Unit Debate #38 -- Stingers Vs. British

[lefton4ya]

1. Stats/Special Powers
First note that 75/4 < 60/3 meaning that Stingers cost 6-7% more per figure. On raw stats Stingers are better, but 10th get Bayonet or Wait around a combined 75% and melee maybe 50%. If you roll for drain 50% and get it 50%, there is a 25% chance the Stingers get extra attack, plus chance of death and loss of turn. So I would say Stingers are at most 20% advantage per figure over 4th, However since you get 4 possible attack and one extra figure needed to kill, I give advantage to 10th
2. Playability
Both are tournament and friendly game worthy, and are fairly easy to field for even a beginner player. The stingers are not much better in the hands of an advanced player, but advanced players may learn how to use the 10th better with time. TIE

3. Overall Usefulness
Stingers are better against range, but more numbers means more possible attacks and since everyone knows commons are a number game against both high defense heroes and low defense squads, 10th are more versatile. Tie

4. Who Would Win Head-To-Head
10th, if played with strategy, but if beginners played, Stingers might win. The 10th are better when deploying "come and get me" strategies or making sure you can get 4 shots off a turn, but bumrushing will make you loose. Advantage 10th

5. Army Builds
Both are general neutral. Stingers, being lower in points, can help you to better adjust for other figures, plus they go good with other Marro who give advantages such as bonding or 20D bonuses, so I would give advantage Stingers

6. Best Strategic Use
Stingers are kinda like the first car you get in a racing game which has balanced stats. But the 10th are like one of those cars with bad handling and slower acceleration, but are top speed in the hands of experienced players. If you know how to get Bayonet attack or wait then fire almost every time and ensure 3-4 attacks every turn - you will simply clean up. That same experienced person cannot make the stingers do much better. So 10th ultimately are better

7. Situational Usefulness
Both are good in almost any situation. With massive squads, 10th are better. With Heat of Battle or Dungeon builds with a lot of melee heroes, Stingers can do better. In flat land, 10th can do good. Stingers can have advantage where there is a lot of hills that prevent you from easily using wait then fire with height or bayonet attack and melee defense. Tie

These two are my favorite armies to play in tournaments so just realizing so as I am typing: Although Stingers are still one of the best units in the game, the 10th are better in experienced hands. I hope to be there someday because right now I am about even with them.

[tubafication]

I'm voting for the 10th regiment.
The main reason I vote for them is the one extra range space. The one extra space allows for slow moving (4) movement heroes/squads to be avoided. Plus, they have that bonus in melee which is very very helpful in a range squad.
(10th Regiment are also cooler looking, and cooler concept)

[Riggler]

Got to give it to the Stingers.

They have Stinger Denial after all!

[Queenmojo]

Originally Posted by Einar's puppy

Each stinger is worth 30 points, and each redcoat is worth 19.

Each stinger is worth 20 points.

I vote Stingers, but I'm way too aggressive of a juicer, so I don't do very well with them.

[Kaiser Cat]

Originally Posted by Krizo

Stingers. Ranged 4 attack if your feeling lucky. GO STINGERS!!

The 10th get an extra attack die if they wait, and...

3 attacks of 4 with 5 range < 4 attacks of 3 with 6 range.

Nuff said.

Note that they both own. In fact, them and the Rats may be the 3 best squads ever. Not sure about the order though.

[Rich10]

Against most squads, I'd choose the 10th. Against most high defense heroes, I'd choose the Stingers. Overall, I'd probably give it to the 10th.

[Devil's Advocate]

10th are better than Stingers.

1 more attack per turn + Cheaper Cost/Unit + Superior range > the Stingers advantage of higher base attack/defense

[dok]

I'd pick a stinger-horde to defeat redcoats en masse. The stingers can gnaw at the edge of the 10th formation to avoid WTF and can avoid dealing with melee defense through correct activation choices. 3 attacks of 3v2 is better than 4 attacks of 2v3.

Still, the heads-up fight is not what I think about when I judge the two squads. It's more of a question of which is better in the roles I would use them for.

Overall, there aren't many armies where I feel like these two squads act as substitutes for one another. Alongside rats & Nilfheim, maybe. The three top dog ranged common squads (these two and the 4th) have very different usages.

[Einar's puppy]

Originally Posted by Queenmojo

Each stinger is worth 20 points.

Wow, I feel like an idiot...

[Old Rough and Ready]

Even though the Stingers is a more logical choice, the slightly longer range of the Redcoats and just gut feeling makes me go with them.

[falls78]

I see a lot of people mentioning that additional range of the 10th makes them better, however I do not see this as the case.

One of the biggest issues with the 10th (and all WtF squads for that matter) is that superior range negates their strongest ability.

If you attempt to keep your 10th at max range from your opponent any 7+ range character will simply back up keeping you at an attack of 2 (no WtF or bayonet) The 10th need to position themselves so that they can get their bayonet in when needed, in other words they need to stay closer to their opponents. This means that long range fighting, although situationally useful, isn't a key feature of the 10th.

As far as the debate, stingers win, they hit harder, have better defense, take less space and are far more flexible all for 1.25 points more per figure. They are efficient in any amount of squads, they work as a core of an army, as cheap affordable cleanup or as a strong mid-game shock troops. The 4th are the stingers only rival for range supremacy in heroscape.

[Devil's Advocate]

The difference between 5 and 6 range can be pretty huge, especially if it is enough to get an extra turn from their melee reaching you. I also think the stinger drain is sorta wasted against many squads which in my games are much more prevalent than the high defense heroes (other than a few).