A and B lead to C
When you put ALEPH and Bakunin together, it’s bound to lead to Conflict! or Countermeasures! Or Cookies? Cookies.
Adam swung by the backyard for some summer socially distanced gaming, so I broke out the mountaintop table. Adam’s been wanting to play with his new Bakunin toys, so I was only too happy to oblige by presenting him with my take on Bakunin’s great enemy, ALEPH. We decided to play N3.5–crit changes, Spotlight rules, PARA ammo, anything that we could pull from Code One. Spoiler Alert – it really didn’t make much of a difference, which shows N4 is likely going to be pretty straightforward upgrade.
Overview
- Mission: Countermeasures
- Forces: Operational Subsection of the SSS versus Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin (300)
- Deploy First: OSS
- First Turn: OSS
Operations Subsection of the S.S.S.
SHAKTI Lieutenant Hacker (Killer Hacking Device. UPGRADE: Sucker Punch) Mk12, E/Marat / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (0 | 40)
TRISHA Breaker Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, D-Charges, E/Mauler / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
RUDRA Red Fury, Mine Dispenser / Electric Pulse. (1 | 40)
PROXY Mk.1 Doctor (MediKit) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)
PROXY Mk.2 MULTI Sniper Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 24)
PROXY Mk.5 (Forward Observer) 2 Submachine Guns, Nanopulser, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)
NAGA (Minelayer) Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 27)
DAKINI Tacbot HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 21)
DALETH Rebot Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 17)
ARJUNA Spitfire, D-Charges / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 40)
10 | 6 SWC | 298 Points | Open in Infinity Army
I went with a limited insertion list because… ALEPH. The Shakti + Rudras + one more Haris is kind of growing on me. It’s kind of a strange Haris. It wants to move forward and get stuck in, but it’s not terribly good at holding an area without making Shakti vulnerable. I chose to take Trisha this time because Countermeasures. I figured I’d take a pair of Naga Minelayers to help me defend against a Morlock rush, and then Daikini to be awesome. I’m also trying to take an Arjuna every game to figure them out. The Proxies round everything out as normal.
Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin
GROUP 1 |1
1
MODERATOR Lieutenant Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9)
GROUP 2 |
PROWLER Spitfire, D-Charges / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 36)
REVEREND CUSTODIER Hacker (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 34)
MORLOCK Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, E/M CCW. (0 | 6)
RIOT GRRL Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 34)
ZOE & PI-WELL . (0 | 47)
PI-WELL Combi Rifle / Electric Pulse. (0 | 19)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
ZERO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 21)
DAKTARI Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)
LUNOKHOD Heavy Shotgun, Akrylat-Kanone, D-Charges, CrazyKoalas (2) / Electric Pulse. (0 | 24)
5 SWC | 300 Points | Open in Infinity Army
Adam took a bit of a non-traditional tack on a Bakunin list, but I approve. Moderator core to power some tools, and the all-star components of Bakunin–Prowler Spitfire, Riot Grrl, Zoe and Pi Well, and the Custodier.
Deployment
I won the roll off and decided to go first. I wasn’t sure if Adam had brought a bunch of Riot Grrl missile launchers, so I deployed pretty conservatively. I figured I’d make use of the Rudras’ climbing plus on the mountain, so it went over there along with the rest of the Haris. That meant the Dakini HMG needed go be on the right to balance things out. I put the Arjuna on the right as well, and then put the Daleth there to back things up.
Adam deployed his Moderator link on the catwalk system, with the Riot Grrl screening them. He tried to bluff a Zero Minelayer on the right, screening a Lunokhod. He put the Custodier on the table on the left, to try and get me to try and Redrum the Custodier through the Lunokhod’s repeater and walk right into a Zero KHD on the way with Shakti.
Trouble is, he was too successful. He did foold me into thinking the Prowler + Zero KHD were a Zero Minelayer, but he castled too hard. I’m not going to risk my Lieutenant just to take out a potential lieutenant while pushing through a mine, a Zero, two Koalas, and hacking AROs from a Custodier and Zoe. Not a great idea, so I didn’t even bother attempting it. Also, after this episode of The Dice Abide LIVE! I wanted to focus on the objective:
In any case, I deployed the Proxies as my reserve, and then Adam plunked something down, I forget what. We also forgot about DataTrackers, so… oh well.
Turn 1
Top of 1 – OSS
- HVT: Espionage
- HVT: Retroengineering
- Net-Undermine
The first three objectives could be accomplished by just the Haris, so I set about doing just that. I advanced the Rudras to set up some mines while getting and Shakti forward to get the HVT objectives.
It took me a few orders to try and get HVT: Espionage ticked off, but I used those orders to keep inching Trisha closer to the second HVT on the ground floor.
It did break Trisha out of the Haris eventually, so I just snagged HVT: Retorengineering…
and then ran Trisha into Adam’s deployment zone to grab Net-Undermine.
Bottom of 1 – Bakunin
Capture- Experimental Drug
- HVT: Inoculation
- HVT: Kidnapping
I’m currently sitting on three objectives, so Adam drew a completely new set. He didn’t like Capture, so he cycled it out. His first Morlock ran forward and CC’ed Trisha. I Nanopulsared, figuring that I’d at least buy some time or better yet take out a Morlock. Adam isolated Trisha and passed BTS against the Nanopulsar, so… the most boring outcome.
His second Morlock had to run towards Trisha as well, so I took a shot at it with the Rudras, who whiffed against its smoke.
The Rudras was gumming up the works with its Red Fury, so Adam decided to take it out with the Prowler. I managed to survive the initial shots with some good ARM rolls, so Adam kept trying.
Adam kept trying to take out Trisha, and succeed only in putting her Dogged with the Morlock.
The Prowler kept going for the Rudras, finally managing to put a wound on it.
I felt like my Rudras was phoning in everything but its ARM rolls, but I was rewarded on Adam’s next order by critting Adam’s Prowler down.
Adam is concerned about my Arjuna and Dakini HMG, so he lands a pitcher near them with his Custodier.
He decides the wants to outright take out the Arjuna and runs a Morlock all the way in, smoking the Proxy Mk5 to block LoF from its SMGs. This Morlock rolled Dogged so it’s extra relevant.
The Morlock rolls in, and I decide to shoot it to be able to hit it with the Kiranbot’s E/Marat as well. The Morlock passes its BTS save so it’s not isolated, but I fail mine against it E/M weapon and the Arjuna is sad. Too bad Trisha is dogged, but there’s no way I’m going to get her across the table anyway.
Turn 2
Top of 2 – OSS
- Experimental Drug
- HVT: Designation
- HVT: Inoculation
HVT: Kidnapping
Adam hasn’t been able to get any objectives, so I cycle out HVT: Kidnapping. I need to get rid of the Morlock and the Repeater, so I use the correct tool, an FO bot. I move it into line of fire of the Morlock and the Repeater, gunning down the repeater…
and now I can Triangulated Fire the Morlock. Adam makes enough ARM saves to keep it dogged, but I’m okay with that. It does mean the Arjuna is useless this turn though, but I’m happy to just not have a Morlock to deal with.
HVT: Inoculation is a thing that I’d like to grab, so I set up a mine on Adam’s Custodier, which is the only thing keeping me from the last HVT. I unfortunately get Spotlit on the way in by the Custodier, but it’s not that bad.
I trigger the mine by forcing a reaction with the Mk1 Proxy Doctor. The Custodier’s ODD and a lucky dodge keep her alive.
I keep pushing, figuring that my Mimetism will save me. It does, but the Custodier’s ODD keep her alive as well.
I managed to do some more schenanigans dropping another mine and taking a shot at the Custodier while shifting my pieces around, moving the other Naga up and moving a Daikini Paramedic to cover the remaining Morlock’s path.
Bottom of 2 – Bakunin
- Data Scan
Experimental Drug- HVT: Designation
- HVT: Inoculation
Adam ditches Experimental Drug for Data Scan. The last Morlock handles the Daikini’s combi rifle shot with some smoke.
Adam figures he can get Data Scan easily off my targeted Naga, but I reset out of it and beat his hacking attempt without any trouble. Whoops!
He spends another order or two and finally gets Data Scan. Then, Adam brings in a Riot Grrl to take out the Naga and only succeeds in putting it dogged.
He’s only got a few orders left, and he wants to get HVT: Designation, so he sacrifices the Zero FO to observe my HVT twice (we’re playing with red cards)… but we look at the card and it says he has to FO his HVT as well, both of them them twice. I made it harder by blasting the Zero FO unconscious with a shotgun.
Adam manages to shift Pi Well into position to see his HVT but succeeds at only one roll with his last order, denying him a second classified.
Turn 3
Top of 3 – OSS
- Extreme Prejudice
HVT: Designation- HVT: Inoculation
- In Extremis Recovery
I get rid of HVT: Designation to make things hard for Adam, since all he’d need to do is FO again with Pi Well. I decide I can go for Extreme Prejudice or In Extremis Recovery with Shakti against the Zero, Prowler, and Lunokhod on the mountain. I need to clear out the Koalas, so I sacrifice the Rudras to the Koalas and manage to discover the Zero KHD.
I send in Shakti, with the intent of Redrum-ing the Zero unconscious… but end up pushing it too much and vaporize the Zero’s brain, taking it off the table. Whoops. Well, at least I can take care of the Lunokhod, I suppose. I land some Mk12 hits on it from what I think is just outside of hacking range, but it turns out I’m wrong and we’re actually in. The Lunokhod survives, so on the next order I split burst Redrum Zoe and the Custodier, succeeding only in taking out Zoe and getting glue-gunned by the Lunokhod.
I spend my last order shifting my Mk2 to an overwatch position. My remaining Naga is sort of useless though. Things didn’t go well for me trying to finish objectives, so I just spend the Arjuna’s irregular order to overwatch a firelane.
Bottom of 3 – Bakunin
Extreme Prejudice- HVT: Inoculation
- In Extremis Recovery
- Sabotage
Adam ditches Extreme Prejudice and gets Sabotage instead. He decides to go after HVT: Inoculation and Sabotage. He’s gotta clear the way for his Daktari’s bot, so he tries to take out the Arjuna I moved with the Moderator Spitfire but I crit it down.
The ‘bot makes it in and secures HVT: Inoculation.
Adam tries to get Sabotage with the Lunokhod, but the Rudras’ mine takes it out.
And that’s that. Adam has Data Scan and HVT: Inoculation, and I’ve got HVT: Espionage, HVT: Retroengineering, and Net-Undermine, making it a
7-2 OSS Victory!
Post Game Analysis
Well, that was a tough game for both of us. I threw away the Rudras and Trisha, which was expensive. It was only through the luck of the dice that the Rudras survived to give me what I needed on Turn 3. In any case, I’m still learning how to run OSS. N3.5 is basically not all that different for N3. It did give me some more issues with Spotlight, but I don’t think it was a huge deal either way. And as I’ve said before, crits are fine.
I don’t think there were any huge learnings from this game. Neither of us made any significant mistakes, we just had some dice issues getting objectives done. I think Adam’s gambit with the Zero/Lunokhod was a good one–but he over-invested in defenses making it unappealing for me. I think perhaps both of us had some pacing and priority problems, but close enough. Really just happy to get some games in! Looking forward to doing another one soon.
