Only recently started playing NCA having played Haqqislam almost exclusively over the last couple of years but I can't help but fall for this little beauty. It's blunt and lacks finesse but it does what you want it to. Last game of Armoury, I took this and a Bolt core and it couldn't have gone better. ORC Haris ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 3 ORC Lieutenant MULTI Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 40) ORC HMG / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 44) ORC (Fireteam: Haris) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 36) 2.5 SWC | 120 Points Open in Infinity Army I was constrained with points in my last game having thrown in the Bolts for taking the Armoury but would normally consider taking the TinBot for added defense. Its a point and click link that your opponent will obviously guess your intentions early. For 6 wounds with a fair bit of armour and punch, it makes up for the hefty price tag though. I'm relatively happy with that fact that once in position, or actively hunting, should the link break, there's options for suppression. They are also a great diversionary bullet magnet. Found that caught unawares, opponents see the 2 W burst 5 HMG and spend a lot of effort trying to break them. If it boils down to order management, I've never had these be undermined.
That's funny. I suppose you're right that it's highly meta dependent. My regular opponent plays Hassasins and Onyx. Leila Sharif and Bit/Kiss or Kerrnau are units I can expect to see every time. They're just great specialists/link filler/dangerous outside of the KHD anyway. Fusilier hackers' brains don't last very long for me :(
Oh man.. that's a lot of bolts and back up pieces! Only if the machinist had "Haris". I hear this a lot but to be honest, i'm not sure if it would "fix" all that much. My first PanO lists always included bolts and I could never reaaaaally get them to work. I'm curious about how you play this!
Well, the fact is it depends highly of your opponent's army, the scenario and the table. In general, they come with a Squalo HGL and their first main task is to protect him, to be the back up plan or to go where the Squalo won't. A lot of work so a lot of Bolts to be sure I'll have my full Core bonuses as long as I can. And one real cool thing there is with them is I don't give a fuck of LGL EM with X-Visor. I know at least two guys who can come in tournament with the idea that they won't play with you until at least an half of your list is isolated. One do this to win, the other because he finds this fun (don't ask me why). Plus TAK and its Scout with E-Mauler and AP mines, Nomads and Tunguska with their Heckler etc. They hard counter a lot of new units a lot of people call really good. While I'm still in need to see if they can deal with NCA, Aleph and SSA because I know Swiss Guard ML and Achilles can tear them apart with no effort, I know they can deal with the rest. Depending of the table, they can face a lot of difficulties, of course, but they can be the best thing you brought too. They are good, but you need to pick up a unit that will compensate their weaknesses as in any list. You pay for one of the most toolboxy unit of PanO, you have to play with it. Drop Bears are excellent both in active and reactive because they can be used in a lot of way. Of course, if I face a better skilled player, I'll have some difficulties, like with any other list, but except that the only times they fail me are when I make too much mistakes or huge ones or my opponent just crit me to death (I have a lot of games like this those late months and I begin to be used to it now). So, if you have TTS, we could make a game and I'll try to show you how I operate with them. But I find it difficult to say how to play them because you have to know exactly what they can or cannot do and have a cool head. They want to go in the middle and it's not a safe place at all. And don't play them on a table full of difficult terrain, of course. Edit: what I'm dreaming is a Drop bear Bolt with Haris and the possibility to an ORC or an Aquila to join the link. This plus the ORCs being able to link with Bolts in a Core (at least 1 ORC).
What's seriously irksome about Bolts is this: Spoiler Shock Army of Acontecimento ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 REGULAR Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) REGULAR Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) REGULAR (Minelayer, Sensor) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 14) BAGH-MARI (Number 2) Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19) ORC Feuerbach / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 42) 2.5 SWC | 95 Points Open in Infinity Army is perfectly legal. As is this: Spoiler Varuna Immediate Reaction Division ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) KAMAU (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 32) ORC (Varuna Div.) (Multiterrain: Aquatic/Jungle, Stealth) Feuerbach / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 43) 3.5 SWC | 105 Points Open in Infinity Army But this: Spoiler Neoterran Capitaline Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) FUSILIER Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) BOLT Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun, Drop Bears / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25) ORC Feuerbach / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 42) 2 SWC | 99 Points Open in Infinity Army is clearly game-breaking and unfair. Variations on the first are my favourite, +Regular Sapper, +different Bagh Mari load-outs to suit. (but the addition of the NCA Machinist might just push the Bolt core back onto the table, especially with the Armoury back in the mix)
I just think they purposefully haven't looked at NCA in this pass. Better luck next time. Maybe then we'll get some nice Aquila linkability!
Eh, NCA will get theirs eventually. It's funny though, after the third offensive NCA went from being my go-to default army to something I will now almost never play. It's a shame they got access to Aida and not another one of our sectorials :(
Let's see here... Varuna: Varuna Immediate Reaction Division, Kamau Haris ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 3 MACHINIST (Varuna Div.) (CH: Mimetism, Stealth, Aquatic Terrain) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) PATSY GARNETT Submachine Gun, Nimbus Plus Grenades, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 37) KAMAU Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22) 0 SWC | 76 Points Open in Infinity Army This is the mobile team, they are going to get in someone's face and do objectives. Might want to swap that Kamau to the HRL+SMG, since they're going to be up close anyway. Then there's the Defensive Link of Doom(tm): Varuna Immediate Reaction Division ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 6 ORC (Varuna Div.) (Multiterrain: Aquatic/Jungle, Stealth) HMG / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 45) KAMAU (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 32) FUSILIER Combi Rifle + Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 14) FUSILIER (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) FUSILIER Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) 4.5 SWC | 125 Points Open in Infinity Army It's brutal trying to get that Kamau sniper dead, absolutely deadliest ARO in the game! You can even put them both in the same list, for more shenanigans. I keep wanting to run a De Fersen 'Combat Rescue' list in MO, but I have a hard time fitting a third SWC gun in. I don't like having only De Fersen's Spitfire and a linked MSR! Best idea I've had so far looks like this: Mercedarian Order Combat Rescue team ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 10 1 DE FERSEN Lieutenant Spitfire / Pistol, Templar CCW (AP + Shock). (2 | 56) KNIGHT HOSPITALLER Doctor (Fireteam: Haris, MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | 36) KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, D-Charges + 1 TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 38) BROTHER KONSTANTINOS Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Assault Pistol, CCW. (0 | 29) ORDER SERGEANT Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) ORDER SERGEANT Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 15) ORDER SERGEANT MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 21) BLACK FRIAR (Albedo, Biometric Visor L1) MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser, Drop Bears / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 28) MULEBOT Hacker (EVO Hacking Device) Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 25) KNIGHT OF MONTESA Boarding Shotgun, Chain-colt / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 37) 6 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army Can swap the Paramedic around to the Montesa if you want. Mulebot is there for supportware and medevac.
Shout out to this duo right here: Military Orders ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 2 JOAN OF ARC Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, EXP CCW. (2 | 53) KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, D-Charges + 1 TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 38) 2 SWC | 91 Points Open in Infinity Army Literally amazing – they can attack with great efficacy in every type of fight. There is no answer this team doesn't have! TAGs, hackers, gunfighters, specialists, camo, you name it
Since that Santiago + Magisters link can be a Teuton link, they can take an HRL OS and I see no reason not to. For 15 pts you get same range bands as HMG, Burst 3 BS15 in a full link and deny the enemy Cover bonus to ARM. Burst 5 Assault Pistol is a nifty little bonus. And to top it off Santiago combines active turn attack with a specialist in one profile. So this Military Orders ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 3 ORDER SERGEANT Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 15) KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Lieutenant (Specialist Operative) Spitfire, Nanopulser, E/M Grenades, D-Charges / Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 43) MAGISTER KNIGHT Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 22) MAGISTER KNIGHT Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 22) MAGISTER KNIGHT Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 22) 2.5 SWC | 124 Points Open in Infinity Army Looks better to me than HMG Hospitaller + 4 basic Magisters any day. I agree about having two Hospitallers in there, one being a Doctor, but that's not what you initially posted. Arguably Spitfire Santiago + KHD Santiago aren't bad either, one allowed you to revive downed members, the other gives you anti-hacker defense.
Look mate, the Santiago link is cute and all but will be at a serious problem to deal with a Kamau Sniper in a frontal engagement. Whatever point you want to make MO is still PanO. B3 BS15 is far from the same as B5 BS17. 24-32" Rangebands is what you have to deal with when clearing ARO pieces. Sometimes the table or your opponent will cut you some slack and a HMG won't be absolutely necessary, but often it will be PanO's best chance at getting things done. As cute and fluffy as an OS in a HI link is, it's not a full blown HI with ridiculous defensive and offensive contribution for 22 points. That said I'll gladly take the new Santiago + 4 Magisters, it's far from bad as far as Links are concerned. It can relink, has a Specialist, DTW and E/M nades for juicy targets. The problem is that there isn't a Nisse available to make up for the Link's issues. There are a few solutions available but they limit you to a low Order count or lock you out of other important choices. The old link was a beautiful thing since it could accomplish next to anything with pretty much raw stats (and a Frenzy/Ex Imp discount). A direct replacement for that simply does not exist, Magisters with a HMG was the most important thing about them. It's impossible to replace that no matter how great of a Spitfire you can now add instead.
Or go for Albedo BF maybe? He can go directly in the opposite DZ without being messed up by Kamau and toss her a DB in her face before firing at her. That's how I deal with Brawler Sniper and it is pretty efficient. And if you so direly want to shoot her at long range, the BS 16 B4 is enough in normal rolls to put her unconscious most of the time. Just use an OS or a FK to trigger the ORA and take the hits instead of the BF.
True, Hospitaller HMG has a much better chance at killing linked Kamau Sniper than HRL OS. But that has more to do with Kamau being the exceptionally amazing guy rather than OS being bad. Previous king of linked snipers (Acon Regular) dies 47% of the time to the opening HRL salvo (in +3 rangebands for both). In fact in most cases OS either has an edge or it's fairly even, like 3% difference. I don't think dying to a single OP unit makes the guy useless. Unless suddenly everyone switched to playing Varuna but you I think you have nothing to worry about. @Ayadan Fair point about Black Friar. I pretty much take him for the most part to mess with MSV snipers and yet I forgot about him.
I think you can take it as certain that the Aquila will never link, certainly not with a core at any rate (I could see Duo happening, maybe Haris). The prospect of an auto-discover vs TO followed by a B5 HMG hitting on 21s is simply un-balancable.
No but a Haris like Hsien and Asura is what I'm waiting for. The Haris could be worn by ORCs, Bolts or Aquila (I wouldn't mind a MULTI MMR Haris Aquila at 60 points and 0.5 SWC).
60pts MMR Aquila sounds about as bad as 43pts 2.5SWC AP HMG Haris Mormaer. And Caledonia is more permissive to overpriced lugs due to 6pts Regular Orders, which NCA has not.
All problems would be solved if NCA got the Deva Harris and they could special Harris with the Aquila.
Sorry but does 47% for an Active turn piece as a part of a plan you need to work seem like a good plan? Against something even scarier than than the Regular Sniper (which will be more often than not replaced by a Bagh Mari Sniper nowadays) like the Kamau the odds are 50:30 in favour of the Kamau's ARO and you'll be locked into your DZ if you fail that risky gamble even once. No question the Kamau and Bagh Sniper are stupid efficient at what they do. But that's the essence of the problem. MO has some serious issues dealing with something that will hamstring your whole game unless you can take care of it. As a less extreme example the HRL OS is already pretty bad at dealing with normal ARO threats like TO/Linked basic Snipers and TR Bots. He simply doesn't come even close in a face to face roll, but how could he at -2 BS and -2B? Unlinked BF loses to Core linked Snipers in 0 Rangebands and takes a bunch of Orders to maybe get a shot at what seems to be a terrible idea to me. He'll still have to work his way past Helots, Flashpulses etc to get close enough for a Drop Bear. Running a OS Link with Albedo BF and sacrificing a piece to get a Normal Roll against the Kamau seems a tad bit desperate and limits your list, but will probably work. Odds are you're only putting the Sniper Unconscious for that tho. and a Palbot should pretty much always be at the ready for patch him back up. The main goal of early ARO's is to slow you down, waste your Orders and end your turn before you could do what you wanted to. Killing stuff is just a nice bonus. That changes once the game progresses and options as well as heavy weapons get scarcer. A turn 3 Linked Sniper is usually much scarier than the same guy in turn 1.
It's all fun etc. untill you face a Frontovick or any mimetism+Link team ARO. Or Q-Drone (heavens help if with MMR).
I still cannot understand why no Eclipse (Teutons mayby?) in MO ? MO is not "that" scary in CC (when you compare them to JSA/TAK/Corregidor etc.) It would gave option to advance with links, use those damn Spitfire (still in good range of enemy), while actually giving reliable (why not offensive) secondary tool to a MO problems "how to leave DZ".
