So, maybe it's just that I'm pretty new to Infinity in general, and that my first army was Steel Phalanx, but I was wondering how viable something like this would be. General idea: healthy links that can make good use of orders/win some FtF and force the opponent to waste a lot of orders before they actually start disabling the list. This actually grew out of a list intended to abuse tractor mules & large defensive fire teams, so I'm wondering if there's something critical I'm missing. Enomotarchos Style ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 9 MINUTEMAN AP HMG / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 34) MINUTEMAN (Marksmanship L1, X-Visor) AP Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 29) MINUTEMAN (Forward Observer) Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23) MINUTEMAN Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 22) MARAUDER Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23) MARAUDER (Fireteam: Haris) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22) MARAUDER (Multispectral Visor L1) Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 26) FOXTROT (Forward Observer) Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18) MINUTEMAN Lieutenant Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 22) GROUP 2 5 GRUNT HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 21) GRUNT Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) GRUNT Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) ROSIE Light Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) 5.5 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army General idea, Grunts hang back while using their fairly disposable HMG to clear out some threats [TR bots, snipers, etc], and use the character as a backfield specialist/SWC free LRL who can join with the sniper to be a truly annoying ARO unit to waste some orders. Then we have the second order pool with 2 competent fireteams each able to push quickly and then be hard to deal with. HRL + MSV 1 should stand a fighting chance, and once parked on midfield objectives, dogged heavy flamethrowers will be then need to be shifted. Similar APHMG/APRifle for active backed by expendable goons. Questions: ---------------------- Does this work less well in practice than it would seem? (or is it basically the point of USARF and it took me too long to figure that out) Any suggestions for tweaks/changes/suggestions? I actually want to build towards a more complete/balanced Ariadna army, and USARF seemed like a good way in.
Welcome to the Ariadnian Nation! I'm also new to infinity but many people have said "if you need specialists 3 is not enough" and 4 seems to not bring that remark out. other than that I'm following for the juicy tips XD
Unless you plan on using a lot of Command tokens and/or not using the Minuteman until the Grunts are dead (why invest 30 pts per piece then) I don't see this working very well. Minutemen are unfortunately one of the worst units of this sectorial. Just compare them to a Blackjack. If you want to play a handicapped/fluff list, go ahead, otherwise you'd be better off taking some real units instead of the 5 minutemen :)
People don't use the terrain rules as often as CB intended, so the extra 2 points or so that minutes pay for multiterrian seems to be the sticking point. Minutemen are fine, and I'll take them over Blackjacks 9 times out of 10, since they will be a lot more versatile than anything else in USARF, even if they won't be the best at any one thing. 29 points for the AP rifle seems steep, but considering that you only need one backed by a couple of 22 points rifles (or 23 point FO rifles) it's also shock thanks to marksmanship, has no - 6 range band thanks to the x-visor, and up close has 2 light flamethrower templates(3 in a fireteam, and between them enough ARO flame to basically make it a no go area)? Compare their shooting with a similar unit, like say neoterra bolts, they have a much better chance at 16 inches and up, and specifically for the bolts, since the attack is AP and shock bioimunity can take a hike... Now let's see what they can do in cc. Cc17 won't see a dedicated melee unit off for sure but they will kick seven shades out of a Swiss guard or Mobile Brigada. PH13 is great considering they have ccws. Kinematica will often be enough to get them into total cover if they need to dodge, but overall its very situational. They will be vulnerable to EM, but that's also situational, unless you play against Mutt spam every day... Minutemen are good or great at basically everything, but they're not the best at any one thing, that doesn't mean that they're the worst units in USARF, but even if they were our worst unit we'd be pretty well off...
AP Rifle Minuteman is actually OK. It's the HMG Minuteman who IMHO is outclasses by the Blackjack on all accounts. But as always, I don't really care what other people play as long as it makes them happy. It's obvious you like your Minuteman, more power to you.
On a 1:1 comparison as a single model its really hard to disagree with that, the hmg minuteman almost never leaves my case except as a tool for the rest of the fireteam, or occasionally as an LT(or bait) for vanilla...
You can only run 1 core fireteam at a time as well I believe. Are you running the Minutemen as your Core, or your Grunts? The Marauders are fine as your Haris
So, I admittedly never bought the books, but I thought USARF and QK could both take 2 fireteam core choices? I'm not entirely against using the grunts as expendable cannon fodder and breaking their link when I'm done, just curious.
Both USARF and QK have Harris options for a second smaller fireteam, that might be what confused you.
I typically run my Muricans something like this. Though usually it's more about grunts as the second core link team. And yes I do use command points to alternate through them. I also like to make one grunt team all snipers as a defensive link and have the second objective running. But, this list allows all units to perform fire and maneuver as well as grab objectives. USAriadna Ranger Force ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 10 MARAUDER (Fireteam: Haris) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22) MARAUDER (Multispectral Visor L1) Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 26) MARAUDER Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23) GRUNT (Forward Observer) Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 11) GRUNT Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) ROSIE Light Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22) GRUNT Rifle, Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 14) GRUNT Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) TRAKTOR MUL (Minesweeper) Electric Pulse. (0 | 5) DOZER (Traktor Mul Control Device) Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) GROUP 2 5 MINUTEMAN Lieutenant AP HMG / Pistol, CCW. (1 | 34) MINUTEMAN (Forward Observer) Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23) MINUTEMAN (Forward Observer) Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23) MINUTEMAN Missile Launcher, Light Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 29) MINUTEMAN (Marksmanship L1, X-Visor) AP Rifle, 2 Light Flamethrowers / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 29) 6 SWC | 297 Points Open in Infinity Army This is more like what I typically run with multiple link teams. USAriadna Ranger Force ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 8 2 2 MARAUDER (Fireteam: Haris) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22) MARAUDER (Multispectral Visor L1) Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 26) MARAUDER Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle, Heavy Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) GRUNT (Marksmanship LX) Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18) DESPERADO Submachine Gun, Smoke Grenades / 2 Heavy Pistols, CC Weapon. (0 | 13) DESPERADO Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / 2 Heavy Pistols, AP CC Weapon. (0 | 11) GROUP 2 8 1 1 GRUNT Lieutenant Rifle, Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 14) GRUNT Heavy Flamethrower, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10) GRUNT (Forward Observer) Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 11) GRUNT Paramedic (MediKit) Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) ROSIE Light Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22) 112 Light Shotgun / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 12) DOZER (Traktor Mul Control Device) Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14) TRAKTOR MUL (Minesweeper) Electric Pulse. (0 | 5) DESPERADO Submachine Gun, Smoke Grenades / 2 Heavy Pistols, CC Weapon. (0 | 13) 6 SWC | 298 Points Open in Infinity Army
Just to add my 5 cents: I would make the Grunt fireteam an entirely defensive one replacing the HMG with a sniper. Being in the second group (and cheap) they are rather expendable. During your reactive turn the Grunts should be forming a fireteam. At the start of your turn you can form a fireteam consisting of your minutemen. (And reforming the Grunt fireteam at the end of your turn, again) There are not too many uses of command tokens in Ariadna anyhoo...
This list is exactly what i was looking for! A good mix of firepower, specialists and sturdiness... and i never thought to use command tokens to alternate between link teams. Can't wait for my next game.