I've not had a chance to play for nearly 5 months due to a new addition to the family, and I'm coming back to playing actively now the new ITS has dropped. I'm going to a tourney next month, and one of the missions is Frostbyte. Reading the scenario rules for it, it seems a little bonkers. Quite a lot to take in strategically, and I haven't had chance ot properly run through the impact of the rules changes to AD troopers and MI for this season. I've got a practice game in a couple of days and I don't know how to begin list building for it. I'm expecting to play Vanilla PanO as I have a strong idea what to do for the other (much more straightforward) missions. Any Do's and Don'ts, any example lists, any obvious enemy strategies, all of that is welcome. Cheers.
PanO stronk! Congratulations :) Population won't build itself so citizen do your duty! Well Frostbyte is a funny small mission, you should actually ignore the Heaters and go for enemy Datatracker, if you can kill him it's almost game over for opponent. Its also good to have a sturdy DataTracker yourself (for example Joan). So what you need is a sturdy Datatracker and a good assasin to kill enemy datatracker, rest is standard: activate at least 1 console and do not lose to many units.
I actually love using Joan, so i'm happy this is a strong mission for her. The easy answers (croc men) to pushing buttons in the middle aren't allowed in this mission due to the exclusion zone, any pro tips on solving that problem? Run a pathfinder up the old fashioned way?
Take montessa biker as datatracker and enjoy his 3 orders, then destroy heaters on the enemy side of the table.
Even with the exclusion zone, an Infiltrator still gets a slight head start up the table. With the lack of smoke, having the marker state to reach a button sure is nice. You can settle and go with a Hexa KHD or Pathfinder easily enough, but the Croc's mines are helpful in themselves. Depending on your opponent, I'd certainly invest in some Regular Minelayers or other defensive units to watch your own Heater. You absolutely don't want a CC-oriented enemy sneaking in to destroy it. Generally you'll just want to get a quick button push, activate your own Heater, protect it, then shift all your focus to attrition/data tracker attack/data tracker preservation. Go for the enemy DT, keep yours alive, and try not to bleed too much in the process. We have an advantage in some very good Data Trackers, so take your pick of durable, semi-mobile combat-capable units that suit your level of interest. It's not a bad mission for a TAG or any of our beefy non-marker state Heavy Infantry. Acon is quite good at this mission. Get quick button pushes, have two Climbing Plus models for hunting enemy Data Trackers, and some decent candidates for durable troops to park in the Exclusion Zone when the game ends.
Don't, in this mission it is essential to keep your DT alive, not suicide him into enemy half ot table. Check scoring on this mission, Heaters are distraction or at best targets of opportunity.
I have not said to suicide him, but with 3 orders on him and 8-4 move, it is rather easy to find an opportunity to go in and destroy one heater and later fall back. Of course safer option is to not make him data tracker and just pick him like a guided missile on a mission to just kill enemy's heaters when the time is right.
This is super helpful. On defensive units, what sorts of infiltrators/impersonators from other factions outside PanO could I expect to try and go for my heater? I'm a little confused by the objective 'have a heater', does that mean have a unit in a zone that contains an active heater? Does it mean specifically the heaters on your side of the table? does it mean 1pt for at some point having turned on a heater? Is there an 'ownership' of heaters based on table edge or can I walk into my opponents deadzone, activate that heater and 'claim' that one? Does a black friar multi rifle have a place in defending the heater? I'm wary of people with smoke. I love me some Joan, so i'm almost certaintly going ot take her in Vanilla with some other meaty bits. I feel a bit sad that some special units don't get called out as being immune to killer cold...Nisses much?
As a first stab, how does this look? PanOceania ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 8 2 1 JOAN OF ARC Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, DA CCW. (+1 | 50) FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) MAGISTER KNIGHT Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 23) NISSE HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34) AUXILIA Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) AUXILIA Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) TECH-BEE (Remote Assistant Level 1, Specialist Operative) Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) REGULAR (Minelayer, Sensor) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 14) REGULAR (Minelayer, Sensor) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 14) GROUP 2 6 HEXA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 27) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) SIERRA DRONBOT HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 25) MULEBOT (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) NISSE MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34) 5.5 SWC | 299 Points Open in Infinity Army Joan as data tracker, regulars and auxilia as heater defense, magister as someone to coordinate with and another anti material weapon to throw. 2 Nisses to take advantage of the extended DZ and punish people pushing into the exlusion zone from rooftops. I'm thinking of using a pair of HMGs however. General order spods to pad the numbers out. Fusilier hacker to buff the sierra, KHD Hexas as a marker state attack piece and button pusher. Tempted to swap the sierra for a spitfire bulleteer as a suicidal attack piece if I get stuck with turn 1. What do people reckon as a first draft?
Well, they need to put their data tracker into the middle if they want to win, and they have to touch consoles to not die, so it's not like I have to dive too deep into their backline. My initial thoughts were to try and make it prohibitive to move into the middle due to counterattack potential from Nisses/Joan/Magister. Worst case scenario is I have to go and flame them out with a sacrificial auxilia.
If they happen to go second they shouldn't have too much problem with putting their DataTracker into zone.
If your force is mostly HI then you need to worry a LOT less about the heaters. But you can basically ignore the heaters if you can kill their Data Tracker and keep yours alive. Just play the mission, don't worry about killing.
Doesn't that mean committing ston units to the freezing death? Or is the assumption that the enemy should have turned one of their heaters on?
Yes, but if you manage to kill enemy Datatracker (and put yours into zone) it means auto lose for opponent, unless he is also able to kill your Datatracker.
So ALt list 1: PanOceania ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 8 2 1 JOAN OF ARC Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (+1 | 49) MAGISTER KNIGHT Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 23) FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) HEXA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 27) NISSE HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34) BULLETEER Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | 23) AUXILIA Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) AUXILIA Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) TECH-BEE (Remote Assistant Level 1, Specialist Operative) Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) GROUP 2 5 SIERRA DRONBOT HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 25) MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) NISSE MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34) 5.5 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army or something completely different and quite greedy PanOceania ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 8 2 JOAN OF ARC Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (+1 | 49) CUTTER MULTI HMG / . (2.5 | 115) CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. () SWISS GUARD Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, AP CCW. (2 | 69) AUXILIA Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) TECH-BEE (Remote Assistant Level 1, Specialist Operative) Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) 4.5 SWC | 299 Points Open in Infinity Army or a list where you don't deploy much at the beginning of the game. PanOceania ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 8 2 1 JOAN OF ARC Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (+1 | 49) CUTTER MULTI HMG / . (2.5 | 115) CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. () MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) TECH-BEE (Remote Assistant Level 1, Specialist Operative) Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) BULLETEER Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | 23) HEXA MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (1.5 | 32) SPEC. SERGEANT (CH: TO Camouflage, Infiltration) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 33) FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 14) 7 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army I quite like the last one, if going first that means i'd deploy second, so i'd be able to make a call on the viability of a cutter alpha strike. If it's doable deploy everyone as a marker, if not, then keep the snipers (and maybe even the cutter) off the table but make sure to have set them up covering a console I intend to run Joan to activate (as data tracker) and be ready for AROs, might even be smart to switch one hidden sniper out for a Nisses so people don't get any funny ideas about smoke just in case, and then when they commit to shooting the nisses reveal a second sniper/cutter.
I forgot to add the last model in, i ninja editted that list with a krakot. Though an auxilia would work there too.