Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Battle Reports

Jhokalups – Field Operation Action Report – 3

Jhokalups

Jhokalups Field Operation Action Report 3:

Bakunin v Steel Phalanx

150 pts Recon+ : Seize the Antennas

This week the Bakunin operational force once again clashed with Aleph’s Steel Phalanx. This time trying to secure control of communication antennas.

Steel Phalanx
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9 1

EKDROMOS Chain Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 20)
THORAKITES (Forward Observer, 360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
THORAKITES (Forward Observer, 360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
ALKÊ Lieutenant Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 25)
WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)
MYRMIDON Chain Rifle, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 16)
DACTYL Engineer Combi Rifle, Adhesive-Launcher, D-Charges / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0 | 23)
NETROD Electric Pulse. (0 | 4)
NETROD Electric Pulse. (0 | 4)
AGÊMA Marksman (X Visor) Mk12 / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 29)

2 SWC | 150 Points
Open in Infinity Army

 

Riot GRRL Recon+
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8

RIOT GRRL (Specialist Operative) Combi Rifle, Blitzen, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 30)
 RIOT GRRL Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 34)
 MODERATOR Lieutenant Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9)
 MODERATOR Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9)
 ZERO (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19)
 ZERO Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)
 TRANSDUCTOR ZOND Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
 STEMPLER ZOND Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 17)

2.5 SWC | 150 Points
Open in Infinity Army

Pre-Game:

WIP Roll Winner: Steel Phalanx

Order: Jhokalups

Side: Steel Phalanx

First Turn: Jhokalups

First Deploy: Jhokalups

Deployment:

One thing I didn’t realize was that the back of the playfield was six inches up from the edge of the table. I accidentally deployed too far back.

The Steel Phalanx attempted to drop the netrods behind a nice wall and out of site from my Bakunin force.

Reserve Troops:


Zero – Assault Hacking Device


Myrmidon

With deployment set we started our first turn.

Top of Turn 1 – Bakunin

The first thing I noticed about the table was a Netrod that was unprotected and a very tempting target. The second thing that I saw was there were not any models with lethal weapons available to ARO until I had models walk past the middle antenna. Three orders later and the Grrls were behind cover overlooking the antenna, the Netrod was destroyed and the Warcor was down for the count. After that I had the FO zero advance up behind the big building and cover two approaches with mines before returning to a Camo marker state. The last order had the AHD Zero crawl forward into total cover.

Bottom of Turn 1 – Steel Phalanx
“How the Myrmidon did not meaningfully contribute”

Starting this turn two models down, with two heavy infantry covering the mid-field and mines preventing easy access to the middle antenna the Steel Phalanx commander felt there was one good option, throwing out a smoke cloud and using the Agema Marksman’s MSV 2 to shoot through it. The Myrmidon’s impetuous order brought it to just behind the closest antenna. The Myrmidon then proceeded to spend three orders trying and failing to throw smoke in front of the Agema marksman.

The commander then had the Ekdromos drop in by my HVT, unfortunately it landed in the zone of control of one Riot GRRLs, who successfully got an ARO dodge/change face. A second order brings the Ekdromos to be right around the corner from the Riot Grrls. With one of the Grrls facing right towards the corner that the Ekdromos, the Steel Phalanx commander elected not to attempt to take out either Grrl. The Dactyl was moved up to get a view of the middle of the operational field. Then a final coordinated order put Alke, the Agema Marksman, Dactyl and a Thorakites into suppressive fire.

Top of Turn 2 – Bakunin
“Jhokalups Discovers the True Power of Riot Grrls”

My biggest concern was an Ekdromos coming around my back field and messing up all the squishier troopers. This was the point at which I discovered that I had deployed all my regular troopers 6 inches further back than the actual deployment line. Mistakes happen, it didn’t change much, I just wasn’t able to shoot the Ekdromos with as much distance as I would have prefered. Using a coordinated order with my Stempler Zond as the Spearhead, I had the Transductor, Stempler and two Moderators take shots at the Ekdromos, after losing the face to face the Ekdromos went down. Next up I had my Zero FO take a surprise shot at the Dactyl in suppressive fire. With the cumulative effects of surprise shot, cover, and range bands the Zero won the face to face, taking down the Dactyl.

Next up the Riot Grrls used a few orders to slowly advance up the field, and square off against a Thorakite, Alke, and the Myrmidon. Then they advance up and take the middle antenna. The Stempler Zond takes my close antenna. A coordinated order puts the Riot Grrls, Stempler Zond and Zero FO into suppressive fire.

Bottom of Turn 2 – Steel Phalanx
“What can a Netrod do with an irregular order?”

Steel Phalanx is in loss of lieutenant, with a Thorakites FO, a Netrod and an Agema Marksman left. The Commander uses a command token to convert the Netrods irregular order to a regular one. The Thorakites FO attempts to take out a Riot Grrl to clear a path to the closest Coms antenna, unfortunately losing the face to face. The Agema marksman crawls forward, then pops up to shoot at the Riot Grrls, also losing the face to face.

At this point we called the game, with only a Netrod left there was nothing that could be done to stop me from taking the last antenna and securing the HVT.

Final Score: 9 – 0 Bakunin Total Victory

Lessons Learned:

  • Riot Grrls are terrifying in Recon+, it felt like there wasn’t a whole lot that the Steel Phalanx had anything in this force to counter them.
  • The game would have been very different if the Myrmidon could have landed smoke once, it failed three times in the active turn and once in a face to face with the Riot Grrl Spitfire.
  • The spitfire is an incredibly powerful tool in this format, combined with a Combi Rifle for support it covers the majority of the field in the +3 band.
  • When my opponent moves a model that I cannot see from where I am standing, I need to circle the table. I missed an ARO opportunity with my Zero FO on the Dactyl when it first moved up.
  • I need to get some more repetition in, my opponent was very gracious with the amount of time I took for thinking.
  • I also need to measure my deployment more carefully, I essentially deployed all my remotes and infantry and the back of my deployment zone. Being able to put the Zonds into a position to threaten from the beginning would have been nice.
  • The AD Combat jump surprised me. Had the Ekdromos been placed differently I would have had no response to it coming forward and providing a very bad time for the unaware Riot Grrls.
  • I should pay more attention to what my opponent puts out, maybe see if there are potentially any nasty surprises waiting to Airborne Deploy or Hidden Deploy and provide a bad time.