SPOTLIGHT: "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."

Since MK2, I feel that a review of what was once considered a "perfect warjack", is due. Right from Prime, the Destroyer was a powerful force, with the Bombard cannon. Probably one of the best ranged weapons in the game, a RNG14 POW14 aoe 3 weapon. With its upgrade from MK1 to RAT4, on average rolls you are hitting DEF11. With no boost! While nothing great, the main bonus of the Bombard is the POW7 splash damage you are deviating around, trying to catch low armour units in it. POW14 on average rolls will kill most solos, and boosting will do some serious damage to 'casters and 'jacks directly hit by it.

When boosting, you can pretty much reliably hit DEF14 - with a direct bombard blast. With boosts from things such as Signs and Portents, Aiming, or 1-2 Ice Cages to help with hitting, you can nail even the most agile solos and warcasters. With 18" threat range plus Arcing fire to ignore intervening models multiple Destroyers can attack rear leading Warcasters and Warlocks quite easily.

On the defensive side, the Destroyer shares they standard Khador chassis. The same ARM and health boxes as a Juggernaut. Although a little more vulnerable as they have low DEF and slower than other "sniper/mortar" type jacks they can withstand a lot more punishment. Any increase in DEF would have been almost pointless anyway, as all Jacks recieved a MAT/RAT increase, and they were easy to hit with anything anyway.

Warcaster support like S+P, or pButchers new spell, Warmonger, turns Destroyers into some seriously lethal ranged support. The ability to boost to be able to hit high DEF targets, deviate onto hidden support units, high power on a direct hit and to be able to boost blast damage rolls gives it a way to destroy all types of enemy units.

Basically, although the relative cost of the Destroyer went up, to a modest 10 PC in MK2, the core mechanics of what the Destroyer is and does, (Destroy things) has stayed the same. Still brutal with their favoured warcasters, they have some new favourites as well. pSorcha, pVlad and also now pButcher have Destroyers as one of their most favourable Warjacks.

While they dont compare well to the Behemoth (at 13 points) for his 2 Bombards and AP fists, they are also FA:U and can be Marshalled. Which is a topic for another Spotlight!

(pic to come)