I did no playtesting for this tournament as I had War of the Worlds the week before. I intended to use this tournament as a chance to get three games in with the Gorgos and try out Neema in decapitation. I ended up using my decapitation list in Frontline as well, so I used her a fair bit.
Round 1 - Decapitation
First round was against a guy I've been playing a lot here in the UK running Vanilla Yu Jing. Absolutely top bloke and he was hungover as hell. I wasn't looking to take the day very seriously and so all up we ended having a very chill game. He was running Sun Tze, LI hacker, LI engineer with bot, Su Jian, Rui Shi, Shinobu, celestial guard with smoke launcher, celestial guard with boarding shotgun, a Kanren with killer hacking device and a TR bot. I chose to use my decapitation list because it had the MSV2 gao rael sniper and I thought I might need him to counter Yu Jing's smoke and ninja tactics. I was right, but it didn't end up mattering. My list:
TCO - Decaptitation
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GORGOS Squad Chaksa Peripheral B . (2 | 82)
GORGOS AP Spitfire, Flammenspeer, Pulzar +1 Chaksa Peripheral B / Shock CCW. (2 | 82)
CHAKSA PERIPHERAL B Pulzar / Pistol, Knife. (4)
KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
GAO-RAEL Sniper Rifle / Pistol, CCW. (1 | 31)
SUKEUL Missile Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 36)
KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
NEEMA Lieutenant (Advanced Command) Breaker Combi Rifle, Panzerfaust, Nanopulser / Viral Pistol, Shock CCW. (+1 | 46)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, Viral CCW. (0 | 13)
SAKIEL Viral Combi Rifle, Nimbus Plus Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24)
5.5 SWC | 300 Points
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Pretty straightforward. Gorgos tries to Alpha strike while the sniper triad of Kaeltar, Sukuel and Gao Rael hold the fort. Secondary attack triad of Sakiel with two Makaul's can try to cause some carnage, especially on non-TAG lieutenants. Neema meanwhile hides at home with the other Kaeltar and a Makaul, but can also go forward in a pinch.
We were playing on this table:
I can't really remember how the game went. I decided that there were a few too many repeaters around to risk my Gorgos on turn 1 and that he wasn't particularly great against the TR bot either, so I spent a few orders to bring a Sukuel around to shoot the TR bot, which worked. I think bombed the Sakiel team up and tried to kill the Kanren hiding on the flank by the bushes, but the bastard dodged well. I think my last order went to repositioning the sniper team. His turn he did as expected and put marksmanship on the Rui Shi, shot smoke, charged forward and killed my Sukuel. The Kanren went into suppression. Not much else to report.
Turn 2 I shot the Rui Shi with the Gorgos, but forgot that he's really tall and could thus be seen by the Kanren as he moved around outside of cover. I should have shot the Kanren first while moving the CHaksa up, then shot the Rui Shi and split fire with the Chaksa onto the Kanren (I was under the impression that G-Synch needed the same target - it does not, but it must declare the same order). Instead I stuck with the original plan of shooting the Rui Shi before turning my attention to Kanren. The Rui Shi died real good, but I then lost 2 ftf rolls against the Kanren (11s on 4 against 12s on 3) taking 6 hits total and losing 2 wounds before he died to my Chaksa's pulzar. I believe I killed the celestial guard smoke shooter, then went into suppression and spent my last order moving the Gao Rael into a decent sniper position. His turn 2 he brought the Gorgos all the way down to symbiont inactive with the Su Jian but I then manage to go prone off guts behind a bush to still be claiming the midfield with my datatracker.
My last turn basically involved spending a bunch of orders moving Neema's team up into my frontline unopposed. I had an intelcomm card worth 31 points, so I figured even if he had Sun Tzu and all his LI in that zone I had it covered. I push the Gao Rael and his Kaeltar triad buddy into a very defensible position in my backline and that was the end of the turn. My Gorgos nearly survived his shooting on bottom of turn 3 but eventually died, leaving the game a draw at 5-5 because he had his datatracker (Su Jian) in the midfield while I had frontline and backline (frontline was 118 to 114 or something - always take intelcomm!).
Round 2 - Looting and Sabotaging
I was up against another friendly chap named Michael running Aleph. I was very much expecting a Marut list, but this was because I thought you could shoot the AC unit (i.e. the objective). He was running something rather different, with some defensive pieces and a Patrocles disguised as Thorakite who could use smoke to get to the button and then destroy it using EXP CCW. I had the following list:
TCO - L&S, Frontline
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GORGOS Squad Chaksa Peripheral A . (2 | 86)
GORGOS AP Spitfire, Flammenspeer, Pulzar +1 Chaksa Peripheral A / Viral CCW. (2 | 86)
CHAKSA PERIPHERAL A Light Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (7)
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)
KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
SUKEUL Lieutenant (Forward Observer) K1 Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
KOSUIL Engineer K1 Combi Rifle, D-Charges, Nullifier / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)
6 SWC | 300 Points
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I was up against another friendly chap named Michael running Aleph. I was very much expecting a Marut list, but this was because I thought you could shoot the AC unit (i.e. the objective). He was running something rather different, with some defensive pieces and a Patrocles disguised as Thorakite who could use smoke to get to the button and then destroy it using EXP CCW. I had the following list:
TCO - L&S, Frontline
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GORGOS Squad Chaksa Peripheral A . (2 | 86)
GORGOS AP Spitfire, Flammenspeer, Pulzar +1 Chaksa Peripheral A / Viral CCW. (2 | 86)
CHAKSA PERIPHERAL A Light Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (7)
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)
KAELTAR (Chain of Command) Light Shotgun, Flash Pulse + 2 SymbioMates / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 21)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
SUKEUL Lieutenant (Forward Observer) K1 Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
MAKAUL Heavy Flamethrower, Eclipse Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 13)
KOSUIL Engineer K1 Combi Rifle, D-Charges, Nullifier / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)
6 SWC | 300 Points
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The idea was that I had all the anti-material in the world - every Makaul has DA, the two attack teams are both lead by K1 combi-rifles, and the Sukuel's could potential missile the AC from my DZ. However, I'd obviously had a brain fart. The mission specifically says that the AC can only be damaged in CC with an anti-material weapon. I had interpreted this as anti-material range is fine but CCW without antimaterial is not, but that's part of the core rules, so I obviously derped. Lucky I had all those Makauls.
We played on this table:
He chose deployment and I took turn because I didn't see much point in having the last run and I thought maybe I could alpha strike the button. I only realised my misreading of the rules during deployment. I ended up having I think the most ineffectual turn 1 off my entire gaming life, spending about 6 orders to kill a flash-pulse bot while won face to face rolls and made armour saves, and while a nearby proxy was making dodge rolls like a champ, I also failed to loot a Panoply at least twice, but did eventual get my Sukuel a flashy new MULTI sniper rifle. His turn he spent pretty much all his orders to run a thorakite that turned out to be Patroclus over to my button, drop smoke on it so my Gorgos and his Chaksa buddy could defend it, and then smash the shit out of it in CCW. 8-0 at the end of turn 1.
My turn 2 was very similar to his turn 1, but I made a bit of a critical error. I ran the triad over to the button after eclipsing it thinking they would get a tasty burst bonus. On the way in, he revealed his proxy mk2. At this point, I should have split off my Sukuel in the double move to get within 4" of the downed flash pulse bot to score coup de grace on my next order. The two Makauls would be more than enough to dust off the AC. Instead, I move them all into the eclipse with the second short skill (the proxy missed, but the Sukuel had his symbiont up so even if he hit I might well have survived). I then discovered that you don't get B bonus for smashing the AC with multiple dudes because it is not an enemy. My Makaul still managed in 3 or maybe 4 orders thanks to MA lvl2 giving you that massive damage MOD. However, I had once again forgotten to use my damn data-tracker, which was the K1 Sukuel FO, who comes with d-charges. So I missed out on a point. This would be decisive. I then opted to send them forward to try and kill Scilla with flamers rather than go for secure HVT because I didn't think I could sneak past the Proxy to get coup de grace, but she kept making her dodge rolls and my Makaul's died to the TR bot. 8-7 at the bottom of turn 2.
His turn 2 was fairly ineffectual from memory, perhaps because he only had 6 or so orders left. He killed my Sukuel and moved a camo token around to secure my HVT and then laid mono mines down that flank.
Turn 3 I think I could have done better but I did enough. I used a Makaul to trip the mono-mine and kill the Naga, and he miraculously tanked the mono hit. The naga laid a second mine, but I could get around that with the Gorgos' symbiomate. I used coordinated orders to rush up that flank towards the panoply, intent to get a big lead. I didn't realise that the proxy sniper could just see over there, otherwise I would have thrown eclipse. Then ended up being a little bad, as one or two people died, but I managed to get two loots and go into suppression over there with my Sukuel and Gorgos, essentially preventing him from reaching that button and my HVT. Now if I'd had my wits about me I wonder whether I could also have gotten to within 8 of his HVT. More importantly, there was a moment there where I think my Gorgos could have put his devabot unconscious and had just enough orders to go and coup-de-grace it, but I got the sequence of orders a bit mixed up and ended up the Gorgos as a spearhead. I opted to loot the panoply rather than shoot with B2, and he managed to dodge behind a corner. Still, 8-8 at the end of turn. He couldn't quite manage to score his last classified or beep the boop. He tried to fire a long range pitcher to get data scan, but missed and his gunner exploded in a hail of missile fire. 8-8: ANOTHER DRAW!
Round 3 - Decapitation
I was playing another guy from my London club, which is full of top blokes. He was running Nomads: Zoe and Pi-Well, Intruder HMG, Jaguar for smoke, Grenzer sniper, shotgun Brigada lt, Reverend Healer, something that remained under camo (zero hacker?), interventor. I had the same list as round one, with Neema's team and a sniper team bunkered in a building to make decapitation really hard, my other team in the middle to go wherever it needed to go, and my Gorgos in reserve. He deployed mostly on the high ground or prone behind some crates.
We played on this table, which was actually quite open, especially with 16" deployment zones (I detest the big deployment zones because they make alpha striking too easy):
Note that the close deployment zone (his) has no cross-wise terrain. As such, if you can get down a flank and turn, you can essentially blaze away against units out of cover. {Foreshadowing}
I had first turn and my Gorgos deployed out of reserve on the 16" line in the middle of the board within sight of the HVT. First order, he took 4 AP spitfire shots and gibbed, giving me something like 5 points. I then spent orders sweeping him around to the left flank (away from the power plant thing) out of repeater radius and then charging forward to kill an interventor, then a bit further forward to kill his Brigada and Healer. Not being able to strip orders from TAG lists is a bad change IMHO. This was savage and there wasn't much he could do about it. I went into suppression behind a crate. His turn he only had 6 orders to something and couldn't do heaps. He effectively smoke shot my Sukuel, but I used my mate, then passed an armour save and went prone. The Grenzer exploded while trying to reposition away from TAG. I would probably have just sacrified the Grenzer to attempt a headshot on my HVT, which he could apparently see. B2 at BS13 and double action: you'll be fine. My second turn I ramboed another 10 orders into the Gorgos and killed everything. Game over 10-0.
My final big win was enough to take me to the top of the 5 points pile thanks to my draws being relatively high scoring, and so I walked away with 3rd place. All prizes donated to my club here because I can't transport or use anything. Great day all round. Had some good chats with the Totally Crit people who were lovely.
Thoughts on Neema: not worth the points outside of decapitation. There are better people to use a spitfire and the breaker rifle version doesn't do much for 46 points. Advanced command is fairly pointless in Tohaa. If she had strategos instead, a viral, an MK12 or was a specialist then she would more frequently find a place. In decapitation she is pretty amazing. 3 wounds + a symbiomate, 3ARM and 9BTS (negates her hacking vulnerability), 14PH for dodge rolls, massive CC and MA2 if a ninja tries to assassinate her, WIP15 so there's a good chance you can go first (which is ideal in decapitation), and she can hang out in a link team for additional defence. The breaker rifle is also situationally decent because it is essentially AP.
Thoughts on the Gorgos: an unusual TAG because of the range band on the spitfire and the inability to repair damage incrementally. Absolutely a rush unit, but easily stopped by a few MOD stacks, and can't drag a Makaul with eclipse along with it. If you are confident terrain will be dense or you know the matchup will favour him, then he's great, but otherwise I don't think he's quite right for Tohaa strategy. I want to use him more though. He would definitely be included in any show of force list for me because he takes an incredible amount of punishment and would thus be very good at holding the button. He is also very good at killing anything that doesn't stack a MOD, like many TAGs and HI. My feeling is that you should basically sacrifice him on turn 1 to cripple your opponent. Take AROs and just double move towards your opponent's squishy units. 7ARM and 4 wounds + symbiomate mean you can take a lot of hits before you go down, and meanwhile you can put 10 orders into hunting down all the LI. I wanted to do this game 1 but most of the LI were on a roof so it didn't seem worth it. Was good thinking too because Shinobu happened to be waiting on route to engage me.
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