Starting virtually

 Since wargaming, especially Infinity, seems to be a hard drug, we had to search for an opportunity to continue gaming. So we gave Vassal a try last Monday with not so bad results. We chose Vassal over TTS since internet-connection here is not the best and there had to be enough "space" for discord to talk things through. Of course, you need to be flexible a bit, since the recent module is from 2017 and there are some bugs. The biggest problem may be the 2D set-up, but this can be solved by a good pre-game discussion.

Since it was more a try-out than a full game, we took a preset table and a straight forward mission: Annhilation.

Druze Bayram Security
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GROUP 1 6 1
HUNZAKUT (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Rifle + Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
BRAWLER Heavy Rocket Launcher / Assault Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 18)
BRAWLER (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 28)
BRAWLER Lieutenant Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16)
DRUZE Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle + Pitcher, D-Charges / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25)
DRUZE (X Visor) Shock Marksman Rifle, Chain-colt / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)

GROUP 2 7
FUGAZI DRONBOT Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)
PATHFINDER DRONBOT Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 16)
KAMEEL Hacker (EVO Hacking Device) Electric Pulse. (0.5 | 25)
BRAWLER Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Submachine Gun / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 17)
SCARFACE & CORDELIA TURNER . (1.5 | 78)
SCARFACE 2 Mk12, Heavy Rocket Launcher / AP CCW. (1.5 | 61)
SCARFACE Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, CCW. ()
CORDELIA TURNER Combi Rifle, Chain-colt, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17)

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

I wanted to give Scarface an other try, since he was not that active in the last game.

Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin
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10
REVEREND CUSTODIER Hacker (Hacking Device Plus) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 32)
REVEREND HEALER Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 33)
KUSANAGI Lieutenant MULTI Rifle + Light Flamethrower, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (+1 | 44)
RIOT GRRL Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 34)
RIOT GRRL Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 33)
RIOT GRRL Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
RIOT GRRL Boarding Shotgun, Stun Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
ZERO (Minelayer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 19)
ZERO Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
BRAN DO CASTRO Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 33)

5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Again, Bakunin showed up slightly modified, this time again with Brando instead of a third Zero or some other stuff.

We had no clue how to quickly build a cool table, so that was the one suggested. With all the houses, LoS were quite restricted and only two long ranges were available. But crossing the street was a deadly thing then. We defined the solid obstacles and filled packages as S2 high, while the partly filled packages were something around S1. All walls had infinite height, exept for the one building on the upper left. We concluded that Infinity is about solving difficult situation, so we accepted the layout as it was and took it as a challenge.

I lost the roll-of and got turn two. Since I imagined the blue DZ to be better to defend, I took blue.

The Reverend-link went in the left quadrant, a bit advanced, while the Riots were placed around the truck on the right, ML out to ARO. Two camo-markers infiltrated with one roll into the building on my side across the street on the left, a third camo-marker went behind that building.

Scarface and most of my REMs took the left building, with a Pathfinder on overwatch over the street. My link went into the right building to access the Riots through the buildings. Only the MSR Brawler was out on the street to avoid them ramboing over the street. A Fugazi, a Pathfinder and the AHD were also placed in that building, more in the center. I had to cover some vectors, since there would be an additional camo-marker to be deployed somewhere.

As expected, a camo-marker infiltrated right next to my MSR, but also in LoS to my Fugazi. Most nice spots for my Hunzakut were denied, so h started in the right forwarded building on my side. We forgot to nominate datatrackers.

Bakunin 1: Overclock activated. The camo-marker next to my Brawler moved a bit and moved again, after my Fugazi opted to discover and the MSR waiting. Brando got unconscious after the next order without doing anything (mistakes were made, I guess). Then the Reverends advanced, as well as a forwarded camo-marker on the left. The moving camo-marker showed to be a Zero, wrecking my Pathfinder and entering suppressive fire.

Druze 1: There was no option to get the Zero with cover for Scarface, so I wanted to advance via the right side. My MSR took a shot with stun-bullets on the ML-Riot, critically stunning it and forcing it out of LoF. I made three shots here, since we forgot about the reduced burst of stun-mode. This mistake raised my chances to succeed from 46% to 58%. By checking the odds now, the DA-mode would have beena good option, too, since I had a 35% chance of dropping the ML. I estimated it lower, so I wanted to stun her first. After the ML out of the way,my Hunzakut advanced and placed a repeater on the other side of the truck with all Riots in ZoC and retreated as far as possible. Group two had nothing to do, so the right Fugazi advanced, placed a sniffer on the left building and took better position. The Pathfinder was not able to discover things in his ZoC.

Bakunin 2: I had overseen a corridor on the center-line, which was used by Kusanagi to shoot my Hunzakut, then wrecking the repeater. Now the Riot-spitfire killed my MSR, but was not able to wreck the Fugazi, which had stunned the ML unopposed before.

Druze 2: My losses were higher than Bakunins, so I had to remove things without high risks. So the almighty Fugazi took a run into the left building, splitting burst with his FP to two Riots and stunning both (well...). Now the Custodier was in ZoC, so my KHD tried to burn it while advancing to get LoF to Kusanagi maybe. All orders of group one were burned against the breakwater-programm of the Custodier. With 35% chancce of success for both sides, that was not unexpected. Now I had to take the risk of using Scarface to kill the suppressive fire Zero and after some orders, the Zero was down, Scarface retreated in suppressive fire and had a repaired wound by Cordelia.

Bakunin 3: Kusanagi cut the edge towards my Fugazi with her Lt-order, so she fell out of the link and wrecked it. The link was reformed and advanced, without cautios. So my KHD got the Custodier in ZoC by some mm and fried his brain unopposed. The Healer revived Brando and cut Scarface into halves with her exp-CCW. Kusanagi tried to secure the street against my link insuppressive fire.

Druze 3: Normally things were done here, if the Healer and Brando were not positioned that bad: Both had a place in their back, where my AHD-Brawler could get easily. So my AHD advanced, shot Brando first, then killing the Healer. With his SMG warm and tested, he crossed the street, entering the building whichs other entrance was guarded by Kusanagi. A shot of his SMG killed her easily. I thought about ending it here, since I should have a slightly lead in points here, but I thought about good odds with my HRL against grouped Riots. This time the 10% for the Riot were the way to go (68% for my for one wound, 50% for two!!), and my HRL went down.

In the end, Bakunin had 140 points surviving, I had 144 including my baggage, which lead us to a 4-4 draw. I have to admit, that it was only luck what brought me away from a clear loss. The hit of my MSR in the beginning, Scarface killing the Zero and the killing-spree of my AHD, not talking about my glorious Fugazi...The good rolls were not well distributed this time and the randomizer did a ridicilous job here. But also my defensive play worked well and forced my opponent to waste valuable orders, which lead his units in sub-optimal places and situations most of the time.
With some more games done now, I totally love the hacking-game of Druze. The combination of Hunzakuts, a Druze KHD and the Brawler AHD, as well as Pathfinders and Fugazis available wherever you need them is gold and can force so many unexpected bad situations for each opponent. But I miss the EM-launcher here, since I can't place a thread by spotlighting enemies.

Playing with Vassal was not as bad as we expected it. The discussion of terrain before was very important, but then the module worked well (besides broken dices for 2d20 and 3d20). So we will exploit this for the moment to get some games done, until measures were lowered and it will be wise again to meet up for normal games.

Stay safe guys!