TACTICA TUESDAY- TEAM NINJA

As N2 draws to a close, we are trying to get to all of our major Infinity thoughts out, because frankly, when N3 is released, it is going to take some time to find our legs. Infinity third edition, from the things we have heard, is a different game, and so it is going to have to be played differently. It will be exciting discovering these new things, but many, if not all, of our old tactics, ideas, and theories are going to have to change. So with that in mind, I present the crowning glory of my time in N2 with JSA:


TEAM NINJA- the Tactica

They said it couldn't be done. THEY said it wasn't viable. THEY said it was impractical.

They were wrong.

Team NINJA is the JSA army composition that consists entirely of TO models- Ninjas, Oniwaban, Shinobu, and Saito Togan. It is a silent and deadly force by flavor, and a weak and delicate list undone by a single piece of equipment- but used effectively, a GLORIOUS list, full of finesse.

Isnt it beautiful?

THE LIST-
A fair amount of work can actually go into list construction with these constraints.

Ninja hackers are the only specialists, and they are also TO hackers, capable of surprise AHP, and potentially unopposed hacking rolls to shut down enemies, so they are probably the highest priority.

Shinobu and Oniwaban are the only possible LT, so one must be included, and unless you need the points, Shinobu is better.

As secondary troops, Snipers are an excellent support, multiplying shoot advantages at range- and sometimes the only way to deal with a link team, or a visor. Saito is a strong support piece. A mix of EXP and AP ninjas then round out the rest of the points.

It may feel light on orders, but that wont be a problem.

DEPLOYMENT

TEAM NINJA deploys NO models. TEAM NINJA usually doesn't even need to deploy markers. This gives a unique advantage, as you can deploy second but essentially get to "shoot first"

With TEAM NINJA, you always get to go first, there is only one minor variance. If you win the roll off, you can make your reserve deployment a "push" attempt with an Oniwaban or Shinobu- giving a devastating first blow on your turn- If this is your LT, and they manage to survive a turn, you are well on your way to having orders. Remember a LT in a camo marker doesn't count as LoL but one in hidden deployment does.

Deploy NINJAS in pairs, but not necessarily in exactly the same spot. The "teams" should be set up so they can support and help each other, and serve as a second strike trap on an unaware opponent that goes hunting. Deploying near the centreline means being as close to your foes without having to risk revealing yourself. You must play a delicate game of anticipating the movements of the game, because if you don't, you might have a ninja caught out alone at one side of the board, slowly slogging it into the action

GAMEPLAY

If your opponent goes first, and you have no models on the table, there is not much that they can do to harm you. Being extremely light on orders you must use your few orders to your advantage, and reduce the effectiveness of the opponent's turn. Isolate and eliminate troops so that retribution is a long walk for your foes. Set up sniper lanes and hacker bubbles to give devastating AROs that cannot be circumvented. Recamo. Leave your opponent no troops to "pick off" as they are worth far too much. Cutting down your opponent's orders levels the playing field, that you then have a distinct advantage on. DO not reveal a hidden deployment unless you have a solid chance to strike for a kill.

Even better if you can surround your foes

Oniwaban can clean order generators with his nanopulser or boarding shotgun, provided he has a surprise shot. Combi rifles are the most effective for killing single troops, in terms of consistency, order efficiency and range. Mono blades are obviously the best for multi-wound models- but if you can get 2 or more models into CC with a single enemy, your chances of a crit goes up- which will automatically kill. Once revealed, your models are vunerable, so try to protect them;

Cover- this is always important, but on ninjas, it is their only armour, and otherwise, TO ends up being just a -3 modifier overall, giving at worst BS 8 to your attacker, unacceptably high.

In combat- this is the safest place to be, with a whopping -12 to hit!! This also draws the opponent's orders to fight your battles, being very efficient. Just be careful and try to engage high value targets, as once your meat-shield is dead, you are back on your own.

In Camo. At least one extra order to discover is not bad, and with movement shenanigans, it can be much more. Unfortunately it is also taking resources out of your pocket, so try to consider the value of this before you do it. If you have nothing better to do, and one order left, it is a grat idea.

WRAPUP

Unfortunately, this list is a little harder to exactly describe how to use, as it takes some trial and error, and development of gut feelings (especially with deployment, HIGHLY dependant on terrain and opponent). Once mastered, however, it can be quite amazing to watch- as the single deadliness of every troop and symphony of death that can be conducted, from range, and melee, is just astounding.