball to someone he can victimize or rarely, he could Far Strike a tackle and bring the ball back to his size of the pitch if that was the right play... 

The only thing is with some opponents, you have to really watch their threat distances as there are so many captains (and even non-captains) that can probably delete Mataagi with some set up like Tooled Up or Commanding Aura or an early KD... 

So then I think I want Egret kicking, looking to hit Flurry and/or Snap Fire so she can dodge around, the Back to the Shadows out of threat range... but she's not generating any momentum with any of those attacks... her 1 damage, poison, tackle on column 3 is great.. but non-momentous.. and 1" melee is rough (as is Tac 4) .. and she doesn't set up Devana at all... so there is no Harrier threat.. just some poison... and even with Back to the Shadows and Run the Length she may still be in danger after any goal run she makes.

hmm... yeah... it's a tough call.  lol.. In theory I like the idea of receiving, using the passes to move models 4" forward, being able to drop the Harriers or threaten the enemy sooner... but it's very limited if you have to buy all but one of your harriers for 2 influence, you are spending momentum on a character play instead of dodging 2 models forward, and if they can reposition that kicking model so Devana can't delete them, then it probably wasn't worth it.

[Warpstoned 133]

Kick with Devana I would say. Stack harriers in front of her, last light her and Frelsi flies up in front of her. She claims a lot of table space that way with how dangerous her going last with full setup can be.

The tricky part is how to start turn 2 imo, because even if you do get a kill, you are not threatening that much right off the bat - and she is standing roughly 6" from their lines ready to be charged. Possibly a legendary+assist melee kill, but that leaves her pretty dead for following turns.