So, our league is over. Thank you to all who took the time to write up some ideas, you’ve been great! The last game was played agaisnt Tohaa, and the mission was frontline. Mind you I have an obscenely long loosing streak against Tohaa... Convinced that I had a solid list on the last encounter, I decided to work from the same basis. And not overthink his strengths but rather focus on what I could do to prevent another massacre. I chose to forego the hacker and the repeater network, as I didn't expect heavy infantry to be a major issue. a few tweaks here and there but this was the final product: Frontline──────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 10 NAMURR Spitfire, E/Marat, D-Charges / Heavy Pistol, E/M CC Weapon, Knife. (1 | 44) MUKHTAR (Multispectral Visor L2) Red Fury, 2 Nanopulsers / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 37) GOVAD Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 30) HORTLAK Submachine Gun, Blitzen / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 28) GHULAM (Infinity Spec-Ops) (12 XP) (WIP:15, BTS:3, Doctor Plus, Hyper-Dynamics L1, Assault Hacking Device) Rifle, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) NASMAT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) NASMAT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) GHULAM Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) GHULAM Lieutenant Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) GHULAM Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 16) GHULAM Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 16) FARZAN (Minelayer) Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23) GROUP 2 2 8 4 KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) MUTTAWI'AH Chain Rifle, E/Marat, Jammer, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5) DAYLAMI (CH: Limited Camouflage, Inferior Infiltration) Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 8) DAYLAMI (CH: Limited Camouflage, Inferior Infiltration) Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 8) DAYLAMI (CH: Limited Camouflage, Inferior Infiltration) Light Shotgun, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 8) WARCOR (360º Visor) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) 6 SWC | 300 PointsOpen in Infinity Army Admitedly, the spec-ops was not optmized as it should. Probably I forgot to add it to the list after I changed it (wanted doctor plus, engineer and minelayer), but since I was already there with a printed list, decided to go with it anyway. I lost initiative, my opponent chose to deploy on the side with a tall building, I chose to go second. For the first time since I started playing infinity I am happy with my deployment: my important pieces are in total cover from longer lanes, but oversee medium-close range approach vectors. The Hortlak Janissairy is synched to the Xeno-Tech. I have my ghulam snipers looking at the tall building rooftop from different angles, but also threatening a central corridor. Two of the daylami failed their infiltration, and were placed in my deploy looking at that tall building from their panzerfaust crosshairs. Third daylami was placed right outside his deployment, threatening the entrance to the house that would allow a safer access to the center of the table. My good friend brought a 2 combat group force with 3 triads. For clarity sakes lets name them like this: Triad 1: Gao-Rael Combi-rifle; Kamael Spec Ops; Makaul was on the ground floor of the tall building Triad 2: Gao-Rael Spitfire; Sakiel Forward Observer; Makaul, was also in the ground but on the center of his deploy, near my daylami. Triad 3: Sukeul Missile Launcher; Gao-Rael Sniper rifle; Kaeltar Specialist with Mates, was on the top of that building, only the sniper standing. He had also had another Kaeltar Specialist with mates (so all the Gao-rael and the Sukeul would have that extra measure of protection), a Chaksa with Smart heavy rocket launcher, and a diplomatic delegate synched to his xeno-tech. In hindsight I could've been (more) nervous about so many multi-spectral visors, and no way I could force him into loss of lieutenant (both kaeltars have Chain of Command). I was very proud of my reserve model. I placed the govad missle lancher in the top of a roof where he could clearly see the whole of the center the table and it´s main access routes. But in a corner wihtout LOF to the tall rooftop. He started his turn trying to deal with my aro pieces. Moving triad 2 closer to the daylami, and engaging him in a short ranged firefight. The dice are odd and far too many orders are spent on it before the daylami falls, he does manage to wound the gao-rael though and strip him of the mate and symbio-armor. Not bad for an 8 point model! Next he tries to deal with my snipers, but a lucky save and a panzerfaust crit stops him trying more funny stuff. My impetuous phase doesn't start very well. Two of the ghazi storm out of a building to die to the sniper on the roof. The other 2 are out of sight and advance freely. To deal with tha sniper, I coordinate both my snipers and the missile launcher. Target is down triad 3 is broken, no casualties on my side. Beautiful. I move my pieces up on the board, finish off the wounded Gao Rael with the Namurr, breaking triad 2. With plenty of orders left I was faced with the option of pushing further, but decided to fight on my terms. Instead of taking potshots or making unsure advances, I placed the Namurr, Mukhtar and Hortlak in suppresive fire, each with an order. Saved a command token, an odd choice that would prove invaluable later on. On his second turn he manouvered each of his makauls to place fire templates over my guys in supression. I wasn't about to gamble on fire saves on the Namurr or the Hortlak to take out a 13 point warband, so I dodged. He spent another order going after the hortlak and manged to make him go no-wound-incap. The namurr dodged to the inside of a building with a ghazi. A clipsos infiltrator is revealed nearby and tried to mine-trick the Namurr, who dodged again. The ghazi chain-rifled the clipsos going unconscious in the trade. With the mid lane now clear, his forward observer targeted one of my snipers and then the Chaksa auxiliar bombarded him with a guided rocket rendering him unconscious. Another surprise comes in the form of a Gao-Tarsos combat jumping right on my sniper nest, on the back of my Govad missile launcher. I failed to dodge-change facing when he landed and then again when he shot. Govad is dead. Finally, he moved his lone kaeltar a couple of stories up, to reform triad 3 and stood up his missile launcher Sukeul. Daylami reacts but we roll the same numbers and nothing happens. I have a lot on my hands now. I start with activating the spec-ops to move the nasmat on to engage the gao-tarsos in close combat. I don´t want cute-bot to take the bad artichoke out (it doesn´t really have a chance), just want the Gao-Tarsos not AROing at my back on every order I spend. And it worked! I then Activate the spec ops again, now in an effort to bring my Ghazi back. Needing a 18, I roll 20 and kill the Muttawiah, he doesn´t have a cube so no reroll is possible. Tough luck.. Then with a command token I coordinate the irregulars on grup 2 to throw 2 panzerfaust and a flash pulse on the Sukeul missile launcher. One of the daylami falls unconscious despite saving 2 of his armor rolls, the Sukeul is not so lucky and goes straight to dead. A lot of shuffling goes in the midfield to remove the remainders of Triad 2, somehow the Namurr manages to miss all of his 4 spitfire shots against the Makaul. But the Mukhtar pulls his weight and dispatches the alien. Hortlak Takes the forward observer out. And the Ghazi jammers the remaining Gao-Rael. Last turn is rather procedural and boring. My oponent is trying to move as much of his forces up without taking fire. And honestly, after having my Namurr burnt to death (failed a dodge), so am I. The only noteworthy play was my Farzan trying to budge the diplomatic delegate rolling double 20s on his boarding shotgun and eating a nanopulser to the face (which I had forgot about). The extra command token was golden to make sure the central zone was mine. The game finished I had control of the central zone with the Xenotech in it, and the sector nearest to my deploy. He had his nearest sector and had completed a classified. Both of us placed multi-scanners. Final Score Haqqislam 5 x Tohaa 3 So this is the end of our league. I don't expect to be among the best placed, but I had lots of fun in the process and learned a lot too. This game in particular thought me the importance of direct template weapons, and how I completely missed their value in dislodging troops in suppressive fire. On a bigger picture I committed to large lists, which is not something I used to do, and it payed off. I think I'm getting the hang of it, but I still need some more milleage to be comfortable to bring a 20 order list to an ITS tournament. But most important of all, it's now clear how my preocupations and worries influence a lot more than I'd like to admit. the old mantra holds true: It's not your list, it's you! TL;DR: First win against Tohaa! YAY!
Great report, thanks for the writeup! Did you consider a Hortlak sniper instead of the Govad ML? I'm guessing the template was a part of the decision but I do think the Hortlak gains a lot for the extra six points you spend over the Govad.
Thank you!! To be completely honest, I didn’t! LoL The framework for this list was the one I used against military orders, where having and AP+EXP weapon would be great against high ARM knights and burst 1 didn’t really matter (because of the saturation zone). When I started working on this one, I said ok, the Govad was the best thing in my last game and templates are supposedly a good thing against Tohaa, so leave him be and work on other stuff. So partly because of template, yes, but my opponent was careful enough not to bunch his guys even once. I agree the Hortlak makes for a very interesting sniper, with mimetism, higher BS and ARM then the Govad (not to say an extra wound, practically). However I consider an expensive(ish) sniper an active turn piece, no matter how resilient: in ARO duty you’re at half the odds in a ftf roll, and you’re engaged in your opponent’s terms. Likewise, the missile launcher is also engaged in opponent’s terms. But since its damage potential comes from the explosive ammunition, rather than burst, the opponent has to be very careful not to spend his orders and still engage it on your terms. All in all I don’t think think I would’ve chosen the Hortlak sniper for this role. But still, thank you, very much, for the reflection you provided! :)
