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N3 tactical guide to Hassassin Bahram, the Haqqislamite Military Intelligence Service

Discussion in 'Haqqislam' started by Errhile, Dec 2, 2017.

  1. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    This is intended to be the N3 tactical guide to the Hassassin Bahram, and, like my QK one, a living one. At this moment, however, it has been updated to cover Daedalus' Fall data.


    Hassassin Bahram - which could be translated roughly as “Victory of the Hassassins” - are the military intelligence service of the Haqqislam (what we see on tabletop is, generally, an Intelligence’s strike team), and at the same time, an agency operating only under the Old Man of the Mountain’s supervision.

    It does include some elements of the regular Sword of Allah (the mainline Haqq Armed Forces), as well as Shah’s guard, the Asawira Regiment, but the defining element are various Hassassin.


    General overview

    The Hassassin Bahram relies on a choice of Light Infantry types, several of them being pretty specialized and feeling much like a Medium Infantry troop.
    There’s good access to Smoke, however no MSVs beyond MSV L1.
    Hassassins do have excellent alpha strike capability, thanks to Impersonators, Infiltrators and a number of fast-moving troops.

    Bahram does suffer from limited staying power - there is no TAG available, nor any TAG-analog (Imperial Service, we envy you!), and the two Heavy Infantry choices are ARM 3.
    Cheap Regular Orders are also pretty difficult to get - Hassassin lists seem to be either small & elite, or rely much on Irregular models.


    Light Infantry Review

    Avicenna - with a turbulent past, this Recreation of a legendary medic is a curious element in the Bahram. Typically, s/he’s (told you, there’s a turbulent past behind that character!) considered to be a rugged Specialist with additional utility as a healer. AVA 1 Character, Fireteam: Govads (Core & Haris).

    Avicenna in a Govad fireteam: interesting option, providing Govads with an in-team Doctor (while not cheap, she’s top of the line Doc!). Of course, this makes sense primarily for an offensive Govad fireteam.

    • 27/0 Doctor, Combi Rifle, Flash Pulse, MediKit - with WIP 15 and Doctor Plus, Avicenna rivals the best out there (Doctor rolls succeeding at 18 or less, i.e. 90% effective): in fact, the only thing s/he lacks is Akbar Doctor ability. Flash Pulse at WIP 15 makes for a dent ARO, too, and ARM 2, BTS 3 & V: No Wound Incapacitation gives this character some survivability. MOV 6-2 isn’t anything to sneer at, either. Avicenna, however, isn’t any better than a Ghulam when it comes to a fight, and for comparison, a Ghulam Doc is 11 pts cheaper, with only 1 WIP less. Oh, and keep in mind Avicenna should be using Nasmats, too.
      Personally, I’m not sold on Avicenna, but I might be short on practice here.

    Daylami - warlike tribesmen from the mountain regions of Iram al-Izat Shahate, they sometimes join Bahram operations as a part of their culture’s coming-of-age rituals - or as untrained recruits to the Hassassin.
    Some players do swear by them, as Daylami allow you to put a lot of cheap speedbumps on the table - especially given that with the Panzerfaust variants they are as dangerous in ARO as Ghulam. Personally, I find them troublesome, occupying spaces in my Combat Groups and providing no Orders. Essentially, it is a matter of taste.
    However, the above is true for Daylami in your main, primarily Regular Combat Group. As a Combat Group of their own (or mixed with Ghazi Muttawi'ah) they provide a budget speedbump package, capable of soaking quite a number of enemy Orders - and can't be really ignored.
    I'm still not sold on the Inferior Infiltration Daylami (due to terrible dice luck with placing those).
    AVA 5, no Fireteam Ability. Irregular.

    • 5/0, Light Shotgun - the cheapest variant, it can be useful primarily as “live mine” protecting your Deployment Zone - and still able to win an FTF. Which, I guess, might be pretty useful in some very specific kind of a scenario.
    • 17/0,5 HMG - 3pts and 0,5 SWC cheaper than Ghulam HMG, and just as good shot on his own, this guy still doesn’t get much recognition… A HMG is a HMG, after all.
    • 8/0,5 Light Shotgun, Light Grenade Launcher - I can’t really tell what was the idea behind this one: no better shot than a Ghulam (and no Fireteam bonus, either!), with a weapon that is known to be rather difficult to use. I’d give this loadout a pass...
    • 7/0,5 Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust - inexpensive defender, ready to waste someone’s day with a lucky Panzerfaust shot. Many Bahram players employ this loadout as an ARO - while his effectiveness in this role is limited, the raw chance of getting hit with Panzerfaust forces the opponent to waste Orders on removing him. And if he’s lucky enough to hit, well, Panzerfaust does hurt!
    • 8/0,5 Limited Camo Inferior Infiltration Panzerfaust, Light Shotgun - same as above, but you deploy him on the opponent’s table half. The problem is - with PH of 10 and over centerline Infiltration penalty of -3, he’s going to get there successfully on 7-or-less. 35% chance of getting where needed is something I wouldn’t call reliable. On the other hand, if you trust Lady Fortune, and she smiles upon you, your opponent is going to have a really rude surprise somewhere near his doorstep.
    • 10/0 Limited Camo Inferior Infiltration, Rifle, Light Shotgun - the other LCII profile, swaps Panzerfaust for a Rifle. Closer range, but in return he’s more dangerous to lightly protected targets (thanks to better Burst). Also, keep in mind he can set up Suppression Fire with that rifle: doing that in the enemy table half is going to be nasty.
    Ghazi Muttawi’ah - why those Hassassin sympathizers, intelligence assets, observers and (in some cases) religion-driven nutjobs (which was their 1ed fluff, basically!) are classified as Light Infantry, is anyone’s guess - they tend to behave like a classic Chain Smoker Warband. Irregular, Extremely Impetuous, Religious and Dogged, they are one of the units our opponents really, really dislike (sometimes even call them overtly powerful). Well, one thing is sure - Ghazi are boxing well above their weight! While they are not any good in Close Combat, they are very useful.

    Ghazi’s setup includes Smoke Grenades (damn nice on a Warband-ish Extreme Impetus model) and two weapons that are unique to this unit: E/Marat (Large Direct Template weapon doing EM damage. Yup, you can one-shot a TAG or a Fireteam of Heavy Infantry. Keep in mind the BTS is halved when testing against EM!) and Jammer (since it is No Line of Sight weapon that uses WIP , it is kind of like a specialized Hacking Device). Jammer, in my experience, is not very effective (still, getting Isolated hurts!) - but extremely useful as area denial: opponents tend to avoid the Ghazi’s Zone of Control in fear of getting Isolated in ARO.

    Ghazi’s life on table tends to be short and brutal - release them against whatever target seems worthy, cover your advance with Smoke, and try EMing / Chainrifling whatever is out there. If you succeed, great, if not - you gave it a fighting chance (thus, it is good to have a stack of Orders available for the Ghazi). Basically anything you Wound / Immobilize / Isolate is going to be more expensive than Ghazi himself...

    An interesting trick in Active turn is the ability to choose your attack mode: if the opponent declares Reset as ARO to your first Skill, hit him with E/Marat (or ChainRifle), if he does declare Dodge, hit him with the Jammer. In either case, your attack is unopposed.

    AVA 4, no Fireteam ability, Irregular Extreme Impetus.

    • 5/0 Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades - seems to be the most common loadout. Chain Smoker for 5 points, what’s not to like? Of course, for FtF shooting you have only a pistol, so most of the time you'll be better off just blasing away with a Direc Template, or Smoking, or Dodging... but once in a blue moon shooting with your handgun may be making sense.
    • 10/0 Boarding Shotgun, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades - this loadout actually allows you to win FtF rolls (and Ghazi are no worse shots than Ghilim!) which in turn tends to make Ghazi somewhat more survivable. On the downside, you can have 2 Chian Rifle Ghazi for the price of one BSG Ghazi, and - sad as it is - Ghazi are throwaway troops anyway.
    Ghulam - Haqqislam's basic line infantry, and IMO one of the better basic infantries in Infinity, even if a little costly compared to Algulaciles, Fusiliers or Zanshi. They have decent stats, and access to a wide array of specialists - including an inexpensive Sniper Rifle, a Panzerfaust and a good ol' HMG. Don't miss the Ghulam Doc, she'll be doing a lot of good job saving butts of your soldiers. Ghulam are the bread and butter, and a well-managed Ghulam Fireteam is a force to be respected. However, in a Hassassin Bahram lists they’re often used primarily as cheerleaders, providing their Regular Orders to more advanced troops. AVA: 4, Fireteam: Core though keep in mind that SpecOp Layla Sharif counts as Ghulam for Fireteam Composition, and Yasbir can be a (pretty obvious, TBH) fill-up for them, thanks to his Wildcard ability.

    Ghulam as Core Fireteam: in a small-sized game, they are your go-to Fireteam. In larger games, they are often used as a defensive Fireteam (armed primarily with Sniper Rifles and Missile Launchers), blocking long lines of fire and providing Orders to your other units. Their ARM and BTS don't give them much staying power, unfortunately. Prior to the release of Dire Foes 6, they were badly hampered by AVA 4, but with Layla Sharif and / or Yasbir as the 5th model (thanks to their Wildcard ability, gained as of Daedalus’ Fall) they are way better now..

    As offensive Fireteam, they can do fine (usually armed with a HMG), plus they have plenty of specialist profiles to choose from. Still, in a large game, you usually have better offensive models than the humble Ghulams.

    In my eyes, defensive Fireteam should have at least 2 long-ranged weapons, preferably 3. A Specialist of some kind is a good addition, though the Doc should be rather on her own (to be able to use her Nasmats). The remaining should be made up with riflemen.

    An Offensive Fireteam needs a HMG, another support weapon isn't out of question (keep the Panzerfaust profile in mind, she's good for that kind of job) and one or two Specialists. Having a Doctor in an offensive Fireteam is very useful. Make the rest up with Rifles.

    Boosting the Ghulam Core with Wildcards:
    • Yasbir is an interesting idea if you are afraid of being engaged by enemy CC specialists.
    • Leila is an inexpensive Hacker to allow you fielding REMs, while packing an extended range weapon. She’s also cheaper than Yasbir, making her a great choice for defensive Ghulam Core: you could have a good set of long-ranged AROs, and a Hacker to help your Order count with inexpensive REMs, if you have no other Hacker.
    Ghulam as lone models: primarily useful as inexpensive Regular Order providers. The Doctor is as good as most of the Docs in Bahram, and while not as excellent as Avicenna, is still way cheaper. The Panzerfaust Ghulam is an inexpensive, nasty ARO - while Daylami does exactly the same, Ghulam has the advantage of being Regular.

    • 12/0 Rifleman - Most basic of the basic, he's valuable as a part of a Ghulam Link Team and cover for a Ghulam Lt. Remember (as with any Haqq rifleman) to carefully wage your chances when deciding whether to use his Rifle, or Light Shotgun - up close, a salvo from a linked Light shotgun is going to be devastating.
    • 13/1 Grenadier - A very cheap upgrade compared to the Rifleman, only 1 point more, which makes the model a good choice in small games. And Speculative Fire can be used by a Link Team member (BS mod applicable, though Burst mode is not), huzzah!
    • 15/0,5 Panzerfaust gunner - A cheap, disposable alternative to the Missile Launcher, Panzerfaust works great as a deterrent - no one likes to be AROed with AP EX, and especially - not one fired from a Link Team. 2 shots only (which means that in most cases it is one go), but a viable choice. Besides, if you keep a Kameel REM at hand, it will be able to resupply the Panzerfaust gunner with extra ammo (as per Baggage rule).
    • 16/0 Doctor - The cheapest of our Docs, she's however very effective - her prime medical education (represented by Doctor Plus skill) allows her a success ratio that will turn other factions field medics turn green with envy... Also, having a Doc in the Link Team does indeed pay off - she's going to be close to possible casualties. Assigning her a Nasmat Assistant REM (G: Servant) is a good idea, though you might like to keep her outside of a Link then. Combining Link and a Nasmat requires some tricks to be effective 1, and will be a heavy toll on your Command Token pool.
    • 16/0,5 Sniper - Compared to Multi Sniper Rifles commonly used by the more advanced armies, the humble Sniper Rifle may look underpowered. Well, strictly speaking, it would be great to have DA ammo on it, but the old-fashioned Sniper Rifle is still an excellent weapon (and inexpensive!) - consider that, in ARO, it has the same Burst and DAM as a HMG, plus superior range. Being Shock Ammo weapon, it poses a deadly danger to most light troops. Bring two of these in a Fireteam (just 32/1 points) and even enemy TAG will think twice about poking its ugly head around the corner. Think of Ghulam Snipers in terms of area denial rather than offensive power - they might not be killing enemies, but the very possibility of a high-powered ARO with long range is going to keep enemy models from moving into his LoS. If you have nothing better, a Linked Sniper Rifle makes an acceptable offensive weapon for long-range engagements. Switching to regular Rifles will make sense once you close into their optimum range, provided the target is not heavily armored.
    • 13/0 Forward Observer - inexpensive, and very competent in his trade (thanks to WIP 14), FO is a very interesting addition that came in N3.
    • 14/0 Deployable Repeater - apart from the Deployable Repeaters, this fella packs E/Maulers too - a cheap and nasty way of playing merry hell with high-tech opponents (if you can get close enough). It is not as good against light troops, but we have other tricks for these.
    • 20/1 Heavy Machine Gunner - This is the cornerstone around which a Ghulam Fireteam should be built, if it is to have reliable offensive power. Long range, high Burst, excellent stopping power - this is the weapon you use to kill things from away. All kind of things. Beware, however, of targets that close into your sub-optimal range. There, his team buddies with Rifles and Light Shotguns will have to do the job.
    • 20/0,5 Hacker - Well, he's not the best hacker we can field in Bahram, but he's inexpensive and thanks to WIP 14, noticeably better than almost any other basic infantry's Hacker - equipped with the standard Hacking Device, he's an all-rounder. Plus, he's just as competent soldier as any Ghulam Rifleman. If you can squeeze him in a Fireteam to give him 6th Sense L2, he's a viable option.
    • 17/1.5 Missile Launcher gunner - With Link Bonus to Burst and Ballistic Skill, a Missile Launcher makes an effective weapon - kind of Panzerfaust with additional Blast Template mode and unlimited ammo. If you manage to score a hit with is, most targets are as good as gone. Scoring, however, might be problematic due to low Burst - and stepping into favourable range band won't be that easy in N3. Still, recently I find the ML to be very useful weapon against a variety of targets, especially if they are grouped (this forces a Face-to-Face roll from each of them in ARO!). Also, I keep a very good record in blasting Total Reaction remotes with it - full Fireteam is usually able to obtain range advantage and Fireteam advantage while maintaining cover, and putting the Reaction Bot in range disadvantage (resulting in 2 shots at 14-or-less, if the REM is in cover, vs. typically 4 shots at 5-or-less).
    • 12/0 Lieutenant - Inexpensive and effective, plus he's easy to hide in a Fireteam.
    • 20/0.5 HMG Lieutenant - An interesting option, if you want your Lt. to see some action. Keep in mind that spending a Lt. Order does kick the Lt. out of a Fireteam, so it is kind of a desperate move to use it, Still, you are sometimes that one Order short from eliminating a vital target...
    • 17/1.5 Missile Launcher Lieutenant. Again, interesting option, but I wouldn't call it outstanding, for the same reason as HMG Lt. above (though with ML going down to Burst 1 outside of a Fireteam bonus, it is even more of an all-or-nothing option).
    Hassassin Barids - a Hassassin troop specializing in communications warfare, all Barids are Specialists: either Forward Observers, or Hackers of different kind. With WIP 14 and BTS 3, they are no slouches in their area, and can hold their own in a firefight, too. Another application - they can be used as Cheerleaders, just slightly more expensive than Ghilim. Sure, that’s not a big thing, but it can make a difference at times. Note that every Barid, regardless of the exact variant, packs a Rifle + Pitcher (allowing him to set up a Repeater network on his own, which is a very, very useful ability. AVA 2, no Fireteam ability.
    • 14/0 Forward Observer - An inexpensive Specialist, he’s often taken for Orders, as secondary Specialist, or to help a Hacker with his Pitcher.
    • 14/0 Lieutenant Forward Observer - A Lt. camouflaging as his buddy above. Not a bad choice for a low-profile Lieutenant.
    • 16/0 Killer Hacker (upgrade: Lightning) - Still inexpensive, this guy is there to fry any enemy hacker’s brain. He competes with the Govad hacker (who is not as good as Barid in this speciality, but has the benefit of having a Fireteam around him).
    • 19/0,5 Assault Hacker (upgrade: Icebreaker) - Assault Hacking Devices became a risky choice since KHDs became popular, plus you’d need a decent repeater network to make sure the enemy HI/REM/TAGs can’t easily avoid this threat. But if those requirements are met (and, like, there’s a friendly Killer Hacker having his back), Barid AHD is an interesting proposition (strongly contested with Ragik Hacker, but still).
    • 21/0,5 Hacker - your basic, do-it-all Hacker. If you need your REMs fielded and buffed, he ain’t bad (then again, EVO Kameel - which brings some extra utility - is 4pts more expensive).
    • 21/1 Lieutenant Hacker - being a Hacker gives you a great opportunity to spend that Lt. Order (and if there’s a Chain of Command Farzan on table, you don’t really have to fear retribution!)... which is the most likely reason behind that extra 0,5 SWC tax.
    Hassassin Govads - let’s skip their origin story (which is… not great, really, IMO). These guys tend to get skipped by many players in favour of Muyibs. Not that the Govads themselves are bad.

    What they bring into the fold is the only MSV (L1, but still a thing!) in Bahram, they are also Veteran L1, which allows them to keep generating Regular Orders in case your Lt goes down. Their general equipment resembles Ghulam a lot, in my opinion: a good choice of basic support weapons (HMG, ML, Sniper Rifle), a Hacker (two variants, actually) for Specialist, good basic stats (actually, the only profile I am sorry to not find there is a Doc, however, being able to include Avicenna helps that somewhat.). It is easy, thus, to make them into Ghulam-on-steroids. AVA 5, Fireteam Core & Haris. Can be joined by Avicenna. Can be joined by Leila Sharif and/or Yasbir (thanks to their Wildcard ability). Can be joined by up to 2 Asawiras (Core Fireteam only).

    Govad as Core Fireteam - that’s where they resemble Ghulam most. It is a typical Haqq elitist Light Infantry Core, with lots of long-ranged heavy weapons, making excellent firebase. They have their share of Shotguns, too, for close-in action, MSV L1 to help them with visual modifiers, and all the advantages of a big Fireteam. Keep in mind they might be kinda substitute for a Farzan CoC - while they won’t amend Loss-of-Lieutenant itself, they are going to keep providing you with Regular Orders even in LoL thanks to their Veteran L1 skill. Assuming you had a full Core, that’s 5 Regular Orders. Which can change quite a bit! Now, if you wanted to have an active Lieutenant, a Govad Core could back him up pretty neatly.

    Boosting the Core:
    • Asawiras - this, in fact, is more about boosting the Asawiras with full Core Fireteam benefits, than boosting Govads. See the Asawira Regiment’s entry.
    • Wildcards - Yasbir is an interesting idea if you are afraid of being engaged by enemy CC specialists. Leila is an inexpensive Hacker to allow you fielding REMs, while packing an extended range weapon. Both are Specialist Operatives . So, both are passable, but IMO very situational. I’m more in favour of Leila, however. She’s a point cheaper than the cheapest Govad.
    • Avicenna - if you want an active, offensive Govad Fireteam, Avicenna is one of the two Doc options possible, and actually the cheaper one.
    Govad as Haris Fireteam - if you want a full-sized Core Fireteam to be your active element, a Govad Haris can nicely support it with their big guns. I prefer a ML and /or Sniper Rifle for that role, since they are cheaper than a HMG, and still decent in ARO.

    Boosting the Haris:
    • Yasbir is an interesting idea if you are afraid of being engaged by enemy CC specialists.
    • Leila is an inexpensive Hacker to allow you fielding REMs, while packing an extended range weapon. So, both are passable, but IMO very situational.
    • Avicenna - I don’t see a point in giving Govad Haris Avicenna - unless you’re tight on space in a Combat Group. A Govad will be cheaper, and allow Avicenna to use Nasmats, operating on her own.
    Govad as individual models - not really interesting IMO, even if you expect to face a lot of Camo / ODD (a full Fireteam would be more in order in such a case). Still, Sniper (although there’d be serious competition), HMG or ML might be useful.
    • 21/0 Rifle+Light Shotgun - the basic loadout, bread and butter of a Govad fireteam. Primary uses are filling the team and providing body double for a Lt.
    • 29/1 HMG - important piece of an offensive Fireteam, a HMG provides you with lots of firepower.
    • 20/0 Boarding Shotgun - not noticeably cheaper than the Rifleman, BSG Govad comes in handy at close range. You could of course make do with light Shotguns on your Rifles, but extra oomph of a BSG (and, perhaps, AP slugs) can make a difference sometimes.
    • 25/0,5 Sniper Rifle - a good weapon to have, especially in a defensive Fireteam: long range, good damage, and Shock ammo. I’d advise it especially for a defensive Haris team.
    • 30/1,5 Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun - very expensive for a Govad, but very effective against tough targets (plus ML has a lot of range, and optional Terminal Template mode). Definitely a weapon worth taking in my eyes, works fine in a defensive Haris as well as in offensive team (when there are long ranges to cover, and / or massed targets to blast).
    • 28/0,5 Hacker (packs Boarding Shotgun) - if you need a basic, utilitarian Hacker. A Barid would be cheaper (and better overall hacker), but sometimes you don’t have a Combat Group space for one, and you have to keep it in the Fireteam.
    • 21/0 Lieutenant (packs Rifle+Light Shotgun) - ‘nuff said. That’s the guy you take if you want Lt. in your Govad Fireteam. Might be making sense if you plan to use the fireteam offensively - in a defensive Fireteam he’ll be wasting a potential a more aggressive lt. Could have.
    • 22/0,5 Haris (packs Rifle+Light Shotgun) - If you want to field a Govad Haris, he’s your guy. Otherwise, there’s obviously no point.
    • 22/0 Number #2 (packs Rifle+Light Shotgun) - a very good choice if you can fit him in: remember that Number #2 takes over a Fireteam if the current Team Leader fell Unconscious or something.
    • 23/0 Killer Hacker (packs Boarding Shotgun) - the other Govad Hacker, and while he might be useful for an offensive fireteam (frying enemy hackers who got too close, and being an inexpensive Specialist), he won’t have much of a role to play in a defensive Fireteam. At least not until you decide to bring Repeaters to your opponent.
    Hassassin Muyibs - praised by some players as the best Fireteam available to the Hassassins, Muyibs are versatile and tentative. Religious, Dogged and a special treat - Number #2, every one of them. This means a Muyib Fireteam will never get broken due to loss of a Team Leader. Also, have you noticed all those SWC-free Panzerfausts? Being demolition experts of the Hassassin, almost every one of them carries some boom!-goodies. AVA 6, Fireteam: Core, Haris. Note that with Yasbir and Layla Sharif being Wildcards, and Asawira being linkable with Muyibs (to a degree), technically Muyib Core + Muyib Haris is a legal build!

    Muyibs as Core fireteam - offensive fireteam - that’s their natural position, IMO. They’re as fast as any Light Infantry, have a plethora of weapon options for virtually any target, good Specialists, and most important - they don’t really mind taking a hit or even losing a Team member. They don’t really have much advantages in a defensive role.

    Boosting the Core:
    • Asawira - this, like with Govads, is more about boosting the Asawira than boosting the Muyibs. It’ll be discussed in the Asawira entry.
    • Yasbir - Yasbir can be easily hidden as a plain member of the team, and provide an effective counter to enemy CC specialists. That being said, I’ve tried this a number of times, and simply there was no opportunity to use his CC mastery.
    • Leila - she’s a bit cheaper than a 5th Muyib, packs a good ranged weapon, and is a Hacker - the specialist Muyibs otherwise lack.
    Muyibs as Haris Fireteam - being an offensive Haris is still an interesting option, especially with a defensive Core holding their back.

    Boosting the Haris:
    • Yasbir - Yasbir can be easily hidden as a plain member of the team, and provide an effective counter to enemy CC specialists. That being said, I’ve tried this a number of times, and simply there was no opportunity to use his CC mastery.
    • Leila - she’s a bit cheaper than a 5th Muyib, packs a good ranged weapon, and is a Hacker - the specialist Muyibs otherwise lack. I’d say she’s better suited to being a part of a defensive Muyib team.
    Muyibs as single models - a Minelayer for setting up a few defensive mines in your Deployment Zone is always useful, a Doc handles himself better than a Ghulam Doc in a fight, but fielding lone Muyibs makes their Number #2 skill pointless. For me, Muyibs are primarily team players.

    • 24/0 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust, D-Charges - the basic load you could expect to be making up most of the Muyib teams, if only there weren’t so many other, excellent loads. Keep in mind though he is useful as a Lt’s body double, and his Panzerfaust provides you with a decent option against heavily armored targets.,
    • 23/1 Rifle+Light Grenade Launcher (Normal & Smoke) - personally I don’t rely on a Grenade Launcher much, but the ability to set your own Smoke screens is worth its weight in gold.
    • 24/0 Minelayer Rifle+Light Shotgun, D.E.P, E/Mauler, Antipersonnel Mines - AP mines for light targets, and EM for those pesky TAGs and HI (and let’s not forget REMs, they can be nasty too)? What not to like? And you can even start with one deployed, in case your opponent would like to rush your positions (especially with a Camo Infiltrator, say, a ninja). DEP is quite a last-ditch anti-armor weapon in my eyes, but then again, it doesn’t hurt to cave one either.
    • 25/0 Viral Minelayer Rifle+Light Shotgun, D.E.P, Viral Mines - exactly the same as above, though he swaps the “Swiss Army Knife” choice of deployables for a single, nasty type: Viral Mines. And nothing short of Total immunity is going to help the poor thing that steps into one! In my opinion, the exact choice is very situational, however, Viral Minelayer is slightly less universal in application.
    • 28/1 Spitfire, D-Charges - Squad Automatic Weapon in Muyib hands. Definitely a good thing for an offensive fireteam, and Muyibs, as I’ve said above, do not make much sense as a defensive one anyway.
    • 22/1 Heavy Rocket launcher, D-Charges - I personally prefer this one over the Spitfire, but I’m in the minority. HRL gives the Muyibs a long ranged, powerful weapon (and a Terminal Template effect with Fire ammo).
    • 27/0 Doctor Plus, Rifle+Light Shotgun, D.E.P, - having a Doctor with your offensive Fireteam is always handy (and he’s a Specialist as well), though keep in mind that a Muyib who got wounded and engaged his Dogged ability is beyond saving already. On the other hand, in short games you often won’t have time to heal the wounded anyway, so gritting your teeth and pressing on is a viable option (even if it means the Doc won’t be having anything to do)
    • 24/0 Forward Observer Rifle+Light Shotgun, D.E.P - an inexpensive Specialist for your Fireteam. He could also mark targets for someone else, but I wouldn’t count on that: being a Specialist is his primary role.
    • 25/0,5 Fireteam: Haris (Rifle+Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust, D-Charges) - obviously, the guy you build your Muyib Haris around. And he still keeps the Panzerfaust.
    • 24/0 Lieutenant (Rifle+Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust, D-Charges) - a Lt with a Panzerfaust. Not a bad idea.
    • 23/1,5 Lieutenant Grenadier (Rifle+Light Grenade Launcher - Normal & Smoke) - the main problem with this guy it the 0,5 SWC tax on his ability to spend his Lt. Order on something useful (namely, Speculative Fire / setting up Smoke screens). He’s not very likely to do that in Bahram, as it would mean excluding him from a Fireteam. Still, the very existence of that profile allows you to have a GL Muyib as a potential Lt (next to a basic Panzerfaust Muyib), so hiding your Lt. in a fireteam won’t be that hard. Also, keep in mind there’s an automatic rejoin rule for models who got out of a fireteam, but remain within 8” of a Team Leader at the beginning of your next turn.
    Najjarun Engineer, well, he's an Engineer. 'Nuff said. AVA 1, no Fireteam ability.
    • 17/0 Engineer. The standard Haqq Engineer is plain vanilla - basically a Ghulam with D-Charges and training in Engineering, but he cannot form a Fireteam with Ghulam (or, in fact, anyone). He’s still the only Engineer available to Bahram, so he has to make do. Honestly, Muyibs are better at making things go boom!, so unless you intend to rely heavily on REMs, he isn’t going to have much to do.
      Curious thing that came up in N3 - Najjarun gained Courage, so they can repair stuff even in Retreat situation. Not that Hassassin, being mostly Religious anyway, would care much about Retreat.

    Hassassin Husam Yasbir - fluff-wise, Yasbir is a veteran Hassassin who had served as instructor for countless classes of new adepts. Table-wise, he’s a Muyib Husam, with - sadly - less than stellar build. He’s not without his uses, but it is difficult to use him effectively. His strong points are Close Combat (22, and Martial Arts L3, and Viral CCW), and the fact he’s a Specialist Operative. He sports a holoprojector, but exact uses depend on loadout. Keep in mind Yasbir, atypically for a Muyib, isn’t Dogged nor Number #2. AVA 1 Character, Fireteam: Wildcard (Holo L1 version only).
    • 27/0 Holo L1, Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, Viral CCW - this is the variant that can join any Fireteam. He can then provide the team with some Close Combat expertise, while remaining hidden as a regular trooper, and is a Specialist too. Alternatively, you could Holo L1 him as something unimportant, and send him upfield to try and jump something / achieve an Objective on his own.
    • 34/0 Holo L2, Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades, Viral CCW, Infiltration - the more expensive variant, he’s however instantly recognizable - no other model in Bahram has Holo L2, and Infiltration without Camouflage. A Holo L2 has several advantages , described at the end of this post. He can be very effective in Close Combat, provided you can get him there (Smoke Grenades do help), but more often he gets singled out and shot by your opponent, primarily because he’s an obvious troublemaker. IMO, given that, he’s too expensive for what he brings to the table.
    Hassassin Husam, Leila Sharif - a post-Red Veil arrival, Leila is a godsend. While of Daylami background, she's works just fine in any combination (or alone, letting her put her Killer Hacking Device to full use). AVA 1 (Character), Fireteam: Wildcard.
    • 20/0 Killer Hacker Device, Shock Marksman Rifle, D-Charges - Leila is a virtual toolbox - she counts as Hacker, packs a deadly gun with extra range, and can both plant and detonate D-Charges. The Marksman Rifle allows for a Shock Suppressive Fire. And all that for mere 20/0.

    Husam SpecOps. Introduced to Paradiso Campaign and ITS Season 4, our SpecOp can come from the following background:
    • 24/0,5 Hassassin Muyib Panzerfaust gunner. The most expensive of Haqq SpecOp (but the only choice permitted to Hassassin Bahram), and he comes with a built in Panzerfaust (as well as Religious and Dogged. And D-Charges). That’s a lot of kit you pay point for, therefore you can spend your XP on other goodies. Also, should you like to include him in a Muyib Fireteam, well, that’s your guy.

    Medium Infantry:

    Hassassin Lasiqs -these are our masters in the art of long-distance shooting. Armed with deadly Viral ammunition (which is going to hurt like hell any target that has no BioImmunity), protected with Mimetic capes, they however lack the full Camouflage suites. Also, their effective range is longer than the weapons suggest, thanks to X-Visors.

    The unit, however, lacks Specialists of any kind, and being MI, they are less mobile than I’d wish for (unless they have a lot of walls to climb). On the other hand, at least in ITS 10, the take advantage of Forward Deployment L1 due to their MI status. AVA 4, Fireteam: Core, Haris.

    Lasiqs as a Fireteam: Core: well, okay, you can saturate the table with long-ranged Viral shots. More than 2 Viral Sniper Rifles aren’t going to be practical, anyway (due to SWC cost), but you can get the extra Burst (with a 3-model Fireteam) or even 6th Sense L2 (with 4-model Fireteam).To get the BS bonus, though, you’d need to add a Wildcard (Leila or Yasbir), which would bring you a Specialist Operative, too. A Lasiq Fireteam is definitely an one-trick pony, and it blocks you from fielding another, more effective Core. I still can’t get what CB had in mind giving the Lasiqs this option…

    However, you could deploy a Fireteam of them to move them upfield and then use a Coordinated Order to set them all in Suppressive Fire (disbanding the Fireteam in the process) - a Lasiq in SF is nasty enough, a bunch of them should really make your opponent worry. You then make up a fireteam of different unit (of course, this is very situational, and Command Token - hungry), or operate with a Haris, Duo or individual models.

    Boosting the Core with Wildcards:
    • Leila - she seemingly fits nicely, being a marksman on her own, and being a little cheaper than a proper Lasiq. I’d consider her for cheapening a defensive Lasiq team, but not for an offensive one. That being said, she brings to the table more of what the Lasiqs already have in spades: deadly extended range firepower.
    • Yasbir - I’d say he’s a better, if more expensive choice there: he can Holoproject as a Lasiq, and he is a competent hand-to-hand fighter, which is definitely not the Lasiq’s forte. Whether you need him as a counter to enemy CC specialists, or as a Specialist Operative to fulfill mission objectives with an offensive Haris, he’s simply more universal.

    Lasiqs as Fireteam: Haris: this seems to be the right option for Lasiqs. Viral Rifle-armed Haris model as a centerpiece, and one or maybe even two Viral Snipers to give you deadly long-range coverage. Alternatively, for shorter range work, another 2 Viral Rifles.You’d still need a Wildcard to include a Specialist in the team.

    Boosting the Haris with Wildcards:
    • Leila - she fits nicely, being a marksman on her own, and being a little cheaper than a proper Lasiq. I’d consider her for cheapening a defensive Lasiq team, but not for an offensive one.
    • Yasbir - I’d say he’s a better, if more expensive choice there: he can Holoproject as a Lasiq, and he is a competent hand-to-hand fighter, which is definitely not the Lasiq’s forte. Whether you need him as a counter to enemy CC specialists, or as a Specialist Operative to fulfill mission objectives with an offensive Haris, he’s simply more universal.
    Lasiqs as single models: now we’re talking. Lasiqs work very well in area-denial role (standard ARO Sniper, or Rifleman when in Suppression Fire - thanks to X-visor he won’t be having a negative range band, and Burst 3 with Viral Ammo from a mimetic trooper should be enough to discourage anyone!). The Rifleman can also work as an active turn hunter, going after targets of opportunity.
    • 25/0 Viral Rifle + Light Shotgun - more of a marksman than sniper, he can get in close & personal with the opposition, blasting away with his Viral Rifle (or Light Shotgun, though this one isn’t Viral, sadly - but still handy in close encounters!).
    • 25/1,5 Viral Sniper Rifle - long-ranged and hard-hitting (ever for a Sniper), Lasiq Sniper is Hassassin Bahram’s last word in long-ranged death-dealing. Keep in mind she has only Mimetism and ARM 2 to protect herself, and thus most opponents will try to neutralize her before she could hit them.

    • 26/0 Viral Rifle, Haris. Something Lasiqs needed like their breathing air since the advent of N3 at the very least. Perhaps even since late 2ed, IMO.

    • 27/0 Viral Rifle, Fatality L1. Extra 2 points for extra 1 DAM. Unnecessary, IMO, but certainly a way to spend odd 2pts if you're left with that much.

    • 27/2 Viral Sniper Rifle Fatality L1. As with the Rifle variant, but I find the extra SWC to be discouraging there. Luckily, the basic VSR remains available.
    Hassassin Ragiks - Haqqislam’s classic Aerial Deployment troops, Ragiks are rather nondescript AD MI - except for their Dogged. Do not hesitate to use it - a Ragik won’t be stopped by such things as severe wounds, at least not before his task is completed. Which means - you can take a hit and keep going. Since your opponent is not likely to tolerate an AD trooper behind his lines for long, and your Doc would have a hard time getting there to help him, you can as well accept Ragik’s willingness to sacrifice for the cause of Haqqislam, and press on, taking as many enemies as possible with him. Keep in mind that while Ragiks carry CCWs, their Close Combat performance is unimpressive. AVA: 4 No Fireteam ability.

    • 26/0 Rifle+Light Shotgun - the basic loadout, with everything you need to lay waste to light targets. The Rifle allows you to set up Suppressive Fires that enhance Ragik’s survivability (and provide area denial to your opponent).
    • 25/0 Boarding Shotgun - while the extra oomph (and AP slugs) of a Boarding Shotgun can be an advantage in some situations, they are a trade-off for the above loadout’s flexibility. Myself, I prefer flexibility.
    • 32/1,5 Spitfire - an AD with a light machine gun. Just what you need to lay waste to almost any target, and do it over significant distance. However, the SWC price tag is far from insignificant, which makes me cautious around this one.
    • 32/0,5 Assault Hacker (packs Rifle+Light Shotgun) - If you want an AD Specialist in Bahram, that’s your guy. Since Killer Hackers became popular, people grew wary of Assault Hackers, since they don’t really have much to throw against a Killer Hacker. On the other hand, an AD Specialist is a great thing, and having an Assault hacker show out of the blue behind enemy TAG or HI, or a particularly nasty REM can be a lifesaver.
    Heavy Infantry


    Asawira Regiment - Shah’s personal bodyguards, the men of the Asawira Regiment are said to be natural-born warriors. Equipped with prime Heavy Infantry armors Shah’s money could buy, they are a force not to be taken lightly (which is why Haqqislamite High Command set them to have an eye on the Hassassins).

    Asawira are a bit on the expensive side for Haqq HI, and their ARM 3 is nothing special. The fluff that says they can beat any CC experts seems a bit overblown, too. Still, with CC 21, MArts L2, Assault and Kinematika L2, they can wage their chances against most CC experts in single combat, and pretty reliably mow down regular mooks in hand-to-hand. PH 14 is nothing to whine at when it comes to dealing damage, and most Asawira pack Shock CCWs - one good hit with those, and basically any one-Wound model is out of the fight.

    What is important, though, is their Regeneration ability - effective 70% of the time (thanks to PH 14), and you can use it to either get up on your own from Unconscious state (obviously, a Doctor Plus will be the less risky way, but if one isn’t at hand…), or try to get back from 1 W to 2 W. Asawira are also the best shots in Bahram.

    Keep in mind that having BTS of 9, Asawira don’t have to care much about enemy Hackers and the like. They are also prone to Frenzy, but since most of the time you'll be operating them in a Fireteam, it shouldn't be a problem.

    AVA 4, Fireteam: Haris, Duo. Note: an Asawira Haris may contain up to 2 Muyibs. Also, up to 2 Asawira may be part of Govad or Muyib Fireteam: Core.

    Asawira as Fireteam: Core - let’s mark it again, this is actually up to 2 Asawiras joining a Core of Muyibs or Govads (and possibly Wildcards, and, in case of Govads, Avicenna). It is a potentially very flexible build, but also just a bit less expensive than a full Asawira Haris.
    In either case, I’d suggest Asawira Spitfire as the focal model, allowing you to capitalize Fireteam bonuses on a powerful model. If you want a second Asawira, it should be Doc, giving you a resilient specialist.

    • Filling the Core with Govads. Govads are cheaper than Muyibs, and thanks to their Veteran L1 skill, they may not be Isolated, allowing them to shrug off Jammers, E/Marats and similar attacks. MSV L1 might give you an edge when defending against targets with Camo or similar technologies (not really going to help them in active turn, as it is Asawira who’s going to do most of the shooting needed. They do have Hackers available, which might come handy as Specialist, also, when there’s need to protect your Asawira from enemy Hackers. Depending on your local meta, Govad heavy weapons (ML, HMG or Sniper) might be useful addition for engaging targets at extended distance (usually early in the game).
    • Filling the Core with Muyibs. A Muyib team provides you with No.#2 skill, meaning it will be next to impossible to break the link. They also tend to bring loads of weapons (including D-Charges, indispensable in some missions), being a virtual toolbox of an unit. HRL is interesting as a long-ranged option, and Panzerfausts make for inexpensive (if one-shot, given Fireteam bonuses) source of additional firepower. There are also various kinds of Mines for close-in work and area denial. Their Specialist choices include Doctor (as an alternative for Asawira Doc in the team) and Forward Observer.
    • Boosting with Wildcards:
      • Yasbir. Not exactly cheap, and Asawira are better CC specialists.
      • Leila. She’s inexpensive to field, and does bring a Hacker option to a team (not possible for Muyibs otherwise), as well as D-Charges (not possible for Govads otherwise). All that makes her a very strong option for either of these teams.
    • Avicenna. Available in a Govad-based Core only, Avicenna brings a Doctor to the team, one that is cheaper than Asawira Doc, yet still pretty durable - and extremely competent.
    Asawira as Fireteam: Haris that’s an excellent offensive Haris, build around a Spitfire Asawira (because he’s the only one with Haris skill available). The other two models can be Asawiras (most resilient, but also most expensive option), Muyibs (way cheaper, but also less durable, but it allows you a variety of loadouts. Personally, I consider the Smoke GL to be very useful here) or Husam character (or both of them), depending on your preference. I’d strongly suggest having a Doc on the team in either case.

    Asawira as Fireteam: Duo is primarily a Specialist delivery vehicle: a fighter taking lead, and a Doctor (because there is no other Specialist available to Asawira. Keep in mind Muyibs can't join an Asawira Duo) bringing up the rear & acting as specialist (and, if you can afford it, healing the pointman up). Keep in mind that an Asawira Duo is going to take you back ~80pts, so while it is possible to take 4 Asawira (thus 2 Duos, or a Duo and a Haris, thanks to the Muyib fill-up), that's going to be pretty expensive. A Spitfire is a natural choice for the Duo's pointman, but with their high BS and on a decently dense table, an AP Rifle could do.

    It would be certainly a curious idea to bring a duo of BSG Asawiras, but save for a boarding action-type scenario where shotgun ranges would be dominant, I'd leave it off.

    Boosting with Wildcards:

    • Yasbir. Not exactly cheap, and Asawira are better CC specialists. But Yasbir could at least look like an Asawira, if you are short on points otherwise. And he's is a Specialist Operative.
    • Leila. She’s inexpensive to field, and does bring a Hacker option to a Duo, as well as D-Charges . Again, she's relatively very cheap Specialist Operative.
    Asawira as single models: with their aggressiveness and resilience, Asawira do well as lone hunters, too. Again, Spitfire is a natural choice, but any AP Rifle variant should do fine as well. A Doc could be your advanced specialist, while using Nasmats to provide medical assistance elsewhere (especially in your DZ). Asawira is also a good choice for an aggressive Lieutenant, however be prepared to lose him - he'll be mercilessly hunted down by your opponent. Then again, a Core of Govads or a CoC Farzan should be just what the doctor ordered in such a case.

    • 41/0 AP Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - the basic loadout, mid that he carries an AP Rifle rather than the standard one that is basic Haqq infantry weapon. He's still very capable.
    • 42/0 AP Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, DA CCW - same as above, but with more Close-Combat punch. Sure, it allows you to deal more wounds on a single target, and isn't much more expensive.
    • 35/0 Boarding Shotgun, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - this is primarily a cheap-yet-durable Fireteam filler. Back in the day, when Asawira were capable of fielding Core Fireteams, it was quite essential choice. Now, much less (but still, he costs less than twice a Muyib, and yet is way more resilient).
    • 43/2 Spitfire, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - the big, bad Spitfire Asawira. Major firepower on his own, or in a Duo. Well, or in a Core, if you mix in some Govads.
    • 44/2 Fireteam: Haris, Spitfire, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - same as above, but can form a Haris fireteam around himself.
    • 45/0 Doctor Plus, AP Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - Asawira Doc in the variant good for solo use. Or deploy him as a part of a Fireteam.
    • 39/0 Doctor Plus Boarding Shotgun, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - Asawira Doc on a budget. Not a bad choice if there's a Fireteam around him to cover longer ranges, and you need to save a few points to make your budget's ends meet.
    • 41/0 Lieutenant AP Rifle+Light Shotgun, Nanopulser, Shock CCW - aggressive Lt for your Hassassin force. Still, it would be a waste not to use his Lt Order, and if you do, expect him to be hunted into death. So, while interesting, he needs a backup plan.
    Hassassin Ayyars - the other Hassassin Heavy Infantry, Ayyar is a little less expensive than Asawira, but still the “light HI” type. While Asawira work fine in Fireteams (of their own, or combined with Muyibs), Ayyars are dedicated solo operators - and very well-rounded.
    While their CC usefulness is not impressive, dual Viral Pistols make Ayyar a deadly gunfighter at close range, especially against targets with single Wound. Of course, you need some skill in guessing the distance, but if you make it right, it is definitely worth the effort.
    Another useful thing is being (the only) Hassassin Free Agent. This skill allows Ayyar to hop between Combat Groups at the start of any turn for free (yup, no Command Token needed!). Which is no-brainer in case you have a model in group #1 you expect to die early (like a Fiday), and thus you won’t have to waste Command tokens on rearranging the group.
    Holoprojector L2 is a whole bag of tricks- see the footnotes section at the end of this post.
    Also, every Ayyar is a Specialist, so they do fine on their own going after objectives.

    AVA 2, no Fireteam ability.
    • 37/0 Rifle+E/Mitter, DEP, 2 Viral Pistols - definitely less popular than the Marksman loadout, this variant trades range for flexibility. The Rifle is nothing special, but E/Mitter (which has the same range as Rifle) brings EM/2 ammunition to the fold. A little risky, but if you manage to place a hit with it (and Surprise Shot L2 is likely to come handy there) you get a really good chance of neutralising a TAG, HI or REM. There’s also a DEP for that AP+EX shot (or finishing the disabled TAG, perhaps). Well, and up close you still have twin Viral Pistols.
    • 39/0 Marksman Shock Rifle, 2 Viral Pistols, Surprise Shot L2 - hands down the most popular loadout. Decent range up to 24”, Suppressive Fire-capable, Shock ammo… this guy is tailor-made for single-handed hunting for enemy light models (well, large Fireteams with their 6th Sense L2 are going to be a tougher nut to crack, but that still can be done).
    • 39/0,5 Sniper Rifle, 2 Viral Pistols - well, if you want a HI sniper in Bahram, he’s your guy. He trades the Surprise shot L2 away though (and has to rely on Surprise Shot L1 provided by his Holo L2). I’m not too keen on him personally - keeping him on ARO duty seems like a waste, and for operating actively in the field, the Marksman loadout is simply better.
    Skirmishers:


    Hassassin Fidays - the most iconic Hassasin unit, definitely. Clearly patterned after Nizarite Fida’i - the guys the English term “assassin” was coined after - Fiday Impersonators are rightly feared - and therefore not that easy to use against an experienced opponent. Therefore, Fiday requires you to be familiar with a whole set of nuances. AVA 2, no Fireteam ability.

    Strong sides: primary advantage of a Hassassin Fiday is his Impersonation. A Fiday can deploy anywhere outside of the enemy DZ without a roll, and within enemy DZ with a roll required. On top of that, he deploys in a Marker state (this is less effective against Tohaa and Combined Army forces), and since it is an Impersonation Marker (not a Camo), Mines and the like do not react to it.
    Fidays are also skilled CC combatants, and often able to pull a Surprise attack. Don’t expect them to take on other CC experts, though.

    Weak sides: with no Mimetism and no Armor, Fidays - once they get revealed - become very fragile. They tend to be very Order-hungry to use, too (re-Impersonating, like re-Camoing, must be done outside of enemy LoS, and takes an Entire order Skill).
    There are no Fiday Specialists.

    How to choose targets: assume that a Fiday has an excellent chance to take out one enemy model (not a Marker), and make it dead. However, after that, he’ll most likely fall himself very soon - so you have to make a good choice.
    Identify whatever you consider the biggest threat. A Sniper? TR REM? Obvious Lt? Personally, I often go after Engineers (because with no Engineer, a TAG / REM / HI wasted with EM ammo is basically better than dead: still there, occupying a space in his original Combat Group, but not helping his player in any way. Doctors / Paramedics are decent choice as well). Then try to get him without getting killed in the process. If you succeeded, look around - there might be other targets you could try and waste as a bonus.

    How to choose your weapon: for a Fiday, this always a valid question, and the humble knife - which is often considered not worth of mentioning in other troops profiles - is actually a viable choice here. While Knife is DAM PH -1, it has Shock and Silent qualities - so if you’re trying to eliminate a target without alarming nearby enemy models, and / or the target has V: Dogged or even V:NWI, it is worth a try. Especially if you’ve managed to Surprise Attack the target, and you can put your MArts L3 to full use: the chance of achieving a Critical success are pretty decent, and in case of a Crit you won’t have to worry about ARM roll anyway. In case of multi-Wound targets, CCW (especially the DA CCW) is, of course, a better choice due to slightly better Damage. But then again, I don’t consider Fidays to be the right troop to use against a multi-Wound target.

    Do not forget that Fidays pack firearms, too - in most cases, a Rifle, and always one Shotgun or another. A Rifle burst gives you a decent chance of dealing wounds to a target - especially if, for some reason, engaging it in Hand-to-Hand combat is not a good idea (for example, the target is a Martial Arts expert or another serious opponent in CC. Also, often a multi-wound model is not a good opponent). However, shooting is something Fidays do merely as well as, say, a Ghulam. Still, a Rifle allows a Fiday to set up a Suppressive Fire - which is really nasty, given he can do it at the close proximity to opponents table edge!

    A Shotgun is another great weapon for a Fiday: it allows him to cover a number of targets with one attack, and - hopefully - eliminate several of them. Even a Fireteam, if you managed to catch it deployed in a way that allows you to have LoS to just one or two team members, but cover 3 or more with your template (and assuming they have no negative modes like ODD or Mimetism) is a good target. It matters not you won’t be entitled to a Surprise Shot - assuming you’re at optimum range, they’ll have to choose between shooting you back (and with you hitting them at basically 17-or-less, your chances ain’t shabby!) and just tanking hits on the team members who can’t see you, or try a Dodge and hope they’ll survive long enough to drain your Order Pool or get behind cover...


    • 31 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Smoke Grenades, DA CCW, Knife - the loadout with DA CCW means some extra damage with your CCW. But it is also more expensive than other options.
    • 30 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Smoke Grenades, AP CCW, Knife - the most vanilla loadout. And actually works for me nine cases out of ten.
    • 29 Boarding Shotgun, Smoke Grenades, AP CCW, Knife - you get a stroneger shotgun, and skim a point or two. But you also forgo the flexibility that having a Rifle would be giving you.
    • 31 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines,, Smoke Grenades, AP CCW, Knife - if you can spare the extra point, a Mine-armed Fiday can be a bane of Fireteams, especially those equipped with ODD or Mimetism. Lay a mine around a corner, then walk out and make them choose between dodging and trying to kill your Fiday (though this works better for continuing your killing spree once the initial target is out).
    Hussein al-Djabel, Hassassin Fiday - Hussein, a legend among Fidays, is so good at his job that the Old Man keeps bringing him up from the dead. whatever applies to a Fiday, applies to Hussein too. AVA 1 Character, no Fireteam ability.
    • 35/0 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Smoke Grenades, Viral CCW, Knife - basically a Fiday on steroids. Upped CC, upped PH, and a bit better BS. The only two bits that really make him special are Martial Arts L4 and his Viral CCW, which means he can - landing 2 blows with MArts L4 - force a target to take 4 BTS saves vs Damage 13. The problem is - any target that would need 4 BTS saves to be taken down is likely a TAG, and they tend to have hefty BTS rating. For a target that a Fiday should be engaging, it is basically an overkill. But MArts L4 and Knife, that's a real boost. Of course, if you don't have to remain stealthy, just swing that CCW and make sure your target is dead as a dodo.

    Hassassin Farzans - from a formal point of view, Farzans are instructors and mentors of the Hassassin. Keeping an eye on the situation, and being ready to intervene and assume command if things went south. Game-wise, they’re competent Camo Infiltrators with a reasonable price tag. AVA 3, No Fireteam ability.
    • 26/0 Chain of Command, Boarding Shotgun - a popular choice, CoC Farzan can be both Specialist and at the same time protect you from getting into LoL. He’s a somewhat expensive safeguard, though - once out of Camo, he’s likely to become a prime target for the opponent, and since he lacks the AP Mines, he’s easy to single out as the CoC loadout.

    • 23/0 Minelayer, Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines - Excellent for setting up speedbumps on the opponent’s road (but classic “jump things form Camo with your shotgun” works just fine, too). His only downside, though, is lack of any Specialist skill.

    • 23/0 Forward Observer, Rifle+Light Shotgun - a few points cheaper than the CoC Farzan, this loadout carries a more universal weapon. He’s also useful if you need to mark targets - especially for a Shaytaniyah REM.

    • 24/0 Forward Observer, Rifle+Light Shotgun, D-Charges, Marksmanship L1 - the Daedalus' Fall update,this variant basically puts the standard FO Farzan - for just 1 point more we get D-charges (widening the range of objectives the model can perform) and Marksmanship L1, making it very deadly against lightly-armored targets. With some clever positioning and a bit of luck, this may spell doom to whole groups of enemy models.

    Our REMs are the standard Haqq choice.

    They do the job, though I envy other armies their specialized combat REMs like PanOceanian Armbots or Nomad Sputniks. REMs are usually fast and good in a given application, but not very universal. A few interesting points:


    Fanous. This is the Mobile Repeater REM and a very cheap Order generator. AVA 1, no Fireteam ability.
    • 8/0 Repeater. At MOV 6-6 it is the fastest thing we can field and - thanks to Multiterrain - isn't going to get stuck in some nasty stuff.. While it is not properly armed, it carries a Flashpulse weapon for self defence. Combined with Mimetism, it actually makes for a decent ARO shot (keep in mind that Flashpulse, being a Technical Weapon, uses WIP for attack rolls. Fanous' WIP 13 is quite good!). Still, it is not meant for combat - it's primary role is to provide a highly mobile repeater. It can also lay down Sniffers - this is a new functionality, and I'm yet to make my mind about them. Definitely they have a downside in the form of being usable only for Sensor-equipped models.
      As a cheap Order generator, Fanous competes with Kameel Minesweeper, which has some utility functions.

    Kameel the Baggage REM. Just having it on table - active, that is - means your army counts as 20pts larger when calculating Retreat Threshold (or for various scenarios where area control is determined by how many points you have in a given area). Baggage skill allows it to run Casevac duties without worrying about casualty's PH rating: yes, they can tow a TAG. And do whatever they can without dropping it. Also, Baggage allows you to resupply a trooper armed with some kind of Disposable Weapon (Panzerfaust, DEP, Mines, Deployable Repeaters…) once he had spent his ammo.With ARM2, they are more resilient than the rest of our REM - but slower. AVA 2 no Fireteam ability.
    • 8/0 Minesweeper. A cheap Order generator (just as cheap as a Fanous, but does also have other functions. On the other hand, Fanous is 50% faster. Still, a full set of 2 Kameel Minesweepers and a Fanous gives you 3 Regular Orders for 24 pts, if you wish so), it does also provide the Minesweeper ability - it does not remove mines (Koalas, E/Maulers and other deployables) like Engineer would, but actually makes them change colours and work for you.

    • 25/0,5 EVO Hacker. In N3, EVO Hackers have some uses, but are significantly different than in 2ed. What you can actually do with it? Actually, quite a lot:
      • Make Coordinated Orders using Hacking.
    • Use it as a Repeater. Since EVO Hacker / Baggage REMs are slow and unarmed, they usually work in the secure rear area - not much use for a repeater there nine cases out of ten...
    • Spend a Command Token to reroll a single failed WIP roll when using a hacking Program. While it might be useful in a life-or-death situation (like, Overlording a TAG that would otherwise be stomping you to death), usually your supply of Command Tokens is too short for this kind of sheningans.
    • Get +3 to AD: Combat Jump deployments (non-cumulative with Trajectory Assist, but requires no Order use). If you invested into Ragiks, this is definitely a pro. Still, not a reason enough (on its own) to bring a Kameel EVO.
    • Allowing all Sat-Lock rolls be made at +0 WIP instead of -6 WIP. Shiny, we can take two Rafiq REM. Of course, two Rafiqs, a Shaytaniyah and a Kameel EVO become pretty a commitment, but then again - why not?
      Now this is an interesting trick: if you aren't moving first, you can spend a Command Token to start the game with one EVO-Gadget program active. Apparently, this can be combined with negating two of the opponent's Orders first turn (but on the other hand, it costs you half of your Command Token stack).
    • Use it as a Hacking Device (thus permitting you to take REMs), and utilise Sword L1, Shield L2 and Gadget programs, as well as EVO-Gadget programs, of which there are 4:
      • Kaleidoscope - this applies -3 WIP on enemy hackers trying to attack your hackers. Not cumulative with Firewalls. Seems kinda situational.

      • Overclock - all friendly REMs on table are Burst 2 in ARO - provided they have Repeaters (so, Shaytaniyah is out), just as if they were affected by an Enhanced Reaction supportware. TR REMs (Shihab - if it had a Repeater - and TR Kameel) don't really benefit from it, so basically it only affects our Rafiqs, and Fanous' Flash Pulse. All in all, nice thing, but too few models make any use of it. If we were Nomads, or some other high-tech faction...

      • Reboot - all your Hackers, REMs, HI and TAGs declaring a Reset impose an additional -3 WIP on enemy hackers in FtF rolls. Can't say we have much of these to worry about… Yeah, especially TAGs.

      • TeamPro - effectively, as long as it works, all the members of your Fireteams get N2 ability. Can't really say this fully justifies the inclusion of a 25 / 0,5 SWC pts Evo Hacker Device.
    • To sum it up, I consider EVO Hacker Device Kameel to be only of limited usefulness in HB. Our Link Teams are likely to put the TeamPro to some good use. It wouldn't hurt to have a bonus to Sensor. But all in all, 25/0.5 for these seems a bit pricey. Still, a better deal than for the QK.
    • 21/0 Rifle, Light Shotgun, Total Reaction. Seriously now - I can't see much point in this one. No 360-visor, armament - unimpressive. And for 4/1 pts more you could have a Shihab. Maybe if you want to protect your rear-area from an AD raid. And I suppose an Armed Recovery unit for Casevac purposes would be better than unarmed. Oh yes, and you could use it with Assisted Targeting for some close-range Shotgun sheningans.
    Nasmat - these little wonders are Doctor's - and Engineers - best friends. AVA 2 Ghost: Servant
    • 3/0 Ghost:Servant. Fluffwise there are different models to assist Doctors and Engineers, and even the models do differ, but game-wise it's all the same. You assign one to your specialist and then he can be virtually in two places at once! However, using Nasmats is not compatible with being in a Fireteam, so it must be well planned. Be sure your Doctors and Engineers are equipped with Nasmats if they operate on their own.

    Rafiq. This is the Sensor / Forward Observer REM. AVA 2, no Fireteam ability.
    • 16/0 Rifle+Light Shotgun, Sniffer, Deactivator, Sensor, Forward Observer, Sat-Lock. It is the standard Sensor REM like most armies use - and a real toolbox on legs. It can detect Camo, defuse Mines, mark targets, but also for direct assault - should someone make the mistake of lining up a Link Team behind a corner, it makes for an excellent target for Rafiq’s Light Shotgun. Add to it the right Supportware and… Definitely useful if you go against a Camo-heavy army, and a good thing to have if you bring in a Shaytaniyah REM.

    Shaytaniyah. Our Guided Missile REM. AVA 1, no Fireteam ability.
    • 18/1,5 Smart Missile Launcher. That's it. Building a list around a GML requires to... build it for the purpose. But it isn't half-bad as a long-ranged ARO unit, especially with the right Supportware...and ona certain level of metagaming the danger of you spotlighting a target (via Hacker or FO) and actually firing a Smart missile salvo at it is going to keep your opponent on his toes… With two Rafiqs and aplenty of Forward Observer options, you could actually pull a decent SML list - definitely not something the folks would be expecting from the Hassassins!

    • 18/1,5 Missile Launcher. Trade Smart trait for upgrading the DA+AP to EXP+AP. The Shihab remains unlinkable in HB, making the REM a simple direct-fire Missile launcher with no bonuses. I absolutely fail to see the point behind this one.

    Shihab. Our Total Reaction REM - make excellent defenders, that's what they are meant for. And no one likes to mess with a Total Reaction, 360-Visored HMG - which, of course, means that any opponent worth his salt will be plotting to neutralize it early.. AVA 1, no Fireteam ability.
    • 25/1 HMG. Basically, a defender. Keep in mind that in N3, these are no longer Repeaters.


    The tricks:

    Holoprojector L2 shenanigans - useful primarily in your active turn:

    • Holoechos can be used to safely detonate Mines and Perimeter weapons,

    • or to trick your opponents into AROing wrong target,

    • or make a tough choice and rather get a Surprise shot to the face (keep in mind that some Ayyar profiles get Surprise Shot L2!).

    • More advanced mind games, like deploying as 3 nondescript models (keep in mind these have to be exactly the same troops and loadouts!) are possible, too.
    Keep in mind that in Reactive turn, Holo L2 is not really useful - you can only choose between dropping the Holos and AROing as normal, or standing there and hoping the opponent will target a holo and not a model Also, beware of lining up your holos - a Terminal Template weapon (especially a shotgun) can often take down more than one, and catch your real model under the template.


    There's also the Suppressive Fire Around the Corner Trick:
    1. Move up your Holo2 trooper near the corner out of LoF with the enemy, provoking no real ARO.

    2. Enter Suppressive Fire - again, no ARO.

    3. When your active turn ends, re-activate Holoprojector L2 by placing holoechoes accordingly to Holo2 rule. Place one of them towards the aforementioned corner so that said echo sticks out of it and has LoF to enemies you want to overwatch.

    4. Secretly ;) nominate that echo as "real".
    Effectively, you have just placed a trooper in SF into enemy LoF without provoking ARO.

    Now, Suppressive Fire is optional, but it's one of the more annoying ways to use that extra movement (that does not count as movement) from Holo L2. You are allowed to choose any one of the three holoechoes as the one that hides a real trooper when said trooper enters holoecho state, regardless of his initial position.

    With tip of the hat to @Barrogh for describing it in detail!
     
    #1 Errhile, Dec 2, 2017
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2019
  2. Envihon

    Envihon The Sword of Haqqislam, High Commander Envihon

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    I was wondering when this would get over here :smileycat:
    Curious, you going to do one of these for Ramah Taskforce when it's released?
     
  3. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    It didn't "got over here". This is a different text than the one Maru wrote back in 2010 and was updating since then.

    As for Ramah - we'll see. As for the moment, there is no Ramah, so I can't practise with that army - and practice is, IMO, a sine qua non for writing such a tactical guide.
     
  4. Envihon

    Envihon The Sword of Haqqislam, High Commander Envihon

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    Haha, I see. Well, it's a good resource.

    How long do you practice before you have a grasp on it? I mean, I agree. I usually don't like writing a unit write up until I have used them a good amount but how long did it take until you were comfortable to writing these two Sectorial guides?
     
  5. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    I can't give you exact figures, as there are many variables.
    How active my meta is, how many armies I play (currently 3, Ramah would be 4th), how much I learn out of it.
    A few months at least. Might as well be a few years before I feel competent enough to talk on the subject.
     
  6. Envihon

    Envihon The Sword of Haqqislam, High Commander Envihon

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    Do you only play Haqqislam or do you play some non-Haqqislam?
     
  7. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    At some point I have migrated over to Corregidor, too.
    I do not play vanilla Haqq.
     
  8. xagroth

    xagroth Mournful Echo

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    A few pointers here:

    • If a model has a servitor assigned, he cannot join a fireteam, nor a coordinated order, unless that servitor is in a Null state (so a Ghulam Doctor+ can't go between linked an unlinked, unless you also bring an engineer and break and repair the bot every order you want to include/exclude the doctor XD).
    • Lt order is NOT a regular Order (Strategos N1 turns a Lt order into a Regular order, after all, and it's the selling point of linked Lts like Hector or Kornak), so the HMG Ghulam using the Lt order gets inmediately kicked off of the fireteam (as in, before rolling and applying Fireteam mods); of course, you can use the Lt order and then "re-form" the Fireteam with a command token.
    • The Husam Specops Hafza version can, in fact, get equipped with Mimetism. The rule would prevent the mimetism to work in the same order/ARO than the Holoprojector, however, but if the order is not a FtF roll (aside from hacking), then he already fulfilled his rol on the mind games side.
    I can see the guide is not finished, so I'd like to suggest the Asawira Haris+2muyibs as an offensive piece with good rounded options: Asawira Spitfire Haris (2CAP) + Muyib Doctor plus + another muyib (either Layla Sharif or the basic one with D-charges) depending on your Core: this pack is around 90 points adn 2 CAP, and can achieve several secondary objectives (Sabotage, inoculate HVT, experimental drug, coup de grace, marking the HVT with 2 WP-3 rolls if you pick Layla...) and several button-punching ones (medic and hacker bonuses, if you bring Layla again).
     
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  9. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    Regarding Nasmats - thanks for noticing it. Seems a holdover from 2ed...
     
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  10. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    Well, here it is - I've finally managed to fill all the entries.

    Now, we can get to updating it and noting down all the extra information that comes out of the community's experience! :)
     
  11. Envihon

    Envihon The Sword of Haqqislam, High Commander Envihon

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    What kind of extra information you looking for?
     
  12. eciu

    eciu Easter worshiper

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    Mayby write on Ghazi that during active turn you can always get unopposed attack against a target either by using Jammer (enemy has to reset against it) or by using chain rifle/EMarat (enemy must declare dodge against it).

    Quite powerfull trick if used against some expensive (TAG, character, HI) target.....

    Btw. nice formatting, might steal it.
     
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  13. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    Yuo can't steal what is freely given to you :P

    As for the Ghazi observation, yeah, it is worth writing down. I'll do that!
     
  14. eciu

    eciu Easter worshiper

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    In contrary to popular belief I hate Ghazi for a reason ;P
     
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  15. Envihon

    Envihon The Sword of Haqqislam, High Commander Envihon

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    Ghazi Muttawi'ah are wonderful IT specialists serving Haqqislam, why the hate? :tonguewink:
     
  16. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    Because Eciu plays PanO primarily :P
     
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  17. Barrogh

    Barrogh Well-Known Member

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    I wanted to make some situational remarks that nevertheless are worth noting as long as this document is supposed to cover small tricks as well as general guidelines.

    - Since you’ve mentioned winning FtF with Mutts (in BSG entry), it’s worth mentioning that even CR profiles can use their pistols. It’s probably usually better to use CR and trade, but still an option.

    - Holo2 “free movement around the corner” trick is worth mentioning as well, especially how it can be combined with suppressive fire.

    - Lasiq core is weird already, can as well mention that you can use it as more order-efficient way to get them to the midfield so they could lay there into suppression with a coordinated order. You can then still form another core (with another command token) out of your Ghulam, get by with Haris or what have you. May be a gimmicky way to approach Biotechvore or something.

    - I’d expand Baggage description to mention that those extra 20 pts are your army points for more than Retreat! rule, for example they can help with sector control. They can also be a liability in killpoint missions.

    - There are numerous typos. Nothing that gets in the way of understanding, but something that hopefully will be fixed since it’s one of those “serious business” threads of the section.
     
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  18. Errhile

    Errhile A traveller on the Silk Road

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    I'm afraid it'll take me ages to root those out (it is notoriouosly difficult to proofread one's own text). But I'll do my best (starting with putting the entire text through some automatic spell-checker software).
     
  19. eciu

    eciu Easter worshiper

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    Yea and I have this hate-hate relation to all WB (with Ghazi and Morcloks being most hated/hated ones ;P).

    At least in NCA I can quite manage all those WB with less problems :P
     
    #19 eciu, Dec 13, 2017
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2017
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  20. eciu

    eciu Easter worshiper

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    Keep main source of text in Google Doc for easier editing and some backup in case forums eat post or goes belly up ;P (also you will get free spell checking :D)
     
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