Tachyon
Tachyon is the fastest character in the game, and one of the strongest. But it comes at the cost of her own health.
Builds: DPS
Best Power Cards: Push the Limits, Unrelenting Momentum, Lightspeed Barrage
Worst Power Card: Sucker Punch
Strengths: Able to move across the map, occasional strong attacks or large numbers of small attacks
Weaknesses: Burns herself up to use her strongest abilities. Loses a great amount of effectiveness when at 1 health.
Works well against: Proletariat, Bunker, Unity
Weak against: Legacy, Baron Blade, Citizen Dawn
Commentary:
Tachyon has a ton of options that cover a multitude of situations. Dealing with a target with strong defenses? Overwhelm them with an aimed Lightspeed Barrage or whittle them down with Unrelenting Momentum and Nimble Strikes. Have to get past Hazard spaces? Use Hypersonic Assault to ignore them until the end of your turn. A tough target is low on health, but your team just can’t finish them off? Sucker Punch. Tachyon’s biggest weakness is that her two strongest cards burn up her health. Once she drops to 1 health, she is very limited in her options. But, she is not out of the game. Especially if allies can help pump her full of defense + 1 tokens. Use Tachyon to close in on hard to reach targets and take them out quickly. If Tachyon gets an incap against the other team before she goes down, she can keep trading incaps and stay in the lead in a match.
Tips:
Start with Push the Limits on your first turn to give yourself one more round of awesome before the enemies can respond.
When getting back up from being incapacitated, consider Pushing the Limits to show your enemies why they don’t want to take you down.
Save Lightspeed Barrage for turns when you have 6 movement. For even stronger hits, also equip World Stands Still for a nice 7 die aimed attack.
If you can, Aim your Lightspeed Barrages. You have the actions for it.
Tachyon is one of only two characters in the game who can have multiple dodge tokens. Combine dodge with Synaptic Interruption and they may think twice about targeting you.
Hypersonic Assault and Sucker Punch can take out multiple one-health targets.
Lightspeed Barrage and Sucker Punch can be devastating. If you drop the target to one health, they go down.
If Tachyon is left at 1 health, Unrelenting Momentum and Synaptic Interruption become a great combo. Attack 3 times and save an action for Dodge.
Remember that Hypersonic Assault has to take elevation changes into account. Keep this in mind when planning your attacks. Equip World Stands Still to increase your range and avoid this problem.
If you have the choice of moving to a target or sprinting to a different target and then sprinting to the initial target, consider the double sprint. It gives you one more attack and costs the same number of actions.
Countering Tips:
Tachyon is a melee character. If you can, generate hazard spaces or equip abilities that retaliate when you’re attacked to take her down quickly.
Tachyon loses a lot of strength when left at one health. Consider getting her there and ignoring her until the final incapacitation. She may use Pushing the Limits to take herself out, but that’s an off-turn incapacitation for your team.
Legacy’s Danger Sense and Truth’s redirection make Tachyon’s Nimble Strikes almost worthless if they're not backed up by a Lightspeed Barrage.
If Tachyon likes to over-extend, take her out early and often, especially if you can survive her attacks when she gets back up.
If Tachyon takes out a member of your team in one assault, they should not stand up and immediately retaliate against her. Trading kills with the enemy when they are ahead only helps them. Instead, they should equip a defensive power and/or move away.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Don't forget Tachyon can spend her last health on Pushing the Limits and then take another turn. It does mean your opponent gets credit for an incap but it may be worth it.
Crush your enemies, drive them before you, and laminate their women! - Guise, Prime Wardens #31
Wanna be even crazier, incap her by using it one turn, then use it again next turn as it specifies once per incapaciation.
Pushing The Limits specifies once each round. The Tachyon pushing herself to incap trick is mentioned in the Countering Tips section.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Where is Sucker Punch?
Sucker Punch is Tachyon's promo card. You can get all the current promo cards in the store.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Ahh, gotcha. I haven't investigated Tactics promos yet!
They are pretty awesome and add some much-needed capabilities to some characters. For example, Legacy's flying smash gives him some mobility with an attack, helping get over his 2 actions a turn slump.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Where? I see there's an option for "Replacement Tactics Card"-- would that be it?
Bowie S, pronounced like David, not like Knife, can be found in Minneapolis and has Monomaniacal Reverse Engineer d10
Death and the dice level all distinctions. -Samuel Foote
I see it listed here https://greaterthangames.com/store/sentinel-tactics-the-flame-of-freedom but no way to buy just the promo pack.
Crush your enemies, drive them before you, and laminate their women! - Guise, Prime Wardens #31
Hmm. It used to be available separately.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Ah. Yes. They also had them available at PAX Prime last year and PAX South (don't know about GenCon) for Sentinel points and/or purchase.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Well balls. I bought them all at my local game store.
Bowie S, pronounced like David, not like Knife, can be found in Minneapolis and has Monomaniacal Reverse Engineer d10
Death and the dice level all distinctions. -Samuel Foote
Hey! I remembered a thing!
They're available via the BGG store
Stop lurking, it makes you look like a villain target
When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all
Temporary image until an H emoticon is added!
Huzzah! Thanks, Matchstickman! I thought that was the case!
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Are you sure about that? My understanding was that you paid the cost before the effect took place - so she would knock herself out, and then the effect wouldn't take place because the card is immediately picked up.
Australian living in Toronto. I make a lot of games. http://about.peterchayward.com
Hmm. It's research time!
My research says:
1. Spiff's FAQ has no answer either way.
2. Two guys I don't recognize on Board Game Geeks say Peter is correct.
And this means we call out to Christopher or Luther for an answer! If either of you read this, could we please get a clarification?
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett
Yep, it's the ruling provided by Paul https://greaterthangames.com/comment/108449#comment-108449
edit: It's also the reason why I think other health cost abilities should let you complete them before being incapped.
Crush your enemies, drive them before you, and laminate their women! - Guise, Prime Wardens #31
Thanks! And I'll quote it here for quick reference.
"Deja-fu? You've heard of that?"
- Lu Tze, Sweeper, Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett