Preliminary Tohaa lists

Some stuff to start playtesting. I typically build one list for ground control missions and one for missions that require a few more specialists. Season 8 (TAGline) does not have missions that require specialist spam (like beacon race), but it does include highly classified, which requires it's own list.

First up, the ground control list. Here I want the defensive triad of 2 Sukuel Missile Launchers and a Kaeltar with chain of command, shotgun and mates. One mate per Sukuel makes them incredibly tough to move, even with smoke shooting or a TO attack piece. Assuming my range band is good, I'm going to be hitting on at least 7s with 2 shots, and my opponent is unlikely to be doing better than 14s on 4 dice. The chance that I will clip with a missile is pretty good, even at those odds. If he does hit me I can tank with the mate and my symbiont before going prone, and then the second guy is still there. I also intend to have a bioengineer with a Chaksa on standby to pick up anyone who needs to go prone. The Sukuel's even have light shotguns for when some dickhead manages to sneak in close. The Kaeltar is safe as backup lieutenant hanging around the backline and provides defence against AD and the like with his shotgun.

Next up I want 4 chaksa's with baggage and flamethrowers, all in one group so I can push them into quadrants or the scoring backline using a combined order. These guys are cheap cheerleaders, excellent scoring options and provide amazing drop zone defence with their heavy flamers and sensors (no superior infiltration for you motherfuckers).

Finally I want two solid attacking triads. These will be made up of a Sakiel lt with viral combi rifle, a second Kaeltar with bombs (cheap, and bombs are situationally very powerful), a kosuil pioneer with K1, a Sukuel HMG and 2 Makauls.

 Ground Control
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GROUP 1: 8  / 2
 KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
 SUKEUL Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 36)
 SUKEUL Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 36)
 KUMOTAIL Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22)
 CHAKSA SERVANT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
 CHAKSA SERVANT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
 KOSUIL Minelayer K1 Combi Rifle, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25)
 KAELTAR Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioBombs / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 15)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)

GROUP 2: 1
 SUKEUL HMG, D-Charges / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35)
 SAKIEL Lieutenant Viral Combi Rifle, Nimbus Plus Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)

 5 SWC | 299 Points

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I've got the Chaksas powering the initial attack team (with that tasty B5 mimetic HMG) while the sniper team provides orders for the other attack triads. I'm not sure where the bioengineer should be.

I have a Makaul (or a Kaeltar) floating around. I don't think this is a problem. It's almost always good to have an impetuous order on turn 1 with which to throw an eclipse grenades for the Sukuel's team. I could, however, drop a servant and replace this Makaul with a Kamael sniper, just for the nuisance factor, or a I could replace it straight away with a Kaauri sentinel to combat impersonators. I kind of figure I can do that with the Chaksa's though because they're WIP13. I like the Makaul as well because sometimes it might be best to have 2 Makaul's roll up with the Kosuil under eclipse cover and pose as a major short range threat to HI link teams and the like thanks to flamers, K1 and melee potential.


For the specialist missions, I will need playtesting. The clipsos are solid infiltrators and will be tough to move in suppression. They can press a button and then go into the holding position behind cover for -12. I will likely swap the Kosuil minelayer to an engineer with boarding shotgun. I will change one missile launcher to a Gao-Rael sniper for the MSV2 to tag skirmishers and the extra active turn ooomph with B2 (+1 in the triad). The chaksa are much less useful and I will try to replace them with Kaauri snipers. I will also have to strongly consider Nikoul's as stand-alone strong snipers. The order count will likely have to come down a bit.  This is what I am going to start with, assuming missions like supplies, seize the antennas, antenna field (probably wouldn't have clipsos) etc.

 Specialists
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GROUP 1: 9  / 1  / 2
 SUKEUL Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 36)
 GAO-RAEL Sniper Rifle / Pistol, CCW. (1 | 31)
 KAELTAR Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioBombs / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 15)
 CLIPSOS (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
 KOSUIL Engineer Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges, Panzerfaust / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 24)
 SAKIEL Lieutenant Viral Combi Rifle, Nimbus Plus Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
 KUMOTAIL Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22)
 CHAKSA SERVANT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
 DIPLOMATIC DELEGATE (iKohl L1, Specialist Operative) Nanopulser, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 5)

GROUP 2: 1
 KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
 SUKEUL HMG, D-Charges / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35)
 MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)
 CHAKSA AUXILIAR (Baggage, Sensor) Heavy Flamethrower / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 10)

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 5 SWC | 300 Points
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It's a little bit light on specialists (5) for something like beacon race, but there's a good mix in there and all your bases are covered. I'm a little disappointed with the order count, but 15 is no disaster.

I've included 2 chaksa's as cheerleaders, which is a bit lame but they are great cheerleaders, and the sensor can come in handy. I've dropped one of the servants.

For specialists, you have the clipsos, the diplomatic delegate, the bioengineer, the Kaeltar with CoC and the Kosuil engineer. You've still got the attack pieces and Makaul smoke festival. The CoC Kaeltar will probably have to roll with one of the link teams because otherwise you will have trouble getting these specialists forward. It would be really nice to get another sniper in here, preferably a Nikoul or even just a Kauri, and another clipsos, but I can't find the points.

My inclination with this list will be to play pretty cautious and try to keep the sniper base alive before making a final turn dash for the objectives. The clipsos in suppression can hold the fort pretty well in the meantime.