ITS Season 10- Discussion

[Raindog]

CAPTURE - New classified card.

“REQUIREMENTS: Veteran Troop, Elite Troop, or Chain of Command.

Objective: At the end of the game, a trooper in a non-Null State whose Troop Classification is Veteran or Elite Troop, or a trooper possessing the Chain of Command Special Skill, must be in base contact with an enemy trooper. The enemy must be in a Null state and be totally inside the enemy’s half of the game table.”

As classifieds go, Capture is difficult. First of all, only a handful of models can accomplish the mission. Most armies are not riddled with  Veteran, Elite, or Chain of Command options. Secondly, the opposing model must be in a null state. Facing off against NWI and dogged troops is going to make this objective harder. Shock and viral ammo, Double Action or Explosive, or anything that drops a model straight to dead, characteristics that are normally assets are now working against you.  Finally, the model must be in the opposing half of the table further reducing the potential targets and increasing the difficulty of accessing the down model. 

I am betting this will be a dread pull for most players.

[Raindog]

 

FOLLOW-UP- New Classified Objective

“REQUIREMENTS: Medium Infantry or Heavy Infantry

Objective: A trooper whose Unit Type is Medium or Heavy Infantry, with the enemy HVT model inside his Zone of Control, must spend a Short Skill and succeed at a WIP Roll.

Bonus: If the trooper has LoF to the enemy HVT model the WIP Roll gets a +3 MOD.”

This is a nice way idea for a classified card.  It is like a Data Scan for non-Hackers with an added bonus for being in line of sight. 

First, the card allows non-specialist units to achieve objectives. Second, the card rewards troops that are under utilized: Medium and Heavy Infantry. Finally, the classified has a nice synergy with rule allowing Medium Infantry to have Forward Deployment Level One for Season 10.

[Raindog]

Bravery - Season 10 ITS

“During Season 10 any troop possessing the Medium Infantry (MI) Troop Type will have the Forward Deployment L1 Special Skill with no extra Cost.

In the same way, those Medium Infantry (MI) that already have the Forward Deployment L1 Special Skill will then be considered to have Level 2.”

An overt attempt to boost the use of often expensive Medium Infantry especially those with the dreaded 4-2 movement value. 

The rule gives  MI haris units, gunslinger and button pushers a boost in efficiency.

 

[Sgt. Rock]

It definitely does. USARF and Corregidor are getting HUGE boosts this season. I expect to see the oft-maligned Bolt link see some more use, honestly. @Exile made a very good point when we were talking about it, though, that it could end up being a trap for MI to get eaten by infiltrators and warbands. Still, I think it's going to be a big help for a lot of MI that just never see table time. Previously, you'd never dream of taking MI if you were playing something where they needed to move up the board quickly, like BTV. Now, they actually have half a chance. It also adds a little bit of deployment flexibility for defensive/ARO pieces like Nisse and Intruder snipers; if that perfect sniper's nest is 2" out of your DZ, now you can get up there. Also, it's really nice to see characters get the "veteran troops" classification for things like Hunting Party. (I didn't see, is that one still in there?) Also, yay for the return of objective room missions!

[Raindog]

Some MI units have flamers like Marauders and Wildcats. They can add a new set of options for camo infiltrators. 

[Raindog]

Long Service- Season 10 Rule

“During Season 10 any troop whose Troop Classification is listed as ‘Character’ also have the Troop Classification of Veteran Troop.”

This is rule has a subtle effect by allowing a few more models to accomplish classifieds like Capture or HVT: Kidnap and grants them a bonus in Hunting Party. 

 

[Raindog]

Landing Assistance - Season 10 Rule

“Troops possessing the AD: Combat Jump, Inferior Combat Jump or Superior Combat Jump Special Skill will not need to place the Circular Template to represent the Drop Zone. They can instead deploy on any flat surface of the game table, as long as their base is completely in contact with the surface on which they will land.

It is not allowed to deploy inside scenery buildings or closed scenery elements with a full or partial roof, even if they have open doors or windows, such as a Objective Room.”

With tables becoming denser and more diverse, the Landing Assistance rule is a big boost. Players with AD troops no longer need to worry about finding a place to make the circular template fit. Any flat space will do. 

Right now, most AD units simply walk on a board edge. This rule grants more impetus to deploy away from the edges. 

The biggest win is for AI Beacons. There is a greater chance to deploy them safely instead of off the table or in a fire lane. 

[Raindog]

HVT: IDENTITY CHECK - New Classified Card

“REQUIREMENTS: Biometric Visor, Multispectral Visor or Sensor.

Objective: A trooper with the Biometric Visor or the Multispectral Visor piece of Equipment with the enemy HVT model inside of his Zone of Control and LoF, or a trooper with the Sensor Special Skill with the enemy HVT model inside his Sensor
Area, must spend a Short Skill and succeed at a WIP Roll. “

Is this classified  awkwardly written?

Yes.

In reality, the card has two parts.

The first section of the classified  allows models with biometric and multispectral visors  to achieve an objective. Models with the visors must be in Zone of Control and Line of Fire of an HVT. Then, they need to spend a Short Skill and succeed at a WIP roll to score the classified. 

Models with the Sensor skill only need to be in Zone of Control of an HVT and succeed at short skill WIP roll. 

Is it a hard classified?

I think it is. MSV comes with a premium price and optimal models with MSV tend to have long ranged weapons to dominate fire lane. 

Biometric Visirs are rare. 

The best bet is Sensor. Almost every faction has a FO, Sensor remote. Those that don’t have units with Sensor like Antipodes. 

Regardless, there are only a handful of models capable of attempting to accomplish the classified. 

[dataentity]

Capture as an objective is... dumb. Especially with ALEPH, if pretty much everything they bring can have NWI, you can have this objective be effectively impossible at no fault of your own. I hate the idea of having an objective be RNG. Requires me to 1) fight a model that doesn't have dogged, NWI, etc. 2) Roll enough dice to put said model unconscious 3) Don't roll enough dice to kill it 4) Have that model be in the enemy half which, and 5) have an appropriate model with the appropriate skill or classification be able to get there and complete the objective. Of those 5 parts, 4 I have basically no direct control over. Closest thing is if you decide to not fire your entire burst at the enemy to try and not put the model straight to dead, which, in my opinion, is extremely dumb. For the #5 that is in your control, they need to first properly fix the app or printed sheets to actually make sorting by troop class easier and have it visible.

One other thing, they could have at least made the new classification-based objectives consistent with hunting party. Why don't headquarters troops count for this?

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Bravery for medium infantry. I think the weakness of being 4-2 is slightly overblown. Yes, 4-2 is slower than 4-4. Objectively, that is true. But, I'd say the majority of your orders you don't end up doing move-move, making the weakness of that 2 inch move reduced greatly. But I don't know, we'll see. Good experiment, but I think it might push some MI way too far. Druze links with their LGL? Marauder link? Intruders?

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Landing assistance is kind of nuts. Even harder to hide lieutenants now.

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At least sensor is cheap and everyone has access to it. This is probably a requirement for lists now since, as much as some people say to always include MSV in your list, there were definitely still ways to fight camo/mimetism/ODD without having MSV. The plus side it's potentially a minor buff to MSV 1 since those models tend to be on the cheaper side.

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I like the idea of more, and more varied, classified objective cards. That's fine. I hate that it's forcing so many different things to be included in your list if you want to cover all your bases. Have to have:

• Doctor/paramedic
• Engineer (at least assuming this will be your D-Charges)
• FO
• MI or HI
• MSV or BMV or Sensor
• Something with structure
• Veteran, Chain of Command, or Elite troop

That's basically half of your list already decided or you're just praying to not get certain objective cards. Previously, you just needed to cover 4 bases? 3 specialist types, and then something with structure. Now, it feels like way too much of your list is decided before you can even do anything. I guess you can just secure the HVT then? Half the time you were forced to do that anyway so that's just going to be happening even more often.

Rechecking, I guess you don't have to have an FO, you can just spotlight instead. Even without that, that's still a lot of things you have to include.

[Sgt. Rock]

Ariadna is actually getting nerfed even harder on classifieds now. Used to be that if we drew two hacking objectives, we were basically forced to take secure HVT. Now, that's going to end up being half of our classified scores. There's *one* unit with sensor, and if you don't bring an Antipode pack, you can't do that one. CHA, for example, has no MSV or sensor. From where I'm standing, without have ever played any of this, they're really hitting us hard for classifieds. USARF is getting a massive boost, though. Them, Corregidor, and Druze are all going to dominate this season, I think. 

[Raindog]

21 minutes ago, Sgt. Rock said:

USARF is getting a massive boost, though. Them, Corregidor, and Druze are all going to dominate this season, I think. 

And Bakunin.

[Sgt. Rock]

That's true, I always forget about the Reverends.

[dataentity]

Small correction on that, Caledonians can take Uxia who can have MSV 1.

Will have to see if this makes the Grenzer fireteam core worth taking.

[Raindog]

And they are MI. 

[Raindog]

IN EXTREMIS RECOVERY - New Season 10 Classified  

“Objective: A trooper in Engaged state with an Unconscious or Spawn- Embryo enemy trooper must spend a Short Skill and succeed at a WIP+3 Roll. After a successful WIP Roll the enemy trooper is removed from play. “

 

Essentially, this classified is a harder Extreme Prejudice . Instead of a free Coup de Grace, you have to make a modified WIP roll. 

Is it needed?

No?

It is minor difference.

I would like to the read, ‘If the WIP roll is failed, the attempt is failed, and the unconscious model is removed from play.’

In this case, there would be one bite at the apple. 

[Raindog]

Ghost: Jumper Z

“Requirements:

Only those Remotes (REM) that are in a Fireteam and are in the same Combat Group as the trooper with this Special Skill can benefit from the ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker.

» A trooper cannot benefit from a Supportware program and from this Special Skill at the same time.

» Each trooper with G: Jumper LZ can have a maximum of one ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker on the table.

 

Effects:

 This Special Skill allows the user to place an ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker next to a Fireteam that is in the same Combat Group and contains Remotes (REM).
The player will place the Marker next to the appropriate Team Leader Marker, during the Deployment Phase, when placing the G: Jumper LZ trooper on the table.

» In both Active Turn and in Reactive Turns, each time that the player activates a Remote (REM) that is in a Fireteam with an ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker, that Remote replaces the values of its CC, BS and WIP Attributes from its Trooper Profile with the ones from the G: Jumper LZ trooper.

» Although, in the Reactive Turn, when an Order is declared within the LoF or ZoC of several Remotes in the same Fireteam, only one of them will benefit from the ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker, chosen when declaring their ARO.

» All Remotes in a Fireteam with the ACTIVE PROXY LZ Marker also gain the Number 2 Special Skill.”

Wow, that is a lot of information to digest. What the heck does it all mean? As simply as possible, the skill allows the player to boost the effectiveness of remotes.

Yes, there are restrictions. The remotes must be in fire teams and in the same combat group and cannot be further buffed by supportware. 

Why do it? Isn’t Supportware a better choice?

 Against units in cover or units with Dogged or No Wound Incapacity, yes supportware is better.

Against Frenzied and Impetuous Troops, Ghost: Jumper Z is better. 

Ghost: Jumper Z has other advantages.

First, Support Ware is placed on one model. Ghost: Jumper Z is placed on an entire Fireteam.  So instead of a Deva Hacker boosting an HMG Dakini, an Aspara can lend its CC, BS, and WIP to any of the Dakinis in a Fireteam. Yes, only one model can benefit from the buff, but the player can choose.

Second, since the Marker is placed in the deployment phase, it is free and does not cost and initial order.

Third,  the skill allows the Fireteam remotes to gain the Number 2 skill. Number 2 keeps Fire teams from breaking and helps the player conserve Command Tokens. 

Finally, if a model with Ghost: Jumper Z goes down, it’s order can be preserved in a Netrod! That seems like a win to me.

I am tempted to give the rule a try.

 

 

[dataentity]

Jumper Z is definitely more order efficient. It probably also works better in a defensive fireteam. Given that your opponent will probably only want to engage one of the remotes at a time, it effectively improves your whole fire team rather than just the one with marksmanship as you can freely move the Jumper buff at the time of the ARO.

If you're running your team as an aggressive piece, where you don't care as much about multiple models wanting to be improved, then Assisted Fire would probably be your best bet. Probably don't care if the combi rifles in the group are slightly improved, just the HMG. But if you have an HMG, a multi sniper, and a missile launcher, you'd probably want all 3 of them buffed.