Welcome to the Hyperpower! In Code One PanOceania plays the part of the dominant power, fighting to stay on top by any means necessary. We have the technological edge, economic dominance and manpower advantage over our rivals in the Human Sphere and represent the best chance humanity has to hold back the Combined Army. But the real question is how well this translates onto the tabletop? For both veterans and newcomers to Infinity, the Code One PanOceanian force offers an interesting range of gun fighting options. From solid cheap base line units, through to high quality elite options, the combat abilities of PanOceania are top notch. Higher average BS and good access to both Mimetism and MSV allow easy dominance of most gunfights. On the other hand our lower average WIP and more limited access to Camo make PanOceania a more "straightup" force to run. While you can pull a few surprises, and have good access to cheap specialists (for numbers) and some decent specialists options when you need someone to rely on for missions, we certainly can't rely on completing missions without taking out the enemy. Lack of Close Combat options is another notable difference from the other Code One offerings, but here there is no real need to feel the lack. With the Code One rules having no provision for deployable zero visibility zones (smoke, or otherwise) it'll be hard to get CC working as a reliable tool, and we have enough access to shore up where it might be necessary. PanOceania, in Code One, has access to only a limited range of Light Infantry (and one of those is probably better thought of as a Skirmisher) and those are very low cost straightforward offerings. Our selection of Medium Infantry is slightly better, with some basic and some more interesting choices mixed in. Like the Code One Yu Jing force, Heavy Infantry is where PanOceania shines with a wide range of options and some especially strong elite choices. We'll learn more about TAGs later once these are added to Code One, but just knowing that we will be getting the Cutter tells us that we are going to be playing at the very top tier. Remote access is standard (slightly better than Combined Army, identical to Yu Jing and O-12), although PanOceania possibly leans into some of these more than other factions. In terms of Skirmishers we have fairly average access, but our options (especially if you, like me, count the Nokken here rather than in Light Infantry) lean more towards aggressive attack choices. And Warbands are a category basically negated by the design concepts driving Code One, and our one Character here isn't really worth more than a glance.
Fusiliers The standard PanOceanian Line Infantry unit, the Fusiliers (or "Riflemen" if you don't know your Spanish) are as much a staple in Code One as they are in Infinity. They are a very stock standard example of such a unit, varied only slightly from similar troopers in other armies. With average speed, Close Combat, Physical, Arm, BTS and Total availability they are a unit all PanOceanian commanders will look to from time to time when considering their options. Differentiation is found in their higher Ballistic Skill, with a 12 in this category being above average, but lower Willpower, again a 12. This makes them fair gunfighters, but weaker at accomplishing mission objectives overall. With low Armour and no Bio-Technical Shielding they are easily eliminated if your opponent brings significant strength against them, but they are especially vulnerable to Direct Template Weapons due to low PH and a lack of other defense, along with their single Wound. Their BS is solid, but not high enough to lean into without the advantage of Burst on their side as well, which further limits their real effectiveness. But generally speaking it's not combat capability which we are looking for in terms of basic Line Infantry in Code One. Thanks to that slightly higher Ballistic Skill they are more likely to survive when they are targeted by enemy attack pieces, while offering the same low cost Orders to bulk out an Order Pool which their even less survivable peers in other armies produce. It also makes them a better choice for a low cost backup active turn shooter. COMBI PROFILE The basic Fusilier with Combi Rifle has basically its whole attraction summed up in one short statement "it's only one point". An Order for a point is hard to argue with, but given you can select a Paramedic for the same cost and thus gain a backup medic option and a Specialist it's hard to always see why you wouldn't make that choice. Simply put, Firefight. When eliminating Specialists is worth Objective Points then it is going to be a good idea to make your Specialists tough, and Fusiliers certainly are not tough. In this situation you may want to consider the regular Combi Rifle armed Fusilier option. Now, it is also worth considering that on the smaller tables which many Code One games are played on the range bands of the Combi Rifle are solid. Although hardly a premier attack option, a Fusilier with a Combi Rifle can do a lot of damage under the right circumstances and the opportunity should not be overlooked due to underestimating these troopers. At the same time we can also consider the Lieutenant variant, which is identical apart from being the Lieutenant. As there is no penalty to the loss of a Lieutenant in Code One there's no need to hide this choice, and generally speaking you will want to have the bonus order on a unit with a better active turn profile. However you may spend your points on options which don't offer a great place for the Lt order, and it is good to have a cheap option to fulfill this requirement for list building. HEAVY MACHINE GUN Despite costing half again what you are paying in points for a regular Fusilier, and one full Support Weapon Cost as well, the HMG option for your Fusiliers is well worth considering. Possibly not as an initial purchase, but when combing back through a list which has SWC and wriggle room on points as a backup option. HMGs are an excellent active turn offensive option in Code One, and offer both the Burst and standoff firepower which a Fusilier really needs in order to fight without serious risk. While not a first choice strike piece, a Fusilier HMG is well worth considering as a backup. MISSILE LAUNCHER Missile Launchers are one of the most threatening single shot weapons in the Infinity universe. They legitimately threaten literally any target and always demand serious consideration. On the other hand, although a threatening Automatic Response Order option, the Missile Launcher suffers badly on the smaller tables of Code One. Given the ability of opponents to simply engage such a dedicated ARO piece from within its weaker range bands and with advantages from Mimetism and possibly also Surprise Shot means that even such a fearsome threat will be simply eliminated. This is not a choice which I would seriously suggest for inclusion in your Code One lists. MULTI SNIPER The MULTI Sniper has always been a compromise piece, paying heavily for the Corvus Belli premium on range and sitting between the ARO dominance of a Missile Launcher and the active turn dominance of a HMG. With their active turn shots limited now to Armour Piercing, with the Burst restriction on Double Action, and the range restrictions on many Code One tables, this offering is significantly reduced in value. This is, once again, not a choice which I would seriously suggest for inclusion in your Code One lists. HACKER Hackers, with their ability to engage without Line of Sight within Zone of Control against Hackable Targets (which most Code One battles will offer in reasonable quantity) are a very useful upgrade when possible. The key restriction is their SWC cost, but as long as your SWC holds out there is little reason not to pick up Fusilier Hackers to provide your orders. Although slightly more vulnerable to other Hackers as a result, the ability to stop many key enemy attack pieces without risk of destruction, and to improve the odds against others for elimination in the active turn, makes these a good choice. They also offer the advantage of acting as Specialist Troopers for mission objectives, and while their low WIP makes them less than ideal in this role it's always great to have more options. When the mission does not punish the presence of cheap Specialists, and there is no advantage to other Specialist types, there is little reason not to upgrade any Fusiliers you were considering taking to Hackers, as long as you have the SWC to do so. PARAMEDIC The Fusilier Paramedic is the other Specialist option available, and will sometimes be a better choice than the Hacker if only due to their lack of any SWC cost. PanOceania is usually hungry for SWC to equip their premier active turn pieces with heavy weapons and it will usually be useful to have your Fusliers as Specialists as well as providing Orders. The Paramedic offers everything a regular Combi Rifle armed Fusilier does, at the same cost, so for any mission where losing Specialists won't hurt you then this is the better choice. At the same time the MediKit is also useful, especially for most PanOceania Code One lists where there are plenty of Heavy Infantry options who benefit more from a MediKit than any effort to pull them back up with a Doctor. OVERALL So, taken as a whole, it's clear that Fusiliers have a role to play in PanOceanian Code One lists. They are a good supply of numbers of Orders, to support our top tier strike and defensive options. While there is in-faction competition (especially the Trauma Doc and Machnist as cheap Specialists, and our Pathfinder and Fugazi Remotes) there is certainly a role for Fusiliers, so if you are a fan of the sculpts, haven't built out your collection yet, or want to lean hard into the really top tier options (and need numbers of cheaper bodies to back them up) then the Fusiliers have something to offer. From a Code One perspective the exchange Fusiliers make of giving up a point of Willpower for a point of Ballistic Skill is an absolute bargain. With the limited uses of Willpower it's an ever better deal than it is in Infinity. Machinists in Code One One of the peculiarities of the points system for Code One is the way in which it places some units at the same cost. This is often particularly noticeable when we consider Specialist variants of some units, where there is little incentive to select a basic trooper over a Specialist. When it comes to the Machinist (and Trauma Doc) in PanOceania, this becomes very clear. There will often be little to no reason to consider other 1pt options 'till after you have taken these. However there is already one Scenario (Firefight), and could be others in the future, where Specialists can become a liability, especially fragile Light Infantry Specialists like the Machinist. So some care is needed. This is especially true with the Machinist, because most PanOceanian Code One forces will also be fielding Remotes. Both the Fugazi and the Pathfinder are such strong options that it is well worth including them, and having a Machinist on hand to repair them if they are damaged will be very effective. But the Machinist can also help support your other troopers, particularly if they are Immobilized, and used to accomplish mission objectives. As we can see, there are two loadout options, one of which offers the basic package for a line infantry Engineer on the Fusilier base, plus a bonus bump in terms of 3 points of Bio-Technical Shielding. The latter, especially, makes a Machinist a nearly automatic inclusion for any PanOceanian Code One army list. For one Point we are getting a Combi Rifle armed BS 12 trooper, just like a basic Fusilier, with the Engineer skill and 3BTS at no extra cost. It's a deal, it's a steal, it's SALE OF THE CENTURY!!! Now, we also have the option of instead paying a full half-point more to pick up Mimetism -3 on our Machinist. This represents the various Sectorial specific variants of Machinist (such as those particular to Acontecimento, NeoTerra, Svalarheima or Varuna). Its a fairly significant increase in overall cost, so it's certainly reason to pause. On the other hand picking up Mimetism firmly pushes this option into "decent backup gunfighter" territory. It also becomes harder to eliminate, making it slightly more reliable. Overall this option is a significantly better actual Specialist, with Mimetism making it a lot more likely that it's going to make it into the positions you need it on the table. Of course, it's still WIP 12, so it's hardly something you are going to want to rely on in the role, but it's an excellent backup. I'd rate this over the basic version for scenarios where your Specialists are going to be winning the game for you. One other thing should be taken into consideration whenever we think about any Engineer or Doctor, and that is the potential to take Peripheral (Servant) Remote to assist them in their role. For the Machinist this option comes in the form of the PalBot. Adding a PalBot to your to your Machinist significantly increases their cost, but allows them to operate on two different parts of the table at once. It can also be used as a partner for Close Combat, although that isn't particularly attractive for the Machinist. Perhaps the greatest use for these little helpers is in clearing Mines and in helping their partner to clear fire lanes (as they can draw an ARO, allowing the Machinist to dart across unharmed). This is likely a good investment if you are running several other Remotes (and a PanOceanian Code One force can certinly have plenty of those), or can simply be a good option to use that last 0.5 points when you already have 10 troopers. Nokken in Code One For PanOceania commanders the Nokken, Special Recon and Interveintion Team, are our elite Light Infantry option in Code One. They have a lot in common with many Skirmisher units however, and it's useful to compare them with those options when considering how best to use them on the table. They bring an interesting range of options to the table, with the three profiles fitting into quite different tabletop roles and largely needing separate consideration. In terms of their stat line we see a very typical PanOceanian array through their Mov, CC, BS and PH, but a higher than average WIP is particularly useful for the Hacker and Boarding Shotgun profiles, while their improved Arm and BTS both aid survivability. The key features which really define the unit, however, are found in their Special Skills, where Mimetism -6 and Forward Deployment +8" push them into a clearly aggressive role. With a vision modifier and advanced deployment it's easy to quickly compare them to Skirmishers, but it's important to realise that the Nokken is not a strong choice in that role. Their lack of a marker state makes them vulnerable, especially in the first turn, and a lack of mobility skills can mean that you have to be more conservative with their deployment, especially if your opponent goes first. Spitfire The first profile for us to consider is the Nokken with Spitfire. This, obviously enough, costs SWC and that might be a factor to count against it. On the other hand it is a forward deploying heavy weapon with a significant visual modifier. If you have played with the Bulleteer in Infinity and want a similar experience in Code One then this is probably the best option for that style of aggressive striker. This kind of offensive piece can be very effective in a Code One environment, and I would highly recommend considering it as a supplement to a HMG armed trooper. The Spitfire has range bands which suit an aggressive advance and this choice will allow you to cut through any opening you make, just watch out for mines! Hacking Device The second Nokken is a more defensive tool, and toolbox style unit. With both a Combi Rifle and a Light Shotgun you have a lot of options for engaging enemy units in close. By adding a Hacking Device into the mix you can force opponents to make terrible decisions in ARO, and take advantage of whatever choice they make. For example, if they Dodge you can Hack them unopposed, if they Reset you can drop a double template on them and if they shoot back you've got the Combi and burst advantage to make their day suck just as much. Although this Nokken is just as vulnerable in your reactive turn to direct fire, the presence of the Hacking Device allows it to contribute to your defense while you keep it hidden well enough to be a problem for your opponent to dig out. Overall, while moderately expensive, this unit is worth considering for your Code One lists. Boarding Shotgun / MSV 1 Our third Nokken is something of an odd duck. If you are familiar with the wider PanOceanian range then you may be struck by similarities to other units with these kinds of equipment and skill combinations. With a Boarding Shotgun and MSV 1 what we have here is a dedicated hunter-killer unit, intended to be used to sweep the midfield and take out enemy Skirmishers. The key flaw in this concept is that, being equipped with close range weaponry, the unit has to advance into Mine range to do its job well, not great for a unit which is particularly vulnerable to Deployable Weapons. On the other hand, getting in to dig out enemy units which have taken up covered positions in the midfield is an important role, and this loadout excels in it. When the time comes to clear the Skirmisher Hackers threatening your advancing Heavy Infantry this is exactly the unit you'll want to reach for. Overall The Nokken, as an elite light infantry unit which shares characteristics with skirmishers, certainly brings something to the table in Code One. They offer a very aggressive option which allows for a first turn alpha strike approach, as well as an interesting mix of weapon options to suit the needs of your particular list. While they may sometimes get squeezed out by competition with other options, the Nokken are well worth considering when you are building a Code One force.
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