Cops and Robolts
Work brought me to Denver, Colorado, and the local were kind enough to host me at one of their weekly game nights. Apparently, they have two game nights a week, with as many as 10-20 people each night! Quite a healthy meta!
Lots of interesting stuff to see this trip, but the real winner was the fantastic sunrise out my hotel window! I also got a chance to play on one of the Hexagon Mill flat-packing tables. It needs some scatter to really sing, but there was plenty of that on site. Gabe was kind enough to delay his game of Battletech to throw down against my ForCo with his O-12 on this awesome table:
Overview
- Mission: Supplies
- Forces: Foreign Company versus O-12 (300)
- Deploy First: O-12
- First Turn: O-12
Bolt Securitate
GROUP 1 |7
CROC MAN (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
AKAL COMMANDO Spitfire / Pistol, E/M CCW. (1.5 | 28)
GROUP 2 |
SECURITATE Feuerbach / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22)
CSU (Specialist Operative) Rifle + Light Shotgun, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
1
HANNIBAL Lieutenant (Strategic Deployment, Strategos L1) MULTI Marksman Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 41)
SEÑOR MASSACRE Boarding Shotgun, E/M Grenades, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW, E/M CCW. (0 | 26)
BOLT (Multispectral Visor L1) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 27)
ZERO (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19)
PEACEMAKER Heavy Shotgun + AUXBOT_3 / Electric Pulse. (0 | 21)
WARCOR (360º Visor) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)
5.5 SWC | 300 Points | Open in Infinity Army
This list was more or less the one I took against Dan my last game, but I swapped the TR combi bot for a Peacemaker with a shotgun and downgraded Massacre to get a Warcor.
O-12
ALPHA Lieutenant (Strategos L2) 2 Light Shotguns, 2 Nanopulsers / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 26)
GANGBUSTER Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Submachine Gun, MadTrap / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 21)
VARANGIAN Submachine Gun, Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CC Weapon. (0 | 12)
LYNX (Specialist Operative) Plasma Carbine, D-Charges / Assault Pistol, Knife. (0 | 30)
DELTA (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle + Light Riotstopper, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23)
OMEGA HMG / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 48)
GAMMA Feuerbach / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 58)
SIRIUS (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges + 1 SiriusBot / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24)
1 | 5 SWC | 299 Points | Open in Infinity Army
Gabe brought a beatstick of an O-12 list with an Omega and a Gamma to do some heavy lifting, Lynx to do spot removal, and Gangbusters for area control. Definitely a tough list to face!
Deployment
I won the roll off, and briefly decided to go first before changing my mind. Two out of three objectives were high on rooftops and very difficult to get to, so I wanted to see where his Gangbusters would end up before committing. I gave him the deployment with less cover in his DZ and wandered off to use the restroom to give Gabe some time to deploy his TO models. Deploy them he did!
Two Lynx made an appearance, the MSR high on the roof and the plasma SO on the ground, hiding next to an Omega in the center of his deployment zone. Gabe telegraphed going for his right objective by putting a Gangbuster KHD on the rooftop next to it, prone, and a Sirius team at the base of the building to help out. A Varangian hung out on his right to provide smoke if needed and to screen the Alpha Lt in this backfield, and then it was my turn to deploy.
The first thing I did was to put the Peacemaker’s Auxbot up on the roof watching the Gangbuster with the Peacemaker right below. The Zero KHD covered the central objective, just in case there was another Gangbuster waiting in the wings. Since there wasn’t anything on the rightmost objective from my perspective, I stuck the Croc-Man FO there. He was 2″ away to crawl to the objective but was also watching the tops of the ladders to be able to drop a mine if necessary or some other ARO.
I knew I’d need to defend the Auxbot from attack, so I put my Hannibal Haris on that side with Massacre watching the board edge against Deltas and the Bolt MSR covering the roof that the Omega would likely climb up to attack the Auxbot. My Securitate team basically just parked around a building on the right, with the Feuerbach left out to die, hopefully taking something out beforehand.
Gabe dropped a second Gangbuster on my right to defend that objective with MadTraps and then put a Gamma down next to his Omega to give him some serious options for killing power. I try to over-infiltrate a Zero FO, just for the lulz, but fail and it ends up on my right table edge.
Turn 1
Top of 1 – O-12
I limit Gabe to one command token, because O-12 really likes coordinated orders. He starts off by trying to take out my Feuerbach Securitate with his Gamma. This is a pretty dangerous proposition for both of us.
| 32.09 | 23.39 | 44.51 |
I chose AP+DA instead of EXP, which gave me a 2% buff in wounding the high ARM Gamma but equal odds of taking a wound.
In any case, my poor Securitate turns into a red mist. Gabe needs to get rid of my Peacemaker to get his Gangbuster out of the pickle he’s in, so he sends in the Sirius. The Siriusbot gets clipped by my HMG Securitate, taking it out, and I win the face to face against the Sirius FO taking it out. To add insult to injury, I even pass the PH-6 roll against the Heavy Riotstopper!
To make the best use of his orders and to recover from the current situation, Gabe reveals his Lynx MSR and obliterates my poor Auxbot.
This frees the Gangbuster to grab the box, or so he thinks. I crit-Redrum the Gangbuster with my KHD Zero. This exchange is definitely in Gabe’s favor, but a ~25% chance is still quite high.
| 24.52 | 20.44 | 55.04 |
Gabe wants to roadblock me and do some more damage to my order pools, so he rolls the Gamma forward, trading fire with my Warcor, Rhonda Burgundy. Nothing happens, so his Gamma just parks himself, large and in charge, in front of my Securitate link.
His remaining Gangbuster goes after my Zero FO that failed infiltration, but I dodge out of line of fire.
The Gamma tries again to take out my Warcor, but fails.
Gabe ends the turn by throwing the Gangbuster and his Omega into suppression.
Bottom of 1 – ForCo
I start things off by throwing the HMG Securitate at the Gamma and do a wound. Gabe drops the Gamma prone in response. I need to deal with the Lynx MSR, but the Omega is in the way. I send in the Bolt MSR and get fabulously lucky, tanking a hit from the suppressive fire HMG at just under 24″.
| 35.11 | 23.19 | 41.70 |
A second order drops the Omega, finally.
The Lynx MSR goes down without putting up much of a fight an order later.
| 51.55 | 21.76 | 26.69 |
The Alpha is looking the wrong way so I drop in an Akali to take it out, but Gabe had planned for this and takes a normal roll shot with his Plasma Rifle Lynx as I come in. I pass ARM, but fail BTS. Drat.
I sort out the positioning of both links, moving the Securitate/CSU forward to cover the Gamma and to get them off the roof and closer to the central objective, then I set up the Hannibal Haris to cover the board edge and the Varangian with a shotgun and a shock marksman rifle.
Finally, I rescue my poor Zero FO, moving him into a better position and dropping a mine to screen himself against further Gangbuster harassment.
Turn 2
Top of 2 – O-12
The Gamma is pinned by my shotgun Securitate and my CSU, so Gabe uses his Gangbuster to take out the Securitate…
then the Gamma goes after the CSU. I manage to do a wound on his first order, dropping the Gamma into NWI, but a second order turns my CSU into goo.
With the damage I’ve done to his order pool, Gabe is forced to pass turn after advancing his Gangbuster.
Bottom of 2 – ForCo
I decide to push my Zero FO forward to shoot the Gamma in the back and also clear out the Gangbuster’s MadTraps. I’m rolling on 14s, but I manage to roll three misses and fail both ADHL saves. Well, at least the MadTraps are cleared.
I try to take out the Gangbuster with my other Zero but get crit.
Now, with both Zeros out of the picture, I’m forced to bring the Croc Men out of hiding. I shoot the Gangbuster in the back, clearing him out, and then grab the box that the Croc Man was next to on the roof before settling him into total cover. I’ve got one more order to spend, so I throw the Securitate HMG at the Gamma within 16″, whiff four times, and get obliterated.
| 39.32 | 38.35 | 22.33 |
Turn 3
Top of 3 – O-12
Gabe doesn’t have a box yet so he needs to make a big play. He tries to drop in a Delta near the center objective, but it deviates and gets plastered by my Bolt MSR and remaining CSU.
The Gamma, Varangian, Alpha, and remaining Lynx push forward to secure the center…
taking out my glued Zero FO from earlier to deny me an order.
The Lynx grabs the central objective and retreats.
Gabe throws the Gamma at my Bolt within 16″, I land a hit, but the Gamma passes both saves.
Bottom of 3 – ForCo
I send in the Peacemaker to take out the Gamma and crit, finally clearing the way.
This lets me advance the Hannibal Haris. I have to take out the Alpha with Hannibal on the way, but a few orders later…
The Bolt catches the Lynx in the open and downs it, giving me 1 box to Gabe’s 0.
The Croc Man is securing Gabe’s HVT and I quickly nab Net Undermine with Hannibal, bringing it to a
8-0 Foreign Company Victory!
Post Game Analysis
This game felt good. I dictated the pace of the first turn with my deployment, won some key face to face rolls, and kept the pressure up on Gabe through the second turn. I pinned his Gamma with two pieces, forcing him to move up his Gangbuster where my Croc Man was behind it, and then I cleared out the MadTraps with my Zero.
I’d like to talk about that more, actually. There are some high-risk scenarios that you have to expose yourself to in Infinity, and I think you get the most success out of them if you can accomplish multiple goals with your action. In this case, it was risky for me to go after the Gamma with my Zero. I had a 40% chance of accomplishing nothing, and a really high chance of getting glued so I couldn’t try again. Really though, I just needed the MadTraps gone so I could get the Croc Man to grab the objective. If I took out the Gamma in that order, that would be great later, but if I dodged I’d have to spend another order shooting. Being glued is certainly better than being dead, but I would have done the same against Koalas instead of MadTraps.
The Hannibal Haris is interesting. I don’t like the Hannibal Lt + Massacre + Bolt with gun build because I lose the ability to have a specialist in the link. I’m really digging the MSR Bolt in the Haris though. Ever since I had an aggressive Kamau MSR in a link used against me, I’ve wanted to try out the Bolt MSR in a similar capacity. Definitely not the same thing, but close!
I think it might be worth running the Hannibal MULTI Marksman + Chain of Command profile, losing Strategic Deployment but gaining a specialist. If you’re running the MSR that’s probably a good thing anyway. The Bolt hackers have shotguns, which is good but Massacre can come with one if you really need one, and the Bolt Paramedic doesn’t have drop bears. It’s a bit awkward. I’m pretty reluctant to use the Hannibal Lt profile to do anything serious, but I think that’s because I’ve faced a bunch of T2, DA, or EXP AROs in recent games.
I had a great time on that Tuesday game night in Denver. I was particularly impressed by the introspection from everyone there. Gabe and I started our game probably 45 minutes or so after another pair had started, and so for about 45 minutes while we finished the pair was dissecting their game with a third party. Once Gabe and I finished our game, they pulled us into the discussion and we talked through the structure and positioning of the game, which was pretty rad.
In any case, I wasn’t able to get away from my work event to play another game, and was treated to some Denver snow before winging it home to Portland. Although I’ve lived in/traveled to plenty of places where planes have had to be de-iced, this was the first time I bothered to look out the window while it was happening. Pretty neat.
Thanks to Gabe for the great game, and to all the folks at game night for being such great hosts! It was lovely meeting you all!
