How do you make use out of Pheasant and Zhanying agents.

I have several pretty good uses for Zhanying.

1) In Transmission Matrix (or any hacking heavy situation) a hsien tinbot B, zhanying haris and zhanying hacker give you a hacker that will pick up the tinbot's -6 deflector bonus. That can also stack with firewall bonuses like kaleidoscope. If you have good repeater coverage through the transmission matrix repeaters this makes for one of the best hackers in the game - it can comfortably get in a brain blast vs redrum fight and win it (and of course in the active turn you'll have a ninja KHD and EVO hacker re-rolls assisting your brutal hacking smackdown). Then... the zhanying brings spotlight and you can start dropping smart missiles on anything in the scoring areas! Or put assisted fire on a garuda you bring down! Happy day!

2) They make quite good fifth men in Wu Ming links. The hacker is one of the few ways to get D-charges up the table in ISS. You can also repeat the spotlight and tinbot trick above, which synergizes with the light grenade launcher quite nastily. The missile launcher is anti-material and a little cheaper than the HRL, so great for something like The Grid where you need to destroy objectives. In general I prefer the Wu Ming LRL, as the second wound and higher BS keeps an ARO threat and your five man link bonus around for longer - it seems kind of silly to put a one wound model out as an ARO piece and wreck your point investment in the whole link. The madtraps zhanying could also be fun, which gives you sensor to take up the table and perimeter weapons to protect your link.

3) Finally, the dirtiest Zhanying link trick I've figured out is... Hsien smoke shooting and madtraps. This requires some smoke on the table, but if you have something you want to delete with zero risk to your hmg, have a madtrap run out of smoke but keep the Hsien in the smoke. Any non-msv2 or SSL2 AROs will have to choose to dodge or shoot the madtrap as their ARO... you can hope they're stupid enough to shoot the madtrap as then they'll eat a hsien's hmg as a normal roll. More likely they'll dodge, letting you repeat the trick until they go prone or die. It's sort of broken how nasty this is... but does require quite an expensive link and is a little fiddly to pull off.

The pheasant... is generally a waste of points. He's jack of all trades and master of none. Here are the best uses I've found:

1) Bao haris. The red fury haris pheasant brings you CoC and lets you take a few nice MSV2 bao, boosting their damage output. With smoke support this is a very nasty little haris and the burst 5 red fury can also do serious damage. The bao sniper and bao x-visor combi & lsg are great to put in this haris, along with a cheap shotgun bao. Sadly the SWC cost is through the roof for this haris.

2) Cheapish madtraps and CoC. For some missions like looting and sabotage, you might want to put some madtraps defending the AC2 and send a lieutenant like a crane up the table to do some work. The crane is the best looting and sabotage attacker against the enemy AC2 and if you get there being able to use your lieutenant order for one last smack of the pinata could win you the game. If you go for a turn one alpha strike the CoC can keep you in the game if your lt dies. Xhi Zuang is also a good choice for madtraps, quite a bit cheaper and links with the crane, so consider both.

3) Bao core links... just seem too expensive and brittle to bet the farm on. Plus if you use it as core, you can't have a core kuang shi link blasting smoke around for it, so the haris seems the sweet spot if you are using Bao. However the smoke & madtraps shenanigans described for the zhanying haris would work with the madtraps pheasant and a Bao core link.

4) The madtraps and CoC pheasant on it's own isn't a terrible option though, it can secure your DZ.

5) In hunting party, the madtraps pheasant gets a free ADHL as well as his E-Mitter and X-visor and glue based perimeter weapons. He's actually pretty great for gluing or immobilizing enemy specialists.

6) For Looting and Sabotage, a pheasant with DA CCW, MA-2 and gang up bonuses is one of the few choices in ISS capable of cracking open the AC2. But you're probably going to want to use a Ninja or Crane for plan A. Maybe plan B is the Bao haris, which can also offer some nice MSV2 covering fire to keep Saito etc away from your own AC2.

 

Have yet to have the chance to use a Pheasant, but I have been using a Zhanying in vanilla since I basically started playing this game, so I have these few things to say...

1) The Hacker profile. While it is not cheap by any measure, and could be interpreted as inferior to the Pheasant one ( Same cost, Pheasant has better WIP. )... I'd dare argue it's pretty damn amazing. Surprise hacking KHDs lose out on the surprise mods when trying to dislodge it, units with stealth can no longer tip-toe their way through your repeater network, and as a slight cherry on top... Bioimmunity helps against KHDs in that it neuters the Trinity programs Shock ammo, meaning that an unconscious Zhanying Hacker is at least healable and not a spazzing out corpse. And that is not even mentioning that at the current moment, it is one of only two D-Charges in our entire faction ( The other set of D-charges being on the Mech-Engineer. ), which is pretty useful for stuff like Highly Classified or classified objectives in general.

2) The Sensor profiles ( BSG Sensor, Breaker Combi Sensor and the Breaker Combi + MadTraps Sensor. ) profiles are... decent, I'd say, if you are expecting to deal with lots of camo shenanigans ( Which, at least to me, is basically the entire time. 100% camo Ariadna lists are not uncommon here. ). While I do concede that I have no clear clue what Nimbus grenades are supposed to be used for, I'd say the other tools bring some use. Sensors are useful for either performing Sensor sweeps or discovering single targets, and remember that the enemy can't re-camo while within the ZoC of the Zhanying with a sensor. Oh, and Triangulated Fire is a thing, which can help you balance the odds against enemies that stack lots of negative mods on you, but is kinda hard to pull off ( I've heard people use the MadTraps to bait AROs to position for TF, so that's a thing of consideration maybe? ). The differences between the BSG and Breaker Combi profiles are pretty self explanatory: one has a BSG, the other has the Breaker Combi. The real big difference comes in with the MadTraps profile, in the form of, well... the MadTraps. They're an annoyance. An annoyance that, unlike CrazyKoalas, which are most scary to single wound troops, can be a nuissance to any unit in the game, since even a TAG might consider giving the idea of triggering one some pause for thought since the Imm-2 state can be a real pain to deal with if they fail the -6 PH test. And speaking of causing Imm-2 states...

3) Electric Pulse. Yes. I consider this to be a useful thing. The amount of times I've seen this little taser electric shock thing brick things that thought they were safe sitting just around a corner is high enough for me to regard this thing as worthy of note. Also add to this the idea that the Hacker profile brings some D-Charges you can plant upon the victim afterwards if you survive your attack, so it's not a thing I'd complain about having.

4) The Breaker Combi Rifle. It's a decent gun. That's all I have to say about it. It's either a blessing against enemies that have BTS equal or inferior to their ARM value, or a big hindrance against units with next to no ARM but comparatively a lot more BTS... so basically the majority of REMs. Not a spectacular gun, but not a bad one either, so ech.

And that's about it really... no real opinion on the ML profile, still need to test it out somewhat, and I don't thing much of the HMG profile beyond... it's a 30 point LI HMG. Maybe it's good in a purely Zhanying Haris link, I wouldn't know.

Hope this helps.

 

Oh yeah, another plus for the Zhanying. I forgot to call out that SSL2 on a hacker is huge. It stops models with stealth moving past repeaters and lets you hold ARO until you know what hacking programs are being used against you.

I think the Zhanying HMG lt profile could be good in limited insertion - it's linkable with Wu Ming, perhaps useful if you need to reform a 5 man link after another casualty. With link bonuses it could do some work and it's only SWC 1.

 

I pretty much agree on most points. I really like the Madtraps on either one. Especially the Zhanying.

 

Oh yeah, the Breaker Rifle is great against Ariadna & Sectorials. Grunts, Marauders etc tend to have Arm 3 BTS 0, so you're basically catching them naked if you hit them with breaker. That's also a great time to have packed some sensors.

 

Feel free to laugh, but I once used a Pheasant haris and Bao + Pheasant core in a LI game and it worked phenomenally well, with triple Kanren minelayers and a Zhanying LT.

 

Smoke and MSV2 works just fine, especially with link bonuses. It could fold really fast if the dice were against you though.

 

The pheasant is a ticket to have free reign with a badass lt. Given our access to elite swc toting lts, the fact the pheasant is taxed heavily is hardly their fault.

I have had limited success with the red fury or madtrap pheasant as late game specialists. The extra order and slightly better statline can get them places slightly squisher specs might struggle.

That said, you pretty much have to be using that lt order every turn to really feel the return on investment.

 

If you're doing a 12 or 13 order list, a pair of pheasants make a great Duo for that second order group as well, Free Agent is pretty underrated.

 

But if you had 60+ points spare for your second group... why aren't you doing this?

Imperial Service
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6 4
CELESTIAL GUARD (Kuang Shi Control Device) Combi Rifle + Light Smoke Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 13)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
NINJA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Tactical Bow / Pistol, DA CCW, Knife. (0 | 29)

0.5 SWC | 62 Points

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I've used Zhanying agents to stand in for Togusa in my Ghost in the Shell lists. Sixth Sense and Sensor is a fun combo.

But outside of theme lists like that...

 

Yeah, I would suppose the Pheasants role really could be simplified into ''A safety net so you could grab one of our SWC discounted Lts and make a mad dash for the enemy with them.'' Things like Spitfire Daofeis Lts or Zuyong HMG AutoMedikit Lts come to mind
Though, that does mean they are competing with the Hac Taos Executive Order skill on that front... which does require more planning and prep in advance, but it is mounted on a TO HI comparable in might to the Swiss Guard... and the non-HMG Exec Order profile has an SWC cost associated to it.

I've heard one of the local ( Well, technically the only one beyond me. ) Yu Jing player say that CoC Pheasants/Exec Order Hac Taos make for amusing safety nets for Lieutenant HRMC Yan Huos to make use of that extra order on their shoulder mounted delete button.

Actually, this gives me a stupid yet maybe amusing idea-
Grab an HI Lieutenant with an SWC discount, grab the HMG Hac Tao and grab the BSG Pheasant.
Deploy the Hac Tao in marker state so it automatically becomes your Lieutenant, and you end up with having a ''discounted'' HI, a TO HI with an HMG Lieutenant monster... and a CoC guy out back to allow for use of the Lieutenant order with reckless abandon. Expensive, yes, but an idea either way.

 

Heh... there are only a few builds that work like that, but you'd have something like this for direct action games. Hard to pack specialists in with that gang of HI.

swc rofl
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

8 2 4
HSIEN Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (+1 | 57)
YĀN HUǑ Hyper-Rapid Magnetic Cannon / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 54)
YĀN HUǑ 2 Missile Launchers + TinBot C (Neurocinetics) / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 56)
HAC TAO (Executive Order) HMG, Nanopulser / Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 69)
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command) Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 29)
SHAOLIN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0 | 5)
SHAOLIN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0 | 5)
CELESTIAL GUARD (Kuang Shi Control Device) Combi Rifle + Light Smoke Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 13)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)

6.5 SWC | 298 Points

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I was thinking something closer to this.

Yu Jing
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

10
DÀOFĚI Lieutenant Spitfire / Pistol, Shock CCW. (1.5 | 55)
HAC TAO (Executive Order) HMG, Nanopulser / Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 69)
ZHÀNYING (Sensor) Boarding Shotgun, Nimbus Grenades / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 23)
RUI SHI Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | 20)
BÀO TROOP (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 29)
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command) Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 29)
NINJA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Tactical Bow / Pistol, DA CCW, Knife. (0 | 29)
CELESTIAL GUARD (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
CELESTIAL GUARD (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
XI ZHUANG Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, MadTraps / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 20)

6 SWC | 300 Points

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Pheasant are a very good proxy for the Zhanying

 

The Pheasant is a good defensive unit. That's why I like the Madtraps. Great for missions were you need to hold things especially close to home. He can set up the madtraps and then go into suppression with the combi with X-Visor. The E/Mitter is also great on ARO with the X-Visor. I did him as a core with Sniper Bao and Combi Bao and he did well.

3
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command, X Visor) Combi Rifle + E/Mitter, MadTraps / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 36)
BÀO TROOP (X Visor, Multispectral Visor L2) Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
BÀO TROOP (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 29)

1.5 SWC | 92 Points

For Zhanying, I've done the Hsien HMG Haris before and it works okay. He's a big target though and expensive. I'd rather just take 3 Zhanying and depending on the mission flip between the Madtraps and Hacker.

3
ZHÀNYING (Fireteam: Haris, Sensor) Breaker Combi Rifle, Nimbus Grenades / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 27)
ZHÀNYING HMG / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (1 | 30)
ZHÀNYING (Sensor) Breaker Combi Rifle, Nimbus Grenades, MadTraps / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 28)

1.5 SWC | 85 Points

3
ZHÀNYING (Fireteam: Haris, Sensor) Breaker Combi Rifle, Nimbus Grenades / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 27)
ZHÀNYING HMG / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (1 | 30)
ZHÀNYING Hacker (Hacking Device) Breaker Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 32)

2 SWC | 89 Points

 

Riffing off that and the whole thread in general, I guess this Bao and Zhanying themed list is fairly appealing:

Bao Core & Zhanying Haris
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GROUP 1 6
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command, X Visor) Combi Rifle + E/Mitter, MadTraps / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 36)
BÀO TROOP (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 29)
BÀO TROOP (Multispectral Visor L2, Biometric Visor L2) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23)
NINJA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Tactical Bow / Pistol, DA CCW, Knife. (0 | 29)
CHAĪYÌ Yaókòng Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
WÈIBĪNG Yaókòng Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)

GROUP 2 10 6
CELESTIAL GUARD (Kuang Shi Control Device) Combi Rifle + Light Smoke Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 13)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)
HSIEN Lieutenant HMG, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (2 | 61)
ZHÀNYING (Sensor) Breaker Combi Rifle, Nimbus Grenades, MadTraps / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 28)
ZHÀNYING (Fireteam: Haris, Sensor) Breaker Combi Rifle, Nimbus Grenades / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 27)

4.5 SWC | 300 Points

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You can do madtrap shenanigans (as mentioned waaaaay earlier) with either a Bao core link or Hsien HMG link. You can switch core links between the bao and the kuang shi using command tokens - start with the KS linked if you go first, Bao linked if you go second.

Things I might play with from here based on the mission:

• Maybe take more orders - two panggulings instead of the weibing depending on mission scoring requirements
• Maybe take a tinbot hsien and hacker, but less madtrap shooting shenanigans
• A Sophotect would be great... but generally my lists are CoC or Doctor/engineer. Otherwise you're spending 20% of the list as contingency plans rather than active turn planning...

 

So obviously this won't appeal to min-maxers, but as a roving objective-grabbing fireteam, I love this:

Team Pheasant
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3
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command, X Visor) Combi Rifle + E/Mitter, MadTraps / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 36)
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command, Fireteam: Haris) Red Fury / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (1.5 | 36)
PHEASANT IMPERIAL AGENT (Chain of Command) Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 29)

1.5 SWC | 101 Points
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