Hey folks, I'm not a Haqquislam player myself but do play against the Hassasins fairly often. After yesterday's studio update it became apparent that a lot of new shiny toys like TO Camo, ODD, MSV2 will come up in HB despite it not having access to those before, as well as units kind of infringing on other sectorial's signature units (looking at Hassasin Nadhir pretending to be a Noctifer or Hassasin Shujae pretending to be a Ryuken Unit-9), as well as new link team options offering some amazing flexibility never seen on the table before. This is not a whine post, I would just like to point your attention on the latter and ask for opinions, as it seems to be a really, really big buff to HB. Here're the updated AVA and team composition rules: So, as you can see, a lot of people become wildcards and Barids can link with Ghulams. While core link options are still Ghulams, Muyibs, Govads and Lasiqs, I'm quite confident that we will see the Ghulam fireteam on the table most of the time. Why? Well, let's see what Ghulam link team can offer: - Cheap regular Ghulam filler for 12 pts/model that has direct templates (say hello to new light shotguns) to fend off all sorts of assassins (Fidays, Speculos, Oniwabans), WIP 14 to discover things and can be your 0 SWC Leutenant as well; - Several good ARO choices: extremely cheap 16/0.5 Sniper rifle or 17/1.5 Missile launcher on BS 14 or a bit more expensive/efficient dogged X-Visor HRL on BS 15, besides, you can always put some extra Panzerfausts and/or DEPs in the link in a form of Muyibs; - All sorts of hacking devices (Normal, Assault, Killer) in the link, all with WIP 14 / BTS 3 (unless you want a Ghulam Hacker for some reason, but Barid is just so much better for just 1 more point), very cheap, with a Pitcher (!) and very strong upgrades like Lightning and Icebreaker; - One of the best/cheapest doctors in the game for 16 pts - the Ghulam Doctor with a whopping WIP 17 while healing; - Smoke/Normal light grenade launcher on BS 15 Muyib for 23 points to cover your advance efficiently and provide some support for - AP MSV2 Marksman rifle on BS 16 Yara that can shoot through the Smoke a deal with the TAGs in the active turn, as well as any kind of opponent that lacks MSV/6th sense; - BS 17 Spitfire Asawira (a-la modern Panoceanian knights, but better supported) to absolutely wreck their day, throwing 5 dice at them really hard on a reliable HI platform; - Also, cost-efficient throwaway BS 14 Ghulam with HMG that can help you if you don't want to risk too much or need to get out of your deployment zone and Spitfire is out of range - Number 2 Muyibs provide allows for additional fireteam durability, so you won't have to worry that your link goes broken if your Asawira eats too many crits for breakfast - Yara Strategic Deployment option allows for a very strong first turn aggressive push with Strategic Deployment, deploying Asawira in range of his Spitfire from the first order, as well as the rest of the team. It may be a reason to use Lasiqs as a base for your fireteam, by the way, since it could potentially allow them to deploy 20 inches in instead of 16. - If you want to have a back-up shooter with shock and killer hacker / specialist for a bargain 20 points in 1 model, you can also have Leila Shock Marksman for 20 points, because at this point, why not? - And if you want to have more close combat capacity than Asawira, you can also have a Holo1 Yasbir with Viral CCW and Martial arts pretending to be your helpless Leutenant Ghulam / Barid, if course. Aaand... we're kinda finished here, duh. A very flexible fireteam that you could put almost anyone into that fulfils all sorts of roles very efficiently. I have not seen anything like that before. P.S. I know, most of that would be still valid for Govad, Lasiq or Muyib fireteams, but Ghulams are just so much cheaper, allow Barids to be in there, allow for a very cost-efficient AROs, and do not lose anything significant compared to other, significantly more expensive fireteams. I rest my case. What do you guys think? TLDR: Ghulams are the choice of champions in HB N4.
Hey there, great post! I do think Ghulams are a great option; however, I see them as specialists for specific roles such as lieutenant and/or doctor. So, when it comes to offensive or defensive team members I’ll be looking elsewhere. Prior to the update, Govads were my favorite choice. They still are, but even subtle changes in lists by CB require a step back. With this round of changes I’ll be going back to the drawing board. lol One of the biggest and needed changes was adding specialists to lasqis. Give them some smoke and a doctor and you got a mobile fire team.
My first impression is to run this: Ghulam HMG Ghulam doctor Barid Muyib smoke + regular LGL Yara A link that brings smoke and MSV2 in the same link seems pretty great. Does anyone even get that in N3? I can't think of any off the top of my head. The Barid adds a linked pitcher - already excellent, but even better in N4 where anyone can be spotlighted. As a bonus, spotlighted units also have to face spec fire from the Muyib. Bahram still lacks a good HMG for taking out snipers. Fidays are still the best option, but a linked Ghulam HMG isn't bad as a backup. He is the most optional part of the link - I might downgrade him if I needed to find points elsewhere. I've never been a huge fan of active links (I just don't enjoy moving that many models around at once) but I'll probably at least give this a try. Bahram still doesn't have a good defensive link, so running an active core is looking like the only reason to play Bahram over vanilla. Which is a change from N3, where there are basically no reasons to play Bahram over vanilla.
Yeah, Ramah have that option, with Ghulam NCO LGL Smoke and Khawarij Mk12 MSVL2 in the link. Played a lot with RTF, yet I never fielded that Ghulam. Preferred smoke from Carmen ;) Yet they have that option. Still I think that now Hassassin's have more interesting option and the fireteam you showed is really nice. I'd still propably would like to have some ARO piece in it, but that depends on the playstyle. PozdRawiam / Greetings
Actually come to think of it, we can do both! I'm so used to Bahram being limited by AVA 4 Ghulams, but this link is mostly wildcards anyway. So you can include all the above in a list and also a Ghulam sniper or ML. When going second, include the sniper in the link, then on your turn, reform around the other five guys and advance. The linked sniper/ML will be particularly nice since when their HMG goes to fight her, he'll find himself facing a Noctifer as well...
Well, Bahram does not have a good linked HMG, but it does have a good linked Spitfire on Asawira. You may wonder how to get in a good range, but in fact, new HB will have an answer to that as well - as long as you're okay to make Yara your Lt (and bring Farzan CoC, obviously), you can strategic forward deploy 16 inches to get into the favourable distance from the get-go. Presuming Asawira would also have 6-2 speed, there are not so many threats that will manage to outrange you, are there? P.S. And as an even more bonkers option, you could take Lasiqs that are MI and already have FD1, plus Yara, plus Asawira himself. According to the rule's wording, it would allow the whole team forward deploy level 2, so 20 inches from your deployment zone, and almost certainly in a good range for the Spitfire (and later viral rifles). So I could consider this kind of team for an offensive push: - Lasiq Viral rifle (for FD1) - Yara Lt with Strategic deployment and MSV2 AP Marksman Rifle - Asawira Spitfire - Muyib Doctor for getting people back on 17s and pushing buttons / Leilla Sharif with yet another Marksman Rifle, this time Shock and as a cheap specialist - Muyib Light grenade launcher for smoke coverage / speculative shots And this whole bunch counts as Lasiqs fireteam (lol). And since at least 1 member of it has FD1, thanks to Yara all of them have FD2. Pretty sick, huh? I hope I got it wrong, but Strategic deployment seems to be abusable this way.
Hold your horses, effendi. For you are mixing up N3 and N4 stuff together. N3 Lasiqs of the ITS Stakeout era - being MI - have FD L1. N4 Lasiqs - we don't know what they will have.
Interesting! That'll be one for the Rules forums after N4 drops, for sure. My gut instinct is that the wording is referring to the current ITS rule that gives all MI FD1, so basically if you bring a link of MI then you get FD2. Either way, as @Errhile says, it depends on what Lasiqs look like in N4. I'm not sure it would be that broken. The link you propose is strong, but you're paying a lot of points for it, and in exchange getting a lot of overlapping roles between Yara, the Asawira, the Lasiq, and Leila. It'll fight in the 0-24 band all day, but that's all it'll do. I still like the Ghulam link which, for significantly fewer points, can fight at 0-32 and also deploy and use a repeater network. Being able to deploy it 8" up would certainly be nice if you go first. But you can't keep it as your reserve, which means your opponent can counter-deploy their snipers - you're still not guaranteed to be able to get your Asawira where you need him. And of course the FD2 isn't useful if you go second. It'll be a good option to consider, for sure.
Hassassin Bahram ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 6 LASIQ Viral Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 25) LEILA SHARIF Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Shock Marksman Rifle, D-Charges / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 20) MUYIB (Minelayer) Rifle + Light Shotgun, D.E.P. Antipersonnel Mines, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24) MUYIB (Minelayer) Rifle + Light Shotgun, D.E.P. Antipersonnel Mines, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24) MUYIB (Minelayer) Rifle + Light Shotgun, D.E.P. Antipersonnel Mines, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24) ASAWIRA Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, Shock CCW. (2 | 43) 3.5 SWC | 160 Points Open in Infinity Army A flexible Core that first goes to Lasiq for ARO duties and then, after her inevitable death, gets replaced by an Asawira and shifts into Muyib Core. I like the sniper with a shitton of minelayers in the link. You may or may not want to change the Lasiq to Govad ML.
True, you could do it as a Govad link, replacing the HMG, and replacing the doctor with Avicenna. Maybe worth it although it's starting to get pricey, especially if you do want to add a sniper as sixth unit. Or cut down the cost by leaving the doctor out. Maybe put in a second Barid, especially if KHDs are still a thing. Govad hmg Muyib smoke Yara Barid hacker Barid killer hacker Govad ML
Oh yeah, you're right. In that case, the govad hmg link looks too pricey for my taste, sweet though that linked msv hmg would be.
Otoh, for those who were fans of the old Muyib core, the ability to add a Govad hmg (making it a Govad link with a lot of wildcards) is a giant boost to that build.
Ah, definitely, it's all just a speculation based on what we are likely to have. MIs had FD1 for some time, if CB gives them 4-4 Move, they may not have it anymore. However, there are still Yadus, which are 4-4 and FD1 at the same time. There are still guys like Hundun that do not care about moving faster as long as they can have a hold of this nice just-out-of-DZ Sniper tower, aren't there? We can't be sure if they keep it or not, but it's not as simple as "give them 4-4, take back FD1" either. All my assumptions are based just on the synergy between MI's FD and Strategic Deployment (which you can already do in ForCo with the Bolt in A-Team, I believe, but that link is way more expensive and not as good at busting heads in all sorts of ways.) I was mostly addressing the issue of getting out of DZ with that Spitfire Asawira, against all those long-ranged AROs dominating the table. Correct, it is still a very fragile mostly-LI link that can easily fall prey to templates, mines and other nasty stuff. This is a pretty much a glass cannon for ~145 points and 5 orders, a rather big investment indeed. But look what kind of attacking that team can do. Pretty sure being deployed ~20 inches in and having the first turn with that sort of a team allows HB player to do a really strong push and eliminate all those AROs either with the weight of dice, with BS 16 AP MSV2+Smoke shenanigans, with BS 15 Viral rifle with Mimetism or a speculative shot from a light grenade launcher, as well as either killer hacking or healing people back up after they go unconscious. It's such a sweet swiss army linkteam, so filled with aggression potential it makes fun of Ramah taskforce. It would be a serious and fairly reliable threat as an alpha strike, considering HB still has Fidays. Also, the player does not have to deploy all the 20 inches in, it's just significantly expanding his options. And yes, if you won't be able to get the first turn, you'd be more likely to deploy somewhere closer to your side of the table, under the protection of Jammer Muttawiah' and Muyib's / Farzan's mines, so Strategic Deployment would be kinda wasted... But if I could do smth like that, I'd be tempted to have this kind of FD2 ballbusting link... in one of my lists. You are right, Yara can do Strategic Deployment without being Lt, which makes her even better, doesn't it? I stand corrected and will fix the main post though, thanks.
