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OSS Tactica-Now with more N4!

Discussion in 'ALEPH' started by yoink101, Aug 18, 2019.

  1. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    It was an interesting surprise to discover that there was no tactica for OSS. I am not pretending to be an expert on them or anything, I just wanted to get a better handle on what they have and how to use it. Since I tend to think well in writing, I wrote some stuff. Use it or don't. C and C welcome.

    OSS, or OperationS, is the cold, logical, AI hunting, big brother(according to Nomad scum) side of the field agents of ALEPH. While ASS brings the passion and fire, OSS brings the...Math? Engineering? Badass anime babes in skintight suits?

    In any case, OSS offers very different gameplay than the Homeridae, but they do emphasize and expand upon many of the units and strategies that are familiar from vanilla ALEPH.

    I’ve gone through and updated for N4. In some cases, the change is minimal enough that I didn’t notice it. If I missed something please point it out for me.

    Strengths

    OSS brings raw firepower found only in the likes of PanO or with the aspects of the EI. Also, now with the Kriza Bourac. Between the Dakini core fireteam (mimetism backed by the effective BS 16 thanks to the Apsara) and the Asura bringing BS14 and the incredibly expensive MSV3, OSS can win gunfights. While this still sort of holds true, the field has grown a little more packed with amazing gunfighters. A buffed Dakini is still solid, an Asura is still a boss, and the Marut is still phenomenal...it’s just that almost everyone can bring linked BS16 or 17 hmgs, feuerbachs, imor some variety of armor piercing wrecking ball.

    Hacking is another strength of OSS. The Danavas rivals the Interventor in prowess but now has the oblivion upgraded to burst 3. Her pitcher has also become more valuable as hacking has gained a little bit of an edge in N4. With every hacker in the army toting a stunning willpower score of 14 or 15, OSS will typically be able to win face-to-face hacking exchanges as well. It is notable that they don’t have any access to tinbots, which feels weird. Fairy dust may be worth considering.

    Remotes are also a strength for OSS. Just like most other armies, OSS has the standard complement of remotes. The Rudras is a relatively new offering and mixes the stat line of a heavy infantry, climbing plus, and the massive silhouette of a combat remote. The Garuda, of course, is a preeminent AD attack remote. Finally, Dakini went from being excellent combat remotes, to excellent combat remotes that get fireteam bonuses and also benefit from the Apsara’s jumper ability and supportware (yup, it can double up, although jumper has gotten significantly less amazing).

    Weaknesses

    OSS is quite potent, but they have some significant weaknesses.

    OSS tends to rely on remotes. This can leave them vulnerable to hacking. A Garuda is a fantastic unit, but a hacking device with a repeater network can shut down its attack run relatively easily.

    A complete lack of war bands. All of the Myrmidons are off fighting on Paradiso while OSS often operates in the rest of the human sphere. This means that OSS does not bring cheap smoke throwers or impetuous direct template weapons. There are Devabots and Kiranbots, which are both good, but they are attached to significantly more expensive models. The biggest challenge with not having access to smoke is that it makes it much more difficult to capture an objective that is well covered. It is impossible to simply block a shooter’s view with a smoke template. That being said, with all of the linked MSV profiles that keep coming out, white noise placed by a Danavas or Asura may be just about as useful.

    Netrod

    OSS has access to two netrods. Just like they work in ALEPH, they can no longer house the post human’s order, but they can fail guts or go prone. Although they can’t land prone because of AD. Two regular orders for eight points is a fantastic bargain.

    Danavas

    With the loss of Maestro as a program, the Danavas has taken on a slightly different role in N4 as opposed to N3.

    In any case, the Danavas, with a burst bonus to Oblivion and access to a pitcher, is a premier hacker. Burst three, especially when you’re working against burst one, is where weight of dice really starts to tip the odds in your favor. The fact that you’re pretty likely, with a wip of 15, to get one or two hits through on an heavy infantry, remote, or tag means she great for shutting down a key piece to move in with a finisher like Dart or Andromeda. She’s also great for shutting down linked HI AROs or TR bots.

    With her bts of 3 and lacking any ability to link, I don’t like the idea of relying on her defensively, but as one piece of a hacking network, she fits in well with OSS.

    Apsara

    A new entry for ALEPH, the Apsara presents two very different profiles. The first is a no frills, 19 point, killer hacker with a boarding shotgun. She brings an impressive stat line with BS13 and WIP14. She is also the cheapest hacker in the faction outside of the Probot. The Proxy is only 14 points, but the minimum entry for bringing her is 27 points with the 13 point Proxy Mark 5 in tow. The Apsara is not the most effective KHD, lacking infiltration and camouflage, but she is a potent deterrent when paired with a solid repeater network.

    For N3 players, I think the Apsara is a little bit disappointing. It can buff a remote outside of a fireteam, but it can no longer provide number 2 to the fireteam or bounce around in the fireteam. In fact, once you choose the target for remdriver, there is no changing it. So if you lose your remote, the Apsara won’t be of much use for the rest of the game.

    That’s not to say that the remdriver profile isn’t worth a look. She can impart BS13 (and some other stats) onto any one remote without the cost of an order. A linked Dakini with an HMG or MSR are both great options for this. BS13 brought up to 16 in a fireteam is nothing to sneeze at. It is expensive, but a the Zayin Rebot buffed by the Apsara and an EVO hacker becomes an absolute monster at effective BS16.

    In short, the Apsara is no longer the autoinclude alongside your Dakini fireteam that it once was, but she is still worth a look.

    Shukra Consultant

    The Shukra brings Adam Jensen from the PC monitor to the table. Most notably, the profile brings chain of command or strategos level one. Although the second option is only available for OSS and not vanilla ALEPH. For 24-26 points the insurance for an aggressive LT along with counterintelligence are almost a must. It seems rare to build an OSS list without this guy in tow.

    The LT with strategos is a strong contender to lead the army as well. Providing two regular orders to the pool for 24 points is very good. Especially as he prevents the opponent from stripping both at the beginning of turn 1. Bringing this profile telegraphs your lieutenant pretty clearly though, so make sure you’re okay with loss of lieutenant and/or you’re very good at protecting your LT.

    Deva Functionary

    Devas have been around for quite some time, but some new profiles have added a little interest. When it gets down to it, Devas are basic line infantry with good stats and No Wound Incapacitation. While it is nice to have a quasi second wound, double the cost of most army’s line infantry is a tough pill to swallow. The fact that their versatile profiles can wildcard into any fireteam is a great way to keep an Asura’s haris a little cheaper or add a useful and durable tool to a Dakini core team.

    Notably, like many aspects of ALEPH, they come equipped with Nanopulsers (except for, disappointingly, the boarding shotgun profiles). Whether or not it is a good idea to use the Nanopulser and risk losing a 23+ point trooper in the exchange will depend greatly on the circumstances. It can be a useful way to put damage on an aggressive attacker who has gotten close to the Dakini fireteam.

    The Deva with combi rifle comes in a few varieties. The basic no frills gun wielder has never been eye catching because for one extra point the sensor profile is available. Sensor is an interesting tool. One option is to run this model as a solo piece and go around sensoring camo tokens before shooting them with a BS12 combi rifle. Honestly, the Daleth Rebot seems better suited, although the Deva can not be hacked by midfield hackers.

    For just four points over the cost of the basic combi Deva is the Devabot. This guy is essentially a better and more expensive Auxilia (who can not be a forward observer unfortunately). Devabots are useful for bringing fire ammunition (and flamethrowers definitely solve a lot of problems), and an extra body for clearing mines and making discover attempts. All three of the options listed above can be used as the lieutenant, which does provide a place for using the lieutenant order. With the Shukra Consultant around, there is a strong argument to be made for playing an aggressive LT. Whether or not the Deva is the right choice for that is questionable.

    Also bringing a combi rifle but lacking the LT profile is the forward observer. The FO is a strong wip15 specialist with a quasi second wound. I don’t know that I’d reach for it very often. I think Trisha is often a better specialist to throw into a Dakini fireteam and that the Dakini paramedic and both CSU specialist operatives are solid cheap options. If you really want an NWI specialist though, this isn’t a terrible option.

    One of the new profiles along with the FO is the Deva with multi rifle. Generally speaking, multi rifles bring more utility than combi rifles with their AP, shock, DA, and stun ammo. Whether or not it is worth spending the points for the ammo types when Dakini snipers, Trisha, or a number of Yadu bring similar ammo types, is questionable.

    A longtime staple of Devas is the MSV2 spitfire Deva. In vanilla ALEPH with the presence of smoke throwing Myrmidons, she is a beast. Burst 4 with MSV2 and the spitfire’s ability to outrange rifles and under range hmgs and snipers is fantastic. In OSS, without smoke, it can be a little more difficult to maneuver into 24 inches. On the other hand, Devas are now linkable in a couple of different haris and core fireteams. Putting an MSV2 spitfire into a fireteam can be fantastic if that fireteam is going to be used aggressively. With the other MSV offerings in OSS being the Asura and Marut, this Deva can bring a visor to the table at a significant discount while still being an effective killer.

    The Deva hackers both present interesting options. On the one hand, OSS lacks the 15-18 point line troop hacker that you can throw in a fireteam to get sixth sense. On the other hand, as the “basic” hacker entry for OSS, the Deva has NWI, which is effective against Trinity, and wip 15. This means that’s core linked Deva, especially if you can get it behind a firewall or fairy dust, is a potent hacker. Unfortunately at 26 or 28 points, it is a commitment to bring the Deva hacker, and the profile is competing with the likes of Trisha and the MSV2 spitfire.

    Trisha

    In a lot of ways, Trisha is just worse than the Deva. She’s got dogged instead of NWI, armor 1 instead of 2, and WIP14 instead of 15. She is very well optimized to sit in a Dakini fireteam though. The fact that she is an engineer a full twelve points cheaper than Parvati is nothing to sneeze at. Now, she is less effective at repairing by a significant margin, but she still has a 6 inch move to keep up with the Dakinis, her e/m mines are great to slow down heavy attackers that get close, and her breaker combi is a good weapon that is not as overpriced as it was in N3.

    I think she’s a valuable wildcard for fireteams that frequently see remotes in them. Parvati is certainly better at her role as an engineer or doctor, but Trisha’s price point means that there are certainly lists where you’ll lean towards her instead.

    Sophotech

    She is a doctor and engineer with an impressive willpower of fifteen, No Wound Incapacitation, and a movement value of 6-4. At 31 points with the AVA to bring four helper bots, she can cover the table with wound and structure recovering goodness. In an army where the only profiles that can not get rerolls for recovery are the posthumans, she will fulfill all of OSS’s repairing/doctoring needs fantastically.

    The only thing working against her is that the Proxy Mk. 1 is available as a potent engineer or doctor. Oh, and Parvati.

    Parvati

    She’s essentially just an improved Sophotech. Two structure instead of one wound, super jump, she heals two wounds, and engineers on 18s. At 38 points she is certainly pricy, but she is flexible as she can either bring her helper bots or join any fireteam in the sectorial. Her smg is burst four, but if you’re gunfighting with her, you’ve probably made a mistake somewhere. Superjump means she can catch up with that Zayin that ate an unlucky crit on top of a building. Overall, she’s stellar.

    Being able to heal two wounds as a doctor doesn’t quite make sense to me. I know that she’s available in vanilla ALEPH and O-12, but it is disappointing that the only models that will benefit from her ability in OSS is the Asura and Shakti. Granted, bringing an NWI Asura back up to full health is a huge pain for your opponent.

    Her second move value is two inches, so she is technically slower than the Sophotech. It would likely only come up if you’re desperately grabbing that last objective on the last turn because you’re out of other options, so it is worth keeping in mind.

    Andromeda

    Andromeda has long sat in the awkward position of being big and difficult to leverage her skills. N4 and the update to guard threw everything out the window and finally brought her rules up to par with her model. Andromeda is an absolute monster within 8 inches. She will still likely lose to a close combat specialist. Everything else, is fair game. And even warbands should be wary of her SMG.

    With an smg or a shotgun as her primary firearm, she should not be engaging targets at range. D-charges and a DA CCW means she can really dish out damage. Her flash pulse is a nice fallback if she gets caught out of close range.

    Now, with the changes to shotguns in N4, CB has made a choice that I don’t understand and don’t like. Shotguns have a direct desolate option, so CB have pulled other direct template weapons from the profiles that are equipped with shotguns. It is visible all over ALEPH with Andromeda, Myrmidons, Nagas, Dasyus, Yadu, Shukra, and others. This irks me for a couple of reasons.
    • Shotguns do not have the intuitive attack trait. So losing something like a nanopulser for a shotgun takes away options.
    • Profiles that lose the template weapon and gain a shotgun do not seem to be reimbursed by a point for the lost nanopulser. What I mean by this, is that boarding shotguns and combi rifles seem to carry the same point host now across armies. But, combi rifle alongside a nano pulser or chain colt also seems to cost the same as a boarding shotgun across armies. If nanopulsers don’t cost any points, then why are’t they still equipped by boarding shotgun wielding models?
    With this in mind, I don’t like the boarding shotgun profile, because it’s more expensive and has fewer tools. Not that her +6 bonus isn’t good. I also don’t love SMGs, but you’re usually not looking to use her SMG, unless it’s against a model with very strong close combat.

    She comes in two flavors, forward deployed or superior infiltrating. It is three points more to bring the superior infiltration version, but, if you can squeeze in the points, I think it’s worth it. Andromeda is a specialist, she has good CC, and she has D-charges. This means that she can accomplish almost every mission in ITS, and she can do a lot of the classifieds. Even if you don’t infiltrate across the center line, having full access to your table half is good. For objectives that are on your opponent’s half of the table (rescue and looting and sabotage come to mind), it’s often worth the risk to make the roll on a 15 or less and start Andromeda exactly where she needs to be. If you fail the infiltration roll, it can be a big set back, but Andromeda can still function as an overpriced speed bump or a late game objective grabber.

    Father Lucien Sforza

    Sforza brings adhesive and viral to an army that has limited access to both. With totall immunity gaining a boost and McMurder making appearances in a few new sectorials, Sforza is a solid counter. Especially in that he can disguise himself as an LT clone or an innocuous silhouette 2 model who would not pose much of a threat to the dogs.

    It does kind of feel like he was tacked on at the last minute and never addressed though. I don’t see bounty hunter duos as a common occurrence in OSS.

    Authorized Bounty Hunter

    These guys just got an update. The new SMG profile for 12 points comes with an akrylat-kanone. Bounty Hunters are solid gunfighters at BS12 for a reasonable cost. The ability to duo doesn’t do much as no one in the duo can be a specialist, unless you start reaching for a Deva. At that point though, the CSU is probably a more attractive option. It does mean that points can be moved around efficiently in zone control missions, however.

    Booty, of course, offers some chaotic and sometimes useful equipment.

    Corporate Security Unit

    The specialist CSU with a rifle and light shotgun is a bargain. A specialist when needed, the ability to duo with a Deva or another CSU, sixth sense level one and a nanopulser, CSUs are a great investment. They can cover flanks and corners well. They can grab objectives when needed. They can join a Dakini fireteam and add some direct template weapons, which are great.

    The other weapon profiles can add interesting options to the Dakini fireteam. I think the AP brought by the breaker rifle, breaker combi, and boarding shotgun are all worth considering when you build your core team. Even a duo with two different weapons could be interesting.

    Most importantly, in my mind is the fact that CSUs are cheap, have sixth sense, and bring direct template weapons. This means that even a duo of them in the right place can be a pretty good roadblock for most enemies. Tags will like not be bothered by them at all though.

    Try not to forget about MetaChemistry when deploying.

    War Correspondent

    Three points for an irregular order, annoying flash pulse, xenotech guide, converted regular order, or minesweeper is a steal. There used to be very few reasons not to bring a Warcore when there are three points left over in a list. Now, if you’re inexplicably at fourteen slots in your list with three points left over and no need for a Yudbot, sure. Go for it. I find that the warcore makes a lot fewer of my lists in N4 than in N3.

    Arjuna

    One of the newer offerings for the ALEPH roster. The Arjuna is in a fantastic profile to take advantage of a spitfire or marksman within the first order or two. The six inch first move value is fantastic for a strong gunfighter, and thanks to mimetism, the Arjuna is one.

    Kiranbots are much like any other G:Synched bots. They carry around a direct template. Unlike many others, these bots bring an e/marat and cybermines. While flamethrowers are typically preferable, e/m weaponry can wreak havoc on fireteams, tags, hackers, heavy infantry, and remotes. Isolating an aggressive alpha striker can put a serious crimp in any opponent’s style. At four points each, Kiranbots are also excellent for sweeping mines or perimeter weapons to get the Arjuna into position to take advantage of the marksman rifle or spitfire. Even the boarding shotgun could be a thorn in the side of a fireteam when paired with two e/m direct template weapons. It is also worth noting that the BSG profile is equipped with an akrylat-kanone. I’m not usually a fan low burst disposable weapons, especially on a model that can’t coordinate, but a glue cannon could come in handy for an opportunity shot.

    All of the profiles are specialist operatives with d-charges. This means they can be solid objective runners and can achieve a handful of classifieds as well.

    Overall, they are solid specialists, good speed bumps (except when morats are involved), and decent gunfighters. All this said, I think Arjuna are about half a dozen points over priced. 26 points for the BSG, 28 for the Marksman Rifle, and 31 for the spitfire feels steep when talking about a 1 wound gunfighter without camo or any deployment skills.

    Yadu

    A new unit as of the Coldfront release, Yadu straddle the line between heavy infantry and elite medium infantry. With No Wound Incapacitation and Shock Immunity, Yadu come very close to having two wounds. With the recent points reduction that heavy infantry received in N4, Yadu are starting to feel very expensive. Still, they bring a solid stat line, nearly the rival of HI, their physique of twelve not quite equaling most HI. As MI they are not hackable, not to mention the fact that they are veterans. Their 6-2 move is also very good for an assault piece.

    On one hand, Yadu are fairly expensive, and when compared directly with a Dakini fireteam, they are less effective gunfighters. On the other hand, one and a half wounds and decent armor means that Yadu have options when defending themselves against midfield threats like chainrifles and skirmishers with mines. Warbands and even Ghazi Muttiwiah present a relatively small threat to a Yadu fireteam compared to the threat they pose to a Dakini team.

    All Yadu are armed with heavy pistols. Outside of that, they have a fairly unique kit compared to other linkable troops.

    The first model released came equipped with a multi rifle, e/marat, and drop bears. This load out is a fantastic set of weapons for dealing with midfield skirmishers and holding territory in the center of the table. While drop bears are not camouflaged as mines are, they can be thrown to catch models that the Yadu does not draw line of fire too. So, potentially, this one model could throw a drop bear that could catch two or more members of a fireteam then engage only one of them. The model being shot can either dodge along with the fireteam, shoot leaving the other members to take the hit from the drop bear, or drop out of the fireteam to shoot and take the dropbear unopposed. All of which are poor decisions for the target which can be capitalized upon. This loadout can also be the lieutenant. The forward observer trades drop bears for a flash pulse. For some reason the cheaper combi rifle profile was ditched entirely.

    The hacker carries a boarding shotgun and gains +1 damage to carbonate and is quite effective at close range because of it. He is also immune to any attempts to isolate him by other hackers, which could be useful in some cases.

    The two heavy weapon options are solid. Linked heavy rocket launchers can be potent when advancing with a team to catch more than one model under the blast template. Having a submachine gun as a backup just keeps this model relevant at close range as well. The hmg profile brings the NCO skill, which allows the LT order to be spent within the fireteam. Also, it is an hmg and burst is king.

    While I think there is a lot to be said for a Yadu core holding an objective room, the team is quite expensive. I find that a haris containing some mix of Devas, Rudras, or an Asura is probably their sweet spot most of the time.

    Shakti

    One of the special characters for OSS, Shakti is a Yadu who drops shock immunity in favor of a second wound. She comes with the very interesting loadout of a mk12 and a killer hacking device. She can be the lieutenant as well. She is a very strong LT option for OSS, either in a fireteam with the NCO Yadu or on her own as a solo piece. Bringing two orders as a specialist and gunfighter in a sectorial with a phenomenal Chain of Command unit is nothing to sneeze at. Shakti seems to be an excellent LT option in an army full of elite and expensive lieutenants.

    She has a +1 damage bonus to trinity, which is fine. I really hope she’s not paying more than 1 point for it. Even so, I think I’d prefer her to be a point cheaper without the bonus.

    Being immune to isolation is potent when Shakti comes into contact with jammers and e/m weapons. Hackers will find their options reduced against her.

    She also brings an e/marat for those fights against fireteams.

    Asura

    She is ALEPH’s answer to the aspects of the EI. If only she brought an hmg or a plasma rifle to match her alien counterpart, but alas, she carries a spitfire or a multi rifle. It is worth noting that the hacker plus variant now has the option of taking a multi rifle instead of a combi rifle. With a stat line that embarrasses most heavy infantry and weapons that beg to be brought into close range, the Asura will always make a mark on any table she walks onto.

    MSV3, of course, means that she can not be surprised by camouflaged models and she will rarely fire back at anything with more than a -3 penalty to her BS. Unfortunately the days of blowing away camo tokens without even discovering them are gone, but this writer is holding out hope that N4 could bring it back. N4 did not bring it back...

    The fact that she brings the Lieutenant level 2 skill is her other niche. In a sectorial that doesn’t have anything in the way of tactical awareness or even impetuous, two extra orders to spend on a beefy aggressive HI is fantastic. The fact that she is a full 9 points cheaper than she was in N3 means that she’ll see a little more table time.

    Now, this points sink also has the ability to haris with Yadus, and the wildcard Devas. Strictly speaking, she can form a haris of three Asuras or duo with one other, but at that point there are very few points left to fill out a list. In any of these fireteams, the wildcard Samekh Rebot can join in, bringing the cost down substantially.

    Just like with any TAG elite heavy infantry, she has some notable weaknesses. She is vulnerable to hacking, although nothing that a wip15 hacker with BTS 6 can not deal with. She does not have stealth, which means that she can be caught in difficult situations by TO hackers, jammers, and deployables that she could have a tough time getting out of.

    Marut

    She is the direct counter to the Avatar. A robot, she does not carry a cube and is immune to sepsitor. MSV2 allows her to see through the Avatar’s ODD. Strategos level 2 to counter the Avatar’s Strategos level 2. Her price tag is justified as she is one of the most impressive TAGs in the human sphere.

    The one annoyance for her in OSS is that there is no smoke for her to shoot through. That being said, BS15 with a multi hmg is usually enough to put down just about anything with or without the aid of smoke cover.

    Just like any TAG, it is important to support her. While she is more resilient than most TAGs with BTS9, she can still be possessed by an enemy hacker. In vanilla ALEPH it is important to layer a solid repeater network with multiple hackers (at least one killer hacker in most cases) and Myrmidons to keep enemies at a safe distance. In OSS, this is a little more complicated. Without Myrmidons to present a threat at close ranges, the Marut can be more vulnerable. For this reason, it is advisable to have a solid repeater network with a hacker or two on the table along with a camouflaged or hidden deployed killer hacker (Nagas or Dasyus are quite capable). It is also not a bad idea to put a hacker or killer hacker Deva into a core fireteam to unlock sixth sense as a counter to stealth models approaching the Marut.

    While having a good engineer is usually recommended in OSS, when a Marut is present, an engineer is practically required. The Marut has Ghost: Remote Presence which allows any repair rolls made on her to be rerolled and gives her a second level of unconscious. Both of these are vital because the Marut is going to draw an opponent’s focus. She is very likely to take damage and she is likely to be targeted with adhesive or e/m weaponry. For all of these cases, without an engineer to fix it, that is 99 out of the game very quickly.

    The Shukra with Chain of Command isn’t a terrible option to bring along. It means you’ll have an easier time recovering if you Marut gets taken down. On the other hand, if you lose your Marut, do you actually have anything else left on the table that’s worthwhile?

    You can also take a Marut for 95 points and lose out on Strategos and the LT order. I don’t know why you would do that, but you can.

    OSS (and ALEPH) have the same bog standard remotes as everyone else, except the first two also sport Climbing Plus for a cool one additional point. Although for some reason the Daleth is still 17 points instead of 16.

    Daleth

    The Forward Observer bot is, as always, an excellent specialist. It is fast, cheap, with wip13, and can be improved as a gunfighter with supportware. It brings along sensor which is incredibly useful against Camouflage. The fact that it has an onboard repeater and is a forward observer as well means that it is effective for discovering and targeting camo tokens and before raining down smart missiles from another remote. There are very few reasons not to bring a Daleth in any list. The only one I can think of is the 15 model limit.

    Zayin

    The Total Reaction hmg with climbing plus. It is an excellent defensive tool. Even when an opponent shoots this remote with a high burst weapon, that fact that it returns fire at burst four means there’s always a solid chance to land a crit and a chance to simply win the roll.

    It is also a phenomenal budget attack piece. Buffed to ignore cover and maybe even paired with an Apsara, it is an excellent hmg platform. The mobility of climbing plus means that the Zayin can get just about anywhere it needs to go. Obviously, this platform is vulnerable to hacking and direct templates as all remotes are. I am disappointed that it’s only AVA 1 in OSS.

    Samekh

    Now with two profiles! The smart missile launcher can be used for guided missile shots. OSS can bulk up on orders, hackers, and remotes, so it can be a solid strategy. Especially because of a number of wip14 and 15 forward observers and hackers in the roster.

    The fireteam option (FTO) brings a missile launcher along with a flash pulse. It is a solid and cheap missile launcher that can be used in any fireteam in the sectorial. Although, at AVA 1, only one option can make an appearance in any list.

    Lamedh

    The seven point flash pulse bot. It’s a great option. Fourteen points to pad the order pool, bring mimetic flashpulses to slow down an alpha strike, and expand the repeater network. In N3 there were two of these in almost every one of my lists. With the 15 model cap, they don’t make the cut as often, but can still be great to offset some of OSS’s more expensive profiles.

    Probots

    The same baggage bots seen throughout the human sphere. Excepting the EVO hacker, they are equipped with repeaters to expand the hacking radius of ALEPH’s significant hacking presence.

    For a mere eight points the simple baggage bot is an excellent addition to the order pool.

    For 19 points, the Total Reaction combi bot is an interesting option. At BS11, it is certainly not an exceptional gunfighter, but can benefit from supportware and gain Marksmanship. It does not have the mobility of the Zayin and climbing plus, also the larger base size can make it more difficult to maneuver. However, it counts as 39 points for the purpose of scoring a zone. Also, Total Reaction is useful for making face to face exchanges less favorable to the active turn model.

    Sitting at 15 points and 0.5 SWC is the EVO hacker. The same as every other EVO hacker excepting the E-Drone from the Combined Army with its smaller profile and combi rifle. This hacker is a great tool for boosting the Garuda’s ability to land and providing the all important marksmanship to the wide array of attack remotes present in OSS.

    Speaking of attack remotes (and hackers, the Marut, and the Asura) Fairy Dust is worth mentioning. OSS tends to be quite hackable. It’s not hard to build a list that is almost entirely hackable, and it then becomes worth considering spending the order to shield all of those models with Fairy Dust, especially if you find yourself against an army that has strong hackers. While most hacking skirmishers are relatively vulnerable to Trinity if you reveal them, Interventors and Asuras behind a firewall laugh when you try to bust their brains with the program.

    Yudbots

    The Yudbot is the best 3 points that can be spent. It expands the reach of any engineer or doctor. Always a good option for those who want to bring models back up from unconscious or isolation, unless you’re linking your engineer or doctor.

    Dakini

    Dakini fill an interesting role in OSS. While most other armies have flesh and blood filling out their ranks, the role of basic line trooper in OSS falls on the Dakini. These bots are a little more expensive than line troopers in some other sectorials, although they fill the role well.

    While remotes used to carry a number of disadvantages (not being to go prone, -3 on all dodge rolls) they are now on par with other line troopers. They are still hackable, however, which can present their own problems. They are also one of the few profiles in the game that do not carry sidearms. This means that when a model engages a Dakini with an hmg within 8 inches, there is no pistol to fall back on to make the exchange better for the Dakini.

    Despite these disadvantages, the 13 points for the baseline Dakini is well worth it. While only BS11, they can benefit from supportware and they natively bring Mimetism to offset their low Ballistics Skill. On top of that, as remotes, they can benefit from the Apsara’s Jumper skill. While it is a far cry from what it was in N3, jumper still boosts the Dakini targeted by the ability up to BS13. In a full core fireteam, this brings them up to BS16 with mimetism, which is about as elite as it gets. The fact that it can benefit from Assisted Targeting as well, is just icing. Two levels of unconscious means that they actually have a pretty good chance to remain on the table after any exchanges that they lose, so that your quality engineer can bring them back up with ease. They also have a 6-4 move, so are quite capable of covering ground quickly alone or in a fireteam.

    Whether in a fireteam or not, they can be effective combat remotes. While operating alone, they can benefit from supportware. Marksmanship level combined with Mimetism make them potent attackers. The hmg is as effective as the Q-Drone from the Combined Army, in the active turn. Even the combi rifle, is a solid combatant. Unlike most combat remotes, Dakinis do not have repeaters, but BS11 with Mimetism can still be strong when used offensively.

    While they do have no armor, the two levels of unconscious from Remote Presence means that it is fairly rare for them to be removed from the table in one exchange. It is for this reason that one of the wip15 engineers in OSS can be a good idea to bring along.

    The weapon profiles are fairly straightforward. The hmg is an impressive active turn unit, in a fireteam or solo. High burst and damage 15 will typically drop most targets fairly quickly.

    The sniper rifle is excellent for cracking harder targets, outranging hmgs, or to use as a dangerous defensive shot.

    The light grenade launcher variant provides access to a decent and fast indirect fire platform.

    The paramedic is the Dakini specialist, and the last one just carries a combi rifle. No slouch, but very standard.

    The fact that Dakinis can mix their fireteam with Devas and a CSU presents some interesting options as well. Obviously, Devas are expensive, but bringing a hacker into the fireteam can be a fantastic tool, who in a fireteam with sixth sense, will be able to shut down heavy infantry, remotes, and TAGs with impunity. The killer hacker Deva, with 6th sense, is a potent threat to any hacker, especially if you can bury it behind a firewall or Fairy Dust.

    CSUs offer a cheap, non hackable specialist to the fireteam. There are five loadouts, but in this writer’s opinion, the one that outperforms all of the others is the specialist with rifle and light shotgun. The specialist with breaker combi rifle takes second place, if there are four extra points available. Both the CSUs and Devas can slow down a Dakini fireteam, but they also add nanopulsers and non hackable bodies to the fireteam. There are definitely some interesting options to create effective fireteams here.

    Garuda

    The Garuda is a staple of many a Vanilla ALEPH, Neoterra, and ISS list. A potent gunfighter with BS12 and mimetism, the Garuda can dissolve an enemy’s flank if it is able to avoid hackers.

    The spitfire can be a very effective attack piece. Coming on the side of the table and catching enemies out of cover at medium range can open up opportunities for the rest of the army to capitalize on. Because the spitfire straddles the rangeband of rifles and snipers, it can outrange combi carrying line troops and under range those big linked SWC weapons. If opposed by a lot of flashpulse bots, it can run into problems and get stuck with less than optimal exchanges.

    The combi rifle is no slouch. Catching models out of cover often means that the Garuda is hitting targets on 15s while they shoot back on 9s or less. Be wary of core fireteams and the BS and burst bonuses can quickly decrease the Garuda’s chances of success. The fact that this profile is also now a Forward Observer adds nice utility to a solid attacker. However, the value of a hackable specialist is less than some of the other specialists available to OSS.

    The boarding shotgun is a tough one. The cheapest profile by far, if an opponent makes a mistake and lines up several units for a template to hit, this Garuda can decide a game. Rolling only two dice to attack can hurt though. There’s nothing quite like rolling a 2 and a 19 and watching 19 points of Garuda destroyed by the winning ARO.

    Rudra Gunbot

    The Rudra is a new offering and fairly unique. It is functionally a heavy infantry version of a combat remote. With two wounds and high armor the Rudra is even more durable than Nomad combat remotes, excepting the new Vostok. Climbing plus also means that it can get anywhere it needs to. Like most combat remotes, this behemoth brings an onboard repeater for hacking and supportware shenanigans.

    Mine dispenser is a relatively new option. Halfway between dropbears and a grenade launcher. It allows the Rudra to threaten grouped units and fireteams while only exposing itself to one ARO. With only two mines in its arsenal, it is far from the consistency of a minelayer, but offers some tactical flexibility and freedom in the placement of those two mines. It is also a good reason to bring one or more baggage bots along in your list.

    The three weapon loadouts have some crossover. On the one end, the red fury his high burst and with the damage bonus, effectively a spitfire with a slightly improved -3 range band. With the red fury, the Rudra is excellent for hunting low armor, one wound models.

    On the other end of the spectrum is the k1 marksman rifle. K1, as compared to the damage 14 AP rounds from the MULTI Rife, becomes more effective when the target has armor 3 or higher. Heavy infantry and TAGs are the best bet here. Rangebands are important to note as well. There was a brief window where the Rudras had access to a MULTI Marksman Rifle, which would have been great.

    Despite its shorter range, the multi rifle can actually strike a solid middle ground between the other two. With armor piercing rounds the multi rifle begins to be less effective than the k1 ammo when the target’s armor is 3 or higher. While this sounds small, most targets on the table will have armor 2 or less. Remotes, light infantry, and skirmishers typically bring armor values from 0-2. The MULTI Rifle version can bring shock ammunition to clear out any dogged or NWI models quickly. The shorter range bands of the multi rifle is certainly a mark against it, but its slightly lower cost might be enough to make it an attractive profile.

    The Rudra can also join any fireteam. On the one hand, bringing a repeater along with the team and adding one burst to the Rudra are both good things. On the other hand, when the Rudra uses climbing plus any other models besides Parvati in the team need to idle, so the Rudra may find itself less mobile than it should be or it may just leave the fireteam behind fairly quickly.

    Naga

    Nagas are certainly on the expensive end for skirmishers. The high 20s to low 30s means that any investment in Nagas is a commitment. They are quite potent, however, and definitely fit ALEPH’s mold of elite. With BS12 and wip14 they bring the best of PanO and Haqq together. With dogged, a lucky crit typically won’t stop the Naga immediately. This is incredibly useful if accomplishing the task at hand will decide the mission. A competent gunfighter and potent specialist, a Naga is usually worth its points.

    With the exception of the sniper and monomines equipped Nagas, anti personnel mines, sorry, shack mines, are part of the standard kit. Mines are a valuable tool for controlling the table and soaking up a few of the opponent’s orders. I think they are less valuable in the tactically windowned climate of N4, but still, they can blunt an attack a little.

    Most of the Naga profiles are equipped with combi rifles. Mimetism and Surprise Shot means that a Naga can be an effective gunfighter with a combi. They will have trouble taking down core fireteams, but skirmishers and most solo pieces with low armor, beware.

    The boarding shotgun on the minelayer profile in an interesting option. For many, burst two, even with the bonuses, is enough to make the boarding shotgun an unreliable weapon. The short range of the boarding shotgun can make it difficult to utilize the weapon effectively. On the other hand, with camouflage, the token state can be used to maneuver into position more easily than a model without. If used carefully and with a little bit of luck from the dice, this guy can spell disaster for his enemies. It is a little bit expensive to risk losing with the direct template exchange, but there are certainly situations where you just need an enemy model dead.

    The Naga with monofilament mines is an interesting loadout. Monomines are almost non existent in the current game. With the capacity to instantly kill TAGs and elite heavy infantry, this model can be a significant threat to even the deadliest of opponents. Still a competent gunfighter and with the advantages of Camouflage and Mimetism as well.

    The sniper loadout does not see much play compared to the others. In part because in ALEPH the Post Human sniper is available. She is a solid gunfighter, however and could be a potent flanking piece. If placed carefully, a model might try to outrange the expected combi rifle only to be surprised by a sniper rifle with this infiltrator. With the higher AVA of OSS, it could be worth another look to bring this profile, especially with the points reduction that all MSR equipped skirmishers (except for the Guilang for some inexplicable reason) received with N4.

    The Forward Observer is an excellent, non hackable specialist. He also carries mines.

    The killer hacker is much the same as the FO, although hackable. This can be good or bad depending on the situation.

    The hacker is a little bit more specialized. He is able to intercept and slow down heavy infantry, remotes, and TAGs much more effectively than most of the other options. Once you’ve isolated and/or immobilized a high armored target, however, the combi rifle will still have a tough time chewing through that armor. With the availability of the monomines profile, however, this profile loses a little bit of its luster. Also, the Post Human hacker can bring a similar and in many ways, more potent unit to the table.

    Dasyu

    Essentially just an improved Naga for 8 more points (7 in the case of the hackers, due to their mines). Mimetism -6 instead of -3, NWI instead of dogged, a physique increased by one, and the addition of hidden deployment. The Dasyu also brings a nano pulser, which can situationally be an excellent tool to have.

    Their profiles are slightly different. There is no minelayer, no monomines, and the hackers forgot to pack mines. On a personal note, one of my biggest disappointments for the transition of OSS to N4 (other than the obvious Apsara debacle) was the loss of the Dasyu lieutenant profile. This was a fantastic option for missions that required killing an opponent’s LT as you could park a camo token deep in your deployment zone to make scoring the LT kill next to impossible.

    Most of what can be said about the Naga can also be said about the Dasyu, just that it costs 8 more points to bring slightly increased efficiency. Whether or not the increased capability and hidden deployment are worth the expense will be dependent on the list and the mission.

    Dart

    An elite Post Human operative and Aristo, Dart is a potent combatant. NWI along with shock immunity is a powerful combination. She functions as a true two wound model that will not leave a body behind for an opponent to accomplish classified objectives with, when she does go down. She is one of the few skirmishers or forward deployed models who can risk tanking a mine, because she is guaranteed to survive the hit.

    Climbing plus means that nothing is safe from her. That unit buried up on the roof of a building, the LT hiding in the back line, nothing.

    Camouflage mixed with MSV1 is a brutal combination. It makes Dart a premier skirmisher hunter.

    Her smg does mean it requires a little bit of care to keep her as effective as possible. Engaging models in cover, from 16 inches away, puts her on 10s to hit. It is not ideal, but usually the negative mods she dishes out tilt the engagement to her favor. Ideally, she can engage units within 16 inches outside of cover and units within 8, either in cover or out of cover. If she can consistently throw three dice on 13s (or 16s), she is in a good place for putting out quite a bit of damage. The mobility provided by climbing plus and camouflage means that she can almost always do this effectively.

    The only choice in her profile is to bring mines or e/m grenades. In an army like OSS, which has access to a lot of e/m weaponry, mines might actually be worth considering. The cheapest model that brings anti personnel mines is the Naga at 27 points. This means that OSS will never be able to spam mines and camo tokens like Acontecimento or Ariadna. On the other hand, e/m grenades can be a huge asset for locking down TAGs and HI. Especially because her SMG means that once she’s hit an armored target with e/m, she actually has the punch to follow up with putting some wounds on it if you really need the model removed from the table. Her e/m grenade profile also comes equipped with a Viral Bow. While it’s not a great offensive weapon, it can be a good ARO at times.

    Post Humans are their own kind of monster. While they are individually cheap and very effective for their points, it can be quite expensive to bring the Post Human order when it consists of three 20 point models. That being said, it is arguably the most resilient order in the game. An opponent has to kill all three proxies (all of which possess NWI or two wounds), before the Post Human’s order will be removed from the order pool. All Post Humans have the same CC13 (except the Mk. 5’s CC14), BS13, and wip15 with their other stats varying slightly depending on the nature of the Lhost they inhabit.

    Proxy Mk. 1

    A BS13 and wip15 specialist with NWI and mimetism, there is nothing not to like about this profile. If a Sophotech is already in the list, the hacker is a fantastic specialist to have. If not, the engineer can keep the myriad of remotes that OSS is likely to bring in fighting shape. This is a great option to attach a couple of Yudbots too as you will likely have quite a few remotes.

    Proxy Mk. 2

    If there is a model that can effectively use a burst two weapon, it is this one. A high ballistics skill along with mimetism -6 means that she can typically push the odds heavily to her favor despite being burst 2.

    The hacker is a potent infiltrating specialist. Able to wreak havoc on HI infantry fireteams and obliterate grouped models with ease.

    The sniper is a phenomenal attacker and may see more play than the hacker. An amazing suicide option, she can aggressively move up and attack without regard to the safety of her body, because its destruction will not reduce the order pool at all.

    Either option is a fantastic counter to an opponent's Total Reaction remote.

    Proxy Mk. 3

    Somewhat reminiscent of Joan’s mobility profile, this Post Human is an excellent attacker. With the speed to get where she needs to (as long as she can avoid any difficult terrain) she is able to leverage her AP Spitfire and high ballistics skill very effectively.

    Proxy Mk. 4

    A slightly heavier and less mobile unit than the Mk. 3, this one brings its armor all the way up to 5 and packs the long ranged power of an hmg or a rocket launcher.

    The rocket launcher can be a potent defensive piece. When he dies to an ARO, his order remains, so losing him does not cost much. The blast template can also be effective for catching models hidden in groups around corners. He’s also capable of mixing things up at short range with the smg and nanopulser.

    The hmg is more of an active turn gunfighter. While not as mobile as the Mk 3, the hmg’s long rangebands allow him to attack effectively without leaving the deployment zone. Placing him on the opposite side of the deployment zone as the Dakini fireteam can be an excellent way to catch models in the crossfire and give the opponent fewer safe places to hide.

    Proxy Mk. 5

    There are technically two profiles here. One carries a mk12 with triangulated fire. It is a solid attacker. With forward deployment four inches he can effectively use the mk12’s rangebands to punish skirmishers and cheerleaders. Even getting close to snipers and hmgs to push range bonuses in his favor is doable. The problem is that the second profile is a Forward Observer with e/m grenades and two smgs for just even fewer points. Obviously the second profile can not get the mid ranged gunfighting done effectively, but he is phenomenal up close and is actually potent against lightly and heavily armored targets. Even a TAG could go down to four smg rounds in the back.
     
    #1 yoink101, Aug 18, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2021
  2. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    Fireteams

    Like most sectorials, one reason to play OSS is the fireteam options it offers. Unless, of course, you’re in it for the heartless-NWI-more-machine-than-human-AI fragments that make up the Operations Subsection. I don’t understand why the acronym changed, in the HSN3 book, it was pretty clear that Steel Phalanx was the Assault Subsection (ASS) and that the Sophotech and Dakinis made up the core of the Operations Subsection (OSS).

    Anyway, as usual, I digress. Robots, Androids, and their fireteams are why you’re here.

    By their nature, core fireteams are often tough to maneuver. Five bodies at once is clunky and can often lead to mistakes in placement, especially during the heat of order expenditure. The bonuses are helpful in mitigating those mistakes, but a canny and dedicated opponent will always be able to rip apart your fireteam given enough orders. With this in mind, unless the mission dictates otherwise, I usually find that my core fireteam spends turns 1 and 2 in my deployment zone. Sometimes on turn 3, and very occasionally on turn 2, I’ll push the team up the table if at least two of the following are true:
    My opponent has lost a lot of offensive capability
    The mission necessitates the advance
    There is a clear opportunity to gain the upper hand that would most effectively be accomplished by the team, and the risk is worth it
    These are important to keep in mind because committing that team means committing five order generating bodies, which should not be put at risk without careful thought. Once the first member goes down, the likelihood of other members dropping increases pretty dramatically as the fireteam bonuses disappear.

    Deva

    First off, to get it out of the way, there is a Deva Functionary core team option. I’m not really sure why. I haven’t figured out a solid way to use it, not that I’ve tried very hard. Devas can be a great option for many reasons, but paying upwards of 130 points for a core of BS12 models is...not the most efficient use of your points, especially when any number of these expensive models can fit in any fireteam in the sectorial. This core team suffers, while the MSV2 Spitfire is a solid attacker, the only other gun that can effectively reach out past 24 inches is the Samekh missile launcher. While a missile launcher can be very good, in an army without any smoke or eclipse, I absolutely prefer having a high burst long range weapon in the fireteam to facilitate my efficacy at long range. This almost always takes the form of an HMG, although the move to N4 has made Feuerbachs more attractive (not that OSS gets any). The fact that Devas all bring number 2 is a nice addition to save some command tokens.

    Yadu

    The Yadu core is an interesting one. Yadu are functionally non-hackable heavy infantry, except that they didn’t get the HI discount of N4. Their armor of 3 will likely feel too low to you, but may also become a nuisance in the eyes of your opponent. It is worth noting, that other than AVA5 Yadu as this fireteam, OSS can also include Devas, Shakti, Parvati, a Rudra, and/or a Samekh in the Yadu core team. While it has nowhere near the flexibility of some of the new fireteams with the myriad of wildcard options, (I’m mostly glaring jealously at the new Hassassins. Could you imagine if our elite heavy infantry had wildcard? Oh please let us link the Asura and Achilles in their respective sectorials!) The Yadu core does bring a wide assortment of tools. E/M template weapons, drop bears, a heavy rocket launcher, an HMG, number 2, and the veteran skill.

    Dakinis

    This is the most common core team I’ve experienced with OSS. Dakinis are absurdly effective for their cost and putting them into a core fireteam just acts as a force multiplier. Their low BS is offset by mimetism and access to supportware and/or an Apsara. The Apsara was essentially always included with the fireteam in N3, but it has lost a lot in the translation to N4.

    The Dakini fireteam is a tour de force, but it can also take advantage of a number of other models that can join the team.

    CSUs are phenomenal additions to the core team. They are cheap bodies that bring direct template weapons, all of which are burst 2 (so burst three when linked in the active turn). This can be a great defensive tool for covering corners and a fantastic suicide option to remove a model that is stacking high modifiers in their favor, especially when coupled with the Deva’s Number 2 skill.

    Devas are a solid addition to the fireteam as well. The MSV2 spitfire offers a different kind of SWC platform than a Dakini. With MSV instead of mimetism and NWI instead of remote presence, it can be a very useful profile. A Deva killer hacker or hacker can be a good way to add some hacking punch to a hackable fireteam. The sensor Deva is a solid toolbox to make the advancing team more effective.

    Trisha and Parvati both have wildcard and are also both strong engineers to stick into a fireteam of remotes. While Parvati is obviously a better engineer, unless you’re swimming in extra points, I generally prefer Trisha. Parvati’s doctor skill is less likely to be useful in the Dakini team. Plus, Trisha is a full 12 points cheaper. Both of them sport a 6 inch first move value, which is great for keeping up with Dakinis.

    The Samekh missile bot is an interesting option. The mix of flash pulse and a missile launcher on the FTO profile means that the bot is good for aros from 8-40 inches, which is definitely worth considering. If I want a low burst high damage weapon, I usually prefer the Dakini sniper. With the current spotlight ARO, it’s probably worth considering the Samekh.

    The Rubras Gunbot is a fantastic combat remote. Climbing plus and the mine dispenser are amazing tools to have to threaten everything on the table. I’m partial to the K1 marksman rifle, although the high burst red fury certainly has its merits. There were a few days at the beginning of N4 where it even mistakenly had a multi marksman rifle, which I thought was interesting. The multi rifle though, is less inspiring. All in all, I like the Rudra as an aggressive unit, so I usually put it in a haris instead of my more static core team.

    I think that the value of Haris teams have gone up in N4. With the overall reduced order pool, having the order efficiency of an aggressive haris is just a little more useful.

    While there are technically three standard Haris teams, the ability to mix and match units is really where the utility of Haris teams shine. Unfortunately, Dakinis cannot participate in these smaller, more mobile teams, unless you want to limit your core team to three members.

    The standard Haris teams are Devas, Yadu, and Asuras. While you can form a Haris with just the titular units, I find it very uncommon. That’s because of the number of wildcards and “counts as” available. Also, one Asura can form a Haris team with two Yadu, any of which can be substituted out for Devas, a Rudra, Parvati, or Trisha.

    Usually with a Haris team, I want one good gunfighter, one good specialist, and one model that brings something else (a mobility skill, different rangebands, sensor, msv, etc).

    Gunfighters

    The Asura spitfire is right up there with phenomenal gunfighters across the human sphere. Would it have been nice if she’d received an AP swc weapon? Yes. Still, BS 14 with MSV3 is no joke. If you can close the range on enemy snipers and feuerbach’s, the Asura can deliver killing blows. She struggles with high armor targets, but that’s why you brought great hackers, right? In any case, burst 5 at BS 14 is enough to knock your opponent down and clear the way for the specialist in your Haris to accomplish the mission. The fact that she effectively has three wounds is nothing to sneeze at either. She a solid and survivable lieutenant if you’re looking for that too. The two extra LT orders are great for having her advance solo or for a Yadu hmg.

    The Rudra gunbot is a wildcard, and can thus be slotted into any fireteam. I tend to ignore the fact that the multi rifle exists, because of its inferior rangebands, burst, and/or stopping power. If it were a multi marksman rifle, I would consider it as a compromise between the K1 and the red fury. As it stands, the K1 marksman rifle is phenomenal for destroying heavily armored targets. When a Jotum is saving on 10s, you know things are going well. While K1 ammo is less effective against low armored targets, the fact that it’s damage has been boosted to 13, means that it’s never worse than a combi rifle, but is often much better. If you need a high burst, the red fury with +1 damage is great. Just like a spitfire, it can feel a little pillow fisted against some heavy infantry and most tags. The fact that OSS has so many strong high burst weapons (Deva, Asura and proxy mk. 3 with spitfires, and the Dakini, Yadu, and Zayin with hmgs) I don’t value the red fury as much. I do find that OSS sometimes lacks in its ability to shift armored targets, which is where the K1 marksman rifle excels. Climbing plus and the mine dispenser just mean that the Rudra has a set of tools to reach for to make it more effective and efficient. Especially with the fact that when a Rudra climbs, other models in the fireteam can make standard moves.

    The Deva who carries a spitfire also brings MSV2. While OSS doesn’t have access to smoke, MSV2 is still great for countering negative mods. In a world where Hac Tao and linked Kamau exists, anything to keep BS attacks high can be good. Burst 5 at BS 12 is no slouch. The spitfire is a great weapon for an aggressive Haris team that will be moving towards an objective. I tend to think of this Deva as a discount Asura.

    The Yadu profiles with heavy rocket launcher and heavy machine gun are both solid. The HRL throws templates at long range, which is great, and has an SMG to use for objective rooms and enemies who get too close. The HMG profile is the cake here. NCO means that you can really take advantage of the Asura’s LT +1 order, in a fireteam or just from a different attack vector. Long range and burst five is great for pushing the fireteam forward. My biggest issue with Yadu is that they missed out on the heavy infantry discount, so they feel a little expensive for what they are.

    Specialists

    Devas bring a Forward Observer, Killer Hacker, or standard Hacker. All of them are solid, wip 15 specialists. The forward observer is the cheapest wildcard OSS has to throw in a link. All of them have direct template weapons, which can be nice to protect yourself from a short ranged shooter. The KHD brings a boarding shotgun which can be a good tool to have in your back pocket, although the lack of intuitive attack is disappointing. As far as hackers go, Devas are great. Wip 15 and BTS 3 with NWI put them as solid mid tier hackers. If you’re leaning heavily into hackers or remotes (and you are because you’re playing OSS) it’s probably a good idea to consider bringing an EVO bot for Fairy Dust.

    The Yadu specialists are a little bit of a different bag. I don’t love the Yadu hacker. Compared to a Deva, it loses one point of wip, gains veteran and shock immunity, upgrades the pistol to a heavy pistol, and gains +1 damage on carbonite. Now, without the loss of one willpower, I don’t know if I’d opt to pay seven more points for what the Yadu brings. Veteran is great if your opponent doesn’t have another option, but your opponent can still use carbonite to immobilize the hacker. The forward observer is significantly more expensive than the Deva counterpart (11 points) but shock immunity, +1 ballistics skill, multi rifle over a combi rifle, and the e/marat are solid upgrades. Still, 11 points is a lot.

    Trisha is a solid specialist. There’s a lot to be said for putting her in a Haris team with the Rudra. I think a Dakini core team is where she really shines though. Her breaker combi rifle is nice as incidental AP ammunition if you don’t have it elsewhere. Dogged is a downgrade over NWI, and her wip is only 14. Her move is 6-2, which works well with an Asura, a Rudra, and, of course, Dakinis.

    Parvati is a solid option. Engineer +3 and doctor 2w means that she can reliably bring back anything. The face that she has two structure is great. Super jump means that she can get to your TR bot on top of a building to repair it, or hunt a skirmisher that’s hiding away up high. Her 38 points is certainly a lot, but she is a tool box.

    Something Else

    The Samekh missile bot can be interesting. I’d typically leave it in my deployment zone, but burst 2 from 8-15 inches between the flashpulse and missile presents some interesting defensive options. Also, it’s cheap...if you haven’t spent SWC on your proxies.

    Deva sensor can be a great addition. It’s relatively cheap (compared to other OSS options at least), has NWI for some added durability, and can reveal any hidden deployed models that might be camping on an objective.

    Some Have It All

    Shakti is an interesting case. She has a Mk12, which is almost an swc weapon. The spitfire rangebands are certainly useful. And putting her into a haris brings up her burst to 4, which means with her BS13, she can win gunfights. She is a true two wound model, so she pairs very well with Parvati, who can bring her back with two wounds if she does go down. Veteran is a good skill for a hacker to have as it makes them a little more resistant to enemy hackers. Her killer hacking device means that she is a specialist and can clear out unprotected hackers that you discovered with your Deva’s sensor. Even having +1 damage on trinity is nice, although she still won’t be wrecking firewalled intervenors with it. All in all, I think she is a pretty good toolbox for 41 points, although it is tough to justify her cost compared to some other options that specialize a little more.

    The Asura hacker is a monster all its own. While a multi rifle certainly has some downsides as far as range bands are concerned, it can still be a potent weapon. Especially in the hands of a BS14 Asura with MSV3. AP ammunition means that it can still be a threat to heavy infantry and light tags. In addition, the Asura is one of the strongest hackers in the game. Her hacking device plus with the addition of trinity with damage 16 means that she has the hacking program to respond to any situation. The fact that she has BTS6, 2 wounds, NWI, and a WIP of 15 just means that she is outrageously resilient. While she is a phenomenal solo operator, especially as a lieutenant with two LT orders using cybermask, putting her into a Haris team can mean she operates with excellent support.

    Favorites

    Asura hacker, Rudra k1, and Parvati. 141 (or 145 if the Asura is your LT) is very expensive for a Haris...buuuut… it’s got 6+ wounds that Parvati can effectively bring back, can devastate any TAG or HI in the game, especially with support ware, and brings two of the toughest and most versatile specialists in the army. The Asura can even lock down a TAG or HI to eliminate the possibility of reprisal when your Rudra cuts it down.

    Deva hacker, Rudra k1, and Parvati. Similar to above, but around 40 points cheaper and slightly less awesome. Still solid though. The Deva doesn’t even need to be a hacker as the Rudra has an on board repeater that can be used to project the hacking area of your Danavas or Deva hackers elsewhere on the table.

    If you want to keep costs down, any haris of Devas featuring the spitfire as point, run in the low to mid 80s. They have something close to six wounds, but are susceptible to shock ammunition, so be careful. Throwing a Rudra in there is rarely a bad idea.

    Any mix of Yadu can make a solid team as well. The NCO profile is a common feature here to take advantage of a high burst high damage weapon with the 1 or 2 LT orders available to OSS. Although if the Shukra is your LT of choice, NCO is significantly less important.

    Duos offer some solid order economy. If you have a gunfighter and a specialist deployed near each other and who might be headed in the same direction, it’s worth putting them together, as it’s free and easy to break the duo if your plans change. The ability to attach a CSU to your solo Deva spitfire, for example, can be nice.
     
    #2 yoink101, Aug 18, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2021
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  3. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    Reserved for list building? maybe something else...
     
  4. csjarrat

    csjarrat Well-Known Member

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    Mate, thank you, saved me a job lol!

    I'd personally expand the marut section,
    I think it's most important to note that you need at least one really good KHD (preferably more than one hacker with anti-hacker programs) platform if you're going with one, because you only have enough points for a dakini team to back it up with.
    This doubles down on the hackable aspect of your list and nearly everything you have is vulnerable to it!
    OSS are not well tooled with "door-kickers" like myrmidons to deal with problems like entrenched hackers so you need to dominate cyberspace or be able to slice through enemy repeater nets at a minimum.
    This is coming off the back of a game yesterday where I punked the sole danavas with a heckler KHD and then possessed the marut and ramboed it back on the opponent. One danavas ain't enough to cut it
     
  5. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    Thanks! Will do. I think that's good advice for using any TAG and it's definitely worth mentioning.
     
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  6. Tony2805

    Tony2805 Well-Known Member

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    Thx Mate for this Thread. Maybe it is possible to make it sticky?
     
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  7. csjarrat

    csjarrat Well-Known Member

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    Well worth talking up the Naga killer hacker a bit as well. That guy is a great pathfinder for dakini teams and the marut. Send him in first to flush out enemy hackers with his KHD and then you're set for moving up the REM/TAG without the aro nest that hackers create.
    Naga khd is cheap for aleph, specialist, and is best support for dakini/marut after engineers
     
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  8. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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  9. Daireann

    Daireann Well-Known Member

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    Is this discussion actual in N4 reality?
    This is my main question.
     
  10. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    No. I haven’t updated it yet. In part because I haven’t played many games of N4 yet.
     
  11. Daireann

    Daireann Well-Known Member

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    I see. It would be good to have updated article about OSS!
    Good luck with gathering data and interesting games :)
     
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  12. yoink101

    yoink101 Chandra SpecOps Complaint Department

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    I've updated it for N4. If you notice any mistakes or details that I missed, please let me know.
     
  13. Devil_Tiger

    Devil_Tiger Your Friendly Neighborhood Asura

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    Great job!

    [Edit: I had misread, nevermind my previous note)
     
  14. DukeofEarl

    DukeofEarl Well-Known Member

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    Great updates.

    What, if at all, are people doing with Haris links right now?
    I'm trying to land on a cheaper Asura hacker one and Trisha seems a smart fit to cover lots of objective possibilities. Would be nice to get a shooter in there too, but the NCO Yadu is a chunk and the HMG might not be the ideal option, the Deva Spitfire feels like too much doubling up and I'm not sure about the Rudra mainly due to repeater caution (though points are a factor too).
    Maybe I should scale down and go Deva Spitfire, Deva Hacker, and Trisha/Parvati.
     
  15. RolandTHTG

    RolandTHTG Still wandering through the Night

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    I've only gotten a couple games, but a Hacker Asura, K1 Rudras, Trisha served me well. I've considered swapping in the Redfury Rudras for more bullets.

    From discussion in the "How would you fix X" thread, many people thought well of the regular Yadu troopers.
    Maybe have one of them be in the cheaper Haris instead of the Deva Hacker or Trisha/Parvati?
     
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  16. DukeofEarl

    DukeofEarl Well-Known Member

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    I've been looking at running that link too.
    Not a bad idea to toss in a basic Yadu for the hacker. Gives some options for stuff the spitfire isn't as solid against for sure.
     
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  17. xagroth

    xagroth Mournful Echo

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    The best haris (as in fire projection/cost) would be HMG Yadu + Trisha Parvati + Deva (MSV2 or Sensor), simply because all units can be brought back to full health, and the Haris is not vulnerable to be hacked (aside from Spotlight, that is). If you have hard hacking support, the Yadu could be changed for the Rudras, but I think that one gets more mileage from a Core fireteam bonus, and there are not anough points to fit it all. For a 0 SWC haris, however, a K1 rudras + Parvati + Deva is quite good of an option.
     
    #17 xagroth, May 25, 2021
    Last edited: May 26, 2021
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  18. DukeofEarl

    DukeofEarl Well-Known Member

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    I like that, but did you mean Parvati? Trisha can't heal anyone herself and I couldn't tell if you meant self contained in that aspect or not.

    I do like the idea of a Sensor Deva in a haris. Kind of redundant with the Asura though
     
    #18 DukeofEarl, May 25, 2021
    Last edited: May 25, 2021
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  19. Mogra

    Mogra Well-Known Member

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    I was going to say the same ... Trisha for haris with Rudra and Deva sensor
     
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  20. xagroth

    xagroth Mournful Echo

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    Yeah, Parvati + Yadu HMG + Deva Sensor... cheap, anticamo, all can be healed... Distracted posting is not an excuse, but it's happening to me a lot lately.

    The problem with trisha is that she can only heal STR units. I see her more with Dakinis, frankly, or covering ARO pieces & Marut. In N3 I thought Corvus had decided to leave the Sophotect as non-linkable because of Trisha, but then comes Parvati (AKA Sophie Big Mama) as wildcard and now I'm not sure if the Sofotects are simply being phased out by Corvus...
     
    DukeofEarl likes this.
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