Mindy vs. Daisy use

[Sigma]

So I've run into a major issue with both of my SAOY male infantry-trained characters.

Both of them have Mindy PA which they got from their previous postings. Yet both plots they are in (or intended to join) favor the Daisy. While I don't see any issue with GM prerogative in this regard, it has led me to question the use of the Daisy.

So here is what I have heard about the use of the Mindy:

1) The Mindy is inferior to existing starfighter models in space-to-space combat. They are simply unable to take as much punishment.

2) The Mindy is not as good at boarding operations since it is less armored.

3) The Mindy is never used for ground combat. Ever. Except when I write out how my XII Legion used Mindy and Daisy troops in orbital attacks in the campaign to retake the Hanako cluster.

4) Legions only use Type 33 Infantry and I'm silly for using Mindy troops.

These points have ruled out all forms of space combat and ground combat. The only thing left is use as atmospheric support (flying PA) but no one seems to do that since existing starfighter models can also fill that role.

So this beggars the question, in what situation is the Mindy preferable over the Daisy? Because everything, it seems, points to the Mindy as an obsolete piece of hardware in comparison to the Daisy. I don't believe it is but I just don't understand anymore where in Star Army doctrine the Mindy fits.

 

[Soresu]

Figured this question would come up one day, when people started clamoring for 'Star Fighters'. Glad someone finally asked it.

 

[ShotJon]

You are absolutely right Sigma and good of you pointing this out. This is serious bussiness and I gave it a little thought.

Mindy has one thing over Daisy. It is more rounded and versatile PA. It cam be used as a flying armour, space armour and even infantry. You just need to alter its loadout. With that in mind I imagine that expeditionary fleets might keep using Mindies, as they are more versatile in use than a Daisy.

Also military police might keep using them and also older models could be handed out to militia's of various colonies.

 

[Sigma]

Those are all possibilities but I want to know current doctrine. Which is better in which scenarios? As it stands, I don't see an official one but wish to confirm that its nonexistence.

However, if we say that the Mindy is more versatile, why not employ the two units in tandem? Surely a combination of the two would lead to greater tactical flexibility than exclusivity in one or the other.

 

[Kai]

The perception that the Mindy is more versatile is rather false; both the Daisy and Mindy are capable of mounting the same accessories.

As far as I know, the Mindy is for space use, which does include boarding, and general support of starships and starfighters, even if it's not as powerful, the Mindy is considerably more Maneuverable than any starfighter, and being smaller, makes a much more difficult target to hit. The Mindy is also generally used for aerial support, as well as for very quick blitz-like missions due to its speed and capability for use of a variety of weapons. The Mindy's key attributes are its speed and Mobility, and its generally used in short-range missions that don't last very long.

The Daisy is capable of mounting all the same weapons and accessories. The Daisy is indeed, more heavily armored, and is meant for more ground-based use. While capable of flight and even usable in space, it is not designed for those uses and not very good at them; the flight capability is more of an extended jump, to reach higher positions or get a temporary better vantage point, or to increase the speed of movement between two points. However, it lacks the same kind of speed and agility, instead being more stable to counteract the forces encountered during planetary combat.


In short, the Mindy is for high speed blitz combat, while the Daisy is better for more drawn-out, ground based engagements.

 

[Fred]

The Mindy II tightly follows the theme that the Star Army of Yamatai has as a military force: sleek, fast, hits very hard, and is aggressive because it is poor at fighting defensively.

While it was common in the past, the Daisy has largely replaced it as the workhorse model simply due to its ruggedness making it more consistently hitting most of the goals a power armor more common roles imply.

The Mindy II is a specialized unit that boasts a versatility the Daisy lacks. While the Mindy II's modularity pushed to its expected heights can be a logistical nightmare (another reason it has grown uncommon), it is also what allows it a broader range of roles in comparison to the Daisy.

A unit so specialized and versatile would more than likely become rarer. Having a few within a couple of armor teams allows gives you one fast-response unit that capable of prolongued flight: important roles, but not roles you need all the time which is not motivation enough to have many and deal with the logistical complications.

Which means that the Mindy II is ideal for use at the very spearheads of the Star Army: the destroyers and gunships making up the mobile portions of its expeditionary arm. The greater versatility here becomes far more crucial in helping deal with unexpected threats, with the kind of decisive force the Daisy lacks. Mixed forces is increasingly possible the larger the ship, allowing for joint maneuvers with the Mindy IIs being the hammer and Daisies serving as anvils.

 

[ShotJon]

I would also like to note that unlike Mindy, Daisy cannot properly utilise Aether weaponry. Because Mindy has aether generator in it, while Diasy runs pretty much on baterries and aether weaponry would eat its juice way too fast.

 

[Kai]

The Daisy II runs off of a Fusion generator that charges its batteries as a backup power source.

Also, the Daisy can use at least some Aether weaponry, as many Aether weapons create the Aetheric event themselves.

 

[Luca]

I think Mindies get a pass for being an unofficial mascot for SARP. That aside, I have always imagined that they work best in flanks, ambushes, blitzes and rushes. A Nepleslian Hostile could easily crush a Mindy in a stand-up fight, but in an ambush the Hostile could be bisected by that nasty-sharp Aether Sabre!

 

[Wes]

The DAISY has less versatility than the MINDY because the MINDY has an aetger generator, more hardpoints, and much higher (space combat) speed. Star Army fleets use the Mindy for boarding and space operations while the Daisy is used for the legions and any long term ground operation. The Mindy gets around on its own while the DAISY is best used in conjunction with a vehicle if you need to travel far. The DAISY cannot use all the Mindy accessories. For example telepoter units are exclusively Mindy.

 

[Sigma]

I've always imagined that the Mindy was the offensive unit, light and versatile for every possible scenario while the Daisy was the hardier unit meant to be the meat of an assault and the steadfast defender. Hence why the Daisy has less options and that forearm shield. It holds the ground that Mindy units take.

Wes, does that mean that the Legions have no Mindy units whatsoever? It would appear to me that the two are best used in tandem for the greatest tactical advantages, given their built-in differences in capabilities.

 

[Wes]

Legions are only assigned DAISY armor, and according to our records there's no Legions that have any MINDY armor in them. The rule of thumb is that, in general, the "Navy" part of the Star Army uses the Mindy and the "Army" part of it uses the DAISY.

 

[Sigma]

Your records are incorrect. Legion XII was approved for use with Mindy troops.

From everything I've been told, the Navy doesn't have infantry now since they've all been shunted to the Legions. Hence why I equipped Legion XII with Mindy troops.

 

[Wes]

Ships typically have marines (space infantry), though.

The Legion, in general, has no Mindy armors because it's composed of centuries and the standard century has no Mindy armor. Legion XII is atypical.

 

[Sigma]

A lot of players seemed to be under the impression that ships no longer had space infantry on them, unless they were part of an Expeditionary Fleet. That the Standard Fleets and Legions were supposed to act in tandem since the Standard Fleets didn't have organic combat troops any more.

It might be neccesary to clarify that on the Infantry page. As it is, the description implies that infantry of any kind (Space or Planetary) are not a regular part of the ship's crew.

 

[OsakanOne]

From what I can tell, the Daisy's trade-off of its reactor output and speed in return for additional defensive and longevity is a response to the desire some players have to conduct combat at lower speeds.

In this sense, you can look at the Mindy as a High-Skill High-Reward class of unit: If you're unskilled and you don't have constant situational awareness, you're going to wish you had a Daisy.

If you have the pilot skill, awareness, experience and planning to make use of the Mindy's speed AS its defense by not getting hit (since prevention is always better than any cure), you should be capable of utterly magical things with the Mindy -- which is why a really experienced Mindy pilot can make a massive headache for fighter-pilots while in a confined space, its vulnerable and relies on striking before its opponent does.

I mean really? Using CFS and teleportation modules, you could auto-dodge very very short distances laterally - consuming very little energy because of the short distance in conjunction with its CFS assisted mobility and inertial control, making you utter hell to actually hit by any weapon that isn't hit-scan.

...I think for Yamatai's next-generation of armour, it might be good to further emphasize the two extremes of the different doctrines or produce a unit which can switch between the two during combat through a transformation.

If anyone wants to make that work, you know where to reach me.