New MO on the field

So, I had a tournament last Sunday.
The scenarios were Capture and Protect, Comms Center and Frostbyte.
I decided to come with MO as I'm still wanting to come with them to the french satellite tournament and need to try my lists.

I played those :
Satellite test 1
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10 3
SERAPH HMG, 2 Nanopulsers / EXP CCW. (2 | 79)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()
KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Lieutenant (Specialist Operative) Spitfire, Nanopulser, E/M Grenades, D-Charges / Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 43)
KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, D-Charges + 1 TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 38)
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)
TRAUMA-DOC (Father-Doctor) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)
MACHINIST (Father-Engineer) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
BLACK FRIAR (Albedo, Biometric Visor L1) MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser, Drop Bears / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 28)
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)
3 SWC | 299 Points
Open in Infinity Army

Satellite test 1b
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10
BROTHER KONSTANTINOS Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Assault Pistol, CCW. (0 | 29)
BLACK FRIAR (Albedo, Biometric Visor L1) MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser, Drop Bears / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 28)
FATHER-KNIGHT Missile Launcher / Breaker Pistol, DA CCW. (1.5 | 49)
KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Lieutenant (Specialist Operative) Spitfire, Nanopulser, E/M Grenades, D-Charges / Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 43)
ORDER SERGEANT Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
ORDER SERGEANT Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
MACHINIST (Father-Engineer) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
TRAUMA-DOC (Father-Doctor) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)
SERAPH HMG, 2 Nanopulsers / EXP CCW. (2 | 79)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)
4.5 SWC | 299 Points
Open in Infinity Army

The tournament was coorganised by one of the top 5 player here in France and this guy was playing as well. So I was hoping to do well enough in the previous rounds to face him and see if I could put a good fight as I know I don't have his level yet.
As the tournament was in the far North of France, we had some players coming from Belgium too.

First game : Capture and Protect vs Seraphin (MO)
We began with a mirror match. Was the first time I faced MO with MO and I was interested by the MU.

His list :
Military Orders
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9 1 1
TIKBALANG OF MONTESA (Religious Troop) AP HMG, Heavy Flamethrower / DA CCW. (2 | 92)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()
MACHINIST (Father-Engineer) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Lieutenant (Specialist Operative) Spitfire, Nanopulser, E/M Grenades, D-Charges / Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 43)
KNIGHT OF SANTIAGO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, D-Charges + 1 TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 38)
BLACK FRIAR (Albedo, Biometric Visor L1) MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser, Drop Bears / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 28)
ORDER SERGEANT Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 15)
ORDER SERGEANT Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 15)
FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
KNIGHT OF MONTESA Paramedic (MediKit) Boarding Shotgun, Chain-colt / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 39)
WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)
PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
6 SWC | 299 Points
Open in Infinity Army

As I was facing OM, I prefered to come as heavy as I could as I didn't know how things could have swung away and took the first list.
I had to deploy first and set the fireteam in a defensive position on the left flank, unseen with the Trauma Doc, the Pathfinder in the center near my beacon and the Machinist in the center at the rear and the BF on the right. I kept my Seraph in reserve.
He deployed his FT in on the roof of the little building in the center of his DZ, put the Montesa and the Warcor on his left flank and the Machinist on the right. The Fugazi next the FT. I already saw that if I eliminated easily the two sergeants, I could kill the Santiago Lt with a superjump from my DZ.
I placed my Seraph behind the building in front of the one covering my Machinist and he deployed his Tik on his far right in total cover, unreachable.
I chosed my KHD as my DT and he chosed his Tikbalang.

I started by trying to take out one of his HRL. Five orders later and four FtF lost, my Seraph was unconscious. I sent my Machinist to repair it one time and succeeded without reroll. I sent the Seraph a last time and finally killed the first HRL. One more order and the second one was down too. My last order went for the FT to adapt its location and to prepare for reactive turn.
What he did was pretty straight. He sent the Tik killing as much as it could and grabbing the beacon. I discovered on the way that I didn't place my FT as good as I though since no panzerfaust was shot.
My Pathfinder bought me some time but finally goes unconscious. So do my Seraph. Then on his last order, he tried to kill both my Machinist and my BF who was showing it his back. The BF went unconscious and the Machinist scored a crit on his Dodge to go in total cover next to the Seraph.

I started by repairing my Seraph to full STR (using 2 CT on the process) and sent it to kill the Tik (which was down to 2 STR thanks to a crit from the Seraph). The Burst from the HMG as I was closing the distance to reach CC didn't anything and turned toward the Seraph. The order next saw two TAGs fighting in CC. The Seraph won the first one and took out one STR. The second one sent the Tik unconscious. The Seraph took position behind a crate in the middle of the table, killing the Fugazi and the Warcor on the way.
My opponent started by his Montesa who lost the FtF and a Wound. Then he activated the FT and the Santiago Lt started to try to take down the Seraph in cover with his Spitfire. Except some scratch to the burnt hull, nothing came out of the five orders except a wound on the Santiago. The Montesa tried his chance again and failed but didn't loose a wound. The Lt went prone after trying a last time and that's my turn. Here was one the major mistakes of my opponent : the Tik was just unconscious and he should have activated the pilot to flashpulse the Seraph in the back. Even if it wouldn't have succeeded the first time, I couldn't have the Montesa, the Santiago and the Crabbot in my front ark.

I started by killing the Montesa (two orders needed) and the Seraph went to the Beacon, took it and made the way back to my DT. My last order is for my FT to give the beacon to the KHD (my DT) but failed to notice that I should relocate my knights in the process.
My opponent moved down his FT, and thanks to my poor ARO set up and the 2W on his KHD, he managed to take the box with his very last order.
I have the box in my DZ in the hands of my DT so 6-3.

Round 2 : Comms Center vs Bawon Samdi (Nomad)
Against Nomads, going lighter to don't have to mind with hackers was my choice. And I was expecting the bad odds for the Intruder againts my FK ML to prevent him to even try.
I picked Predator, Kidnapping and Experimental drugs.

His list :
Nomads
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GROUP 1 9 1 1
INTERVENTOR Hacker Lieutenant (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 25)
ZOE & PI-WELL . (0 | 47)
ZOE (Hacking Device. UPGRADE: Stop!) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 28)
PI-WELL Combi Rifle / Electric Pulse. (0 | 19)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
REVEREND HEALER Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 33)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
LUNOKHOD Heavy Shotgun, Akrylat-Kanone, D-Charges, CrazyKoalas (2) / Electric Pulse. (0 | 24)
TSYKLON Spitfire, Pitcher / Electric Pulse. (1 | 31)
VERTIGO ZOND Smart Missile Launcher / Electric Pulse. (1.5 | 18)
MORLOCK Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, E/M CCW. (0 | 6)
MORAN (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, CrazyKoalas (2) / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 22)
MORAN Boarding Shotgun, CrazyKoalas (2) / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 20)
GROUP 2 2
INTRUDER (X-Visor) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 43)
SALYUT Hacker (EVO Hacking Device) Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 25)
6 SWC | 300 Points
Open in Infinity Army

He won the roll and went for going first. I picked the side and deployed second.
He deployed everything except the Intruder. some of his troops in the open or in firelanes too long for the weapons they were wielding.
I deployed my FK to see them, my BF in FD1 in a way to see them too and the rest to look at my back and the side of the table as I feared a Hellcat coming from nowhere.
The Intruder set up on the roof of the building at the end of the firelane my FK was watching. I deployed my Seraph ready to engage the Intruder from my very first order but in total cover to not receiving shots for nothing.

I took him two orders in his first group as I was not very concerned by two shots only from an Intruder. He started with his Morlock. After too many orders for him and too much luck on his ARM rolls, a smoke was set in the middle of the table. The Intruder then started to fire toward the FK (my opponent forgot what meant SSL2) and used both his orders to send the FK unconscious. Then he used the rest of his orders to send the Masai BSG taking out my HVT after an heroic fight and failed to cast a White Noise with his Interventor (even after one reroll :D).
I started my turn by shooting the Masai FO with my BF. The shot was at long range but I got a crit. Then, I moved out of LoF from the Tsyklon to go kill the Morlock. The Seraph came to action by putting unconscious on the first try the Intruder, the Tsyklon, then the second Masai. In my last order, I was a bit hasty and tried a medikit to my FK instead of waiting for the next turn to have a safe doctor roll. Of course, this means that the FK failed.

On his second turn, he focused on the scenario, took two consoles, repaired his Tsyklon which shot successfully a repeater, made his Datascan against my BF with his EVO and push his Lunokhod to plant a D-Charge on a crate in my half of the table but didn't had the order to detonate it.
I had several options now. Take care of the Lunokhod and diffuse the D-Charge while connecting some consoles or focus on getting the extra point of Predator and taking him as much consoles he connected while I rampage through his half of the table with my FT after collecting the BF in on the way. I chose the second option. I first shot the repeater to be sure I won't regret it later. Then, after a jump and some move, my Santiago saw the EVO and killed it straight, then the Lunokhod at the other part of the table. One burst later, it was unconscious. I gathered my new FT with the BF, sent the Tsyklon dead (2 crits Oo) and I'm thinking that I need to temper the firepower of my Santiago if I want something left for Predator. I got a console on the way and I engaged the Reverend and the remaining Krazy Koala of the now dead Masai BSG in a way to limit the amount of dice I roll against her. Good call as I scored three hits but luckily, she made two saves. I reorganise the FT for the last turn.

He was now down to four orders (Zoe, Pi-Well, Interventor and Vertigo). Zoe detonated the D-Charge for Sabotage, then Pi-Well tried a suicidal run to get a third console. The remote failed the first time but my sergeant and my Seraph missed it too. On the way back, it succeeded but received a shot from the Seraph and went unconscious. The Interventor needed the two last orders to cast cybermask (my opponent was very unlucky on his rolls for the most part of the game while I was rolling crits after crits).
I took one of his console, killed the reverend with my Santiago in CC. The Seraph made the way to smash the Lunokhod but he saved all but one the first time. Two orders after, the Lunokhod and Pi-Well were dead by CC attack and I scored my extra point from Predator. I captured a second of his consoles and tried to go for Kidnapping instead of killing the HVT (I had a foolish though I could switch Experimental drugs for secure the HVT with an unconscious HVT...). At the second try and with my very last order, the Santiago made the WIP-3 roll to synchronize with a hostile HVT.
I had 3 consoles to 2 and 2 classified. With the FK being my only loss, I had the specialists killing points.
So 9-2

Round 3 : Frostbyte against prefAct (MAF)
I took the first list as it was the best fitted to resist to the cold if nobody had the orders to activate any consoles.

He played this list :
Morat Aggression Force
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10 1
SURYAT Heavy Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 39)
MORAT Combi Rifle + Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 18)
MORAT (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
MORAT Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16)
ANYAT K1 Combi Rifle, Chain-colt, Smoke Grenades, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25)
RAKTORAK Red Fury / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 26)
KORNAK Lieutenant Mk12, Light Flamethrower / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 41)
RAICHO MULTI HMG + Heavy Shotgun, Mine Dispenser / . (2 | 94)
RAICHO PILOT 2 Heavy Pistols, D-Charges, Knife. ()
IKADRON (Baggage, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9)
KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Submachine Guns, Chest Mine / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 17)
6 SWC | 300 Points
Open in Infinity Army

I won the roll and went for first turn.
I deployed again my FT conservatively on my left flank with the Trauma Doc and used the Pathfinder to guard my right flank with the Machinist near as a back up. My BF was positionned in the center to have good aggressive options.
He set up his fireteam scattered in two groups : one with the Suryat, Anyat and a Vanguard while the LGL and the Raktorak were around an observation tower. The Ikadron was on the far left of his DZ and Kornak was behind boxes, ready to go for the offensive.
I placed my Seraph in the far back and he did the same with his Raicho. That way, the big guy was protecting the Raktorak, the LGL and Kornak from assassination attempts.
My datatracker was my Machinist and his was Kornak.

I spent all my orders on the BF. Made some move, a cautious movement and a speculate fire with a Drop Bear which succeeded. I saw my opponent didn't see why I was doing all this. When my BF showed up, he was in good range against his Suryat and when the FT activated, the Drop Bear detonated, finishing the Suryat from the firefight with the BF and killing the Paramedic. I tried too many times then to kill the too far away Krakot and killed finally Anyat. I landed a second Drop Bear to prevent the remainings of the FT to move and pass to my opponent.
The Raicho activated, critted my BF and went for my DZ. After trying again and again to gain LoF against my Machinist, the Raicho had inflicted two wounds to my Seraph, sent my Pathfinder unconscious, destoyed my DB and took inspiration from the move by shooting a mine in front of my Machinist. For the second time in the tournament, I had a TAG near my DZ.

I activated my FT to gather the knight before giving the lead to the magisters. One unloaded PzFaust later, the Raicho is down to 1 STR. I sent my Seraph end it and run to facetank the mine. The Machinist repair it to full STR and I finished the unconscious Raicho. I then poorly placed my Seraph as it, in fact, wasn't able to see anything from where he was while all the real threats to it were dead.
He sent on his turn his Krakot to unload a second PzFaust and die to free the way to Kornak. What did Kornak then is unbelievable. He won most of his FtF while facing multiple AROs for knights in FT. He recieved a crit the way but manage to wound a Magister and the Santiago Spitfire and to send a Magister unconscious and the Machinist.

I could still have the major victory but it would be hard. I activated the Seraph and finished Kornak. Then the Trauma Doc ran for healing the Machinist and with the last order, I sent my Lt, the Seraph, the Trauma Doc and the Machinist in the exclusion zone.
My opponent gathered what left from his troops in the open. All my AROs missed (but I made an error by not targeting the LGL that would have hit with my Seraph). The LGL aimed for the Machinist with a Spec Fire à -3 range. And critted... So, everything was over now. No consoles activated so all his guys would die and I would still have all my alive HIs and my Seraph to score for the killing points. And he couldn't do his classified.
The final result was 5-2.

With this result, I ended second.


Now, what I see from those games :
- Never had problems to leave my DZ. The tables were correctly set up and between HMG, Albedo and Cautious movements, I really never felt that I couldn't leave the DZ.
- BF and Seraph are as always really killing monsters.
- I really love the new Sergeant FT. A lot of flexibility while not loosing firepower.
- I need to train more with Magisters. Linking them with Santiagos isn't the same as with Hospitallers and I need to learn how to operate them.
- I need to be more careful about how I set up for reactive turn, especially when I'm now dominating the field.

All in all, I'm still pretty satisfied about what I could do with the new MO and wanted to share it with you. They are still as unforgivable as they were before but sure we have a lot more options than before.

 

Thank you.
@Guardian : it deeply depends on which game. For the first one, it gave to my opponent a lot more orders to fuel the Tikbalang while my only crit on it just gave to my Seraph one order more to stay online before going unconscious again.
During the second, it had more a psychological effect as they were in most part overkill. I could have scored regular hits for the most of them and it wouldn't have changed anything except maybe more unconscious remotes instead of dead ones.
The last one was where they had a lot of influence for my opponent as I was rolling each time higher thanks to better odds for me but crits from him kept me away of the major victory. I made mistakes to that could have prevented some rolls to happen and the crits that came with. I need to play better to don't have to see my opponent's luck beat me.

But to be honest, I have the feeling that I wasn't in the same league as my opponents. 2 times I took care of overextended TAGs and that's a basic error I don't do anymore for long now. The move of my BF should have been foreseen at least when I declared the Spec fire with the DB. For what I've seen, 2nd was my accurate ranking and I need to improve to pretend next time to challenge the first place.

I wanted to play against the best player as I really think that he is between me and my brother (who was the best french player last season and finished 5th at the Interplanetario) if we speak about game level. As he is one of the guys who are at the top, playing against him could have given me a better sight about what I should do if I want to score high for the satellite tournament. But as it was a friendly tournament, the TO preferred to match players who never play with each other instead of just go for Tournament Points. Anyway, it was fun and I could practice English in the way so this was a nice tournament.

 

Sorry, I didn't intend to make a write up at first so no pictures. I'll make some the next time I'm playing OM at a tournament. But what I can say is that the first and second tables were very balanced as you could fight with any weapon and always find a way to progress, provided you wouldn't mind to make some cautious movements. The last one was really more opened but there was a large building in the center that let my BF go for the Suryat without fearing the Raicho.

And well, at least my first and my last opponents intended to have ARO pieces. The Sergeants did a great job against my Seraph by rolling constantly high and saving when I was finally scoring a hit. And there were flash pulses too. And the last opponent intended to have at least two AROs (Raicho and Suryat) but didn't deployed effectively to achieve this. Would have my first opponent played wiser, I think the game wouldn't have been as easy as it was.

And I agree with you, those lists were not all very frightening because of the lack of support they had or frightening pieces for the second one. And the players playing them weren't at my level (as I'm saying in my previous post). So, yes, I know this isn't a proof enough to show that MO are top tier sectorial.

But what I know is that the best player of the tournament was playing Bakunin with a Core of Riot Grrls and I think I could have done some nice things against him thanks to the BF.

I knew you and Teslarod would jump on the occasion to say that I wasn't facing great opponents and so, this makes my position irrelevant. But for having played those lists also against good players during training games, I can say that BF and Seraph HMG are really safe to take if you want first turn problem solvers. I see more the Santiago FT as a second turn rampage team more than something that can make a lot of work during first turn. And it's not just going guns ablazing like before. You really want to play the coordinated game between multiple units rather than killing anything in the way with one bunch of bloodthirsty HIs. Something that is more in my playstyle than MO were before.
But I can see why you have some grieves if your kind of game is just go straight to the objective and destroy any troop you're crossing in the way.