By Space Monkey Mafia

Overview

• Mission: Supplies 
• Forces: Invincible Army versus Varuna (200)
• Deploy First: Nomad (Colton)
• First Turn: Invincible Army (me)

Deployment

Going second and deploying first, Nomad hid most of their troops out of sight but far up enough to counterattack. 

I split my deployment with my Zanshi’s on the left flank and the Zuyong Haris on the right. My camo sniper also was held for last. I wasn’t really thinking about going first and realized I didn’t really deploy well since my specialists were all held back a bit from the main group. If I was going to go in turn one for the supply tokens (which I had every intention of doing), I should have had them up front.

I didn’t do any math but Colton’s team seemed short some points and I didn’t think he was messing with any Hidden Deployment so I was preparing for some potential Airborne Deployment in my back. This was dumb because I’d be going first and could set up defensively at the end of my turn.

Turn 1

Top of 1 – IA

I start out with my left flank. I have my Rui Shi move out and around the back (because I wasn’t paying attention and was too close to peak out and get a shot at an Alguacil). Burning a few orders, I move to the center building then pop out and take down the only Nomad that was threatening the left supply token. With the way clear, I burn more orders getting my Paramedic up to grab the token and get everyone back to safety.

With Krit taking orders from the Camo Lieutenant and the Zuyong Combi using her Tac Awareness, I use the remaining orders to snag the right side token and fall back in defensive positions.

Bottom of 1 – Nomad

Colton doesn’t like my heavy-hitters so he has his Grenzer pop out and start shooting my Zuyong HMG. The battle goes on for several orders, neither of us willing to give up the fight, with both of us taking and making saving throws but never getting out of the fight. I should have yielded and gotten my guy out of the fire lane but my stubbornness finally got the better of me and the Zuyong fell to a DA hit+crit and couldn’t block all the hits, taking him down and out of the game.

My big gun down and out of the game, Colton next focused on my back up, the Rui Shi bot. The Intruder decided to move out and surprise-shot the Rui Shi. The shots failed on the first attempt but the second order took him down. The Rui Shi was down but not out but Colton was out of orders and the round came to a close.

Turn 2

Top of 2 – IA

I knew I was in a good position with command of the easy supply tokens but was going to be soon out-gunned. I take the remaining members of the Zuyong Haris and move out to the broken Rui Shi. Krit repairs the bot in one go and I keep Krit close as the Rui Shi spends an order or two to drop the Intruder. I decide to try to push out with the Rui Shi even more, hoping to catch the Mobile Brigada and Grenzer in my Repeater band but I’m just shy so I settle for spraying another Alguacil. He tanks the shots and goes into hiding. I could keep pressing and move deeper in to take on another Alguacil on the left flank and get the Brigada and Grenzer in my repeater to get hacked but I decide to use the remaining orders to pull back and wait for the coming counter attack.

Bottom of 2 – Nomad

The Counter Attack comes in the form of a Rambo-ing Mobile Brigada. This was unexpected but pretty foolhardy as he’d have to get through my Rui Shi repeater and then take on a bunch of incoming shots. Nomad doesn’t care about odds or anything and just blocks the two hacking attempts I take to halt his advance. He then gets around the corner to take about 5 different AROs. Again, Brigada doesn’t care. Don’t you know who the eff I am?

He lights up my Paramedic and Krit, who decide to shoot him, thinking at least Krit can take a direct template hit. I forget it has continuous damage and he burns to death. The Paramedic just goes unconscious. Juggernaut then laughs off all my attacks as I fail to hack him again, whiff my Rui Shi Dodge to get into firing position, and whiff Krit’s Multi Rifle attack. I do get one wound through but everything is now in disarray.

Yep. It’s time. Colton, seeing my forces scattered and low on orders, brings in two Tomcats to take my hard-earned supply tokens from the charred remains of my friends.

The Tomcats come in from the edge and I hack the Engineer to put her in the Targeted state while the Rui Shi dodges into better firing position. “Better” is a relative turn as Colton then wants to do a ton of things at once to solidify my ruin. He coordinates the Tomcats, the Brigada, and his Grenzer to all take shots (we messed this up a little as we didn’t have them all choose the same target).  The Juggernaut decides to roast my Zanshi and Zuyong Combi while everyone else focuses fire on the Rui Shi.  The Grenzer is unfortunately too close to get a really nice shot off but my luck turns around and the Rui Shi sees the Grenzer and unopposed Tomcat whiff while the Tomcat Engineer tanks the hit from the Rui Shi. The Tomcat Doctor isn’t so lucky and catches a shot in the chest by the Zuyong Combi. The Brigada runs out of flame as both Zanshi and Zuyong remain unscathed after the armor check and successful dodge (Zanshi). My hacker finally gets his shit together and immobilizes the Brigada.

Undeterred, Colton keeps up the attack and sends the Tomcat Engineer around, coordinating with the Grenzer and some remaining Alguacil.  The Grenzer and Alguacil fail to take down the Rui Shi again as the Rui Shi focuses on taking down the last Nomad specialist.  Colton aims to do the same and has the Tomcat shotgun my Zanshi hacker.  I decide to try to kill the Tomcat back with +6 from the targeted state.  Instead, the Tomcat tanks both the Rui Shi and Zanshi shots while my hacker falls to the shotgun blast.

Turn 3

Top of 3 – IA

With most of my forces down, I have to bring my Daoying Sniper to bear. She moves out and uncamos to finally down the Tomcat Engineer. We both are now out of specialists to carry any supply tokens.  At this point, it will just come down to kill points.

The Brigada has to go down but the Rui Shi will take more Grenzer and Alguacil shots in the back to do it so my Zuyong Combi runs around the side of the crate and opens up on him.  He fails his reset but more importantly, he fails two of the three hits I put on to go down for good.

My Rui Shi is now free to turn and fire back at his Nemesis, Grenzer.  He also throws a shot at the Alguacil just to keep him honest.  The feud continues as the Grenzer tanks 3 straight hits and hides back behind the billboard. The Alguacil is not so lucky and falls to the single shot I threw his way.  Though Krit died ignominiously in a blaze of Brigada fury, his real power was fixing that Rui Shi and apply whatever experimental upgrade patch he had on hand to make that thing invincible.

Not having the orders to hunt down the rest of Colton’s forces and send him into retreat, I pull all my units back with coordinated orders and wait to see if the Nomads can flip the points gap.

Bottom of 3 – Nomad

The Grenzer is still on mission.  He can’t let things go between him and that soulless bot.  Colton has to burn all his orders just to get into position to take this one shot. Needing both my Zanshi and Rui Shi down, he split the shots and all the shots went astray from all parties.

Yu Jing Wins 0 – 0 with the tiebreaker (88-55)!

Post Game Analysis

The AD Tomcats coming in could have done so much more if the dice had held but even with the swing back and my feeling somewhat prepared for their drop, it was still a pretty powerful entrance.  I have never had luck with AD troops in N3 and stopped using them due to all the swingy restrictions. Colton had better luck with them in N3 and while he likes that they can do their shtick easier now, he didn’t seem to think he’d take them any more than he used to. With the N4 changes, I find the units much more exciting and balanced to the risk/reward they can provide. I will definitely consider them more in the future of my lists.

My full report with more photos/thoughts is posted on my blog: 

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Thanks for reading!