Specialists and alternating activation.

[timsnoddy]

In the game I played last night my opponent had eight units and I had twelve. My forces included four platoons of three mini mechas classifed as specialists. We used alternate activation as would seem most people do. I played the mini mechas as activating by platoon. It seemed rediculous to activate them individually, which could have made my opponent have to activate all his units before I had activated a quarter of mine. It seems logical to just play what seems right but perhaps anything except heavy or assault specialists should activate by platoon?

[inrepose]

I always group specialists into a unit. Normally between 3 and 4 models, rather than activate them individually. I will add a note to the rules to suggest grouping specialists, it was missed first time around. I think the point about heavy/assault is an interesting one, because you could have lights with amazing shoot skill which would make them a bit powerful to act as a squad but I think it works to perhaps just limit it to 4 per team.

[gypsycomet]

That brings up a question. Would you group up only like Specialists, or would you consider putting a Medic or Mechanic into a mixed unit?

[inrepose]

I think they should be the same type for a unit, unless it was a very large pts value game, in which case for ease of activation you could pull them into a "support unit" type role.

[infojunky]

To be honest I see units activating as per their Command and Control structure. Meaning by what is considered a maneuver unit in the scale of game you are playing. If you are maneuvering block is squads then they would be maneuvered and arranged by it's squad equivalence.

Don't get to hung up on unit titles either, as a lot of what is being played conjectural, you need to figure out what feels natural for you in your command structures. Case in point a Squad of Special Forces operators has more individual actors than same size Squad of Line troops.