Scorched Earth, Spaced Deck

This will be my last game of Strikezone Wotan. It’s been an absolute blast, and the Wotan fluff has been a great help in writing narrative battle reports. Fitting that my last Strikezone Wotan battle will be against my first opponent since returning to Infinity earlier this year. This one was a rough battle for my Nomads, but I had a great time chucking dice with my opponent.

Overview

• Mission: Strikezone Wotan Safe Area (WCL Version)
• Theatre: Wotan Commercial Legation
• Forces: Nomads versus Morat Aggression Force (300)
• Deploy First: Nomads
• First Turn: Morat Aggression Force
• Strikezone Wotan Report: WiseKensai versus Zagdag

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/logo_501.png[/img][b] Spektr Funtime?[/b]

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[b]GROUP 1 |[/b][img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]9 [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_irregular.png[/img]1 [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_impetuosa.png[/img]1

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_16.png[/img] [b]INTERVENTOR Hacker Lieutenant (Hacking Device Plus)[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]25[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_14.png[/img] [b]DAKTARI[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_34.png[/img] [b]ZONDBOT[/b] Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]3[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_13.png[/img] [b]JAGUAR[/b] Adhesive Launcher, Panzerfaust / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | [b]13[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_30.png[/img] [b]MORAN (Forward Observer)[/b] Combi Rifle, CrazyKoalas (2) / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | [b]22[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_26.png[/img] [b]PROWLER[/b] Spitfire, D-Charges / Pistol, CCW. (2 | [b]36[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_10.png[/img] [b]ZERO[/b] Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]17[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_10.png[/img] [b]ZERO (Deployable Repeater)[/b] Combi Rifle, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]19[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_48.png[/img] [b]KRAKOT RENEGADE[/b] Red Fury, Chest Mine / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (1 | [b]24[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_9.png[/img] [b]BANDIT Hacker (Killer Hacking Device)[/b] Light Shotgun, Adhesive Launcher / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | [b]25[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_3.png[/img] [b]HELLCAT[/b] HMG, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | [b]31[/b])

[b]GROUP 2 |[/b][img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]4

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_23.png[/img] [b]MODERATOR[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]9[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_13.png[/img] [b]JAGUAR[/b] Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | [b]10[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_11.png[/img] [b]SPEKTR[/b] Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]30[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/501/logo_24.png[/img] [b]TOMCAT Engineer[/b] Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]22[/b])

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[b] 6 SWC | 300 Points |[/b] Open in Infinity Army

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/logo_602.png[/img][b] Morat Aggression Force[/b]

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[b]GROUP 1 |[/b][img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]10 [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_impetuosa.png[/img]5

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_1.png[/img] [b]MORAT Lieutenant[/b] Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1 | [b]14[/b])

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_11.png[/img] [b]DĀTURAZI[/b] Chain Rifle, Grenades, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_11.png[/img] [b]DĀTURAZI[/b] Chain Rifle, Grenades, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_11.png[/img] [b]DĀTURAZI[/b] Chain Rifle, Grenades, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_11.png[/img] [b]DĀTURAZI[/b] Boarding Shotgun, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0 | [b]20[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_11.png[/img] [b]DĀTURAZI[/b] Combi Rifle + Smoke Light Grenade Launcher / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0.5 | [b]21[/b])

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_3.png[/img] [b]RODOK Paramedic (MediKit)[/b] Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]21[/b])

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_2.png[/img] [b]KURGAT (Operative Group)[/b] Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]17[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_2.png[/img] [b]KURGAT (Operative Group)[/b] Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | [b]17[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_2.png[/img] [b]KURGAT (Fireteam: Haris) Operative Group)[/b] Mk12, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (1 | [b]24[/b])

[b]GROUP 2 |[/b][img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_regular.png[/img]8 [img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/orden_impetuosa.png[/img]2

[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_24.png[/img] [b]E-DRONE[/b] Combi Rifle / Electric Pulse. (0.5 | [b]28[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_16.png[/img] [b]M-DRONE[/b] Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]17[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_17.png[/img] [b]Q-DRONE[/b] Plasma Rifle / Electric Pulse. (1 | [b]25[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_19.png[/img] [b]R-DRONE[/b] Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]8[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_21.png[/img] [b]IKADRON (Baggage, Repeater)[/b] 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]9[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_21.png[/img] [b]IKADRON (Baggage, Repeater)[/b] 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | [b]9[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_25.png[/img] [b]KRAKOT RENEGADE[/b] 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | [b]14[/b])
[img]https://assets.infinitythegame.net/infinityarmy/img/_logosweb/602/logo_25.png[/img] [b]KRAKOT RENEGADE[/b] 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | [b]14[/b])

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[b] 4 SWC | 300 Points |[/b] Open in Infinity Army

Deployment

I won the rolloff and elected to go second. On the right, a Moran, Daktari, and a Krakot Renegade. On the left, Cereal Killer the Bandit KHD, Jaguar chain rifle, and Moderator. I put Araña the Jaguar ADHL up high in the middle, with Zero Cool the Interventor Lt in what I thought was cover behind him.

The Spektr went into hidden deployment on the far right of the board, next to a Crazy Koala. I attempted to infiltrate two Zeros over the centerline, and failed both rolls! Acid Burn was kitted out with a deployable repeater this time, and she went on the far right, with the BSG Zero ending up on the left.The Daturazi link came down on my right, backed up by a Rodok Paramedic and plasma Q-Drone. The Kurgot Haris spread out in the middle, with all the REMs forming a concave across the backfield.
I actually forgot to hold a model in reserve. We’d both had a tiring week so we got off to a bit of a slow start, but things heated up quick!

Turn 1

Top of Turn 1 – MAF

My opponent was trying out the Krakot to see if he liked it. He proxied his two Krakots with sepsitorized Yu Jing models that had watched too much equilibrium. I managed to catch them both in a shotgun template from Cereal Killer as the advanced, dropping one, but the other went into full-on gun kata mode and tried to chain rifle Cereal Killer and Araña with his akimbo chain rifles.

They both made their dodges and the Moderator put him down with her combi. Phew! Sadly, Cereal Killer’s luck from the previous few games ran out and she went down to the Kurgot Haris and their Mk12. The moderator exchanged some fire with the Kurgot, and ducked back into cover after passing a very lucky ARM save. Then the Daturazi advanced, sniped my Krakot with some combi rifle fire, and dropped some grenades on the Moran. Not great.

“Second wave incoming! Second wave incoming!” warned Cereal Killer as a pair of Morats advanced down the field. She caught one mid-leap with her shotgun like it was a sim target on a shooting range, ducking the return fire from the other as the Moderator gunned it down.

 

Zero Cool checked the telemetry coming from his troops and noted the dangerously low ammo counts. The Raxora had launched a wave of boarding torpedoes to recover the Avatar TAG captured in the last abortive attack on the Wotan Commercial Legation and the Nomads were feeling the pressure of a sustained Morat assault. The fighting had reduced the warehouse area of Deck 17 to scrap metal with all the exchange of heavy weapons fire. A new glyph in the corner of his vision warned him of the impact of yet another boarding torpedo. “This is Zero Cool to all Nomad forces on the Wotan Commercial Legation. Deck 17 Bravo is under heavy assault by a Morat force and cannot hold for much longer. Under my authority, I am declaring FROZEN WIND on Deck 17 Bravo. We will begin a fighting withdrawal. All available Zero G assets near Deck 17 Bravo to assist in enacting FROZEN WIND.”

 

“More monkeys! Heavy weapons!” Cereal Killer’s luck finally ran out when a Kurgot engineer nailed her to the bulkhead with Mk12 round, combi-rifle fire from the Moderator pattering off the Morat’s armor plating harmlessly. On the other end of the deck, a grenade bounced onto the catwalk, right between the Moran and the Prowler. “GRENADE!” shouted the Moran, diving onto it. The Prowler watched helplessly as the grenade went off.

After ganking Daktari Inira, they swept around my right flank under the cover of smoke and iced Zero Cool.

“Dak! Cereal Killer’s down!” cried Zero Cool. “Sorry, Lt, I don’t think I’ll be able to get there,” Daktari Inira said sadly, staring into the barrel of a Morat boarding shotgun. Smoke from a Daturazi grenade mercifully cut off Acid Burn’s view of Inira’s execution. “DAMN YOU MONKEYS!” Acid Burn cursed over the report of the shotgun, which was followed immediately by the sound of a rifle on full-auto. “We can take them, ‘Cool!” she encouraged over the tactical link. No response came and soon Acid Burn noticed the familiar telemetry stream was missing. Jaw tightening, she informed the rest of the team. “Lt’s down. Start the withdrawal! Tomcats, get me a sitrep on FROZEN WIND now!”

Bottom of Turn 1 – Nomads

I started my first turn in loss of lieutenant, right flank crushed, left flank in shambles. Time to go to work. The Prowler and Araña activated and forced some smoke out of the Daturazi link team. I walk a Hellcat HMG onto the board in my deployment zone and take a shot after stealing someone else’s order, but they drop some more smoke and out dice him too. Acid Burn took a shot with her combi and got one of them to drop some smoke right at their feet. Perfect. I activated the Spektr, and dove into the smoke.

A command token and order later, I dropped a mine in the middle of the smoke cloud covering a few of the Daturazi and re-camoed the Spektr. I didn’t have enough orders to back him into a more advantageous position, but this was the best I was going to get, given the horrible situation. While I had tons of great shotgun shots on my opponent’s active turn, they unfortunately were all covered by smoke.

Out of orders for the Spektr, I pushed the Jaguar chain rifle up a little, and the Moderator managed to shoot through a Kurgot’s suppression fire, but failed to wound.

“I’m taking command of Deck 17 Bravo,” came an unfamiliar voice, the words punctuated by HMG fire. “Identify!” challenged Acid Burn. “Hellcat Khell, at your service,” replied the Hellcat HMG, having just come through a set of closing blast doors. Khell’s HMG forced the hostile Daturazi to take cover and cover their position with smoke grenades. “Acknowledged,” replied Acid Burn. “We’ve got immobile wounded on the deck we need to exfil!”

 

“Negative,” replied Khell. “FROZEN WIND is in effect. The Tomcats inform me that the last charges are being set now.” As they argued, a Spektr slipped quietly into the billowing smoke by the Daturazi, trying to sound out the positions of the hostile Morats to bring his shotgun to bear.

Turn 2

Top of Turn 2 – MAF

The mine had the desired effect and ate most of my opponent’s turn. He used no less than three models to attempt to discover the mine. Fortunately for me, the Spektr, mine, and one of the Daturazi were in a perfect line to block LoF from one of his discovering units, forcing him to waste an order.

A few orders later, he had discovered the mine with the E-Drone and the Q-drone put three plasma shots into the mine, but the Spektr successfully dodged out of the way. The Q-Drone actually whiffed all of its rolls and had to shoot again to finally clear the mine. So that’s at least 5 orders now into clearing the mine. So far, so good. He brings a Daturazi out of the link, throws smoke to cover his advance on my Spektr, and out dices my shotgun shot. A Daturazi comes roaring out of the smoke and downs my Spektr. The link team plasters Araña, and then he’s out of orders. Unfortunately the Hellcat HMG, the Prowler Spitfire, and Araña all miss their ARO shots.

The smoke dissipated too quickly for the Spektr to spring his surprise, and he found himself in the midst of a full fireteam of angry Morats. If that wasn’t bad enough, a Q-Drone scuttled around the corner of a distant bulkhead and spat plasma rounds directly at him. The Spektr dove onto his belly, narrowly avoiding being slagged by the superheated gases. His shotgun clattered on the deck, lost in the tumble. The nearest Daturazi kicked it away, raising his halberd for a killing blow. Rolling onto his back, the Spektr ripped his pistol from his leg holster and emptied its magazine at the Daturazi before the blade came down and everything went black.

The Kurgots activate, drop mines everywhere, and take out my Moderator. The Prowler pistols the Mk12 down at point blank range, but finally goes down to a boarding shotgun from one of the remaining Kurgots.

The Prowler fired the last ten Spitfire rounds in his magazine at the approaching Kurgots to no avail. Methodically, he ripped the empty magazine out of the magwell and reached down into his webbing for a fresh magazine, only to feel an empty mag pouch. Thinking quickly, he snatched the dead Moran’s combi-rifle, shouldered it, and emptied its magazine into the nearest Kurgot, finally downing the alien. Tossing the rifle to the ground, he was mid-transition to his pistol when a shotgun slug hit him center of mass and pitched him off the catwalk into the blackness of unconsciousness.

Bottom of Turn 2 – Nomads

It’s back to me. I am barely out of retreat, with only Acid Burn, the Zero BSG, the Hellcat, and the Jaguar chain rifle left alive. The Hellcat guns down the Daturazi link leader, finally breaking the link. I shuffle him into cover, covering the Daturazi and two of the objectives. The Jaguar advances up the field, pistols another Kurgot, and fails to pistol down the Ikadron before getting flash pulsed by one of the many drones lurking in the backfield.

Out of orders, I bring in the Tomcat behind his Rodok Paramedic purely for entertainment’s sake, and pass the turn.

“Blast doors are shut! What’s the status on those charges,” demanded Khell the Hellcat as he gunned down a Morat in the distance. A Tomcat slid out of a maintenance access, empty D-Charge satchel hanging from his belt. “Charges set! Slaved to your comms,” replied the Tomcat.

Turn 3

Top of Turn 3 – MAF

One of the Daturazi chain rifles Acid Burn, but she takes him with her! What a champ! The Hellcat HMG crits another Daturazi down as it walks by.

A third wave of Morats began pouring form the latest boarding torpedo, intent on retrieving their prize. Acid Burn checked her ammo count. One and a half magazines left. She shrugged in acquiescence, took a deep breath, and took a knee behind some cover, sending carefully placed two round bursts into every Morat she could see before a stray round smashed her to the deck. As her vision faded, she watched strobing tracers from Khell’s position methodically cutting down the advancing Morats and went into the blackness, a smile on her face.

The Ikadron tries to take out my Jaguar, but I dodge successfully. He flamethrowers me again, but I manage to only take a single wound and go Dogged. He tries using his Lt to take out my Jaguar, but I beat his roll with an pistol shot at extreme range, but he passes ARM. The Jaguar pistols down another Daturazi that was throwing smoke to block the Hellcat’s LoF to the objectives, and finally Engages the Ikadron as it runs up to him. Hero Jaguar fighting to the last!

“Take out those Kurgots! We can’t let their engineers breach the blast doors!” commanded Khell between magazine changes. Roaring obscenities in Spanish, a Jaguar broke cover, pistol barking in his hand. Though small caliber and relatively low-velocity, the pistol rounds pitched two Morats off their feet and onto the deck. The Jaguar tossed the now-empty pistol to the floor and continued his suicidal dash. An alien Ikadron-class construct doused him in flame from both of its napalm projectors, but the Jaguar, now fully alight, tackled the Ikadron to the ground, driving a curved blade into the Ikadron’s fuel tanks and igniting his own funeral pyre.

The rest of his turn is spent securing objectives under the cover of smoke and advancing all his REMs. The Tomcat and Rodok kill each other, and it’s back to me.

Bottom of Turn 3 – Nomads

I am in retreat, with only the Hellcat and Zero BSG left alive. In defiance, the Hellcat guns down the last Daturazi, and it’s game.

“This is Hellcat Khell. The deck is sealed. I am enacting FROZEN WIND on Zero Cool’s authority.” With that, Khell transmitted the detonation codes. While there had been no time to get the most efficient placement of charges, Tomcats are more than happy to problem solve with the liberal application of high explosives. On cue, a deafening bang reverberated through the Wotan Commercial Legation as a gash was opened in the outer hull, venting Deck 17 Bravo to space. The sudden decompression propelled the Morats and everything else in not bolted down to the deck out into the cold blackness of space. Khell’s jetpack kicked in, keeping him stationary against the frozen wind of the decompression, a grim smile on his face.

8-0 Morat Aggression Force Victory!

Notes

• I left Zero Cool way too exposed. Loss of Lieutenant really hurt.
• The Jaguar ADHL was prone, which was good to get cover, but it also meant he couldn’t see quite a bit of the board.
• I need to protect the Krakot better in the reactive turn, as I don’t get cover bonuses with him.
• I think I need to deploy the Moran and his Koalas in a “V” formation, with him at the base and the Koalas at the point, Koalas closest to the enemy.
• Hellcat should’ve been my Lt, I could’ve really used the Lt order later.
• Throwing two Zeros over the centerline and failing really hurts. Maybe only try one instead of two.
• I think I could’ve placed the Zero BSG in a better place, especially since I needed to protect the Daktari.
• The Daktari should’ve been deployed more conservatively, given that I had a zondbot this game.
• I think I did a reasonable job slowing him down, but I probably should’ve brought the Tomcat on earlier.