so I spent my first year of playing infinity playing hassassin and vanilla and I learned to love and depend on daylami and muttawiah for the uncountable ways they facilitate our army but I especially leaned on the daylami to be my ARO pieces that nothing could compare to. each daylami would be responsible for eating 1-3+ orders of the enemy army. those were orders not moving full speed, not shooting the expensive models I needed in following turns to kill stuff and press buttons. in active turn, 2-3 daylami with panzerfausts would coordinate to engage and kill something really lethal that I didn't want to risk my more important pieces on. so daylami with panzerfausts are amazing and I love them... and now I cannot take them and I don't know how to build army lists without 3 daylami panz and 3 mutts. I'm new, I'M SORRY!. moving on. I have read the QK info threads and I understand what all the models do but I still don't really get yet how QK plays the ARO game, slows down the enemy army, and protects its valuable models in the inactive turn. I tried taking azrails and putting them in cover watching corridors... #missileseverywhere. we have no minelayers so I need a turn for my sniper al-hawaa to set up defensive mines. we can set up a defensive link but damn... that's expensive... I mean I"m willing to set up a defensive link in my second group but who do I use? ghulams? kaplans? that's expensive... I mean our whole MO is trading up right, so who are QKs "trade up" ARO pieces. or how do I do this thing? thank you so much for any answers and I appreciate you all!
Generally, Haqq trades up with Mutts and Daylami, making your opponent spend precious orders dealing with 5-8 point models is the way we blunt an initial assault. However, if you want AROs... We have the Farzan Minelayer and the Ahl Fasid HMG is a Mine Layer, as well, if you're keen on trading the Azra'il up. Using Mutts or other models with Grenade Launchers with Smoke (see: Ahl Fasid again, as well as Muyib or even a Kum biker) to ARO with smoke can give you a decent chance to lock down a firelane for a turn. A Shihab (TR Remote) is a strong option that I highly recommend. Muyib with HRL is a cheap, dogged ARO piece with a big, mean weapon. They might win the first F2F roll but if he goes dogged, they still have to risk another F2F roll against him to clear his firelane that turn. The Maghariba, in cover, firing Explosive rounds will lock down an entire corridor unless your opponent has something amazing, like a Cutter or Sphinx. Djanbazan HMG is not an ARO piece. Risking him on ARO shots is a great way to lose one of our best Attack pieces. Don't take Djanbazan Snipers as ARO pieces, IMHO. Every Djanzy should be a HMG unless you have a good reason otherwise. Exception: A Hafza pretending to be a strong ARO piece is allowed to pretend to be a Djanbazan sniper. Does that help?
@Musterkrux Since OP complains about being unable to use daylami and mutts, and also explicitly mentions QK, he doesn't have Farzans, Al-Fasids, Muyibs, Magharibas or Kum... Can still use TR bot and smoke from Yuans though. Maybe even set up an overwatch on smoked area with Djan sniper - that is, if you intend to use Djan sniper for other reasons, otherwise it's a considerable point sink for something that likely lacks stopping power of dirt cheap ARO pieces of HB.
QK is more of a straight up fighter than Vanilla or Hassassins. Your going to want strong offensive pieves that can go blow for blow (Djans, Kaplans, Sekban, Azra'ils). When I run QK I usually use a Defensive core link of Ghulams with 2 Missile Launchers and a Doc) while a Haris of Sekban, or Oda's with a Hafza get the job done. You can also reverse that very well with a defensive HRL Sekban Haris with Doc, and have an offensive Ghulam unit with an hmg and ML. Set the ML up on defense if you dont have first turn. Also use your TR bots, QK gets good use out of them. Yaun Yauns are amazing as sacrificial units that can eliminate or disrupt a LOT. Dont be afraid to use their PHYS11 on AD. You can use them to drop smoke and shoot with your Djans, they can leap around corners and peg Link Teams, or hiding doctors. Kamikaze YY are crazy scary. But in general, Haqq battlefield tactics go out the window with QK. They are a brute force with very good units that can fight toe to toe with the rest of the sphere.
QK doesn't have fantastic aro options like vanilla or HB, but you can always try some of the following as an addition to the above. Mind you, they won't be as cheap as what you're used to. The ones that can trade up in the sense of cheap order wasters: Fanous remotes have an availability of 3 in QK for cheap flash pulse aros. Add in an EVO remote and you can make them burst 2 (while also supporting your AD troops). The humble warcor has always been a steal at 3 points for a cheap flashpulse. Regular aro pieces: Single Ghulam snipers are fairly cheap aro options as well. 16 points and 0.5 swc cost makes a decent cheap long range aro piece. You can even go for a full defensive link with 2 snipers, a missile launcher/hmg, a doctor and Leila, so you can move up later in the game to grab objectives. Another thing you can try really depends on your meta and how well people can count points. You can either disguise your Hafza like a Missile Launcher Janissary, or the other way around where you disguise your HRL Hafza as a shorter ranged troop, lulling your opponent into a false sense of security. Hope this helps!
Yuan Yuan are your new asymmetrical trade pieces. They're built more for aggression than their cheap HB counterparts, but they're still pretty nasty. If you're playing QK, I think you need to learn to love link teams and link bonuses. Not just liking bonuses, not just using those bonuses, but loving them. Maximizing those bonuses, and manipulating rangebands to make those bonuses as dominant as possible. QK's main appeal, outside of Yuan Yuan, is in their access to linkable units and (relatively) inexpensive 5-man link bonuses. Practicing to effectively use links as a crux of play is actually pretty challenging, but very rewarding too.
First sorry my title got messed up. Second thank you guys for the tips. I see there is a different style here and I'm ready to try it. I'm having trouble decinding which link to take since there are so many and they are all so good. do i take a full link of druze? kaplans? djanbazans with hafza rocket launchers? or janissaries? or ghulams for fast doctor plus? I was even thinking of taking 2 core links. one that is defensive like ghulams, then another that I only activate as the new core link after my turn starts. which link is the best with what QK offers?
From Fireteam: Core rules: "The player can only have a single Fireteam: Core on the game table, unless a Special Rule, Scenario Rule, or some Special Skill indicates otherwise." You can of course take units to fill two different cores, but you have to break one before creating another.
OK, let me find my QK link rant from an email a few months ago... Ghulam: Cheap, lots of weapon options, couple of specialists. Good load outs include a few of the following: 2x Sniper Rifle, HMG, Missile Launcher, Doctor, FO, Hacker, Lt. Leila is a great specialist to add. She has a decent gun, D-charges for some missions and can break off the link and Cybermask her way to an objective if need be. Odalisques: Haris only, very nice. I suggest: Haris-Rifle, Spitfure, Hafza FO pretending to be an Odalisque to get a specialist in there. NWI makes them really hardy compared to other LI and MI. Kaplan: Amazing, probably best LI in the game. Basically the gold standard of Link teams. Avoid the MSR but otherwise, legit. Druze: Suffer from Medium Infantry movement (4-2) but decent stats and interesting weapon loadouts. I like a loadout with Spitfire, KHD, and LGL to give you a mix of things to do. Note: Email written before Druze update. May have to revise. Djanbazan: 4-2 movement :P. Too expensive to run as a full 5-man link unless you sprinkle in some Hafza. Generally, I consider them to be lone wolf pieces (MSV 2 and Regen are too expensive to shell out for a full 5-man link), but a Sniper/HMG backed up by two Hafza is a terrifying ARO piece. Sekban: Used to be a terrible version of Odalisques but now have BS 13 as a unique value proposition. Wouldn’t link them but they are another good Haris option especially as they have a native Specialist option. Janissaries: Super expensive but also basically the best link in QK. HMG, Tinbot, Akbar Doctor and 2x Hafza is a pretty efficient Pain Train. My ranking, in terms of ‘benefit compared to cost’: Kaplan 5-man Odalisque Haris Ghulam 5-man Janissary 5-man (diluted with Hafza) Druze 5-man Sekban Haris Sekban 5-man Djanbazan Link
I love a full kaplan core (they are monstruous in hunting party), but it all depends on what you want to do... A defensive ghulam core is a great support for when I want to take the Iguana. I've used odalisque core with hafzas, as described here with great results. Sekban haris is a neat plataform for a HRL. And I'm fairly certain that a Druze core with HMG, E/M GL, SMR, hacker and a panzerfaust would be a nightmare to deal with. In the end, don't think there's a "right" answer, it's all list building. Also don't overlook the duos (available for sekban and druze), they're great for order efficiency.
Daylami and Mutts are amazing basicially auto units that you miss out on like most factions in the game. Qapu are pretty much standard. I love the Azrail Feuerbach and Hawwa sniper but they it require a deployment sense that takes a lot of experience. You're back to basics: everyone is an aro unit and no one wants to be. SK make a typical screen, a lot of links can work as good aro, but it'll always cost you. I do this. It works well, especially against WB links, in fact a little too well. Stuff like this and TO ML really hurts links that need to advance, I think it's a major part of what is holding stuff like Sekban Core back from more common use. Anyways I have Preta players and Preta links end games so I take one decently often. I'll disguise it as something that has a reason to ARO but no template. Djanbazan Sniper can have them try to get past without using smoke. Bashi Bazook work pretty well, especially from the point trade perspective. The SMG even gets a DTW. Anyways for Annihilation Bashi are one of the ways to get some score without risking score for your opponent. Parachutist is rough though. I usually use both. And yeah, a lot of their gameplay is in links, that's hard to escape with standard sectorials and Qapu are even more so. I usually hate having 8 guys linked but Qapu is the exception.
I have used full Jan teams to great effect, but they are usually a single combat group list (full jan pain train, aro sekban haris with HRL, and twin Al'Hawwa). The Akbar doctor is great and being able to get your fallen Jan back up with full wounds can really ruin an opponents plan. It is risky though as they have no cubes...but that also ruins Sepsitor lists. I went against a Sep list once, and the Combine player just sighed.
Dropping for smoke and dropping for attack can be at odds for Yuan Yuan anyways. I try not to sweat it in Qapu, smoke is very unreliable for them. I have deployed Yuan Yuan normally for it but it sucks.
With the Janns, if your hiding from something there is a serious issue. your pounding the enemy with a 5 man link at BS16. I have had numerous times I was hitting the enemy on 19s, and using their LSG, and BSG's at BS22. If your shooting something, your going to put it in the ground.
All I can add is that Qapu allows for some fun thematic and still competitive lists. I've been playing small variations of a list with an Odalisques Core Link Team, with Al Hawwas as Infiltrating Specialists (FO and AHD), with a lone Djanbazan Sniper and an Azrail as Long range support, plus whatever else the point count allows; and boy have I had fun with them! We have 2 TAG choices Iguana (which turns into a HI HMG when it loses its 2 STR) and Scarface with his little sister Cordelia; and we can field both of them if we feel mischievous. And I still haven't mentioned the powerhouses (the Kaplans, Sekbans and Janis), whit the added bonus of Hafzas filling link teams to give a cheap specialist, a cheap lt with Spitfire, or a cheap HRL. All in all, like @theGricks said, Qapu is not much for the "Gotcha!" gamestyle, but more of the "Send a maniac to catch a maniac" type of game.
