I'm playing a game tomorrow night against a relatively new opponent. They have started nomads and are excited about hacking. My usual RTF list is pretty much all LI, with no hackers and it seems a bit rough to run that. So seems like an opportunity to try and build a list around Al Fasid because I like the model, and I'll include Leila as well. The mission is suppiles. Anyone use Al Fasid have any insight on how to get the most out of it?
He's either the roadblock (Heavy Rocket Launcher + SMG) or the toolbox (HMG + LGL). I'd say the HMG loadout has much better chances of survival against non-MSV2 units since he can just smoke his position with the light grenade launcher in case the enemy is located in a bad range band for his HMG. Both loadouts do pretty well on missions where you need to hold a position to score points. Fasid is expensive and heavily armored. Coupled with the ability to go into Suppressive Fire and the right positioning, he can win the game for you. That said, I only ran him a couple of times in Dahshat, so I don't have much experience with him in RTF. Minelayer and SSL1 can sometimes pretty much negate whatever skirmisher/warbands an enemy would be running. On paper, though, Hortlak SMG seems like a better suppressing fire unit thanks to Mimetism, but Al Fasid can do more things than just standing around and suppressing people. He can provide smoke for your MSV2 Mukhtar, he can lumber across the midfield planting mines, he can punish some poorly positioned link teams with his HRL or LGL. Not an easy unit to run, but pretty fun.
Against hackers, his Veteran prevents him from being isolated, which limits the damage he can sustain to being immobilised.
I played with both Fassys quite a few games some time ago - mostly in vanilla Haqq. I like to use those big bad boys with all their toys, but in RTF I used Fasid only once - the HMG version. I think using them is funny, but those aren't the most optimal choices. Still I highly recommend trying them - maybe they'll fit in great in your playstyle :) In vanilla I usually preferred the HRL/SMG version, but with the options in RTF and my typical link with Khawa HRL I think that Fasid HMG works better with them. He can also cooperate nicely with Khawa Mk12 with MSV, giving him smoke screen et cetera. When I used him, it was in our own-made campaign. I went with aggressive advance, so he could get a good use of his weapons ;) He started with HMG vs some AROs, then went closer and after two Speculative Shots killed two Tohaas lying on the roof in their deployment zone. Great fun ;) Fasid eventually felt unconscious in the subsequent enemy turn, but it costed my adversary few important orders and his sacrifice was valuable, as I won the game. I could use the Smoke Dodge to increase the chances of survival, but the enemy Tohaa was already wounded by Fassy and wanted to have the chance to finish him off. So definitely try him out. PozdRawiam / Greetings
You could run some Jannisaries too, if you want to give more targets for your opponent Maybe something like this? Ramah Taskforce ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 10 TARIK MANSURI Lieutenant L2 Spitfire, Nanopulser, Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (1.5 | 59) LEILA SHARIF Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Shock Marksman Rifle, D-Charges / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 20) HORTLAK Submachine Gun, Blitzen / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 28) HORTLAK (Chain of Command) Submachine Gun, Blitzen / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 33) JANISSARY Akbar Doctor (MediKit) AP Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 41) JANISSARY Missile Launcher / Pistol, CC Weapon. (2 | 37) FASID Heavy Rocket Launcher, Submachine Gun, Antipersonnel Mines / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (2 | 45) FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) NAJJARUN Engineer Rifle + Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) NASMAT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) 5.5 SWC | 299 Points Open in Infinity Army
I have used the Fasid HMG offensively with the Muhktars haris (separate combat group). Ramah Taskforce ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 10 GHULAM Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 17) KHAWARIJ Heavy Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, AP CCW. (1 | 28) NAFFATÛN Lieutenant Rifle + Light Flamethrower, Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12) NAFFATÛN Rifle + Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) LEILA SHARIF Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Shock Marksman Rifle, D-Charges / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 20) GHULAM Doctor Plus (MediKit) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) NASMAT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) FASID HMG + (Smoke and Normal) Light Grenade Launcher, Antipersonnel Mines / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (2 | 53) FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) GROUP 2 5 KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) KAMEEL (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) MUKHTAR (Fireteam: Haris) Viral Rifle, 2 Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 31) MUKHTAR (Multispectral Visor L2) Red Fury, 2 Nanopulsers / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 37) MUKHTAR Doctor Plus (MediKit) Boarding Shotgun, 2 Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 30) 6 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army