Hi. I am not terribly experienced in this game, having played under twenty games perhaps. What I like to do when learning a game is write my thoughts in some form to help me figure things out, also hearing other, more experienced people's thoughts is another great way to learn. What I try to understand in regards to listbuilding is what to include and when and what's the cost and payoff of any buy. I usually build my lists by first starting out with an active unit that I expect to do the heavy lifting of active turns and filling out the rest of the list, but sometimes by including synergistic pieces and seeing what best fits with them. I don't have much insight into match-ups and don't actually know the specific advantages of QK over any other force. I know it's a fireteam-oriented, fairly tough and generally effective at most ranges except actual melee army. Here's what I think of the units. I list their abilities in regards of what unique or rare abilities they bring, and then some general stuff. I do not bother with profiles I don't think are worthwhile, very common things like they have rifle and light shotgun or terrain skills which don't seem to come a lot into play. Just what they bring over other choices. The units! In the order they appear in IA, not including the mercenaries you have to separately check for in infinity army, I don't know if they're some sort of special include not always allowed. I apologize for the inconsistency in grammar. Bashi Bazouks : - The only AD unit to (reliably) bring E/M mines, decent ability to win FTF shooting rolls, AP/Shock munitions and survivability/utility in Holoprojector level 2 - One of two AD units - One of two units to bring E/maulers - One of three units to bring mines of any description - One of three units that have a skill to bring them closer along with good close-mid range weapons. - One of only two units to bring breaker pistols, in itself a rare BTS-attacking weapon - Purpose : flanking sheanigans, rambo action, picking off hiding targets/laying mines in annoying places, create difficulty for enemy placement. One of the few trick units in QK, one to bring uncertainty to the enemy plans Corregidor Alguaciles : - One of only two units that can have a MULTI Sniper Rifle or deployable repeaters and a normal Light Grenade Launcher, a very rare speculative fire weapon in QK - The cheapest normal soldier - The cheapest lieutenant - The cheapest HMG, Missile Launcher or a Hacker - Purpose : Deployable repeaters on Forward Observers, cheap filler order monkeys, a lone sniper or a LGL Ghulam Infantry : - The cheapest core link - The most versatile link in it's options, having the option to bring every specialist but an engineer, most support weapon types (with Hafza bringing Spitfire or HRL) - The only link that can bring a normal Light Grenade Launcher or mines of any description - One of two linkable Panzerfaust profiles - The only link that can include Leila Sharif, and so the other linkable KHD and Shock Marksman Rifle - The cheapest WIP 14 specialists - The cheapest minelayer and also the cheapest E/M weapon - Purpose : Cheap core link for smaller lists / whenever you bring other expensive stuff. Very good, cheap forward observers, solo doctors, missile launchers, a low-swc sniper or an LGL Hafza : - The unique ability to be in most fireteams, bringing a specialist or weapons otherwise unavailable to the fireteam, or just cheap filler, or reinforcing a link that has lost members - A lieutenant option that can hide with it's Holoprojector level 1 - Ability to pose as other models - The cheapest Heavy Rocket Launcher and spitfire profiles, one which can be in most your links - A lieutenant option that can have a spitfire for personal defense - Purpose : fireteam glue and options, hidden lieutenant, creating uncertainty about your list by posing as something else Leila Sharif : - One of only two Killer Hacker profiles, and the only one with WIP 14 - One of only two Breaker Pistol profiles - Ability to join a Ghulam fireteam - The cheapest KHD and SWC cheapest hacker in general - Rare ability to get closer with trickery, bringing decent weapons to pick off targets - One of two specialist profiles capable of some form of sneaking closer - Purpose : Killer Hacker, sneaking specialist and assassin, 0-SWC hacker to enable remotes, Shock Marksman Rifle for Ghulam link improving their good range bands, also Breaker Pistol brings a BTS-attacking weapon to Ghulam KTS : - The only actual soldiers to bring Mimetism and the only core with such a defensive enemy shooting modifier - The only core link to bring a Multi Sniper Rifle - The only unit to bring a Blitzen which is the only E/M2 weapon in QK, and a rare E/M type weapon anyway - The only Adhesive Launcher, the only PH targeting weapon - One of two links to bring combi-rifles - One of two links unable to bring Hafza, limiting their options regarding price, weapons and specialists - One of two links that don't crap their pants when shot at - One of two links that have no direct answer to camo - The highest BTS soldiers in QK - Purpose : Elite fireteam that has the tools to deal with most targets and fair survivability. The best ability to engage TAG's and heavy infantry. Strong active turn and terrifying ARO's. Possibly single model Sniper or Engineer Najjarun Engineer : - The cheapest engineer in QK - A courageous specialist - A cheap specialist that brings demolition charges - Purpose : He's an engineer that costs 10 points less than a Kaplan engineer while being able to fix stuff just as well. Odalisques : - The only Contender and Nanopulser profiles, the latter of which is a rare BTS targeting weapon and also the only BTS targeting template - The only melee special ability of any infantry in QK - The only NWI unit - One of two Haris/Core links. Also the only link that does not have the ability to bring along a Doctor and one of two that cannot bring a Hacker - The only linkable Submachine Gun, a rare linkable multi-ammo weapon - The only unit that can take SSL2 and one of two that can have 360 visor. - One of three fireteams that regularly come with lethal intuitive attacks as it's the other with linkable direct template weapons - Purpose : An quick fireteam with good short-medium range firepower and rare survivability skills against melee and in general. The more offensive and expensive of the two Haris options, and the most offensively oriented core light infantry fireteam. Single models can potentially be 360 visored / SSL2 aro models Warcors : - The cheapest non-remote model - Purpose : A cheap flash pulse speedbump Djanbazan : - The only MSV of any variety in QK, and the only special ability inherent to the unit in QK helping hit targets - The only unit capable of ignoring Camo from afar - Rare smoke synergy, the only unit capable of firing through smoke normally - The only regenerating unit, and as such the only shock immune fireteam - The most reliable HMG and Sniper Rifle - Purpose : A reliable core fireteam that doesn't care about smoke or camo modifiers, in that the most reliably lethal fireteam. Capable single models either for ARO or even some solo HMG action. Expensive, but regenerating specialists perhaps Druze : - The only unit with X-visors, making them lethal at many ranges - The only infantry unit with Lethality and Veteran - One of two Fireteam : Duo units - One of two KHD/AHD profiles - The only E/M + Nimbus Light Grenade Launcher, the only Nimbus ammo in general and a rare, linkable Speculative Fire profile anyway - The only Viral weapons of QK - The only Pitchers and as such the only hackers who bring their own repeaters - The only fireteam capable of only bringing Hacker specialists since it's one of two that cannot bring Hafza - The only linkable AHD, and the only one with a BTS score - One of two fireteams that bring combi-rifles - One of two linkable Panzerfausts in QK - Direct template weapons - The highest damage HMG and normal attacks of any QK fireteam due to lethality - Purpose : A very lethal elite fireteam that is dangerous both far and close. Like KTS, dangerous to all targets, but the least robust elite fireteam in QK, with high cost and no special skills to deal with the enemy turn whatsoever. Potentially solo LGL or Hacker profiles. Sekban : - The cheapest Haris team and second cheapest full core fireteam - The only fireteam that comes with it's own HRL profile (also the other Assault Pistol in QK) - The highest BS fireteam along with the Janissaries, thus the most effective HRL or Spitfire - One of two units that comes with 360 vision - One of two fireteams that have AP Rifles - Direct template weapons - One of two Duo fireteams - Stun pistols - A lieutenant profile with low cost, a direct template weapon and AP munitions - Purpose : A cheap haris/core fireteam with good, versatile weapons for many ranges and targets, armor/BTS and BS. Don't have to pay attention to facing. Single models perhaps ARO pieces with HRL and 360 vision, or just the AP rifle. Potentially include both them, Odalisques, Hafza and decide who is core and haris at the start Janissaries : - The only heavy infantry link, making it the most expensive and toughest to take out - The only link regularly vulnerable to hacking, also the only one that can have Tinbots - The only Akbar Doctor - The only Religious Troop - The highest PH link, making it the best at dodging and hitting stuff in melee (they also have CCW:s and CC15) - One of two links with AP rifles, BS13 - One of two links that can take a Missile Launcher - The highest SWC cost HMG and Missile Launcher - Suprisingly a fast link - No cubes - The other link that has no direct answer to camo - Purpose : A very expensive, tough to take out fireteam that can deal with most target types at most ranges, and isn't as scared of melee as the most of QK (but still not good at it). It has pure firepower and toughness, and nothing else. Possible single models could be an Akbar Doctor or perhaps a Missile Launcher. Mobile Brigada : - The only Light Flamethrower in QK - The only heavy infantry Hacker, and the only normal hacker with a BTS score - The only MULTI rifle profile - Courageous - Also fast like the Janissaries, and slightly less capable in CC - Purpose : Solo man to do stuff if you're making some weird solo heavy infantry models list with cheap other links and Akbar Doctor. Probably the hacker or perhaps a LFT profile Az'rail : - Both the only AP HMG and Feuerbach - The highest armor, slowest and biggest heavy infantry - The worst unit at close to melee range - Purpose : Either a tough solo ARO piece with the Feuerbach or more active soldier with the AP HMG, not benefiting of but not hindered by a fireteam. Iguana : - One of two TAG:s in QK, with higher BS, ARM, a repeater, an ejection system, HMG and isn't frenzied - The only Heavy Flamethrower in QK - The most mobile HMG best able to acquire targets - Highest BS in QK - The highest ARM in QK and shared highest BTS, therefore the unit most resistant to taking damage - The most total STR/Wounds shared with Scarface - In the Ejection Device, the only HMG able to immediately re-deploy to weird places - Combined with a KHD, the heavy unit most resistant to hacking - The highest concentration of points vulnerable to E/M and high power AP weapons - Purpose : A strong mobile HMG platform that can also torch squads/camo with it's HFT and makes your hackers feel more appreciated. A heavy lifter that has different vulnerabilities to those of a fireteam. A TAG for the missions that require a TAG. Scarface & Cordelia : - The other TAG - The only unit with Frenzy, Assault and MK12 in QK and one of two that can have an AP CCW - The strongest melee killer in QK - The 3 hardest STR to remove in QK - The cheaper TAG both in points and SWC, especially since he comes with his own engineer - The highest concentration of points that has no special defenses to hacking - Cordelia comes with way better gear than a Najjarun, though lower WIP - Purpose : A strong mid to melee range model, both a TAG and Engineer for mission purposes. The only true CC unit in QK. Remotes : - Nasmats essential to solo doctors and engineers - Repeaters almost necessary to hackers - Minesweeping abilities - Cheapest regular orders - Fastest Forward Observer and a specialist in general in the Rafiq - Sat-Lock ability - Ability to combat camo - The fastest rifle + light shotgun - Smart Missile System to benefit from your great Forward Observers, the highest damage weapon capable of firing anywhere - Total Reaction Drone, the only 360 vision HMG and most threatening ARO piece - Baggage ability to lose slower - Ability to casevac something to your great doctors - The only ability to boost your Yuan Yuan combat jump - Purpose : Essential Nasmats, cheap orders, fast specialist, dealing with camo, great ARO's both in the SML and Total Reaction Drone, EVO Hacking device, repeaters for your great hackers... Remotes bring a lot to the table. Al-Hawwa : - The only infiltrator and CH Camo, the only specialist with ability to start beyond your deployment zone - One of three units capable of bringing a Boarding Shotgun up close and one of two capable of Suprise Shots - The other AHD, the only one with WIP14 and ability to sneak closer to it's effective range - The only unit with Antipersonnel Mines - The only infiltrating sniper, the only one with ability for intuitive attacks and the other with a defensive modifier - Purpose : Infiltrating specialist, minelayer, annoying sniper, brutal killer with Boarding Shotgun, high WIP AHD Yuan Yuan : - The only unit capable of deploying anywhere - The only Smoke in QK - The only impetous model in QK - And the only Loot - The only infantry model with access to special close combat weapons - Highest CC of any QK infantry - The only Chain Rifle in QK - Purpose : Cheap, annoying AD unit that's devastating to lightly armored models and capable of helping you advance under the cover of smoke. Some ability to mince stuff in melee. I'll post some listbuilding thoughst later!
If you play ITS, it definitely works better to know the mission in advance, beofre assembling the list. For 20x20, or YAMS random mission generation doesn't require that.
We play ITS missions, sure. Not many tournaments around here though, possibly some in the capital city. I suppose knowing the mission beforehand makes some choices, such as baggage drones, more interesting. Seems like generally you're always looking to move up and take out enemies so you can do other things though. In any case, I tend to pick an unit where I start, say Djans. Now I have a slow but robust core link that can deal with camo etc, can deal with heavy armor somewhat but not amazing at it. Also it costs a bunch even with Hafza. Next, I figure I want something speedy to compensate, for haris teams this leaves the Odalisques - but they're also expensive and would also like to go up the table like the Djans, so the order economy on that doesn't look too good. I'll rather have the Sekban with HRL, bringing an AP rifle for good measure too. Or not have a haris at all, perhaps. Then, I want fast units, both to hit stuff and grab objectives. Yuan Yuan have to be in for the Djan synergy, and they fill the going-up-the-board niche. They also have synergy with Bashi Bazouks in a way, being able to cover their approach. Both of those go in, two of each. Then, I have little points and a lot of SCW. Some Ghulam Forward Observers go in, for annoying ARO's and the ability to spotlight targets for my other units. The Hafza lieutenant gets upgraded with a Spitfire to have a secondary SAW for the Djans, and then an Alcuagil Missile fills the rest of the points exactly. So here's what I have then. Looking at it I know that : - My fireteams likely won't act a lot turn 1, their orders consumed by the AD troops. - A serious heavy infantry team or a TAG presents a challenge to take down. - There's only a few serious guns and when they go down, there's little to do. AD Units! ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 7 3 1 DJANBAZAN HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35) DJANBAZAN Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 31) DJANBAZAN Doctor Plus (MediKit) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 31) HAFZA Lieutenant Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22) HAFZA (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) YUAN YUAN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 8) BASHI BAZOUK Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15) BASHI BAZOUK Combi Rifle, E/Mauler / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 17) GHULAM (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) ALGUACIL Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 15) GROUP 2 5 1 1 SEKBAN (Fireteam: Haris) AP Rifle, Chain-colt / Pistol, Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22) SEKBAN Heavy Rocket Launcher, Chain-colt / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 23) HAFZA (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17) GHULAM (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) YUAN YUAN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 8) GHULAM (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13) 6 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army
ITS requires it but meh. I know it's the norm to take a list with you when you head down to the store. Which leaves a lot of silly scenarios once you line up your little metal men. "Go out there men, and do some things. Yes yes. I know you have to blow up a bridge and no one brought d-charges. Yes, I also understand you are deploying into a parking lot, so you only brought shotguns..."
Right. Even more so, then, important to understand what each unit brings. In that regard I feel like the KTS team is very versatile, bringing most tools to the table, being fast and easily able to dominate a table part as they cost so much. One thing I often struggle with is SWC. As in, I feel like I should fill it out, but many of the options I want to take cost no swc while the rest cost a ton of points and don't fit well. I generally prefer a ghulam FO as an ARO guy to a sniper for example, I'll rather use my WIP14 than BS11, and on active turn I feel spotlighting is more useful than a random sniper. A thought about order efficiency on QK, in addition to fire team order efficiency, high WIP on specialists tends to be worth some orders by itself. While usually not huge hordes, it seems to me QK usually has enough orders for the primary goals you want to accomplish. To put a point on it, while expensive good stuff generates less orders than a pile of trash, they should succeed more and therefore need less orders. Likely this is why rambos exist? The point cost doesn't tell the value of the unit for the purposes of choosing how to support it. Yuan Yuan are 8+ point models, but I still find it worthwhile to support them with an EVO Kameel, since their value with a successful combat jump multiplies. Though then I also want to include something else the EVO Kameel has synergy with, like a Rafiq. Single model weapon platforms feel like of very limited use without some way to support them. I have not been able to do anything at all with the AP HMG Az'rail for example, and I have noted that had I just spotlighted the target, it would have been a different story. I think it's because the majority of them have no special skills at all to aid their shooting. On the flipside to above, even though QK is a lot about fireteams, it's a few single models that have always contributed the most to victory for me. Bashi Bazouks, Al-Hawwa, Yuan Yuan, Iguana, a lone Djan sniper, random Odalisque on suppressive fire, a Shaytaniyah, even a Rafiq... I don't think the fireteam is the be-all, end-all and ultimately a HMG with 4 burst is a lethal weapon withouth this and that bonus. Another observation, the quality of the fireteam always seems to matter most on the enemy turn. On your turn a KTS team fires it's main support weapon most of the time, and it's no more potent than it would be in any other 5-man link, and bad rolls or enemy crit stops your team just the same unless it's Odalisques/Janissaries. On the enemy turn, however, linked ARO's feel either weak or overpowered depending on the team. On your turn the Djans MSV2 doesn't necessarily mean anything, but on the enemy turn he won't be advancing through smoke or killing your team with some crazy camo model popping up. The attributes most important for active turn team, to me, seems to be their speed, main weapon and ability to take a hit. In that way Odalisques and Janissaries seem like the most ideal active turn teams. Unless perhaps the terrain has very open firelanes. Trusting only normal weapons to stop a heavy infantry link or a TAG has never worked out for me. They're tough to take out in cover on your turn and not many models will beat them in FtF ARO, and not many weapons stop them in that ARO. Meanwhile ADHL/Blitzen, Hacking etc. have proven extremely useful for stopping the armored rampage. Unfortunately, the availability of such means is fairly limited, there are not many E/M weapons at all in QK and it's fairly common sense for the enemy to not stick their head into your camo hacker/remote range with no vision. In this regard my gut tells me that it's best to include any sort of cheap ARO's just as long as they can't be ignored. Such as the Ghulam FO I increasi gly love.
