Hack the Planet! The Bakunin Jurisdictional Command Tactica

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!!DiploHub v11.0.1.16.97 (Trunk)
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): gogogogogo, bb that mk2 SS
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): hurry tf up she is Getting away
/hack Brain Blast
...Processing Request...
Your attack was successful! You have been awarded (20) prestige points.
@SallyScali(Global Protection): kk clear
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): omw
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): WTF
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): WTF
30 minutes remaining until polls close for sSB 204556, "Proposal to Change Minimum Cranial Requirements For Water Commissioner Candidates From Cubic Centimeters to Grams." Type !yes to approve, !no to deny, !abs to abstain, and !det for details.
/!det
Details for sSB 204556 available at lttps://stuBnet/sadifu21
@SallyScali(Global Protection): what
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): WTF
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): I GOT CARBONTE YOU DIPSHIT
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): CLEAR STATUS ENG
You have been recommended for Demerit by: PhrostByte(Jema hut)
@SallyScali(Global Protection): oh damn one sec
/engineer
...Processing Request...
You rolled: 17. Failure!
You are Immobilized: Carbonite!
You have been recommended for Demerit by: Pizzabear(Pingu)
@SallyScali(Global Protection): are you kidding
@SallyScali(Global Protection): this is raw
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): WTF
/!yes
You have voted "Yes" to sSB 204556, "Proposal to Change Minimum Cranial Requirements For Water Commissioner Candidates From Cubic Centimeters to Grams." You have been awarded (1) prestige points.
@PhrostByte(Jema hut): ALEPH IS GOING TO SEPSITORIZE US ALL
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Welcome to the Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin, the freest and most dynamic society in the cosmos. The citizens of Bakunin, both human and non-human, enjoy the highest moral and philosophical standard of living in the Human Sphere. Join us, and pledge your strength to upholding free will, free speech, free expression!, Join us, and struggle with all your might for the cause of UltraDemocracy against the Gibsonite menace. This tactica is best reviewed while consuming vegetarian foods.


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Why Play Bakunin?


Bakunin is not a standard Infinity army. The Bakunin army roster is an eclectic mix of units with unique abilities and equipment. It rests on you as the player to draw them together into a usable force. Bakunin is characterized by strong territory control and cheap, efficient unit profiles.

There is no army that controls the board like Bakunin. Our sectorial is loaded with infiltrating skirmishers, deployable weapons, and reactive turn firepower. We have powerful hackers, easy smoke, and cheap warbands, making Bakunin a defensive menace. Our units are cost efficient and collaborative, meaning many models work together to accomplish your goals.

These benefits come with trade-offs. I won't call them disadvantages, as the major ones are crutches for weak fundamentals. You should know about them before you begin:

• We don't get MSV2, and only the Riot Grrl has MSV1. We have smoke, but can't shoot through it.
• We don't get TO Camo or Hidden Deployment.
• Our lieutenants are very obvious.
• Our only AD profile, the Meteor Zond, is not strong.
• Our attributes aren't very good. When you live in space, you don't have the calories to spend on BS.

Finally, Bakunin is a visually distinctive army. Units from our sectorial are easily recognized and look sharp on the table. I don't know about you, but I think it's dumb when I have to check shoulder pads to figure out who's who. You will never mistake a Moira for a Riot Grrl or a Prowler, even in bare metal.


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THE BAKUNIN ARMY ROSTER

Legend:
( ! ) Strong Profile - Some of my favorites
( ? ) Interesting Profile - Try it out!
( ; ) Boring Profile - May disappoint


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LIGHT INFANTRY


Moderators From Bakunin

• Combi
• Spitfire ( ! )
• Combi + Light Grenade Launcher ( ? )
• Multi Sniper Rifle
• Combi + Pitcher
• Hacker
• Paramedic ( ; )
• Lieutenant

Moderators are the basic foot soldiers of Bakunin. They are among the most humble troopers in Infinity, but I find it reassuring; it means we aren't paying for junk like ARM and BS when all we want is a regular order with a combi rifle. Moderators normally ride in fireteams because Transductor Zonds make better singletons.

Our garrison troops have a wide range of generally defensive profiles. The spitfire is a standout at 15/0.5 points. This is uniquely cheap, and a great way to add counter-punch strength to the team. The MSR profile is the only heavy weapon, which is points-cheap but not impressive. It is OK in a full fireteam, but don't expect much. I commonly use the MSR moderator as a SWC sink that borrows White Noise to pick off enemies with visors.

Support profiles for Moderators are decent. The Light Grenade launcher is not strong, but is an excellent surprise datatracker for missions with Designated Targets. The pitcher is a unique profile that's a great way to round out a list, at 1/0.5 points. I don't like the hacker or paramedic profiles. They are not awful, and I use them sometimes, but we have too many good specialists for me to bother. In Season 9 specialist spam is not so important, so neither are they.

The lesser abilities of Moderators seem useless, but can be very satisfying when they come into play. Other line troops do not get such interesting extras. Shock Immunity allows Moderators to scoff at viral weapons (sort of) and guarantees work for your doctors, while Electric Pulse allows you to ram Moderators into CC as a credible threat. These abilities make Moderator fireteams a better-than-average speed bump.

Finally, a Moderator will often be your lieutenant, so defend them well. They are bad at leading, but sometimes it is unavoidable.

*DIRTY NOMAD TRICK* In Biotechvore, run a Moderator Spec-ops with BTS 12 & Hacking Device. This combo rules


Zoe & Pi-Well

The special Clockmaker team of Zoe & Pi-well is the finest support package you will find in Infinity. For 47 points, you cover three specialist bases (Hacker, Engineer, FO) and score a top-tier remote.

Zoe is a capable WIP 15 Hacker / Engineer with a useful upgrade (STOP!), without weird abilities or junky gear to inflate her cost. She's an excellent, straightforward asset to any Nomad list. Zoe has suffered with the introduction of the KHD, but her high WIP means killing her won't be a sure thing.

Pi-Well looks lame at first glance, but in reality he is the most infuriating model on our roster. Your opponent is psychologically ready for many things: an expensive model got splattered by a Sin-Eater; your Moira sniper picked off models helpless to FTF her, one by one; Uberfalls crunched an Avatar in one round of CC. What folks never get used to, though, is what Pi-Well can accomplish if he is determined - he is an amazing toolbox backed up by a single-mindedly solid specialist.

Pi-Well is small but mighty. His ODD makes him an excellent gunfighter. His repeater allows him to receive supportware no matter where he is. His sensor lets him rip skirmishers out of camo with ease, and Triangulated Fire allows him to zap any model, even from CC. As a remote, he takes extra investment to remove from play and is easy to repair. He moves fast, FO's with minimal risk, and secures objectives like a monster. Because of all this, he WILL prove to be your most obnoxious model, despite his modest appearance.


Warcors, War Correspondents

The Warcor fits well in the Bakunin area-denial framework and is a good idea to have in any two-group list.


Avicenna, Mercenary Doctor

Avicenna is perhaps the best doctor in Infinity. She heals quickly and efficiently with her 6-2 move and WIP 15. Armed with a flash pulse and NWI, she can reliably get to any wounded model with a combination of bold dashes and cautious moves. Know that in NWI, she can heal herself!

With that said, Avicenna is often too good for Bakunin. In a large list, surrounded by losers and robots, she finds her skills going to waste. Her speed and reliability matters much less when there are herds of Zero FO's and Moderator paramedics. Avicenna is most at home in Limited Insertion, and she is strongest there.


Clockmakers

The basic Nomad engineer is the best of any faction for the cost. The Clockmaker is commonly paired with a Custodier in lists where Zoe & Pi-Well do not make sense.


Daktaris

Bakunin has two excellent Doctors in Avicenna and the Reverend Healer, but the Daktari is a cheap and serviceable profile. She has a home in horde-style lists where a doctor is needed but an expensive one cannot be justified.


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MEDIUM INFANTRY


Reverend Moiras

• Multi Rifle, Shock CCW
• Multi Rifle, AP CCW
• Heavy Machine Gun
• Multi Sniper Rifle ( ! )
• Multi Rifle + E/M Light Grenade Launcher ( ? )
• Assault Hacker
• Lieutenant
• Combi Rifle + E/Mitter

Reverend Moiras are the flagship Bakunin link and the best core gunfighter link in the game. All Moiras are equipped with Optical Disruption Devices, which combined with their wide selection of weapons makes them extraordinarily scary to face on the field. A player running Moiras pays for this, of course; a link of Moiras will cost more than a link of Riot Grrls, who have 13 BS and two wounds.

The SWC weapon Moiras can be thought of as mirror twins of the Sin Eaters. Just as the Sin Eater is among the strongest reactive turn troopers, The Moira is every bit as hard to beat in FTF on the active turn. When writing lists, I will often think in terms as, "Do I need to defend an area? Do I need to clear a path? Will I have to take out a particular model? The more active the role, the more you should favor a Moira over a Sin Eater.

Other Moira profiles are credible, and no loadout is bad. The E/M Light Grenade Launcher is a unique weapon that has the potential to deliver legendary results, and the WIP 14 Assault Hacker can approach the enemy without fear. HSN3 added a Combi + E/Mitter profile for link filler, which by itself is OK, but... that E/M LGL... try that first. Finally, we have the Moira LT, who is a stressful model - we pay 1 SWC, which is rough, for a close quarters, gunfighting lieutenant with one wound. Certainly, you'll be able to make good use of the lieutenant order, but it's a frightening way to play.

Moiras are slow, but completely capable of mowing down anything they can get at. The key to good Moira usage is not to overdo it, because Moiras are expensive. It doesn't take five Moiras to kill everything in sight! If one will do it, take just the HMG or MSR. If not, consider a small team. I commonly deploy a HMG and a Multi Rifle, joined by a Healer BSG. This combines a tough long-distance fighter, an excellent CQC doctor, and a backup generalist who is often my datatracker.

Bakunin players who take too many Moiras will quickly discover their weaknesses. When too many Moiras gather in your lists, your local meta will quickly shift against you and countermeasures will appear. The most obvious counter to an ODD model sounds like MSV2, but it's not the truth. In reality, your Moiras will become the target of relentless template and suicide attacks. The poor mobility of Moiras means they will often be clumped together in spite of your best efforts, and while they wave around big swords they are only middling CC models. To add insult to injury, Fire attacks will burn off their ODD even after surviving the attack. Save the big Moira links for 400 point games.


Reverend Custodiers

• Hacking Device Plus, Boarding Shotgun
• Hacking Device Plus, Combi
• Hacking Device Plus, Combi + Pitcher
• Hacking Device Plus, Lieutenant ( ! )
• Assault Hacker, Boarding Shotgun ( ? )
• Assault Hacker, Combi

Custodiers are the toolbox lieutenant for Bakunin. The LT profile is difficult to kill and can hack, shoot, and take objectives like a champ. A custodier is an obvious lieutenant, so don't be shy about broadcasting it. With the custodier, the LT order almost becomes a regular order, dumped into supportware or worse. The Custodier is an excellent LT in any mission where the LT is a factor, like Decapitation or Hunting Party.

A custodier has access to White Noise, which is rare for a sectorial. Use it liberally to suppress or kill MSV models. When the opponent is shooting back at -6, it doesn't have to be a genius pulling the trigger, so don't blink at doing the dirty work with a Moderator or a Sin Eater.

Other Custodier profiles are more marginal. The Custodier is one of those models where there's no reason *not* to be the lieutenant, so it feels bad to pass it up in a faction otherwise hard up for lieutenants. To round the options out, Custodiers can form a Haris team that is absurdly good at hacking, but is a victim of its own success - I've never encountered a situation where I needed those kind of hacking chops..

Think twice about using Cybermask with your Custodier. It turns off their ODD.


Reverend Healers

• Combi Rifle ( ; )
• Multi Rifle ( ; )
• Boarding Shotgun ( ! )

The Reverend Healer is an obligatory +1 for any Observance link. The boarding shotgun profile shines as a supporting weapon for a supporting specialist. The Rev. Healer is often more expensive than what she supports, so be careful. If you get in trouble with CC, don't forget she has a EXP CCW.

Reverend Healers are AVA: 3 but it would be hard to say that is any good. They are terribly expensive and easy to kill in the reactive turn. If you try the other profiles, use suppression fire.


Sin Eater Observants

• Heavy Machine Gun
• Multi Sniper Rifle
• Mk12
• Spitfire ( ? )

The Sin Eater is what most people think of when they think Bakunin. In our sectorial, we have AVA:3 of these neurotic freaks, allowing us to throw out an astonishing amount of reactive firepower. Going up against your first Sin-Eater is a formative experience for any new player. Newbies learn how to cope with TR bots right away. It's easy, right? Use your sniper rifle, slug it out with a HI, suicide some combi-rifle goons. These schemes do not work against the mighty Sin Eater HMG, who is a different breed of Total Reaction. Sin Eaters are among the first models that new players encounter that need special tactics to beat.

Discussion of the Sin Eater needs to be strategic, not tactical. Your tactical plan with the Sin Eater is pretty easy:

1. Pick a good spot
2. Stand around

So, let's talk about picking a good spot. The Sin Eater is an area denial piece, so it helps to think of him in those terms. Early on, it will be obvious to a Bakunin player that if the HMG is parked front and center of the Nomad deployment zone, the whole board is essentially in +3 range. Sounds good, right? Against someone who isn't ready for a Sin Eater, absolutely! Once a player has gone around the block a few times, though, they are sure to include one of the following things:

1. Smoke + MSV2 (Hsien, Intruder, Yaogat)
2. TO Camo + High Burst (Swiss Guard, Hac Tao)
3. Surprise Shot infiltrators
4. Expensive snipers (le Muet, Knauf)

Models like these, especially ones like the Hac Tao, will crunch a Sin Eater with no issues. When these models are present, the Sin Eater HMG on board-wide suppression duty is nothing more than a 2-3 order tax to remove at the start of your opponent's first turn. When we pay 33/2 for a model, we need a little more return than that. The Sin Eater is just not enough to lock down the board on his own. He needs to have a more defined objective.

What should that objective be then? Well, it depends on the mission. The Sin Eater doesn't do much in the game, you have to front-load all your thinking when using him. Think about the *areas* that will be important - what zones will enemies need to cross through to win the mission? Remember, the passive nature of the Sin Eater means he won't contribute to you winning (per above, he will be standing around!) so you must think in terms of how he will deny the spaces your opponent needs to score. When you internalize the idea that a Sin Eater suppresses areas, not models, you will be in good shape.

Once you're at this point, you may realize that the HMG is not the best tool for a particular mission, like Rescue. Thankfully, you have flexibility with the MK12 and the Spitfire profiles. Pick what makes sense.


Alright, having written a whole high-minded paragraph about area denial, let me switch to the MSR Sin-Eater, who *is* a model suppressing piece. I prefer to deploy him as my reserve to directly counter a model that I am concerned about. The MSR Sin Eater works best when parked at maximum distance, to compensate for only being B2. On the other side of the coin, the MSR Sin Eater is the safest profile to use in the active turn because it is dogged the least by Neurocinetics.

A final word about Sin Eaters: Taking a wound on a Sin Eater is a bad thing, even by the standard of losing a 30+ point MI. It's easy enough to heal a Sin Eater, but unlike an Intruder or a Moira, standing up is a serious problem. Whatever wounded the Sin Eater is often still there, and is even more likely to knock him down B1 vs B1. One key to astute Sin Eater usage is to position him so that he can crawl to a workable backup spot.


Prowlers

• Combi + Light Flamethrower, Adhesive Launcher
• Spitfire, D-Charges ( ! )
• Boarding Shotgun, Grenades, D-Charges ( ? )
• Combi + Light Flamethrower, Adhesive Launcher, Spec. Ops

Prowlers are the big brothers to the Zeroes. They are more focused on killing than objective taking, which is the one thing that Zeroes are not very good at. As you look at the prowler, you might notice that they are tremendously expensive, and you would be right. 36 points for BS12, ARM 2, and 4-2 movement? You pay a lot for what you get.

What doesn't come across on paper is how disgusting a camo/infiltrator spitfire really is. It's the worst feeling - the worst - for your opponent when he pulls his whole formation out of line to deal with a Lizard only to have the Prowler spitfire come out and lay into his flank. As a marker, the Prowler looks like a Zero, and you always have Zeroes, so it's never quite obvious. Make sure you have plenty of orders when activating your Prowler, for his activations are safe, but slow. A common situation is for your Prowler to hit on something like a 9, and your opponent to be shooting back on around 3. Sometimes the wounds are hard to tease out, especially when armor is involved.

The other profiles are entertaining, but not as scary. The BSG/Grenades/D-Charge profile is a brutal, hands-on CQC piece that is fun with speculative fire, and the adhesive launcher profile is great in Hunting Party, where you get a second ADHL for free. I do not recommend investing in the spec ops, since if you needed a specialist you could have taken a Zero for 19 points.

Finally, Sabotage is as close as you can get to a free classified with a Prowler on the board. Most of the time it costs 2 or 3 orders, and there is nothing your opponent can do to prevent it. Sure things are in short supply in this game, so take what you can.


Reverend Superior Cassandra Kusanagi

• Multi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, E/M Grenades
• Multi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, E/M Grenades, Lieutenant ( ? )
• Spitfire
• Spitfire, Lieutenant ( ! )

Kusanagi is the premier gunfighter of Bakunin. Armed with BS14, ODD, and high-burst weapons, nobody is safe in a FTF roll with her. As the leader of the moiras, the same rules go for her as for them. Watch out for suicide units, and avoid CC. I normally take Kusanagi with a spitfire, despite the big swing in SWC, to maximize her +3 range band and keep enemies at a distance.

The best deployment for Kusanagi is in a unique haris link with a Reverend Healer and Custodier. I like to run Kusanagi Spitfire / Healer Boarding Shotgun / Custodier HD+ Combi + Pitcher. This team can overcome just about anything in the active turn and is extremely effective as long as you get them to safety at the end of the round. It is a very compelling team in low-point games where your opponent may not have the special tools to resist them.

I can't emphasize enough how important it is not to leave them out. The team is slow, so devote 2-3 orders purely to extraction. Ninjas / AD / Warbands / Flamethrowers will ruin your day, so care and patience will be rewarded.

The +1 SWC Lieutenant profile for Kusanagi is tempting, but it is hard to spend 7 SWC effectively in Bakunin. At 300 points you find yourself 'upgrading' guys for kicks and it's really not all that interesting. Save +1 SWC for 400 points, where you can run a truly horrifying Moira link with multi-Sin Eater support.


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HEAVY INFANTRY


Riot Grrls

• Combi, Blitzen, Stun Grenades
• Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades ( ! )
• Multi Rifle, Stun Grenades
• Spitfire ( ! )
• Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades, Tinbot B
• Missile Launcher ( ! )
• Combi, Blitzen, Stun Grenades, Spec. Ops
• Combi, Blitzen, Stun Grenades, Haris

Riot Grrls received an upgrade in HSN3 and are now some of the most efficient troops in the game. Weighing in at around 30 points, a Riot Grrl has mediocre stats for an HI but is an unbeatable deal. A team of Riot Grrls is a cheap way to add muscle and depth to any list, and like Zeroes, it is hard to regret having them around. Riot Grrls have Bakunin's only MSV, which makes them our best counter to enemy camo. Those are the sorts of enemies Riot Grrls want to target anyway, so it works out great for us.

There are a few ways to configure a Riot link. The first idea is purely defensive, and shockingly effective:

• Missile Launcher
• Missile Launcher
• Boarding Shotgun
• Combi / Blitzen
• Combi / Blitzen

​

This is the sort of team that can just stand around in the open and suffocate an entire board. With MSV 1, they will never have a *bad* FTF, and at around 150 points you can afford to take plenty of other models to win the game with. The only real weakness is White Noise, which most of your opponents won't have. Even then, you have hyperdynamics to live through it.

Some offensive team ideas:

• Spitfire
• Boarding Shotgun + Tinbot B
• Combi / Blitzen / Spec Ops

​

Or:

• Spitfire
• Missile Launcher
• Boarding Shotgun + Tinbot B
• Boarding Shotgun
• Combi / Blitzen / Spec Ops

​

The spitfire is a great hunting profile. If I take a single Riot Grrl, it is usually her. Boarding shotgun Grrls are stupidly resilient for their point value and frequently get used to get revenge on whoever killed my Spitfire. BSG Riot Grrls make excellent Datatrackers because they are tough and always in the presence of more dangerous models. All in all, the Riot Grrl team is the toughest and most reliable Bakunin unit.


Taskmasters, Bakunin SWAST Team

• Heavy Machine Gun ( ; )
• Boarding Shotgun, Pulzar, Koalas
• Heavy Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun, Koalas ( ! )
• Red Fury, Pulzar, Koalas, Tinbot A
• Red Fury, Pulzar, Koalas, Tinbot A, Lieutenant

Taskmasters were added in HSN3 to bridge the wide gap between Riot Grrls and the Lizard. Taskmasters have tremendously aggresive loadouts, and favor Direct Action missions where constant pushing is required. If I take a single Taskmaster, it is typically the HRL, since Bakunin struggles to get enough Fire damage on the board. He is able to move around aggressively while seeking good spots to lay his template.

Taskmaster can also form duo fireteams. The Lieutenant and BSG make a solid team, but don't short them on orders. Finally, the HMG (of course, the one everyone has) is unfortunately the most forgettable. With no defensive mods and no other kit, a Moira shoots cleaner for 15 points less and a Lizard tanks harder for 30 points more.


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TAGs


Lizard Squad

• Heavy Grenade Launcher ( ? )
• Heavy Flamethrower ( ! )

The Lizard is the only Bakunin TAG and features the heaviest weapons available in the faction. It is highly mobile in a sectorial not known for speed. The Lizard can opt for a heavy flamethrower, or a heavy grenade launcher at +0.5 SWC. Of the two, the flamethrower is more useful, since the Lizard otherwise has few close-range options. I encourage you to experiment with the heavy grenade launcher (when it works, it's glorious), but speculative fire from the Lizard isn't fantastic (BS8 at best) and is highly order-intensive for list where you took an 87 point model.

It's very important to take an order to put your Lizard into suppressive fire when it could potentially be approached by an enemy. Multi rifles and boarding shotguns are the easiest way to ruin the Lizard's day, and suppressive fire is the best defense.

Also, be careful when repairing your Lizard, since you cannot re-roll failures on a manned TAG. I do not recommend spending orders to repair a Lizard that has taken one or two wounds because even at WIP 15, order efficiency is poor. If you think a Pan-O player killing his own troops with a Trauma Doc is funny, watch his reaction when you burn five or six orders killing your 2 STR Lizard with a supposedly-good Clockmaker. I have been there, and it is a shameful place. Wait until it's unconscious before you send your Zondbot over.


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REMOTES


Stempler Zond ( ; )
The Stempler Zond is the template for Pi-Well. It lacks his ODD, but gains climbing plus in compensation. Climbing plus is great, but it's not enough - there is no compelling reason to take a Stempler with Pi-Well in the mix.


Reaktion Zond
The Reaktion Zond is a wonderful attack and defense piece from the Bakunin arsenal. Our skilled engineers and plentiful hackers allow the Reaktion Zond to aggressively attack and fully exploit Climbing Plus, a potent skill with 6-4 movement. Remember this when deploying - if you play passively with your Zond, consider a Sin-Eater instead.


Vertigo Zond
The Vertigo Zond is our guided missile launcher remote. It fits well in the Bakunin roster, since the 'Targeted' status is easy to score with pitchers and Zero FO's. Please remember that guided missiles are *very* order intensive and shouldn't be used against single targets. The Vertigo performs better than you would expect in a direct action role because of our strong support network.


Meteor Zond ( ? )
Bakunin's only Airborne Deployment figure is a difficult unit. On paper, the Meteor Zond looks interesting, but its thunder is totally stolen by the Zeroes. With PH 11, a Meteor Zond is simply not reliable using AD:4 - and if it lands, its contributions (forward observing, advanced repeaters) are easily achieved with other units.

The Meteor Zond can shine where there is time to grant Assisted Fire and work in an infantry hunting role. It is especially good in Firefight, and not just for the obvious +3 to deploy; the Meteor becomes terribly dangerous after a good roll on a panoply. For most games, however, the 1 SWC charge makes the Meteor too pricey.


Transductor Zond
Transductor Zonds play well in Bakunin, where it is easy to stand up multiple units to watch over the field. This unit works well supporting Sin Eaters or others as part of the classic Bakunin area-denial strategy.


Tsyklon Sputnik

• Spitfire
• Feuerbach

Tsyklons are delightful models in Vanilla. When I write lists involving Tsyklons in Bakunin, though, I find the cost of the models makes it difficult to leverage the strengths of our sectorial. Tsyklons are better suited to Vanilla where they can work with Interventors and Tomcats.

If you take Tsyklons, remember that they are order-hungry machines. It is best if you end the turn in suppression fire and augment with supportware.


Lunokhod Sputnik

• Heavy Flamethrower
• Akrylat-Kanone ( ? )

Bakunin is short on fire sources, so the Heavy Flamethrower-armed Lunokhod is a welcome sight. Armed with a heavy shotgun, crazy koalas, minesweeper and a repeater, the Lunokhod is a wonderful area control device that you can push right up the field. With 6-4 movement and climbing plus, the Lunokhod is speedy and works well with Morlocks to swallow up space quickly. The Akrylat-Kanone is an adhesive launcher on steroids - combine with supportware to reach out and glue someone with a HMG's range bands while ignoring cover. If you think a TAG will be present, it's a great choice.


Zondbot
Zondbots are AVA 4 in Bakunin, so load up. You have strong doctors and engineers who will appreciate the extra hands. Remember that Zondbots are 6-4 movement, so you should park them about 4-5 inches away from the target they are meant to support. You do not want them both being caught in a template.


Salyut Zond

• Minesweeper, Repeater ( ! )
• EVO Hacker ( ; )
• Total Reaction, Combi, Repeater ( ? )

Salyut Zonds are important to Bakunin, a faction focused on territory control and replete with disposable equipment. The basic 8-point minesweeper is my favorite, since it can reload Crazy Koalas and steal deployables. Minesweeper is a rock-solid ability and surprisingly easy to put into play. The Total Reaction Salyut is fun, kind of a junior Sin-Eater. It's cute to field six TR models from time to time, and you can't get that anywhere else.

I do not recommend the EVO Hacker profile for Bakunin. The EVO portfolio does not mesh well with our faction, which only has a single light AD unit. EVO Supportware is interesting, of course, but a list that exploits it is better built as vanilla. Finally, the sat-lock bonus is nice, but between Suprise Shot FO and Pitcher-assisted Spotlight we have easier ways to target enemies.


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SKIRMISHERS


Zeros

• Combi, Mines
• Multi Sniper Rifle, Mines ( ; )
• Boarding Shotgun, Mines
• Assault Hacker ( ; )
• Forward Observer
• Deployable Repeater ( ? )
• Minelayer
• Killer Hacker ( ! )

Zeroes are amazing units in Bakunin, where you get a boosted AVA of 3. The Zero is a lean, mean, infiltrating machine! You pay for what you need, and nothing that you don't. Zero is free of bloat and is cheap enough to be considered a cheerleader. I think it is essential to take at least one in every list, as a Zero is useful in almost any game situation. They are simply hard to regret.

The Zero has many profiles to pick from to perform its roles of area denial and button-pushing. The choice between FO, KHD, Minelayer, and Deployable Repeater will depend on the mission and the small, leftover points of your list. I usually spend the last 1-3 points in my list upgrading my Zeroes.

As a points-efficent model, the Zero is very well suited to attempting the PH-3 roll to deploy on the other side of the table. I often try this with the Killer Hacker, who can be a terrible surprise up close and can still threaten via repeater from afar. Consider the PH-3 gamble any time you have weird/big deployment zones (decapitation, power pack) or exclusion zones (Rescue, etc) where ordinary infiltration is not so strong.

We have the option of a MSR upgrade for the Zero, but it is hard to recommend. With 11 BS, the sniper rifle is not great, even with surprise shot and actual surprise on your opponent's behalf. The assault hacker is also only okay; it is too expensive following the introduction of the killer hacker. Both MSR and AHD I find are better covered by their Moira counterparts.


Bran Do Castro

• Boarding Shotgun
• Combi + E/Mitter, Spec. Ops

Bran is the Zero you send in when you really need something done. With climbing plus, super-jump, and superior infiltration, he is insanely mobile and impossible to dig out of a hiding spot. The profile you take for Bran depends on the mission. If there is no serious requirement for a specialist, I take the Boarding Shotgun to give him a template attack and good BS modifiers.

It is extremely important to remember that despite Bran's fantastic mobility and strong CC, he is no better than a Zero at shooting. If you find yourself shooting often with Bran, consider taking two Zeroes instead. They will cost around the same, together have about the same chance of superior infiltration, and provide more orders over the course of the game.

Bran dies most of the time, so be prepared for most appearances to be suicide missions. He makes a poor datatracker since it removes his only defense, the marker state.


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WARBANDS


Der Morlock Gruppe

• Combi, Smoke, AP CCW
• Chain Rifle, Smoke, E/M CCW ( ! )
• Chain Rifle, Smoke, DA CCW
• Boarding Shotgun, Smoke, AP CCW ( ? )
• Combi + Smoke Light Grenade Launcher, AP CCW
• Assault Pistol, AP CCW

For most factions, Line Troops are the basic light infantry, like Fusliers, Ghulams, or Celestial Guard. Not so in Bakunin! Our Line Troop is an extremely impetuous warband. Morlocks are cheap and a good way to round out a list. They have excellent CC ability, which is not common in our sectorial. Of the Morlock profiles, the two most popular are the Chain Rifle / DA CCW and the Chain Rifle E/M CCW. These are the most cost-efficient profiles for an expendable trooper, and which one you take will depend on what you expect to fight. The E/M CCW is wonderful if you can reach a TAG.

Morlocks have smoke grenades, but smoke is not very exciting in Bakunin. We have no MSV2 units to see through the smoke we throw, and our strong reactive firepower means we usually have freedom of movement. I use smoke sparingly to block key lines of fire or assist the Morlock into CC. If you are making lots of FTF smoke rolls, consider rethinking your approach.

Do not throw away your Morlocks! They make an excellent reserve force with their free Impetuous order and impressive counterattacking kit. I often deploy my Morlocks conservatively and wait for opportunities on turn 2. Morlocks are cheap enough to do this without being wasteful. This is in tune with the Morlocks' Metachemistry - you won't know what you're going to get until the model hits the table, so don't overthink it.


Uberfallkommando

If you read the above and said to yourself, "forget that, I want aggression!" this is what you are after. The Uberfallkommando hit like a truck and are the true guided missiles of the Nomad Nation. Zero-V Smoke and Climbing Plus means that nobody is safe from their assault. When using the Uberfall, there are some important points to keep in mind:

The Uberfall will kill anyone in CC. Anyone! Musashi, Achilles, Joan, it doesn't matter. If the Uberfall get to them, they are toast. Because of this, you must reach to the target on turn 1 before they can prepare. Going first is critical with Uberfall. It is also important to give them all the resources you can. Seriously consider putting the Uberfall in a dedicated 10-man order group for their use. The most common uberpitfall is to not devote enough resources and leave your Chimera to take unnecessary risks. Don't send your Uberfall at goons or losers; it is a waste of their talents. They need to go directly to the top target and assassinate them.

In later turns, the G:Synch qualities of the Uberfall can influence the game, even after the Chimera is gone. Disconnected Pupniks can mess with Secure HVT and be serious roadblocks if left at choke points. Your Chimera will often die failing a dodge (where the synchronized Pupniks easily succeed) so this opportunity comes up frequently.

 

This is a good point. I'll write a section that treats link teams specifically. It's an important topic for a new player.

 

That's part of why it's important to go first, to control the impetuous phase. I'll make a note to explain that better. I want to make diagrams for some of my entries, but I'm thinking about the best way to present them, since most diagrams I see tend to confuse me more.

Regarding the STR, I didn't mention it because she's usually a smoking crater near your opponent's deployment zone. Bakunin can't project doctors or engineers really, so for me the opportunity to heal the Chimera hasn't come up.

I have been trying to run the Lizard more recently, and I want to work the HGL in more often. It's hard because I like the Lizard / Prowler SF / Riot ML, and that sucks up all the SWC.

My note about Cybermask was to anyone trying to leverage Surprise Shot. I didn't think about White Noise in ARO because I never use it like that. It's a valid point, though, and the NFB interactions with the Custodier need more explaination.

 

Looks possible? I gave the rest of the list a shot.

Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin
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10
SALYUT Hacker (EVO Hacking Device) Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 25)
TSYKLON Feuerbach, Pitcher / Electric Pulse. (1 | 34)
TSYKLON Feuerbach, Pitcher / Electric Pulse. (1 | 34)
RIOT GRRL Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 34)
RIOT GRRL (Specialist Operative) Combi Rifle, Blitzen, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 30)
RIOT GRRL Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades + TinBot B (Deflector L2) / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 30)
TASKMASTER Lieutenant Red Fury, Pulzar, CrazyKoalas + TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Heavy Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 53)
LUNOKHOD Heavy Shotgun, Heavy Flamethrower, D-Charges, CrazyKoalas (2) / Electric Pulse. (0 | 25)
CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
TRANSDUCTOR ZOND Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Maybe trade the Lunokhod out for a Zero AHD. I think it's playable either way.