Antipodes

Impetous units can still be issued regular orders. I don't think I see Antipodes are any different in that regard.

 

You can use regular orders on them even once they frenzy, they just get the impetuous order on top of what they had before. The difference with Antipodes is if the controller or a member of the pack drops they have to take a wp-3 test or they enter retreat.

 

Antipodes are amazing - I'm always finding new ways to use them. Some applications are obvious, others are a little more niche.

Alpha strike or Counterpunch - they're nice if there's a relatively isolated target on the table that needs to go. Their high PH and AP CCWs makes them great for eating TAGs but pretty much anything that doesn't have great CC can get it. You can either alpha strike with them or hide them a bit and use their presence to deter nasty units from getting close.

Sensor - They're our only access to sensor, and fill that critical gap. 3 of these guys can cover around 600 square inches of table area with Sensor in one shot.

Smoke - Ariadna has good smoke throwers, but a nice smoke LGL can be really useful as well especially for spec-firing nades at longer ranges.

Build a wall - At S5 Antipodes can obscure other units if they're not in a Camo state. Their 6-6 move and high PH means they're in a good position to jump in front of a fire lane or button, then dodge to break camo, allowing another unit to run up behind them and push the button.

Beacons - They're fast and have camo, so it's easy to get them up the field quickly. As a last-turn grab, plop their furry asses on a beacon, or use some smoke and camo state to get them up the field, grab the beacon, and run back to your DZ with it.

Order generation - They do produce an Irregular order (and the controller produces her own Regular order) so you can always use a command token to make it regular if you really need the order and are planning to hold them back anyway.

 

Note, they don't have to dodge and break out of camo to block LOS. From the wiki:

• Camouflage Markers (CAMO) retain the Silhouette (S) values printed on their troop profiles.

You can also use this to "fence in" dangerous models like impersonators by bounding up there and boxing them in as a camo marker while staying 0.01" away (often prone if avoiding other LOS is important). The model will have to discover and remove you manually to get rid of them, which can be order intensive, risky (especially if other models can see it, or you dodge to engage etc) and protects your other models to move past freely (as above).

Of note - they are also amazing at discovering the TO/impersonator type model because they get to do 3x discovers for the price of one discover short skill like any coordinated order.

But yes, for all the reasons stated already (and their incredibly cheap price) I take them in every vanilla list for a good reason.

 

As far as I know you markers don't hinder you. You can just move through them. So the antipodes would have to come out of camo state in order to block an impersonator. Am I mistaken?

 

Camo markers still block line of sight, and troopers cannot enter into base to base with them, even if you could they still get AROs. You'd need to be pretty confident in your CC abilities to want to enter base to base(or actually move within 4" of...) three 40mm camo tokens...

 

Sorry, I don't want to derail this thread with rules issues, but as it concerns antipode tactics: According to the wiki
http://infinitythewiki.com/en/Line_of_Fire_(LoF)
...
Unless otherwise indicated for specific purposes, Markers do not obstruct LoF.
...

Camo markers keeping their silhouette is no such indication in my opinion. It is relevant for someone discovering you (as a camo marker) and needing to know if your silhouette is higher than the cover you are behind, so to check if it is partial or total cover.

Clearly troopers cannot enter base to base with markers, but that does not mean they block movement.
So I still think to do the cornering trick the antipodes need to be reveiled. Which for itself is a neat trick to keep a speculo occupied...

[Edited for being to dumb to type...]

 

Antipodes make my games more funny. They are support unit, and main power in ITS games even not our beloved doggies. Smoke LGL amazing! It won many games.

For example: Tired of dealing with Janna 8 ARM ( +3 Arm looted, but killed her anyway) and her 2 Father-Knights in Armory. So just smoked Armory at 3rd turn and about 7 comrades ( kazaks, french and scotts) ran into and helped me to win.
Blocking LoS and saving butts of Specialists who moving to Objectives? Smoke LGL is your friend!

But doggies... doggies so damn usefull. Camo+Super Jump, mmm. TO Sniper or HI HMG in Prone on the roof?

"Do you like dags?"

 

Having a silhouette value would seem to me to indicate otherwise on both counts. On the second point, separately since you declare the whole movement path, to move through you have to be in base to base at some point, and even then, all three get their own aro, which would reveal them, meaning the movement would end once it came into contact with one of them anyway, then you factor in Kinematica and and it starts to look like really, really bad idea...

 

Camouflage markers are markers.

Markers do not block LoF unless otherwise indicated.

Camouflage does not otherwise indicate so Camouflage markers do not block LoF.

 

It's definitely open to that interpretation. Probably best to start a thread in rules rather than continue here.
Even if the fact they have a silhouette isn't indicating otherwise for LoF, you still can't move through them, and you probably shouldn't move near them, since that would trigger AROs that at best end up with the line of fire being blocked by 3 huge models, and at worst end up with your troop fighting against b3 cc 20...

 

It was confirmed numerous times in the old rules forum over multiple editions, no need to drag it up again.

Yes, when the rules say markers don't block LoF they mean markers don't block LoF.

 

Seems you're right about line of fire @colbrook and @Abydog , my apologies: http://infinitytheforums.com/forum/topic/32085-camo-markers-and-lof/

Even so, I think I prefer the idea of leaving them as markers in front of the unit you want them to block until the first ARO opportunity, or just engaging said model In the active turn...

 

No problem @cazboab. :)
The tactic to block a threat like an impersonator by having the antipodes cower close to him is definitely a valid tactic. Although you do give up their offensive strike power in doing so...

 

You are correct sir, I guess they can't be markers to block LOS. Then again that's rarely the use case - at least vs. impersonators, the value is in occupying realestate and locking down a 30+ point model with 10-15 points of yours, which is still a valid tactic and if it will save your backfield/Lt long enough to dedicate resources to removing it. Plus the multiple discovers also makes them the best thing for getting him in the open in the first place - letting you use only a cheap irregular order of yours to remove an expensive and dangerous regular order of theirs.

 

you are completely right... and i have done that way back in N2

 

That depends on what you want to do with them, and what your plan for the rest of the list is, but generally they work best with a couple other regular orders available to get them in the right place, so whichever group they're in keep the controller relatively safe, and consider throwing in a spare Line Kazak/Grunt/Volunteer/Metro cheerleader or two. Try not to get too caught up in killing things with them, they're often just as (if not more) useful if they can engage a tag etc to keep it from AROing in your turn then tearing it apart with their own AROs when it tries to get away later, or your opponent will burn a few orders trying to get them off his gunship...