How to Play Steel Phalanx

As always, I think Steel Phalanx is one of the best factions to be taking to CanCon. They've just got everything you want except a flood of infiltrating specialists, and the missions where you really want that, like Tic-Tac-Toe, don't feature in the CanCon mix. They don't have all the things on my Antenna field wishlist, but they bring other tools that make up for it. Here is what I was thinking:

Supplies, Antenna Field
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GROUP 1
 NETROD Electric Pulse. (0 | 4)
 NETROD Electric Pulse. (0 | 4)
 THRASYMEDES (Fireteam: Enomotarchos) Submachine gun, Light Rocket Launcher, Nanopulser, Flash Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0.5 | 30)
 THORAKITES (Forward Observer, 360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
 THORAKITES (360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
 THORAKITES (360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
 MACHAON Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | 38)
 PHOENIX Heavy Rocket Launcher, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Heavy Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 40)
 AJAX Lieutenant 2 Combi Rifles, Nanopulser / AP Heavy Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 39)
 MYRMIDON Chain Rifle, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 16)

GROUP 2
 AGÊMA Marksman Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 27)
 ATALANTA MULTI Sniper Rifle + TinBot E (Spotter) / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 39)
 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)

 6 SWC | 300 Points

[url=http://army.infinitythegame.com/index.html?l=OwBgTAPgzCIQygVwA7IDYEsCmBnANAAQCCAdgC5YkkCGBAYtmgCYQCMYApAGxSsdhhYHAITtuvfoJAiwAVm4AWBZLDARUbgP6sAHNOEauWsK2DyDmzibMjT4rpNb7d4tQLHDB4gJyO1w+SNlEx01AAFlIw0Q5VFAqGDBBwsjK119Q2N0jjCwoA==]Open in Infinity Army
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You've two link teams with effective attack pieces - Thrasymides and Pheonix both have ODDs and flame weapons - backup attack pieces - Ajax and the marksman Thorakite - and specialists with the requisites for Antenna Field - Machaon has an ODD and a suppression weapon, Thrasymides has an ODD and submachine gun, and the Thorakite has an SMG and 360 visor. You've then got two cheap specialists on their own to hold your DZ button, but they also bring some utility with their 360 visors making them excellent drop zone guards. Ajax is there to clear mines, eats flamers and bash HI link teams and random TAGs in smoke-melee. Finally, you've got the two excellent snipers to hold the fort on turn 1 (along with Pheonix and Thrasymides) and smoke shoot on your active against annoyances like TR bots. This list is outstanding at using the combined order to break a link and put its entirety into suppression on a button. My only concern is that your attack pieces aren't high B, which leave you vulnerable to MSV2 snipers who can beat your ODDs, but then you just eclipse and move forward until Ajax can hit them with B5.

On to the kill missions

  Frontline, firefight, supremacy
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 AGÊMA Marksman MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 30)
 AGÊMA Marksman Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 27)
 PHOENIX Heavy Rocket Launcher, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Heavy Pistol, DA CCW. (2 | 40)
 AJAX 2 Combi Rifles, Nanopulser / AP Heavy Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 39)
 MACHAON Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0.5 | 38)
 MYRMIDON Chain Rifle, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW. (0 | 16)
 THORAKITES (360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
 THORAKITES (360º Visor) Submachine gun, Chain Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
 THORAKITES Marksman Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
 HECTOR Lieutenant Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser, Stun Grenades + 1 TinBot A / Heavy Pistol, EXP CC Weapon. (0 | 71)

 5.5 SWC | 300 Points

[url=http://army.infinitythegame.com/index.html?l=OwBgTAPgzCIQYgJwPYDsAuAbAlqgpgDQAEAZtonmQOYAW6xAzgK4AOFAtgIYDGAnhABYApADYwUIWACMADjBCAhMLETpM4QtmiowSdPkKwIbQE49UkYqm6RUS2GnGFAVlFhha3Qolj504K7ebn7WgT4OkiYyYfIBrmAi0UIAAqlAA===]Open in Infinity Army
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Similar story to above, but you cut a few orders because you no longer need the DZ guards and use the points to pick up Hector.  His x-visor plasma rifle with B4 is excellent at killing lone snipers, who he has no trouble reliably revealing from camouflage with his massive WIP (which incidentally maximises your chances of getting the first turn that Phalanx loves). He's also just a menace through the midfield with that weapon, notably against link teams thanks to the template, and his extra order (strategos) makes this list a massive menace, able to easily push Pheonix into your opponent's DZ on turn 1 and start crushing things. It's hard to hide a whole army if you don't bunch up, but if you bunch up that HRL is going to hurt. Ajax's tough physique and Machaon's eclipse grenades can get you past any deterrents like mines, snipers or crazy koalas who might try to slow down your advance. The two Agema's are there to slow down opponents and give you smoke shooting against TAGs and TR bots. You don't have many specialists to score classifieds in firefight, but that also means you don't give up points, and let's face it: you're just going to focus on killing stuff anyway, which this list is awesome at.

Some general points about playing Phalanx (updated for N4):

• Phalanx is relatively weak (but still strong) in missions requiring a lot of specialists (which don't really exist anymore in N4) or a large variety of units (e.g. highly classified). They excel at killing stuff really fast and pressing a couple of buttons along the way.
•  The game plan is very simple: ATTACK! You should almost always go first (only exception is against a very defensive list like riot grrls where you want them to come to you) and try to kill as much shit as possible, especially units with MSV2, leaving pheonix in the midfield with two snipers on ARO to just wreck face.
• Turn 1 is typically either throw smoke from a myrmidon onto Atalanta who discover+shoots everything she can see. Or, use eclipse grenades and lieutenant orders to get Hector and Pheonix's link team forward and into your opponent's deployment zone. Their template weapons turn every salvo into a multi kill. Pheonix's ODD makes him very reliable. Hector should be able to kill at least 4 units, which is a massive penalty to your opponent before they've even had a turn. 
• On your first ARO turn, force your opponent to attack Phoenix. His ODD, cover, and B2 makes the face to face fine and even if he loses a wound Machaon can pick him back up. However, make sure that at least the myrmidon in the team also gets an ARO. They throw B2 smoke grenades. Now your opponent gets 1 average salvo against Phoenix and then can no longer attack you. If they have MSV attack pieces you will need Machaon to throw eclipse, which is a bit riskier because he is so much more valuable than a myrmidon, but still very reliable. People can't take you in close combat through the smoke because you're CC22 and MA3. 
• When attacking with a link team, try to move out to the edge of cover and into LoF and then back up out of LoF with the rest of your movement. This allows the paramedic/doctor in the team to heel the attack unit out of V:NWI without the attack unit triggering an ARO as part of the team.
• Always attack with the most appropriate killer. If you're up against TR or TO, smoke up Atalanta and get sniping. If it's a link team with SSlvl2 and high BS, send Pheonix or Thrasymides over there to stack a MOD. If it's an MSV2 team or someone with a lot of shock, Hector is your man. Hector is also your man for clearing out cheerleaders, dogged and V:NWI characters with his tasty plasma (note that x-visor makes it reliable even at range).
• Use smoke and eclipse to control the range bands
• Don't forget the tasty ARO engage. Myrmidons are fierce in close combat. If someone strays too close with a template, TAG or HI, get up close and personal.
• Smoke melee is answer to TAGs. Hector will fuck their shit up. 
• Direct templates are one of your main enemies. You dodge quite well across the board, but it's still frustrating to be taking wounds from Kuang Shi. When this situation is on the cards, try to place the link team in a Noodle with Hector at the back. When the templates turn up, break the link team. The guys at the front under the template dodge, while Hector fires his 16 to hit plasma at the offending attacker. His plasma will burn through armour and dogged, ensuring that each enemy only fires one shot. His ARM should protect him from the hit, and he has enough W and NWI to soak some damage.