Tik-ba-blam!

Alex was my opponent, and he’s running a 10 order Acontecimento list with a Bagh Mari link, a Tikbalang, and all the fun ALEPH stuff you can take in Acon sans Dart.

Alex (Drlaserbeast)

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REGULAR (Lieutenant) Combi Rifle / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 10)

LT. STEPHEN RAO Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Assault Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 25)
BAGH-MARI (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun, Flash Pulse, D-Charges / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 21)
BAGH-MARI (Paramedic) Combi Rifle, Light Shotgun ( | MediKit) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 24)
BAGH-MARI (Minelayer) MULTI Sniper Rifle, Shock Mines / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 29)
MACHINIST SAA (Mimetism [-3], Terrain [Total]) Combi Rifle, D-Charges ( | GizmoKit) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 18)

TEUCER Feuerbach, Nanopulser / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 39)
SCYLLA (Hacker, Hacking Device [UPGRADE: Trinity (+2 Damage)]) Boarding Shotgun, Pitcher ( ) / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (0.5 | 35)
DEVABOT CHARYBDIS Heavy Flamethrower / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 7)
NAGA (Hacker, Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Shock Mines ( ) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 30)
TIKBALANG Heavy Machine Gun, Heavy Flamethrower, Shock Mines / AP CC Weapon. (1.5 | 68)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / . (0 | 0)

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10 1 | 5 SWC | 299 Points | Open in Army | Copy Code

Deployment

I took deployment so Alex took first turn. He set up the Bagh Mari link in a blog on the left with Teucer on overwatch above them. Scylla, the CSU, and his Regular Lt were on the right. The Tikbalang was his reserve.

I set up the Agema on the building right above the Asura (this is what I get for photo editing awhile after I play the game) to watch the link as they move forward. Penny and the Asura hang out together on, and the Warcor and the CSU guard against Akali on the left. The rest of my forces are clustered on the right with the Mk1 and Parvati near each other to help one another out, having learned from my game against Frank that this was pretty desirable.

Alex put the Tikbalang on the right to challenge all my units, so I put the Proxies on that side to help defend against it with the Mk2 watching a diagonal firelane to the left side of the table as added insurance against the link if they pushed far that way.

Turn 1

Top of 1 – Acontecimento

• Follow Up
• HVT: Identity Check
• Net Undermine

I took two orders from Alex, because that’s what you do when you can. With Net Undermine on the table, it seemed reasonable to push Scylla up towards my deployment zone. This has the added benefit of making things harder for my Asura. I do manage to flash pulse Scylla’s bot on a second short skill, which is nice.

Scylla keeps on going and forces my Warcor back into cover.

Now it’s time for the TIkbalang to attack my order pool. The Daleth is a little exposed, so it dies to the Tikabalang. I have some engineers nearby, so I can get Test Run if it comes up. Not the end of the world.

Then the Tikbalang takes two wounds from a crit, courtesy of the Proxy Mk3! I eventually lose the Mk3, but the Tikbalang is extremely wounded.

With both flanks looking pretty good to Alex, he starts pushing the Bagh Mari forward. I reveal an Agema and splash all of them under a missile template on 16s face-to-facing everyone’s dodge, exactly as planned. Alex is understandably not pleased with this situation, especially since he was very sure that’s not how impact templates work. Sadly, that is how they work, and four of the five Bagh Mari either evaporate or fall over unconscious. I believe Rao actually crit dodged, which saved his bacon.

Scylla, nonplussed at the total destruction of the Bagh Mari, snags Net Undermine to bank a point.

Teucer then exacts revenge on the Agema, removing it from the table. Absolutely acceptable!

Bottom of 1 – ALEPH

• Follow Up
• HVT: Identity Check
• HVT: Retroengineering
• Telemetry

Scylla is actually a credible threat this close to my Asura, so she needs to go immediately. Then I need to see about sorting out the TIkbalang situation. Only then can I think about objectives. I think I can get most of the killing done early in my turn so I get started. Penny handles Scylla on her impetuous order with a burst of SMG fire. I’ve always wondered if they were friends, and I decided they were.

I’d like to get the Mk3 back, and I have just the tool for that: Parvati! Macheon spec-fires smoke with his Lieutenant order to set it up…

Parvati does her thing, healing the Mk3 back up to full, and then I challenge the Tikbalang. I can’t seem to get that last wound done with the Tikbalang in cover…

so I get some elevation and an angle to deny cover and drop the Tikbalang. Unfortunately, Teucer can see this and drops the Mk3 again. Okay, now I have just enough orders to make a run on objectives, as I think Alex might be in retreat pretty soon. The Asura snags Telemetry off of Scylla’s bot.

Parvati rockets up the board to get HVT: Retroengineering, and then I’m stuck without a nearby HVT to get Follow Up so I’m forced to settle Parvati in to not great cover and pass turn.

Turn 2

Top of 2 – Acontecimento

• Data Scan
• Follow Up
• HVT: Inoculation

Alex had wisely kept silent during my musing about whether or not he was in retreat, so when his turn started he reminded me of the Naga’s existence keeping him out of retreat. Teucer starts by taking two orders to drop Parvati. I would have preferred this not happen, but I’m fine with it taking extra effort.

Alex’s last two orders are spent on the Naga getting Data Scan, but he does so under the watchful quantronic eye of the Asura, who pops the Naga’s brain. Alex chooses to forgo dogged in case he needs the Naga for something later.

Bottom of 2 – ALEPH

• Follow Up
• Nanoespionage
• Predator
• Rescue

Alex is unquestionably in retreat now, so I need to get all the classifieds I can. Follow Up is easy enough with the Asura.

Penny handles Predator easily as well. We have the argument that everyone has about whether or not coup de grace is legal or not for Predator that will continue happening until the new classifieds deck that CB is supposed to be released. I can’t wait for that to happen. I’m getting pretty tired of the same cards (and the same missions, but that’s another thing). Thankfully it only takes a few minutes to find the current text explaining that it’s legal, and we move on.

I try to get Rescue using the Mk2 and the Mk3, but Teucer says no after I fail my dodge.

Turn 3

Top of 3 – Acontecimento

• Experimental Drug
• HVT: Designation
• Rescue

Stephen Rao moves into base to base with one of the downed Bagh Mari for Rescue, and that’s game.

6-3, 164-74 ALEPH Victory!

Post Game Analysis

Sometimes you just have a game where your list does all the things you designed it to do.

• Parvati – Picked up the Proxy Mk3 with both wounds, which was very relevant as it took another wound dropping the Tikbalang for good.
• Proxy Mk3 – AP necessary against Mimetism -3 TAGs
• Asura – Did the things that required big brain WIP
• Penny – Go fast, kill things
• Macheon – Smoke (button pushing not required this time)
• Agema – * chef’s kiss gif *

I’m a little unsure if I should have killed the Tikbalang, specifically for retreat purposes. I think I made the right call though, but I’m still unsure. In any case, I think Alex did an excellent job keeping the score as close as he did especially after that disastrous first turn. It’s always upsetting when something really bad happens and it’s a rule that you don’t have a lot of experience with, like getting your link blown up by an impact template. Alex handled the situation well, staying cool and committed to the objectives.

Really this game came down to me achieving a huge material advantage early on, pressing that advantage, and both of us just scrambling to do objectives in the meantime. Thanks to Alex for the game and to you for reading!