Mythic Americas Aztecs From A2Z PtII JAGUAR WARRIORS
The Jaguar Warriors' costumes varied though the common theme was the spotted leopard skin pattern. I wanted my Jaguars to reflect that iconic image while being unique. This is the result;
Now that we've established that the 'Jags were fashion plates let's delve deeper into their in-game battlefield prowess.
Jaguar Warrior stats as a whole are better than most but nothing spectacular. Taken separately some are downright average, such as Acc, Str and Co. However certain stats combined with weapon upgrades and their special rule make this unit the Shock Troops of the Aztecs, to be rightly feared.
Ag 6 gives them the ability to move in quickly and reach farther using Sprint for that snipe or Ambush strike. Which also allows them to get out of Dodge in a hurry if need be.
If you've played Mythic Americas at all or watched any BatReps you know how deadly close combat can be and anything you can do to up your Res is invaluable. Light armor is standard with the Jaguars giving them a Res of 5(6) which helps them survive most attacks, especially those with no Sv.
So now we have a quick moving unit with decent survivability. But wait, there's more! Upgrade spears to Macuahitls upping their Str from 5 to 6, and a whopping 7 on the charge with Sv2!
WHAT!
A sharp looking unit moving quickly over large distances that hits like a mack truck and can take a beating? Yes, please! (...we'll get to the Jaguar's special rule in a minute.)
We've talked about how good the Jaguar Warriors can be. Now let's talk about the weaknesses, or should I say opportunities and how to mitigate them.
Mythic Americas is after all about combat. Regardless of the scenario or mission at some point your troops are going to clash with the enemy's troops. At least I would hope so.
Case in point. I'm thinking those Mohawk Warriors aren't looking for a friendly campfire;
As to weaknesses; Jaguars are effective, yes. But that comes at a high point cost. For the cost of a unit of 10 Jaguars I can field 2 units of Tlalocan Bound Dead that gives me 25 warriors on the table (Full disclosure, the 25 bound dead will cost about 13 points more. So take out two Dead guys and you're there). Nobody likes losing a high point cost unit. It's painful and generally leaves a gap in your plans.
The other? Well it comes from one of the Jaguar's assets; Lt Armor. Armor of any sort is an advantage but a worthy opponent will throw whatever SV weapon wielding troops they can at the Jags or simply try to overwhelm with numbers. Dice will always, ultimately fail.
Which is why I rarely send my Jaguar Warriors out front or out early. I have done so if I feel I need early Victory points or a Devotion needs me to do so. But generally I have them shielded by cheaper troops, terrain or kept in Ambush at a major objective or choke point. You do not want to waste your first combat opportunity with Jaguar Warriors. Because that's when their special rule comes in.
Savage gives the Jaguars the ability to re-roll all misses their first time in Combat. It's almost like rolling with these;
BUT: Keep in mind while this first strike may be decisive and win some advantage, your expensive unit of elite shock troops will now likely be exposed. So I want to make sure they have what they need to survive and thrive. I don't worry too much about buffing their STR as the Macuahitl upgrade gives them what they need to hit hard. In order to keep them viable and threat-worthy I generally opt for two spells;
If I know I am going to take on a high STR or SV unit I want my Jags armored up. Armor of the Gods will push them to RES 8. Super useful against those pesky monsters! This also helps in the Exchange of Missiles phase.
Next up it's my favorite unit in all of the Aztec empire in PartIII of Aztecs A2Z; The AYAR
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