Imperial Secret Service in N4 This is my analysis of ISS in N4. I am writing it, expecting that others will correct and inform me of what I am missing, and certainly don’t contend to be an experienced or expert player. Strengths Plenty of visors - access to MSV1 & 2, X visors, sensor Cheap regular orders with Kuang shi Strong range of remotes Access to increased swc through the hsien and crane profiles (notably the point cost of these makes it hard to fill up the swc) Plenty of access to holoecho/holomask Weaknesses Very few options to deploy outside of our deployment zone. This makes seeing up 'speedbumps' to allow your opponent down if they have first turn difficult. No cheap skirmishers / warbands Limited access to repeaters or good hackers No specifically AP weaponry Very limited access to any other way to increase your order pool (only pheasant rank agent has tactical awareness, no NCO, no extra LT orders) Where n4 saw improvements to TAGs, motorcycles and hacking, it is notable that ISS have no access to tags or MC's, not any specialist hacking. In looking at ISS, one must query why to take them over the mixed (vanilla) Yu Jing. Normally in sectorials it is about link teams. For ISS, it is as much about the Aleph entries they have access to as the link teams. Core Link Teams Kuang Shi. Infinity Army 7 may as well auto-populate every new roster with 4 Kuang shi and a CG monitor. I can’t think of a reason not to include these, although not necessarily as your core (I guess if you were seeking a limited insertion list). However the use of the kuang shi link team is different with the three / four wildcard trooper options. Crane Rank Imperial agent - which includes a hacker, an X-visor spitfire combination and a multi-rifle. Gui Feng. I think this guy has made it in to every list I have ever written, although I am not saying that you’ll want to do the same. The madtrap and his specialist status make him very useful, and he is cheap, so can pad out a fireteam. Adil in or out of his crane armour. Unlike in N3, the kuang shi link team can have access to heavier weapons, noting that the B5, BS16 (with X-visor mods) is as good as it gets for long range. It is notable that Adil (either version) includes a breaker rifle / x-visor combination, and a monofilament weapon (CC23 / MA L2) that are both reasonable options for dealing directly with highly armoured opponents (as far as ISS goes anyway). Celestial Guard Without the budget cost of zhanshi, the BS of fusiliers or the broad load out options of Ghulams, you could be forgiven for completely overlooking the possiblity of a CG core. However, The hsien/crane options that add swc to the list allowance mean the ISS are uniquely poised to spend swc on low point options. The core team missile launcher or sniper offer reasonable options for breaking a TAGs armour or a defensive ARO respectively. This is particularly true when you consider the lack of AP weapons, and if you have already invested in the expensive but capable healing sophotect. Buying 4-5 celestial guard including the monitor, and 3-4 kuang shi and one of the wildcard options in a full group offers a decent defensive link, and the ability to reform a new core team in this active turn. The final slot could be used on the order hungry Su Jian alternatively. Wu Ming / Zhanying The ‘pain train’ - affordable heavy infantry with a broad array of weaponry. Now, in addition to being able to be supplemented by (any number of)Zhanying, they have the wildcard options. A potential haris or core link team can have two madtraps and a hacker (or even two) supported by a -6 tinbot. This has potential of providing a significant roadblock should you take the second turn. The zhanying hacker also had sixth sense, so if forming a Haris, you needn't be concerned with stealthy skirmishers sneaking under the hacking network. Wu Ming with the tin bot, Gui Feng and the Mad trap Zhanying, and either the Crane hacker (if BTS is really important to you) or the Zhanying hacker. The hacking device with spotlight a more general deterrent in n4, not just a deterrent for remotes, HI, hackers and TAGS. Another option of note, albeit order intensive, is the grenade launcher Wu Ming. Launching EM grenades as speculative fire, with a 5-man link bonus means you are hitting on 10’s from 16” away. Aside from this, the Core team does what a 5-man HI core team does, bring heavy weapons with big bonuses. Wu Ming stands apart from other HI in their cheaper choices (chain rifles, sub machine guns are not common for HI). Dropping the restriction of Zhanying mean that budget core teams are more affordable. The tinbot WM, E/M Grenade launcher WM, zhanying with hmg (or missile launcher), Zhanying hacker and gui Feng is a 5-man core with two specialists, a range of weapons for all occasions, and comes in at 138pts/1.5 swc. Haris teams Deva While it is technically a Deva Haris, I think of it as a dakini haris, as realistically, I would take two dakinis and a deva in almost all cases. The dakinis are a deceptively good profile. They are cheap and their stats are middling (BS11, ARM 0). But as remotes with remote presence and shock immunity, they have two levels of unconsciousness and can still be buffed by EVO hackers (albeit, unless I am not mistaken, no longer before the start of T1). The assisted fire program (marksmanship - ignore the -3 cover modifier) will make up for the lack of being able to form a core link team to some extent, at least if you want to use the HMG dakini as an attack piece. It won’t stop a defensive multi-sniper rifle from being unable to hit a -6 mimetism sniper, in surprise shot, in cover (as in the usual strategy for dealing with TR bots). Nonetheless, the defensive haris with a MSR with B2 in ARO and mimetism, provided that there is support from a sophotect, is a way of making your opponent spend orders, if positioned well. The paramedic dakini is the only healer aside from the sophotect, and also a cheap, fast specialist, should you need one. Which Deva profile to take though… the killer hacker is a decent specialist, WIP 15, and after all, the remote are hackable. Still, there is a distinct lack of repeaters in the ISS arsenal, and Killer hacker duties may be left to the ninjas and kanrens. The spitfire MSV2 makes for a potentially SWC heavy haris, but one that is capable at all ranges (with dakini HMG/paramedic). The spitfire deva, hmg dakini, paramedic dakini is a versatile and relatively cheap Haris capable of dealing with a range of situations and bringing it's own specialist. It’s a shame the Deva didn’t receive the same speed as her sister the sophotect and slows down the haris. Deva also offers a sensor ability, forward observer for cheap specialist. She is also a possible lieutenant option, if in a defensive link, you want to keep her hidden. Bao/Pheasant Bao seem to have been refined in N4, with just 3 options. An MSV2 Multi-sniper rifle seems a strong weapon in the right circumstances, but is probably eclipsed by Major Lunah's MSV1 / triangulated fire combination. The load-outs seem to have some potential I haven’t fully grasped. Biometric visors provide better ARO calculations against impersonators. The flash pulse on the combi-rifle trooper seems to provide a better ARO at longer range, so they have a defensive capability. Of course they interact well with smoke, although that will require co-ordinating well with the Celestial Guard monitor (our only smoke option) who is likely to be in our other link team. The phoenix rank option are pricey for light infantry, but all come with chain of command. The red fury option comes with tactical awareness, increasing the order efficiency of the team. With both a killer and standard hacking device in the pheasants it strikes me that if ISS were to have a pitcher or deployable repeater anywhere (I know the Lu Duan has one now) it might have been here. An msv2 sniper is a useful piece, particularly when it can be buffed by including in Haris link. Chain of command is useful to support a llietenant crane. This seems to lay the foundation for a defensive Haris, but the cost of doing so, particularly after paying for the crane (or hsien) lieutenant seems prohibitive, mostly due to the inflated cost of the pheonix rank agent. Add a more offensive Haris, the two bao with either Gui Feng or the red fury pheonix rank provides a capable Haris, complete with a specialist.
Just two minor things; "Gui Feng" is the name of Yu Jing spec ops, the guy is Xi Zhuang The Imperial Security Services aren't very secret. They are in fact very, very, overt. They like to be seen when they do justice. On a personal note I find myself building lists without Kuang Shi even more than before. Cramped space.
Kuangs are kind of cheap. You can get - like most armys - plenty of AP with BSGs, Multi Rifles and MSR and ISS has 5 units with access to MSRs - and 4 sources for Mono-weapons. Majors Viral Sniper has a similiar AP effect on BTS. But ISS has a significant lack of missle launchers. Apart from the ususal REM it has only one. Unfortunatly CGs have no ML. Yes - their more unusual weaponary makes them a bit unique. The addition of the Devas gives us a OSS light feeling. My first try was Deva Hacker, Dakini HMG and Adil and it worked well. Dakini Sniper for ARO is a good idea though. One could argue, that you can play OSS, if you want stuff like that, but I think its nice option and I like it fluffwise that ISS and Aleph work close together. Its a bit sad, that Baos are Haris only, now that they have a more definied profile. The fact that the TA Pheasant can only join the Baos makes the only TA option in ISS a bit odd ... most of the time you will use her TA as moving order only engaging in a later part of the game. I miss a NCO, Lt.+1 Order and a prober TA unit (Crane SF, Wu Ming HRL).
I remember back in N3 some players found value in the Red Fury CoC Pheasant as a Turn 3 piece, sweeping light opposition and pushing buttons with a LT order inherited from a more active piece. With TA it's even better in that role. Might be worth consideration if you're opting for a Hsien or Crane LT that's expecting to see the brunt of the combat. Pity that their only Fireteam is the Bao Haris; they're good in that team but it's also the only Fireteam slot that the Hsien can occupy.
I love Wu Ming. Especially more now that I can add at least one more cheaper Zhanying and heavy hitting Crane. This will be a start of my ISS when I get around to playing them again. Depending on the mission, Xi would switch out something else like another Wu Ming, Crane, or Zhanying. The the three that I'd probably always take are the Wu Ming BSG, HMG, and Crane HD. ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 WÚ MÍNG Boarding Shotgun ( | TinBot: Firewall [-6]) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 31) WÚ MÍNG Heavy Machine Gun / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 37) CRANE AGENT (Hacker, Hacking Device, Hacking Device) MULTI Rifle, Nanopulser(+1B) ( ) / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0.5 | 46) ZHÀNYING (Sensor, Triangulated Fire, Minelayer) Breaker Combi Rifle, Chain-colt, Madtraps / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 23) XI ZHUANG Combi Rifle, Light Flamethrower(+1B), Flash Pulse, Madtraps / Pistol, CC Weapon, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 21) 2 SWC | 158 Points Open in Infinity Army
