Space Cadet Wildcat in Sticky Situation!
So this was a nice opportunity for a rematch. My opponent definitely cleaned up his play and deployment, all in the space of 1-2 games! Quick learner, indeed. I, on the other hand, am a total space cadet this game. I make a lot of bad decisions early in the game, but manage to make the best of it late game, aside from one massive mistake.
Overview
We tried out our first Strikezone Wotan mission. Since there are 2 Nomad and 2 PanO missions, we just rolled for it, and got this:
- Mission: Strikezone Wotan: Hunting Party
- Theatre: La Forja Mobile Shipyard, Operations Control Deck
- Forces: Nomads versus PanOceania
- Deploy First: Nomads
- First Turn: Nomads
- Strikezone Wotan Report: WiseKensai versus Wzzzzrd
Neither of us really felt like writing new lists, even to maximize ADHL counts (Hunting Party gives a bunch of troop types free ADHLs and everyone gets stun pistols), so we just went with what we had when we walked in the door.
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/logo_501.png[/img][b] Nomads[/b]
GROUP 1[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]8 [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_irregular.png[/img]1
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_16.png[/img] [b]INTERVENTOR Hacker (Hacking Device Plus)[/b] Combi Rifle, 1 FastPanda / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]27[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_7.png[/img] [b]MOBILE BRIGADA[/b] Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (2 | [b]40[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_5.png[/img] [b]REVEREND MOIRA[/b] HMG / Pistol, Shock CCW. (1.5 | [b]34[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_42.png[/img] [b]LUPE BALBOA[/b] Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, Panzerfaust, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, CCW. (0 | [b]23[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_13.png[/img] [b]JAGUAR[/b] Adhesive Launcher, Panzerfaust / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | [b]13[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_30.png[/img] [b]MORAN[/b] Combi Rifle, CrazyKoalas (2) / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]21[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_10.png[/img] [b]ZERO (Minelayer)[/b] Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]19[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_10.png[/img] [b]ZERO Hacker (Assault Hacking Device)[/b] Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]24[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_9.png[/img] [b]BANDIT Hacker (Killer Hacking Device)[/b] Light Shotgun, Adhesive Launcher / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | [b]25[/b])GROUP 2[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]5
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_39.png[/img] [b]WILDCAT Lieutenant[/b] Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]19[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_14.png[/img] [b]DAKTARI[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_13.png[/img] [b]JAGUAR[/b] Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | [b]10[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_13.png[/img] [b]JAGUAR[/b] Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | [b]10[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_3.png[/img] [b]HELLCAT[/b] Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]21[/b])
[b] 6 SWC | 300 Points| [/b] Open in Infinity Army
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/logo_101.png[/img][b] PanOceania[/b]
GROUP 1[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]10
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_22.png[/img] [b]AUXILIA (Forward Observer)[/b] Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]15[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_22.png[/img] [b]AUXBOT_1[/b] Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | [b]4[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_22.png[/img] [b]AUXILIA (Forward Observer)[/b] Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]15[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_22.png[/img] [b]AUXBOT_1[/b] Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | [b]4[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_1.png[/img] [b]FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device)[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]18[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_1.png[/img] [b]FUSILIER[/b] Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | [b]15[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_1.png[/img] [b]FUSILIER Lieutenant[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]10[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_1.png[/img] [b]FUSILIER Paramedic (MediKit)[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]12[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_35.png[/img] [b]BULLETEER[/b] Heavy Shotgun / Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]17[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_35.png[/img] [b]BULLETEER[/b] Spitfire / Electric Pulse. (1 | [b]23[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_3.png[/img] [b]NISSE[/b] HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | [b]34[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_3.png[/img] [b]NISSE[/b] MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | [b]34[/b])GROUP 2[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/sep.gif[/img] [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]5
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_2.png[/img] [b]AKAL COMMANDO[/b] Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, E/M CCW. (0 | [b]21[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_1.png[/img] [b]FUSILIER[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]10[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_14.png[/img] [b]TRAUMA-DOC[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_37.png[/img] [b]PALBOT[/b] Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]3[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_15.png[/img] [b]MACHINIST[/b] Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]15[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_37.png[/img] [b]PALBOT[/b] Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]3[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/101/logo_5.png[/img] [b]ORC[/b] MULTI Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]40[/b])
[b] 6 SWC | 299 Points |[/b] Open in Infinity Army
Deployment
My side of the table is a gaping void. At least that’s the way it felt to me. I bubble wrap my Lieutenant with Jaguars, a Moira HMG, and an Interventor on the right. I set up my Mobile Brigada missile launcher, Lupe, and the Jaguar ADHL/Panzerfaust to punch up the middle. The two infiltrating specialists (Zero AHD and Bandit KHD) hang out next to the objectives on the left and the right, respectively.
Finally, I deploy the Zero Minelayer and its mine in the center and hold the Moran in reserve.
My opponent counter deploys my Moira HMG with his Nisse HMG, and strings out the rest of his stuff in the backfield. The two Bulleteers go on his right, with a Fusilier Missile Launcher in overwatch. He knows I’ve likely got a Hellcat, waiting in the wings, so he covers up his backfield pretty well, and his backfield is just so much more dense than mine. Not many places to even put a circular template, much less an uncovered area. I should start choosing side more often instead of turn order.
We drop our reserve models, a Moran for me, and a Nisse MULTI Sniper for him. My Moran should hold the center pretty well against his Bulleteers, with some help from the Interventor.
Turn 1
Top of Turn 1 – Nomads
So, I psych myself out this game pretty hard. For those unfamiliar with the scenario special rules, guns don’t work over 32″. I also focus really hard on taking out the Nisse sniper when I probably don’t need to and should just use White Noise to get around him. I was looking around, trying to find a good hole to drop my Hellcat in. They were all bad, but the less bad ones were covered by the Nisse MSR. My Interventor brings up a White Noise zone, and I start working on the problem.
Mobile Brigada ML: Sniper at our 12, it’s got Visor!
Interventor: On it!
A snowstorm of electronic noise blankets the visual systems of the Nisse MSR as Lupe, the Jaguar ADHL, and the Minelayer Zero dash up the center, with the Mobile Brigada bringing up the rear.
I’m so concerned with taking out the Nisse MSR that I bring up Lupe, the Jaguar ADHL, the Mobile Brigada, and a Zero. I would actually end up moving the Mobile Brigada into the LoF of some other stuff, so I can’t make it all the way to where I need to be
Lupe: I have the shot! Panzerfaust out!
Jaguar: Firing!
Lupe flicks her wrist and the dragon familiar perched on he shoulder leaps into the air, following the smoke trail connecting the Jaguar’s Panzerfaust tube to the Nisse’s position. The Zero breaks cover and draws a line on the Nisse as well, but gets slammed back behind cover by a short burst of Spitfire rounds from a squat shape that seems to be in two places at once.
Zero: Engagi- URHG. I’m hit!
Lupe: No effect! No effect! Sniper is still up, sniper is _still_ up!
The coordinated order fails to take out the Nisse, who tanks the Jaguar’s Panzerfaust and lives. I roll super poorly with Lupe and the Zero, who gets sniped by the Bulleteer Spitfire nearby. I was way too aggressive here, should’ve used the Mobile Brigada through the White Noise zone and just repositioned Lupe and the Jaguar.
In any case, the Mobile Brigada sends a few missiles at the Nisse HMG and the Paramedic, sending them both unconscious.
Mobile Brigada: Shit! Contact right! Missile away!
A third anti-material round streaks across the field, its fuse set to airburst right over the Nisse HMG and Fusilier Paramedic. The concussive wave knocks both sprawling as their vision narrows to a point before going black.
Mobile Brigada: Splash two!
I had two doctor the HVT classifieds, so I run my Daktari across the field in the open. At least she’s protected by the white noise. One of my Jaguar plugs a LoF hole with a smoke grenade to help out. I’m out of orders and pass the turn.
Bottom of Turn 1 – PanO
My opponent drops an Akal with BSG in my backfield out of view of everything except a Jaguar who is too far to chain rifle him. I decide to ARO: Alert instead of trying for a low-probability pistol shot.
Jaguar Chain Rifle: ALERT! Check your six, hostile drop troop at your SIX!
Lupe spins, combi-rifle at the ready, as the Jaguar ADHL drops his spent Panzerfaust tube and presents the wide mouth of his adhesive launcher. The Mobile Brigada ML pivots, craning her head to see.
Mobile Brigada: No visual!
The Akal commando contemptuously shoots the Daktari in the back, the boarding shotgun’s flechette rounds coring her and splattering Lupe with gore. A stray flechette punctures the ceramic plate over Lupe’s stomach, forcing a grunt out of the normally stoic Lupe. Face draining of color as her belly fills with blood, she doggedly plants her feet and shoulders her rifle.
Jaguar ADHL: Oye! Cabron!
The Akal looks right, only to see an expanding cloud of combat adhesive envelop his vision, slamming him into the ground.
Jaguar ADHL: I will save you for later. Take my time, como araña, sí?
I glue the Akal, but he takes out the Daktari and sends Lupe dogged (they both fail their dodges). I’m careful with my arcs this time, and can still see the Nisse Sniper during all of this. He activates and puts a shot into the Jaguar and Lupe, who both flub their rolls on their last Panzerfausts. Lupe takes a hit and goes down for good. The Nisse tries again, but I crit him with the ADHL and that’s that.
Turning around, the Jaguar ADHL flips the Nisse Sniper off.
Jaguar ADHL: Your turn, cabron!
The Nisse squeezes off a round, which lands harmlessly at the Jaguar’s feet, kicking up some chips from the deck plating. The Jaguar grins widely and works his way through the remainder of the adhesive rounds in his drum, turning the Nisse into the stay-puft marshmallow man.
Jaguar ADHL: This araña is going to eat well tonight! Hope you can breathe in there, ese! Wouldn’t want you to miss our fun!
My opponent is concerned about my camo tokens. He kills the Zero AHD on the left with his Fusilier ML, and gets to work on the camo token in the center. He spends a bunch of orders trying to provoke an ARO out of it with his Auxilia. It doesn’t do anything, because it’s a mine, and he fails all of his discover rolls. Phew! He does manage to land a lucky crit on the Mobile Brigada, sending her unconscious. With his last order, he runs his ORC up to cover the objective on my right, but eats the mine, taking a wound.
Meanwhile, as she tries to get a visual on the Akal, the Mobile Brigada doesn’t notice a Auxila sneak up behind her…
Interventor: Not getting a feed from the Mobile Brigada anymore, Lt… wait! Mine detonation!
Turn 2
Top of Turn 2 – Nomads
I try to bring in a Hellcat behind his Lieutenant. Now that the Nisse MSR is immobilized, I could theoretically climb the ladder and glue his Lieutenant, but he hacks the transport aircraft and I disperse right in front of the Bulleteer Heavy Shotgun.
Interventor to Hellcat: Abort! Abort! Hostile datastream intercepted!
Hellcat: Too late! I had the green light! OH SHI–
The Hellcat lands, only to be plastered into the wall by a full drum of heavy shotgun ammo.
Not great. I try to run a Jaguar up the field under smoke, but he takes a ton of AROs and dies to a crit, I think. Probably not the best plan, but FtF on 16’s for me seems reasonable. Still, crits are crits. Having a Chain Rifle covering an objective sounded really good to me, which is why I did it.
I need to take the objective, so I run the Interventor, a Jaguar, and the Moira HMG up. The Moira shuffles right to take out the ORC, which she does beautifully. I have 2 orders left, which I spend dashing my Bandit out, pushing a button, and dashing back, hiding prone behind a barricade. This probably was a mistake, but I wanted to do my best to keep the Bandit alive for Turn 3, especially with an active Auxbot nearby.
The Nisse HMG floats in and out of consciousness, barely registering the heavy thud of a Nomad HMG and the wet gurgle of the nearby ORC trooper. In the chaos, a hooded figure melts back into the shadows.
Bandit: Antenna connected, falling back!
Bottom of Turn 2 – PanO
My opponent picks up the Nisse HMG and his Paramedic with his Trauma Doc and her Palbot. He advances the Nisse into cover, and takes out my Moira HMG.
The way clear, he runs his Auxilia and Auxbot to the objective, flipping it, but my Interventor is just close enough to isolate the Auxbot.
Interventor: Enemy auxbot! Let me… just… threat neutralized! Dammit. Looks like they rerouted the antenna feed.
Turn 3
Top of Turn 3 – Nomads
I don’t have a ton of options here, and I need to get rid of as much as I can. I’ve got a total of 3 orders left for my main pool, with the Wildcat Lt in his own pool. I am a total space cadet, and move the Wildcat off his super safe perch and into the line of fire. I wanted to bring up something expendable to ARO, totally forgetting that hunting Lt’s is a scenario objective! D’OH! So, after that stroke of genius, I do the following:
- Interventor puts White Noise over the objective so the Nisse can’t see.
- Bandit spends her irregular order, hops over the barricade, stickies the Auxila.
- Bandit moves forward, stickies the engineer’s Palbot (he was trying to get to my HVT for a classified).
Interventor: Someone take out that damn Nisse! I can’t hold the White Noise forever, he’s got some hacker support!
Wildcat Lt: On my way!
Jaguar: Lt! Stay down, we got this!
Wildcat Lt: I’ll handle it!
Bandit: I’m on it, boss, stay low!
The Bandit vaults over the wall and efficiently plasters the Auxila FO and a Palbot with a pair of well-placed combat adhesive rounds as the Nisse struggles to clear his vision nearby.
I optimized for shooting the Palbot instead of setting up for an ARO: Engage on the Nisse, so my Bandit is just hanging out, exposed.
Bottom of Turn 3 – PanO
I’ve actually killed very little here, because most of the stuff that I’ve landed a shot on was with an ADHL. As a result, my opponent still has tons of orders. He activates the Nisse, tries to sticky the Wildcat, who dodges. The Bandit shotguns him into unconsciousness. He crits the Bandit with a cross-map combi shot from an Auxilia or something, brings up his Paramedic, and picks the Nisse back up, who comes around the corner, finally landing a ADHL on my Wildcat.
The Nisse’s visor finally starts to clear in fits of static, revealing the silhouette of a Wildcat. Reacting quickly, the Nisse drops his HMG and brings his ADHL to bear. The Wildcat tries to dodge but ends up faceplanting, a single foot glued to the deck plating. Satisfied with the result, the Nisse bends over to pick up his HMG, only to find the barrel of a light shotgun in his face.
Bandit: Hola.
And that’s it. He tries to get his engineer the HVT classified with his actual engineer, but my Crazy Koalas firmly deny him this opportunity. He’s got a classified, a Lieutenant capture, and a connected antenna, giving him 6 points. I’ve captured more specialists, and I lost the antenna, so I only have 2 points.
6-2 PanOceania Victory!
Notes
- First things first: Don’t expose your lieutenant in a scenario where your opponent gets a ton of points to do something to your lieutenant. Whoops.
- Don’t get psyched out by scenario special rules.
- Good use of white noise this game.
- Bandit very effective, should take them more.
- Don’t forget that your Zero AHD exists! Needlessly lost it versus the Fusilier.
- Reasonable response to the Akal BSG. Need to work on arcs still, but I’m seeing improvement game to game.
- ARO: Alert still really useful.
- Really bad use of Mobile Brigada this game. Missile launcher good, but expensive for low-burst weapon. Think about taking Alguacil or Grenzer ML instead.
- Perhaps switching to a different flavor of HI would be more effective?
- Terrible deployment of Moira HMG. Should’ve used in the middle with white noise versus the Nisse.
- Terrible deployment in general. I deployed like I was going second when I was going first.
- Didn’t have a coherent first turn plan aside from killing the Nisse MSR. Need to start actually going through the exercise of writing a metal priority list.
- Hellcat BSG very hit-or-miss. Considering taking combi+ADHL instead for similar points. Less variance for less swingy turns. I’m more likely to walk it on as opposed to dropping it, which is safer, but it serves a different purpose. Maybe find SWC for Spitfire or HMG versions.
- This scenario punishes uses of ADHLs, as they don’t strip orders. Forces you to be very explicit about what you use lethal/non-lethal ammo on. I didn’t have a choice as my Jaguar ADHL was out of all other types of ammo.
- Need to take more doctors/paramedics.
