Varuna Tournament Report

Greetings Everyone,

I have been lurking around these parts for a few weeks soaking up all the knowledge I can and am now ready to contribute.

I went to my first tournament at the end of January sporting Varuna. The missions were Frostbyte, Unmasking, and Looting & Sabotaging. I forgot to take pictures of the boards but will do my best to describe the layout of each. All views of the table will be directed out from my deployment zone.

Here are the lists I took.

List 1
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GROUP 1 10 1

FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18)

KAMAU Heavy Rocket Launcher, Submachine Gun / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 23)

KAMAU (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 32)

MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)

PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)

FUSILIER Lieutenant Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

BULLETEER Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | 23)

KNIGHT OF MONTESA Paramedic (MediKit) Boarding Shotgun, Chain-colt / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 39)

CROC MAN Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)

GROUP 2 3 2

ZULU-COBRA (Sensor) Combi Rifle, Jammer / Assault Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)

ECHO-BRAVO Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun, WildParrot / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 27)

TRAUMA-DOC Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)

HELOT MILITIAMAN Submachine Gun, Light Rocket Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 9)

HELOT MILITIAMAN Submachine Gun, Light Rocket Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 9)



6 SWC | 300 Points



Open in Infinity Army



List 2
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GROUP 1 10

CUTTER MULTI HMG / . (2.5 | 115)

CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()

FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

FUSILIER Lieutenant Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)

FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18)

KAMAU Heavy Rocket Launcher, Submachine Gun / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 23)

MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)

PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)

ZULU-COBRA (Sensor) Combi Rifle, Jammer / Assault Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)

CROC MAN (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)

BULLETEER Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | 23)


GROUP 2 2

HELOT MILITIAMAN Submachine Gun, Light Rocket Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 9)

WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)



6 SWC | 300 Points



Open in Infinity Army

Frostbyte

The board very much reminded me of Endor from Star Wars with a cluster of trees on the left, center board edge and another just to the right of the center of the table. Between those trees were three storage containers and some scatter around the left console. There were two large buildings on my side of the table, half in my deployment zone and half out. In my opponent’s deployment zone there were two storage containers on the left, a large building left of center, another storage container in the center, and a catwalk with scatter around it on the right. Said catwalk connected to the building on the right side of my deployment zone.

Before we started this game, my opponent and I discussed terrain rules. We decided that the tree clusters would we low visibility and saturation zones. This very much benefited my Kamau Sniper with MSV2. I was up against JSA and used list one for this mission. I lost the Lieutenant roll and my opponent decided to go first.

My opponent deploys his data tracker and another model in total cover behind the left most storage containers, TO camo token on top of his building in cover, TO camo token just in front of said building, and a 5-man Heavy Infantry fireteam in partial cover behind the catwalk.

I placed my 5-man fireteam in/on top of the left building in my deployment zone. The three Fusiliers were inside the building in total cover, while the MSV2 Sniper and Heavy Rocket Launcher Kamau were in partial cover behind scatter on the roof. The trauma doc was prone on the other side of said scatter to avoid any templates. My Fusilier Lieutenant was hiding inside the building with the other Fusiliers. Just in front of this building I deployed the Croc Man in partial cover behind the scatter in marker state.

Moving to the building on the right I placed both Helots in camo on the roof. Behind this building in total cover were the Machinist, Palbot, and Bulleteer.

Opponent places reserve model bike in total cover behind the storage container in the middle

The Montesa was my reserve model and Data Tracker. He went behind the building on the left in total cover. The Eco-Bravo was my only off table asset, or so I thought. The keen eyed among you will realize I didn’t say where I placed the Zulu-Cobra, and that is because I forgot to deploy him! I realized this during my opponent’s turn, and he agreed to let me walk him in on my table edge. Rookie mistake number one.

Opponent cancels impetuous on the bike as he would get blown away by the Kamau in my DZ. He spends his first order on his fireteam to shoot a ML at my Sniper. This causes one of the members to drop out due to coherency, losing his +3 BS. The trajectory goes through the trees putting him at -9 and B1. I shoot back with both Kamau. MSV2 comes in clutch here and puts a wound on him. He realizes this is a bad place to be and moves to the TO camo marker on the ground. He spends a couple orders moving it up to the left console and parks it there covering the area. Next, he spends and order on the guy that dropped out of the fireteam. He moves back within coherency and I ARO with my Helot. I miss and he kills the Helot. He then reforms the link. He activates the link again to shoot at my Heavy Rocket Launcher and I respond with both Kamau. He hits the HRL, but I make the save. The Sniper hits and puts another wound on his fireteam. I think that’s about all he does and passes the turn to me.

I start my turn by canceling impetuous on the Montesa and walking the Zulu-Cobra on behind my left building. I activate my fireteam and take aim at my opponent’s. Two hits with DA but he makes all the saves. I try again. Two more hits and the ML gets wiped off the table. This also breaks the fireteam as the ML was the leader.

I then spend a few orders moving up the Zulu-Cobra to the left console and sensor his TO camo marker. This reveals a bow ninja, but also gets him shot by a Spitfire. I fail the save and he is unconscious. I activate my Croc Man, moving him up to cover and shooting the Ninja with my BSG. I hit and he fails his dodge and the save. Bye-bye Ninja.

Next, I move up the Montesa and activate the left console. Success! This turns on the heater in my DZ. The Montesa dismounts and moves into cover from what I assume is a sniper on his rooftop. I am out of orders and turn it over to my opponent.

My opponent again cancels his impetuous and decides to take shots with his sniper at my HRL. I shoot back with both Kamau. He hits the HRL, but I make the saves. He takes three hits from my sniper and fails all the saves. I can see my opponent is tilted by this point. He activates the bike, moving up and trying to shoot my Sniper. Once again, his shots go through the trees and my Sniper makes short work of him. He reforms the fireteam and passes the turn.

I start my turn by moving the Montesa over to the Zulu-Cobra and use a MediKit. This revives him. I then try to shoot his fireteam with my Sniper and spend quite a few orders with no success. I put Marksmanship Level 2 on my Bulleteer and switch to group 2.

With my last few orders I drop the Echo-Bravo next to his fireteam in total cover behind some scatter. I drop a Wild Parrot that charges two members of his fireteam and move up to the scatter. With my last order I slice the pie and shoot a member of the fireteam with my LSG. 2 hits and down goes his Lieutenant!

My opponent is in LoL for his final turn and doesn’t do much besides killing my Echo-Bravo. He tries to move his Data Tracker down the left flank, but my Sniper puts him unconscious.

I move my Bulleteer up the right flank and take out the remaining members of his fireteam one by one. The board is now clear for me to move the Montesa to his HVT and getting everyone else to the heater.

I get the win, 10-1, with only the Echo-Bravo and two Helots dying. The special terrain rules and Kamau Sniper were the MVPs this round.

Unmasking

The next board has an urban, Oriental theme to it. Lots of buildings with good vantage points and lots of scatter. Too much to describe every building like I did for the previous round. I am playing against Vanilla Nomads and decide to use the same list again. My opponent wins the Lieutenant roll and chooses to go first.

My memory is fuzzy on this round, but he has a camo token on a roof top in forward deployment, a couple Jaguars, Zoe & Pi-Well, Mary Problems, a few Alguaciles, Kriza Borac, a remote with Smart Missile Launcher, and a few other things.

I am worried about the SML so I try to deploy what I can inside. The only units in the open are the Bulleteer, Montesa, Machinist, and Palbot.

He spends a lot of orders trying to move up through smoke and limit my AROs. He avoids my Sniper and sets up a shot on my HRL with his camo token. It’s an HMG with MSV! Luckily my Kamau makes the saves and goes prone. He goes back into marker state and moves his Kriza up the left flank. He kills my Machinist and goes into suppressive fire.

I put supportware on the Bulleteer and move up to engage the Kriza. It takes a few orders but with the mods stacked in my favor I take him out. This lets me move up the Zulu-Cobra to defend the left console with his Jammer. The Montesa moves up and tries to find the HVT. We pass the roll but choose the wrong target. Spend two more orders to get to the other console and choose wrong again! At least I know who the real one is now. I reposition the Helots in Limited Camo to cover blind spots in case he smokes again.

Turns out that the Kriza was his LT, so two games in a row my opponent is in LoL. He repositions a few guys and spends all his command tokens converting orders for his camo’d HMG. He gets a smoke off and tries to engage my fireteam again. I dodge with them and shoot back with the Helot. Dodge is successful and the Helot misses. He activates again and destroys the Helot. He repositions to shoot my Montesa, but I tank the hits. He moves one more time and this time engages my Bulleteer. Unfortunately, he sends it unconscious.

I activate my fireteam and engage the HMG with my sniper. He fails his save and goes unconscious. I drop the Echo-Bravo in behind Mary Problems and blast her away with LSG. Reposition to engage an Alguacile through a window, but he makes the saves. I am out of orders for that group, so I leave him there in cover. The Zulu-Cobra takes down a Target Decoy. I reposition a few units and pass the turn.

My opponent only has a few units left at this point and spends his orders killing the Echo-Bravo and moving to cover the last console.

I coordinate the Croc-Man and Montesa to move up on the Alguacile. The Croc Man is discovered but I get the positioning I wanted. The Montesa walks around the corner and eliminates the Alguacile while the Croc Man shoots the Designated Target in the back. If I had been thinking clearly, I had enough orders to get to the Designated Target with my Montesa, who was my Data Tracker, but my opponent had played very slowly this game and I was rushing to finish before the deadline.

This round ended 8-1. Another strong victory.

Looting & Sabotaging

This is where the wheels fell off. I had planned on using List 2 for this mission, but List 1 had done so well for me in the previous rounds that I decided to stick with it. My opponent was playing JSA and I squared up against a TAG for the first time.

I won the LT roll and decided to choose deployment. The board had an industrial feel to it with an elevated catwalk, helipad, and cargo train.

My opponent has a fireteam in total cover behind the train in the middle, what I assume is his LT hidden in the engine room of the train, and two ODD ninja types on my right flank. Having played against JSA a few times I assume his reserve is a MSV2 remote and then a hidden deployment ML guy.

I spread my forces out with the fireteam in the middle trying to see as much of the board as possible and the helots on the flanks. The Zulu-Cobra sensor is camped next to the AC2 in an elevated position, while the Montesa and Bulleteer are in cover on the left flank.

My opponent then proceeds to drop a TAG for his reserve on my left flank… I should have chosen initiative!!!

The game was over before it even started. He rambo’d the TAG down my left flank taking out the Helot, two Fusiliers in the fireteam, the Montesa, the Machinist, and the Bulleteer. No wounds were inflicted to the TAG either. I did manage to take out his ODD model that had a sub-machine gun though. Silver lining!

I don’t remember much else at this point other than eliminating a character ninja and the other ODD guy. He steamrolled me 9-0. It was a good learning experience though.



After this loss I dropped to fourth place on tiebreakers. Had I picked up 3 more objective points along the way I would have been in second place. Overall, I was very happy with my performance and the way Varuna plays. I look forward to competing in more tournaments and learning more about Infinity. Thanks for reading.

 

Sorry for the confusion, I walked him on.

 

If I had played my Cutter list I would have gone first and hopefully been able to do to him what he did to me. His fireteam would have been easy pickings.

 

Possibly, but the Cutter can still do a lot of damage with only 8 orders. Chopping it down to one group is something to look at though.

 

Possibly, but the Cutter can still do a lot of damage with only 8 orders. Chopping it down to one group is something to look at though.

 

I really like the Montesa. It is nice having a fast moving, 2 wound specialist. It is a very good data tracker too. I do want to swap it out with Patsy at some point to try her out.

This is a good point. I will have to try this out too.