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| Cultural learnings of PanOceania for make benefit for Glorious Country of Ariadna |
Lots of games- predominantly resulting in dreadful drubbings for the Morats- had left me steadily drained of any enthusiasm to play. And with no new Morat releases arrived as yet, the painting table has been occupied with 28mm Moderns and Space Marines.
We had a gaming meet recently and despite my Morats getting their usual dose of crushing defeat- I have to say I had a very good time! I was also lucky enough to be able to watch a game as well, so on with the reporting!
ARMIES
PanOceania
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| Capitalism! |
FATHER-KNIGHT Lieutenant Spitfire / Breaker Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 50)
CUTTER MULTI HMG / . (2.5 | 115)
TRAUMA-DOC Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (14)
AUXILIA (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (15)
AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (4) AUXILIA (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle + AUXBOT_1 / Pistol, Knife. (15) AUXBOT_1 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (4)
NISSE MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34)
FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (10) FUSILIER (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (12) FUSILIER Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (12)6 SWC | 299 Points
Bipandra is proxying as a Trauma Doc.
Ariadna
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| Is Nice! |
VETERAN KAZAK Lieutenant AP HMG / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1 | 47) VETERAN KAZAK Paramedic (MediKit) AP Rifle, Light Flamethrower / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (39)
TANKHUNTER AP Rifle, Adhesive Launcher, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (25) TANKHUNTER AP HMG, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35) TANKHUNTER Portable Autocannon, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 34)
TRAKTOR MUL (Total Reaction) Uragan MRL / Electric Pulse. (1 | 18)
DOZER (Traktor Mul Control Device) Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (14)
SCOUT (Forward Observer) Ojotnik, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (30) SCOUT (Forward Observer) Ojotnik, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (30)
DOG-WARRIOR 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades, Smoke Grenades / AP CCW. (27)5 SWC | 299 Points
A nice departure from the typical 18 unit total camo spam! And before anyone criticises the list- this was the Ariadnan player's first game of Infinity (and in fact N3) for a long long time. The fact that there's a scratch built Traktor Mul there should tell you how old this Army is. (This army has been around from when there was no Traktor Mul model!)
And if you can guess what 6mm tank chassis it is made from give yourself a pat on the back!
TERRAIN
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| "Miranda" Health Clinic |
1. The Container yard.
2. The Garbage skips.
3. Miranda Health Clinic.
4. Guard Post.
5. Biohazard Waste Disposal. A dilapidated bunker sits close by.
The terrain is generally open. Doors and windows can been seen into- but not "through and through". Otherwise there were no other stipulations on terrain.
MISSION
Biotechnovore is essentially annihilation (kill em all!!!)- but with a few key changes.
Firstly, deployment is limited to 8".
Secondly, a deadly virus covers 16" in from the deployment zone- meaning anyone left over in that infected area suffers a D14 BTS hit. And anything with STR get's hit twice.
There is also one Classified each.
CLASSIFIEDS
PanO rolled Experimental Drug.
Ariadna rolled Telemetry.
LIEUTENANT ROLL OFF
PanO won the roll off and elected to go first.
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| Ariadna takes the high ground. |
DEPLOYMENT
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| Biotechnovore zones (purple) extending 8" beyond the deployment zones. |
PanO took an extended line across the edge of the deployment zone- meaning to take a quick move out the danger zone and into safety.
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| Extended line. |
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| Auxilia guarding the flanks |
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| Trauma Doc and Fusilier to the Nisse's right. |
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| Two Fusiliers to the Father Knight's left. |
Ariadna Deployment
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| Good cover. |
Counting on PanO requiring a large number of MOV-MOV orders, Ariadnan figures were placed to cover as many open areas a possible- sometimes without cover!
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| Ariadnan left flank- Camo tokens highlighted |
On the left flank- the Veteran Kazak paramedic watched down that flank whilst guarded by two camo tokens (one of which had infiltrated forward by the guard house).
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| Traktor Mul in the centre between the cargo container stacks |
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| Vet Kazak HMG and Dog Soldier on the right flank. And two Camo markers. |
RESERVE Deployment- PanO
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| No one will guess what it is! |
With great secrecy PanO positioned their Cutter- in Hidden Deployment- in the centre of their line.
RESERVE Deployment- Ariadna
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| Camo Token! |
Almost as mysteriously, another camo token appeared between the container stacks.
It would seem that the tricks are multiplying!
HVTs
HVTs were placed in the usual sequence of deployment but I am putting them here for ease of reporting.
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| My Angus is peppered. |
Angus- the PanO HVT- found himself investigating the mysterious Miranda Health Clinic.
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| I will look upon your treasures, Gypsy. This is understood? |
The Ariadnan HVT- a Kazak doctor- was discovered skulking around the giant garbage skips.
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| Sexy time! |
THE BATTLE BEGINS...
PANOCEANIA Turn 1
The Ariadnan player began the game by burning one command token to deprive PanOceania of 2 orders. It seems to be de rigueur these days. 2 less orders combined with the need to escape the Biotechnovore Zone would make the first turn a tense affair.
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| Ta da! |
The not so mysterious PanO camo token appeared.
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| And advanced towards the Health Clinic. |
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| Move... then what's your ARO? |
The 55mm Camo token shimmied up to some cover and waited for the inevitable AROs. Having been on the receiving end of the Cutter a number of times, I winced...
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| Targeting... |
The Veteran Kazak HMG opted to HOLD. The camouflage marker on top of the container also opted to HOLD.
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| The tension... |
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| I challenge you! |
The Cutter materialized and fired. The Veteran Kazak bravely fired back and a Tank Hunter Autocannon appearing on top of the cargo container as well opted to fire back.
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| U wot m8?! |
Let's talk about the Cutter's ODD "to hit" modifiers shall we?
ODD -6. Cover -3. Combat Camouflage Attack -3. That's a cumulative -12 to hit.
With the fateful words- "Watch me roll a crit"- the Tank Hunter rolled a "3"- cancelling out 3 Burst from the TAGs HMG. The triple EXP + AP round only managed one wound though.
To add insult to injury the Veteran Kazak HMG won his face to face roll against the Cutter and the AP round punched out another wound.
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| Mind.... Blown.... |
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| Plan barely surviving contact with the enemy. |
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| BOOM. |
The Tank Hunter had to go and in the next round of fire the Tank Hunter evaporated under the hail of HMG rounds.
The Veteran Kazak snapped off another round hoping to get lucky but missed!
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| So annoying! |
Having swatted aside one annoyance, the Cutter fired on the Veteran Kazak HMG but only inflicted one wound.
Unfortunately Veteran Kazaks have no wound incapacitation and the figure stayed put.
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| Time to get out of the danger zone. |
With a co-ordinated order the Nisse, 2 Fusiliers and the Trauma Doc scrambled to the edge of the Biotechnovore zone.
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| Advancing. |
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| Father Knight joins the rush towards the safe zone. |
Stymied by the Uragan overwatching the Trauma Doc's path of advance... the second Co-ordinated Order shuffled the Nisse, the Fusiliers and the Father Knight towards the Medical Clinic.
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| Trauma Doc left behind! |
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| Attack! |
But ultimately chooses to fire on the Veteran Kazak with the Cutter for a third time...
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| Gone. |
... Finally taking the Kazak out as he fails his Dodge roll.
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| To safety... God Wills It! |
Using his Lieutenant special order, the Father Knight makes it into the safe zone.
And now the Virus started doing it's deadly work.....
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| An auxilia makes it. |
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| The paramedic doesn't. |
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| Gargle! |
The Trauma Doc- so close to safety- dissolves into goo.
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| Gah! |
The last auxilia spasms and dies under the toxic virus cloud.
The biotechnovore zone was proving treacherous!
ARIADNA Turn 1
As it turned out- PanO had made a good choice in firing on the Veteran Kazak HMG. They had killed the Ariadnan Lieutenant!
Spending three command tokens to convert the three irregular orders into regular, Ariadna went into damage control.
Still... Impetuous Orders go first!
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| Dog Soldier |
The Dog Soldier made his away around the Ariadnan flank with his Impetuous moves- surviving an ARO from the Cutter in the process.
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| Pow Pow! |
The Veteran Kazak Paramedic fires on the Fusilier peaking around the clinic.
Unfortunately, he only hits once and the Fusilier makes his ARM save and ducks back out of view.
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| Days like this, I need a HMG. |
With the Fusilier out of the way...
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| Hello, thank you to speak me. |
... A camouflage marker made its way around the guard house.
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| They have return. And they have shape shift. |
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| Gypsy, give me your tears. If you will not give them to me, I will take them! |
In a flourish, a Scout appeared and forward observed the Cutter from behind (and picking up a Classified in the process).
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| KO'd! |
It was not without cost though, as ARO's from the PanO Fusilier knocks the Scout unconscious.
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| If it not success, I will be execute! |
With the Cutter thus marked, Ariadnan missiles from the Urugan rained down on the Cutter.
Activating its ECM suite, only one of the primitive missiles landed home and the Cutter passed its ARM save.
Lucky!
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| Sneaking forward. |
Another camouflage marker moved forward to take up position watching the Clinic.
But with insufficient orders to escape the biotechnovore zone, things were looking grim.
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| For glory! |
With grim determination, the Dog Soldier went for a hail Mary shot, Super jumping over the garbage skips and chain rifling the Cutter.
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| Who survives easily. |
The Cutter fired back- but failed to wound. Total Immunity is a Dog Soldier's best friend!
With that done, the Virus began chewing its way down the Ariadnan line.
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| Vet Kazak paramedic is wounded. |
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| Deadly.... |
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| Another casualty. |
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| Urugan explodes. |
Utter carnage.
PANOCEANIA Turn 2
The Kazaks were almost done for and it was time to clean up the mess.
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| An Akalis walks on just out of view. |
The Dog Soldier manages his dodge roll and changes facing to keep the Cutter and the Akalis in view.
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| Time to send in the Father Knight! |
With the Cutter and the Akalis in the Dog Soldier's sights, the Father Knight makes his way into the clinic.
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| Assuming the firing position. |
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| I have you now. |
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| Zap. |
The Father Knight's spitfire made short work of the Dog Soldier- inflicting 3 unsaved wounds and putting him down for good.
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| Sniped. |
The Nisse crept to the corner of the Clinic and fired on the veteran Kazak paramedic who bravely shot back.
The Kazak missed but the Nisse didn't. 4 ARM rolls later, the Kazak was dead.
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| Escape! |
With the Dog Soldier gone, the remaining PanO figure in the danger zone ran forward.
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| Just in case... |
And the Father Knight went into suppressive fire.
ARIADNA Turn 2
With so many dead and unconscious, the Kazaks were in retreat.
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| Off the board! |
One of the camouflage markers made it off the board whilst the second headed back into the deployment zone.
With that- the game ended.
PANOCEANIA VICTORY!
CONCLUSION
Biotechnovore is a fun variation on Annihilation rewarding forward movement of the bulk of an army (and thus AROs) compared to the games of being sniped to death or rambo-ed to death.
As for the actual game itself- the loss of the Kazak lieutenant was pivotal. Not being able to have a pool of orders to use on either the Dog Soldier or the Vet Kazak with the flame thrower made a huge difference in how the battle would have been fought.
Another idea that came to light would have been to use Command Tokens to deprive the enemy from using their command tokens in Turn 1- and letting the the virus do all the dirty work.
In any case, Infinity is back on the gaming table and with that....
... Happy Hobbying!
Where did you get the clinic - I don't recognize the building. Good post, another great report.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I don't actually own any of the terrain on that board- but I believe the medical clinic is a "Warmill" construction (not Warsenal).
ReplyDeleteIt is actually- i just checked: http://www.warmill.co.uk/Medical_District/p814918_13834820.aspx
They have some very good stand alone terrain pieces. I wouldn't kit out a table in just Warmill buildings though as their general design is that they sit quite low compared with MAS and Bandua so they don't block line of sight that well. There is also limited (almost nil) cover on the roof which can be annoying.
But the roofs come off and they have some neat internal scenery so overall thumbs up.
Great batrep!
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy you came back to Infinity.
Really cool battle report mate, I like the way you have written it up.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've tried to make it as picture heavy and word light as possible. Glad you enjoyed it! More will come in the next month.
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