To my great surprise I've actually had very much the same experience - while the Core Fireteamed Zhayedan can achieve silly target numbers, his just too damn fragile and hard to maneuver in Order to be an autoinclude! While the Shakush is rolling 4 dice at 14s instead of 5 dice at 18s most of the time, the TAG brings it's own Tactical Awareness Order to the table, it's got MOV 6-2 and doesn't have to drag a full Fireteam behind it, and it won't go down to a lucky crit against most foes! I've even had reasonable success utilizing the Shakush as a limited ARO presence, which is again something that the Zhayedan usually can't pull off! So summa summarum, I've recently found myself using the Shakush HMG more that the Zhayedan HMG!
A while ago I was looking around the internet to check out tabletop skirmisher games and on one page I found the image of the Maghariba Guard, which I found a spectacular mini! After a bit of research, I liked Infinity and wanted to give it a go. I downloaded the infinity army app and opened Haqqislam ... and boy, was I overwhelmed. So many profiles! And no knowledge on how to read them, what was supposed to do what, etc. I did some more research, jumped into the rules - and found your blog, Grotnip. I love your blog! Your positive attitude towards the minitatures/profiles, your writing style and especially your newbie-friendly explanation of what each unit can be used to gave me huge help in understanding the profiles. I read you blog, checked the army app, read in the rules wiki - and repeated that cycle quiet some time. So I want to say a big "Thank You!" for your effort and time. To me your blog as invaluable in getting a grasp of this game
Gosh, thank you so much your most kind words - feedback like this really validates all the work that has gone into the blog! <3 Happy gaming my friend, please let me know if I can be of any help to you along the way! :)
I know, I know; I should be finishing up @PandaBeastMode 's article or in the very least be updating my older stuff, but how could I say no to a Game for the Durgama Takeover Online Campaign?
Phew! I've now completed updating all of my Unit Focus Articles to the post N4 Fireteam Update era, and as a result I've removed the note "Update Completed" from the finished pieces, and instead marked those texts that still require some reworking. Please let me know if you spot any mistakes (whether those relate to spelling, the rules or anything else) whil reading the blog - I'm as dedicated as ever to trying to provide as high quality RTF content as I can! Have a great day everyone!
Seeing all the recent changes with HB and being an RTF fanboy I really hope down the road CB does a little more tinkering with RTF to make it that much more flexible and competitive.
In my personal view the N4 Fireteam Update (and the accompanying upgrades to several RTF units) were almost everything that I could ask for, and some things that did not dare hope to receive! We gained some apex gunfighting pieces in the Pure Fireteamable Zhayedans as well a spectacular Wildcard in the (TA) Namurr, plus the greatly increased Fireteam flexibility really helps us put some of our previously less used pieces into good use! EDIT. Also the addition of the Beasthunter was just huge for Ramah; my midfield stopped leaking rambos to my DZ the moment we got the mercenary skirmisher added to our roster, and mine has been trading up like crazy since his arrival! :D I'd be eager to hear what are your perceived problems with RTF's competitiveness, as well what tinkering you'd like to see in the future! :)
Well, I think some of the issues in RTF stem from rules bloat inflating costs. The Namurr was a good example. It got a rework that has pleased most users. But, when I turn to RTFs poster children I find the same issue and turn away from fielding Khawarijs. Their durability for the cost is typically the main gripe I’ve heard. I would also like to see more E/M weaponry over hackers. I think this fits them better than more hacker platforms. Another war band would be great. Of course, anything with fire is lovely in this sectorial. Who doesn’t love heavy flamers and heavy rockets. And lastly, since I’m on a wish list roll, it would be great if we could have an engineer link with some of our mechs since RTF can be mech heavy.
Thank you for clarifying what you mean @sololobo ! I'd like to present my humble opinion on the matters you brought up, but don't by any means take this mean that I'm trying to invalidate your view or anything like that; I'm only too happy to get some discussion regarding RTF going! :) While I feel that it is true that in the past the Khawarijs where quite expensive for what they did (their synergy with a back then "Ghulam Core" wasn't that impressive, and their Haris was expensive), I feel that they received a great buff in the form of the new Haris capable RTFFT - I've lately been running a Haris of a Ghulam Doctor, a Ghulam NCO and a Khawarij of choice to some great results! While the Khawarij doesn't quite gunfight as well as a Zhayedan would, they are way more mobile, they're more likely pass any saves they're forced to make, they don't get killed outright by Shock, they're better at Dodging and they can carve enemies up in melee (especially if you can blind the enemy with Smoke and then pile in the Ghulams for some extra Burst)! My current favorite Red Turban is the Heavy Rocket Launcher/Light Shotgun; he gets you some amazing bang for your buck at 30pts/1SWC! While I can understand where you're coming from, I don't think RTF needs any more help in the anti-TAG department; atleast I tend to find that my lists are almost accidentally packing so many ways of engaging heavy armor that I really don't find myself hoping for more! When it comes to enemy REMs, they go down to bullets plenty good anyway! Carmen&Bâtard are a top tier Warband and I feel that the Beasthunter can also serve as a pseudo-Warband; I guess any more than that would start to encroach on some other Factions' territories! ;) Again, I personally feel that this is a clear design choice by CB - Ramah Taskforce is primarily an elite Light Infantry Faction, and I by far prefer implementing this through reduced support to Heavy units as opposed to making our Heavier stuff subpar per se. Shakush for example is a fantastic TAG, and I don't often find it neccessary to invest in an Engineer to support a 58 point model anyway - a sentiment that this reinforced by that fact that piloted TAGs don't get access to repair rerolls, which makes me extremely hesitant to try and fix them in the first place! Pretty much every game where my Shakush has gone unconcious the Pilot has leaped out to Shotgun some fools anyway! At the end of the day, if we had access to a Fireteam capable Engineer, I'm not sure I'd bring them with our mechanized units anyway; our other Wildcards or so great that the opportunity cost would be quite high! But again, these are just some of my thoughts, I'd love to hear how they resonate with you! :)
Oh none taken! And, same sentiment. Khawarij heavy rocket launcher is my favorite profile if I had to pick one. For fun, I created a list with three plus two Fasids for a total of 15 AoEs of continuous damage. Lite up! When it comes to taking down HI/TAGs AP bullets, panzerfausts, and Carmen/Batard are my answers. But, I guess as someone who considers HB to be his main I feel a lack of answers in this area. There are answers just not as focused as I would like to see. Again, this is a me thing. How do you handle HI/TAGs? Carmen/Batard are! And, I have them in any RTF list I attempt to build, but if only we could get our hands on McMurder too. He fits RTF better than HB. Good points on the TAGs. I feel that the Shakush replaced Maggy and the less you spend on that’s the better. Just let the Truckers duo with the Shakush. Please CB. lol
To chime in: RTF is the only faction that can field TWO Maghariba Guards (and I were so crazy to order a second one with TAG-Raid ... ). If it comes down to it, RTF could have a super-heavy TAG-core with some superior light infantry around it. But we have only 3 engineers: Fiddler, Monstruckers and Najjaruns. I like the monstrucker's climbing plus and the drop bears. And he is cheap. Fiddler is quiet expensive, but also can have climbing plus, drop bears, and has Maghariba's movement. Our in-faction engineer Najjarun ... seems bland and uninteresting in comparison. Isn't he supposed to be a member of a super-soldier faction? Shouldn't he has some quirks like monstrucker/fiddler? Since Maghariba Guard can be in a fireteam with Zhayedans - I think some of the Zhayedan should be educated in engineering x)
He's the Haqq-wide engineer, not RTF-specific, so it makes sense that he's bland - engineering isn't a Haqq specialy. I think he's basically supposed to be a Ghulam, but CB doesn't like to make doctors and engineers linkable so they give them different troop types - same way the Trauma Doc and Machinist aren't Fusiliers even though they have Fusilier stats and Fusilier armor. Ghulam Doc is the exception, presumably because of Haqq's doctor specialty. I suppose they could give him sectorial-specific upgrades like the Machinists get, but you know it would probably be Najjarun RTF (Super-Jump) for 18 points, so be careful what you wish for...
I personally tend to see the "unfocused" way of dealing with threats and projecting it's own attack vectors as one of RTF's strenghts! If an Opponent can't know how a Ramah player is going to engage their heavy armor for example, it's harder to plan on how to counter the threats to their bigger pieces in turn! These days RTF has access to some heavy weapons that can take out a TAG/HI at range in a fair fight (Zhaydan ML, Khawarij HRL), but fair is for fools, right? Ghulam NCO can quite easily blind the enemy warmachine with Smoke (unless it's a Marut), and then Yara can shoot it through said Smoke or you can smuggle a melee fighter (Nahab/Namurr) into melee with it. Tuaregs are also fantastic Hidden Deployed Hackers that can disable TAGs on the active turn and Spotlight HI for destruction, unless there's a Tinbot (-6) at play! My friends are already complaining about how unimmersive it is that Trevor the Trucker is part of the strike force that's the very tip of the Haqqislamite military's spear to begin with - I don't think they could live with a Shakush/Monstrucker Duo! :D The Najjarun is a WIP14 Regular Engineer with a Rifle, a Light Shotgun and D-Charges for 15 points; he's not flashy, but he gets his job done for a relatively low price! Just like @QueensGambit warned, adding more flavor to models costs more points, and the supersoldiers both have all the flavor and cost all the points that RTF can afford, so bland, cheap and effective support troops that can round out the list are very much welcomed by yours truly! :D
You both are probably right. Having a basic, no extras and therefore cheap profile is good to have. Regarding versatility: I think versatility favors the active player more, as he can chose the right target for his versatile troop. In reactive, the opponent can send a specialist to deal with the versatile trooper (which in itself may or may not be costly for the opponent, depending on game situation and game plan).
I am working on buying and building these two lists: This list enjoys the amount of fire RTF can deliver in one list. It attempts to manage HI/TAGs by stifling their order pool. gZQPcmFtYWgtdGFza2ZvcmNlDjEuKSBBTlRJLUxJL01JgSwCAQoBgS8BAwACgS8BAwADgS8BAwAEgS0BCwAFgS0BAQAGgS0BCAAHgVcBAgAIgS0BCAAJgVcBAgAKgS0BCAACBQGGIgEDAAKEgQGQqAADgT4BAQAEgT4BAQAFgT4BAQA= This list attempts to stop and pop HI/TAGs by immobilizing them via E/M and cracks them open with EXP weaponry. I can swap a parachuting E/M Nahab with a hacking Tuareg, but I am not sure. Same goes for the Beast Hunter and Carmen. Thoughts to ponder. gZQPcmFtYWgtdGFza2ZvcmNlDzIuKSBBTlRJLUhJL1RBR4EsAgEKAYUiAQYAAoUjAQIAA4UhAQIABIUjAQIABYUhAQIABoEtAQQAB4EtAQQACIEtAQQACYEtARMACoEtAQEAAgUBgS0BCAAChiIBAwADgT4BAQAEgT4BAQAFgT4BAQA=
I'm getting tired of running a Mukhtar Haris every game. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but it's making my list building feel very same-y. I'm feeling kinda down and lacking inspiration, do any of you have good lists with Janissary/Khawarij/Zhayedan haris? I feel like my own lists are becoming very predictable and 90% the same one every game.
Hey there! I'm not sure if this fits your bill, but this is something that I've been running of late and I've really enjoyed it: gZQPcmFtYWgtdGFza2ZvcmNlASCBLAIBCgCBMQEDAACBLQEJAACBLQELAACBLQEBAACBLQEBAACGDAEBAACGCgEBAAAyAQEAAISBAZCoAACBNwEEAAIFAIEvAQMAAIEtAQgAAIEtAQ4AAIE9AQEAAIYiAQMA The Core is a bit stripped down for my liking (even if Yara can jump in if neccessry to help replace the lost Zhayedan) and I'm not entirely sure if the GML package is worth it's (SWC) cost here, but on the other hand the list does cram an excellent number of tactical elements and varied threat vectors into the mix! I've especially enjoyed the Khawarij led Haris that can punch way above it's weight either HRL:ing, Speculative Firing or even in melee if push comes to shove! Having them in a seperate Combat Group also means that deploying Smoke for the rest of force doesn't eat into the 1st Group's Order pool! Shakush + Yara Duo is also a ton of fun to play and they can cover each other's weaknesses surprisingly well! The list does still need some fine tuning, but I haven't had enough time to playtest it's variations enough of late! Hope this can help get your creativity flowing again! :)
I've been using this haris lately and found it fun and interesting. A bit pricy and maybe not the best you can field, but very fast, can cover several classified objectives and has quite punch. Also, it can benefit from several orders on its own. ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 3 1 KHAWARIJ (NCO, Multispectral Visor L2) Mk12 ( ) / Pistol, AP + Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 38) KHAWARIJ (Doctor [+3]) Boarding Shotgun, Grenades ( | MediKit) / Pistol, AP + Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 33) NAMURR (Tactical Awareness) Breaker Rifle, Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Heavy Pistol, E/M CC Weapon. (0 | 41) 0 SWC | 112 Points Open in Infinity Army
ITS season has changed and that means it's time to scribble down my thoughts on what the ITS Season 14 could mean for the RTF!
Something very special for the blog this time around - a chance to listen to yours truly instead of just reading what I've written, courtesy of WIP12 Podcast!
