The "tanks" are easy enough (Troll sit on back. Troll laugh at puny humans as mantis/tarantua eat them. Troll occasionally parry thrown object/weapon. Troll shriek in fear when it sees anti-tank Runelevel sighting in on him.), as is using the bigger bugs as "bombers." (BTW: about how much ENC can a bug carry before it's weighted down to heavy to fly? Anybody have a working rule on this for Wind Children, or someat?) Smaller insects can be used in packs (wolf spiders), or in much larger numbers (beetles, stingworms) to either attrit the enemy down, or to force them to spend time, effort or magic killing the massive numbers of smaller bugs.
But what about bees/flies? Flown into melee for spear attacks? Might be dangerous, since they're lightly armored (for a giant bug: that's cuirbolli equivalent chitin, so I guess it's not _that_ bad). Slinging seems ineffective, and it'd be easier just to use foot slingers. Maybe javelins? Taking the bee/fly down in a power dive and hurling your javelin at the target of choice from above? Might just use them as scouts, but it'd seem odd for the Bee Tribe to have a couple hundred scouts and no warriors
Also, how in the world would you fight other airborne opponents? Just fly at 'em and swing as you fly by? Throw darts? Since the smaller insects have trollkin pilots, it somehwat limits your spell opporunities (with their weaker POW & INT), IMO, but I suppose Disruption & Slow are decent options. Hmm. Any thoughts on this 'un?
Might be able to use Ham beetles en masse as escorts, too. Hopefully, they'll get enough attacks on an incoming enemy to get a lucky shot in, and down 'em. (It happens: my valiant ham beetle once aced an Iron Mostali after it had wiped the mat with the assorted trolls and larger insects, including my PC.)
Another option for the larger beetles/mantises: transporting your infantry. Can't carry too many, but a dozen mantises/beetles should be able to convey at least 25 trolls (perhaps more) at night, when you should be relatively safe from enemy interception. And medevac out the more important casualties after a battle.
And, of course, buzzing the enemy cavalry, which will (hopefully) panic the hell out of the horses...
James Frusetta
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