Round one of Pandemic Protocol

If I have sorted my notes right, the last unreported game should be the first round from our small german TTS-event running at the moment. 12 players were collected to have three games in three weeks on TTS. We play Viral Outbreak, Supplies and Countermeasures, gathered in the "Dragon Corp Pandemic Protocol". Viral Outbreak was played like it is written in "Uprising", while Supplies and Countermeasures are normal ITS-missions, spiced up with some dangerzones where you get the infected state on rolls of 19 and 20. The topping of this is the limited insertion game mode. But everyone can create a new list for each game, since I can't control all the lists properly.

My first game was against Bakunin, fielded by a quite new player. As he told me, I was his first new opponent besides his friend he started playing Infinity with. So I wanted to balance my fear of Bakunin (of course, I won most of my recent games against them, but Riots and Zeros are still purging my dreams) and not overextending in a "really strong" competitive list. This is what I came up with:

Druze Bayram Security
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9 1
BRAWLER (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 28)
DRUZE Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle + Pitcher, D-Charges / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25)
DRUZE Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Combi Rifle + Pitcher, D-Charges / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 28)
DRUZE (X Visor) Combi Rifle, Chain-colt / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23)
ARSLAN Lieutenant MULTI Rifle, Light Shotgun / Viral Pistol, Knife. (0 | 36)
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)
ARMAND Minelayer MULTI Sniper Rifle, Nanopulser, Antipersonel Mines / 2 Breaker Pistols, Shock CCW, Knife. (1.5 | 42)
PEACEMAKER Heavy Shotgun + AUXBOT_3 / Electric Pulse. (0 | 21)
AUXBOT_3 Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (- | 4)
HUNZAKUT (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Rifle + Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)

5 SWC | 299 Points

Open in Infinity Army

I was inspired by AssaultUnicorns approach to LI with Druze, but also with my experience with Arslan, so I mixed it up and included some hackers to harass the inevitable Riot Grrl-link. Reverends should be handled by my Hunzakut, as always, while Armand and the Peacemaker where my roadblocks. Scarface was there for reasons (mainly to fill the points). If I get the first turn, the Hunzakut should grab the main console and maybe the Hazmat-specialist, while the remainings of my core-team should secure the console in the end. If I get the second turn, I want to blow up as much as possible and grab the console in the late game.

Jurisdictional Command of Bakunin
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10
MODERATOR Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 11)
ZOE & PI-WELL . (0 | 47)
ZOE (Hacking Device. UPGRADE: Stop!) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 28)
PI-WELL Combi Rifle / Electric Pulse. (0 | 19)
REVEREND CUSTODIER Hacker (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 34)
REVEREND HEALER Boarding Shotgun, Nanopulser / Pistol, EXP CCW. (0 | 32)
KUSANAGI Spitfire / Pistol, Shock CCW. (2 | 43)
TASKMASTER Lieutenant Red Fury, Pulzar, CrazyKoalas + TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Heavy Pistol, DA CCW. (1 | 53)
LUNOKHOD Heavy Shotgun, Heavy Flamethrower, D-Charges, CrazyKoalas (2) / Electric Pulse. (0 | 25)
ZERO (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19)
PROWLER Spitfire, D-Charges / Pistol, CCW. (2 | 36)

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

No Riot Grrls and no strong core-link, rounded by only two camo-markers. But there is a lot of area-denial in form of the Taskmaster and the Lunokhod and who wants to deal with a bossted Kusanagi? Some specialists should secure a scoring-potential wherever needed.

I forgot to take a screenshot of the table this time, but you can have a look at it in TTS, since it was one desgined for Viral Outbreak, which was slightly modded by myself since it was set up for the old Dire Foes version and not for the Uprising one. In each DZ there was a really high building, a lot of scatter and two bigger buidlings. There were two streets around the objective room with wrecked cars and stuff like that and a lot of buildings on the sides of the table.

I won the Lt roll and decided to go first, since I saw no nice spot in the DZs where I could set up my link defensive and could switch easily to action with them.

My link was placed on ground level with my MSR on overwatch and my hackers hiding behind some trucks and a bit forwarded. Only my KHD found no good place and was placed a bit behind. Since I expected HIs, I wanted to use my pitchers and had to cluster the link a bit more. The Hunzakut took a position outside of the OR, while Scarface and Cordelia took the right side, guarded by my Peacemaker.

Kusanagi and her cheerleaders went on the right side with the Lunokhod behind them. Zoe and Piwell had the left side. There was one camo-marker on each flank, with the right one prone on a rooftop and the other one deployed in the open.

Armand was deployed on the left to guard my link and the left coffin with a mine, while a Taskmaster was deployed in a central building.

The first foci of infection are rolled. One is placed directly over my linked KHD, while the second one stays in the far left corner of the objective room.
Druze 1: For the moment there was nothing to really worry about, so I wanted to get rid of Kusanagi as obvious Lt and score the first points. To free my Peacemaker, Scarface advances and gets LoF to the Custodier. One lucky shot with the HRL burns her to unconsciousness and drops one crazy coala nearby. Now the Peacemaker starts. The Auxbot burns down the Healer and takes a wound from Kusanagi, but the Peacemaker is shot unopposed by the Healer, since the Auxbot can't see her directly. The Hunzakut activates the console and retreats out of the objective room. I decide to get rid of as many pieces as possible instead of grabbing the Hazmat-specialist, so my core-team advances. THe KHD starts coughing and can't concentrate enough to take out Zoe through a pitcher from the AHD. A terrible sneeze and a hit of Zoes Brainblast knocks him out. So Arslan discover-shoots the Zero on the left and everyone retreats a bit.

Bakunin 1: On the right rooftop a Prowler with spitfire appears and forces Scarface into cover while knocking out the normal Druze on the left. Scarface takes one wound in the progress but tanks a lot of hits. Piwell forgets about my pitcher on the left and advances to get immobilized-1. The Moderator now takes care of the repeater. The remaining orders are used to advance the Lunokhod to the midfield.

One focus of infection scatters into the right entrance to the objective room, while the other one goes somewhere unimportant.
Druze 2: I was in really good shape, but there are some things in my way to secure this. Scarface forces the Prowler prone, while Armand shoots the Moderator and my Brawler wrecks Piwell in one shot. Going for Kusanagi with Arslan is too risky, so my Hunzakut recamoes and shoots the Lunokhod out of the objective room. He recamoes again and my link is repositioned, so that the MSR finally gains LoF to the Prowler if he stands up again.

Bakunin 2: The Taskmaster leaves the building and starts coordinated bursts on Scarface together with the Prowler and Kusanagi. The Prowler is shot by my Brawler and the Taskmaster gets a wound in the progress, but Scarface saves everything else. I ARO mostly on the Taskmaster, since I misjudged my chances against Kusanagi, who is out of cover here. The Taskmaster retreats a bit with his Lt-order.

The foci of infection scatter somewhere unnoticed.
Druze 3: The crazy coalas of the Taskmaster make acting in the objective room a bit difficult. So Scarface takes action, forcing Kusanagi in cover and critting the Taskmaster into unconsciousness. Now the Hunzakut secures the Hazmat-specialist and Arslan secures the console. My AHD advances, shooting down Zoe but failing net-undermine.

Bakunin 3: Kusanagi now finally drops Scarface in one burst.

I win 7-0 with one loss to the infection. Since there were only to dangerous guns there and everything was dedicated to take out Scarface, my link and the Hunzakut could work unthreatened, leading to this claer victory. Piwell with his ODD really could have been a risk on the left, since my link never was in a really save position and there were only four guys left. But with the Zero deployed in the open and the lucky shot against the Custodier, it was too easy for me to dictate the game. Nevertheless it was quite fun and this different kind of mission really works against my ITS-sickness after more than 60 games with ITS 11 until now. I really recommend some of the Dire Foes missions as custom missions for tournaments!

For the moment I am quite happy with the LI-performance of Druze. Armand is a nice additon, nevertheless he had a minor task this time. But his mine is gold and takes away at least one order from your opponents order pool. Scarface performed way better than expected. Most of the shots in this game came from his HRL, which appears as a terrible ARO-weapon on a STR 3 body. So he is the ARO-HI we all want. And fire solves many problems, eventhough nobody lost more than one wound to it.
Finally speaking about Arslan: I was very satisfied with my first try and now in the second one, he had proven his usefullness one more time! The overall package of multirifle, nanopulser and MSV 1, together with NWI is great! Of course he is expensive and slow, but if you have the opportunity to drag him into the midfield, he starts to shine! It is quite easy to squeeze him into a LI-list. In a normal game, this becomes more difficult and I am not sure, if he sees play in them. There he enters a price-category with Armand and Saito, where only Saito is picked regularly thanks to his additions to your list. And in many places, a second Hunzakut can do better.

The next game will be against Ramah in Supplies. The list is already created but I am curious about what Ramah can do here. THere high mobility, coupled with some strong gun-fighters and some tool-boxes could be the nemesis of Druze...But we will see.