So after deliberating on my ISS list I would like to try out a ten order list because I think the idea of a small elite team is much cooler, personally, than a more horde-ish list with Kuang Shi. Do you guys think this is at all feasible? Do 10 Order lists NEED Sun Tze ( despite how amazing he is, I say this because I would personally prefer a ‘your dudes’ force with minimal named characters. BTW I know the list has Xi Zhuang but at least he comes with a helmet so I can pretend)? I have an example I came up with here 10 Order ISS──────────────────────────────────────────────────10 CRANE IMPERIAL AGENT (X Visor) Spitfire, 2 Nanopulsers / Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 54) CELESTIAL GUARD (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) CELESTIAL GUARD Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) CELESTIAL GUARD (Kuang Shi Control Device) Combi Rifle + Light Smoke Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 13) XI ZHUANG Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, MadTraps / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 20) HSIEN Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, AP CCW. (+1 | 57) SÙ-JIÀN Spitfire, Light Flamethrower, Panzerfaust / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (2 | 59) NINJA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Tactical Bow / Pistol, DA CCW, Knife. (0 | 29) SOPHOTECT Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 31) YUDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) CHAĪYÌ Yaókòng Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) 4.5 SWC | 299 PointsOpen in Infinity Army
I think it plays much better with one or the other. HI Sun Tze is one of the tankiest non-TAG pieces in the game and ten order lists gain a huge benefit from Strategos, especially since the Pheasant with CoC is just a flat out good unit. I would think about it this way -- Kuang Shi and a Celestial Guard can add 5 orders to a combat group for just 33 points. Other factions would kill for regular orders that come that cheap. I feel like any 10 order ISS list benefits from being split in half and having 4 Kuang Shi in both Groups. (Alternatively you just do something like the Su-Jian duo, CG control device and 7 kuang shi as one group which leaves you 140 points and 3.5 SWTC for a whole second group to do specialist stuff.)
It's feasible, but without at least 4 kuang shi, it's not the best list you can make for ISS. It's an internal balance problem. I hope the new models look good enough that I stop feeling bad about this.
I only play ISS in limited incerscion tournements cuz i hate kuang shi ( lore/mini/dependence in every list) and i'm going with a similar list but with pheasnt rank with madtraps to survive alpha stike. I never been so mad to try these list on a normal one, but i think it can work pretty well ( but must need a lot more practic than a meta list).Try combinations, ISS has some hard links ( haris with Hsien Op but also you can try 3 zanying agents linked)
I've had some fairly good luck with a Wu Ming/Zhan Ying centric 10 order list. Especially the one time my opponent played Combined, pulled out his sepsitor from TO camo, and cried when he couldn't Sepsitor my wu-ming link team, HI, no cubes? Sucks for your doctor, but is good when someone attempts to turn your criminals in heavy armor against you. Otherwise, i've had mixed luck with ISS, a Celestial Guard fireteam with Kanren being the main actors has had mixed results. I dunno, I feel ISS can do good with 10 orders.
10 orders with ISS is very valid. Crane is a good and killy active Lt., with no risk due to 1-2 Pheasants with CoC. Tanky enough and with Triangulated Fire and Sensor he can kill anything. Kanren & Ninjas are excellent alpha strike countermeasures. Ninja with KHD is awesome. Su-Jian are fire magnets, but that can be utilized. A bit expensive for my taste. Wu Ming are rock solid line troopers. Prefer the Multi-Rifle version. Get a 3 man link into good SF position, dissolve the link and coordinate them into locking down half of the board. Support with Sensor drone if you face lots of TO troops. Many ways to rock this one.
Some time ago I used to play with this list: Sun Tze V2 Hsien HMG Zhanying Haris Zhanying Hacker Su Jian spitfire CG Controller Kuang Shi Kuang Shi Kuang Shi Sophotectos Yudbot Really good results with it (specially when playing Biotechvore)
I did field 10 Order ISS Lists and it worked out quite well, also without Sun Tze, but one needs to be very careful of his pieces or you quickly start losing your orders and get starved.... That said I do think Sun Tze would make this better, I didn't have him until recently, but he seems to fit the idea of a 10 Order List perfectly, especially since deployment can be even more important with so little oders than usually.
Yes, it's completely feasible. The viability will depend fairly heavily on the mission(s) being played, though, as is true of any list. I ran this list in Acquisition a couple times, and it did very well. I wouldn't ever attempt to run it for something like Transmission Matrix or Rescue, though. In my opinion, if you are running a 10-order list you should include a heavy-duty ARO piece or two, because you absolutely must prevent your opponent from taking out your squishier orders, and ideally you want to inflict as much damage in ARO as possible.
10 order lists are 100% feasible. The biggest drawback to elite lists is the fact that every unit lost hurts you much more than larger order count lists. Hence, they are generally more difficult to play. But, under an experienced player they can be as effective as anything else.
If you're playing a 10 order list I'd recommend trying to build it to play an alpha strike into missions that generally want you to go second. You can gamble on winning the roll off, selecting deployment and hoping your opponent picks to go second for mission advantage. Deploying blind into an alpha strike means he may give you some easy avenues to attack.
