Code One and some different taste

This time there is only little Druze-content, but two other reports, where I used vanilla Haqqislam, just to break things up a bit and get another taste.

Game 1: Code One with DBS

Yes, you read it right: This report is from a Code One game with Druze vs. Bakunin. We took the custom-rules for all the sectorials and just put them down for a bit of fun. The mission here was supplies with 20 points on each side. I have to admit, that I am not that satisfied with the transition for Druze in general, but nevertheless, there is a good work done for everyone wanting to play some Code One with the existing miniatures. What makes it really interesting is, that everything is distilled to the real essentials, so every problem you may feel in a normal N3-game, will pop up directly in Code One, if it exists.

Since the custom-armybuilder has no nice forum-export, I will simply sum up what was on the field:

Druze:
Bashi Bazouk SO, 2x Hunzakut SO, Druze HMG, Druze SMR, Druze Hacker, Arslan, Brawler MSV2, Pathfinder, Sierra

Bakunin:
Kusanagi, Custodier, 2x Moderator, Riot ML, Riot MR, FP-Bot, 2x Zero, Prowler

Just some randomly thrown together stuff. The south DZ with some clear LoS to overwatch incoming camo-markers and a more obstructed north DZ.

I loose the Lt-roll and have to got second, but can choose the south DZ.

On the left, a Moderator, one camo-marker and the Custodier are deployed, Kusanagi and a second camo-marker in the center and the Riots together with what is missing on the right.

I hope for closer engagements on the left side, so that the Pathfinder, Brawler, Arslan and the SMR take that side, the HMG goes right in the center and the Hacker should try to grab the right box after the HMG had cleared the road. Hunzakuts a bit advanced left and right.

The Riot-ML takes the right side and the Sierra overwatches the center.

Bakunin 1: A Zero approaches on the left, plants a mine next to the MSR and tries to engage the Pathfinder. The next shoot-outs drop the Pathfinder and the Zero dead.

Druze 1: My Sierra fails to wound Kusanagi in long range, while the HMG fails to discover the camo-marker on the right. The SMR finally drops the Moderator on the left, after forcing the Custodier into cover.

Bakunin 2: Kusanagi drops the Sierra and takes the mid box. A second Zero takes the right one and the last camo appears to be a Prowler, frying my SMR.

Druze 2: There are many things to kill and no easy targets, since everything has some visual mods or multiple wounds plus hyperdynamics. The Bashi Bazouk enters on the left side and takes down the Prowler and the HMG wounds the Riot ML. One mine from the left Hunzakut should secure the remaining box.

Bakunin 3: Kusanagi and the right Zero retreat as far as possible, while the Riots and the Custodier advance a bit into better ARO-positions.

Druze 3: I have to grab the last box and kill one carrier with the remaining orders. But I am one or two orders short to realize it and have to gamble a bit. My Hunzakut advances through the center, gets discovered by the Custodier and has to deal with two Riots now. He shoots the ML and wounds the MR, but this one drops him finally. Now the Bashi grabs the last box.

4-1 for Bakunin here. The take-away experience is, that Druze got the wrong equipment converted into Code One: Viral pistols instead of X-visors, for example. X-visors would have been really nice here, since rangebands become more important in Code One. The lack of MSV or own visual mods was a really big deal here, even more as in N3, since everything is about winning FtF-rolls. The lack of a HI-hitter places the cherry on the cake, while quite cheap Riots decorates it really sweet.

Just for fun, it was nice and okay and I don't want to argue about the transition, just thank for the great work. Nevertheless, Druze can't compete in the shooting and moving-game with one wound, BS 12 and nothing else. 4-4 MOV and an improved hacking-game eventhough may be really cool changes for N4, so I am really looking forward to the new edition.

Game 2: Narrative N3 Mission

Since my local group now feeled something of Infinity-fatigue, but Code One should not be the solution everytime, I grabbed Daedalus Fall and suggested to test some campaign missions to expand that maybe in the next games. As a first test, we chose "Data recovery", the first Paradiso-mission. Spontanously I felt tempted to play a LI Haqqilsam list, just for fun again.

The mission here is to find and download some information from the central consoles (you need to roll, if you have activated the right one and may click another one to download the info), then upload it on the console in front of your DZ in turn two or three. Two OPs are given for more killed army points.

AUFasidLI
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10
FASID HMG + (Smoke and Normal) Light Grenade Launcher, Antipersonnel Mines / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (2 | 53)
ÁYYĀR (Surprise Shot L2) Shock Marksman Rifle / 2 Viral Pistols, CCW, Knife. (0 | 39)
MUKHTAR (Multispectral Visor L2) Red Fury, 2 Nanopulsers / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 37)
NAHAB Red Fury, Nanopulser / Pistol, Viral CC Weapon, Knife. (1 | 36)
FARZAN (Marksmanship L1, Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 24)
FIDAY Rifle + Light Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, AP CCW, Knife. (0 | 31)
SHIHAB REMOTE HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 25)
HAFZA Lieutenant Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16)
BARID Hacker (Assault Hacking Device UPGRADE: Icebreaker) Rifle + Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 19)
NASMAT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
HAFZA (Infinity Spec-Ops) (13 XP) (Hyper-Dynamics L1, Doctor Plus, Engineer) Rifle, Light Shotgun, Jammer / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17)

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Since it is a campaign-mission and there are some SpecOp-bonusses, we agreed to have a 13XP SpecOp. So why not take a Hafza multi-specialist to keep the whole list alive and give him a jammer, just in case? To deal with the promised minelaying camo infiltrator, hyperdynamics was a nice gift, too. Everything else is simply there because it can do everything on its own or support some other unit when needed. Yes, there is the Mukhtar MSV 2 in the list, here as the main attack-piece, but why not take it, if you can? At least there are no Ghazis! The second wave should the the Nahab and the Ayyar, while the Fasid should be the major toolbox for everything else and the Farzan should act as a surgical knife.
To spice things up, the SpecOp is deployed as Jannissary Akhbar-Doc and the Lt and the Ayyar project some more Mukhtar MSV2s. Just for reasons.

Foreign Company
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

10
BOLT (Fireteam: Haris) Boarding Shotgun, Drop Bears / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19)
BOLT Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun, Drop Bears / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 22)
BOLT Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 23)
KRIZA BORAC HMG / Heavy Pistol, CC Weapon. (2 | 54)
ORC Lieutenant HMG / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 44)
ORC Boarding Shotgun + 1 TinBot A (Deflector L1) / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 36)
AVICENNA Combi Rifle, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 27)
VALKYRIE Heavy Shotgun, Grenades / Heavy Pistol, EXP CC Weapon. (0 | 35)
ZERO Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 21)
BRAWLER (Infinity Spec-Ops) (13 XP) (CH: Mimetism) Rifle, Light Shotgun, Spitfire, Chain-colt / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 17)

6 SWC | 298 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Two links to do the work and where the HMG and the spitfire are not enough, a Kriza to eleminate what is needed. Avicienna as back-up specialist and Valkyrie to fill the link, I guess. The missed opportunity to build a really cool Brawler specialist hurts a lot and I was waiting for 16s on WIP rolls all the time. But there is a lack of heavy weapons, so an additional spitfire is needed, I guess?
Interestingly we are both interested in ForCo, but end up with completly different lists all the time...

Recently I am experimenting a bit with more defined maps and create firelanes more thoughtful by trying to keep tables not too dense. It is a bit low on small scatter, but besides that, it felt quite nice.

I loose the Lt-roll and go second in the south DZ.

The Orc-link is deployed on the left, the Kriza takes the center together with the SpecOp and the Bolts take the right side, as far advanced as possible.

I am quite blockend by the exclusion zone, so everything is deployed in my DZ or a bit advanced. Barid and Farzan take the left side behind the building and the fence, while all Mukhtars are scattered on the right. The Ayyar takes the right building for this. My SpecOp is deployed in the center with the Nasmat behind the small building left from that. The Fiday should cover the Mukhtar with smoke and hides advanced on the right.

A camo-marker infiltrates directly in the center in front of my DZ and I place the Shihab in front of the marker.

ForCo 1: The camo-marker advances and gets discovered by my SpecOp. The Orc HMG crits down the Shihab, while the Zero drops a mine and the Bolts advance and shoot one holoecho.The Kriza advances and fails to wound my Fasid.

Haqq 1: The Fiday sets up some smoke, so that the Mukhtar easily can drop the Zero and the Bolt spitfire. He is even able to wound the Kriza. My SpecOp activates, triggering the mine, which only kills my Lt (argh...) and repairing the Shihab.

ForCo 2: The Bolts throw some drop bears around their position, while the Brawler locates and downloads the info on the central console. The Orc-link advances further, dropping the Shihab again. Avicienna retreats towards the upload-console, while the HMG enters suppressive fire in front of my DZ.

Haqq 2: LoL but with one regular order due to my Fasid. The Nahab enters the field on the left in the back of everyone. I burn several orders and CPs into this, but in the end both Orcs and Avicienna are dead (the Orc HMG getting double-critted) and the Nahab covers the upload-console with suppressive fire.My SpecOp repairs the Shihab again and the Mukhtar fails to drop the Kriza. To get one more order next turn to play the mission, the Farzan is nominated as new Lt.

ForCo 3: Now in LoL but with enough CPs, the Kriza puts the Nahab into NWI and the Brawler uploads the data with the last order.

Haqq 3: I am not short on orders but I have to download the info in the center and upload them on my console by crossing LoF of Valkyrie. The Fasid succeeds to smoke the central console but fails to smoke the path towards it, so the Farzan needs to shoot Valkyrie on the way, doing the first wound. SInce the Fasid failed with smoke, the SpecOp can't access the upload-console, so th Farzan retreats, killing Valkyrie and uploading the data with the last order.

SInce I have killed more army points, I win 6-4 in the most fun game in ages. It was that close, that balanced and so much fun, what we could not imagine before. The restricted list of missions in ITS 11 limits the fun a lot, I guess and the urge to perform as good as possible and always make the right decisions seem to kill the fun in most games. This was completly consumed by the spirit of the mission and the possible campaign-play. You are playing for fun and for the story, so it is okay to make a suboptimal decision to ease things a bit. Of course, my list was somehow failproof for this, since all the tools could compensate many suboptimal situations. With Druze that would have been different, since each suboptimal decision adds up to failure and you need a clear mind all the time playing.
We will do more of this in the future!

Game 3: Narrative N3 Mission

With some more anti-COVID measures lowered here, the first game-day of our club could be done. SInce it was a bit spontanous for me to join, I had not prepared a different list and by browsing through the missions, we stuck again with Data recovery from Daedalus Fall. ITS is burned for me and the other campaign-missions are a bit too complex to make a smooth start after a long brake for my opponent. Since he had not prepared a list with a SpecOp, I dropped the Hafza SpecOp and included a Ghulam Doc.

My list is the same here with the same general 'plan'.

Jurisdictional Command of Tunguska
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

GROUP 1 10
MARY PROBLEMS Hacker (Forward Deployment L1) Submachine Gun + Zapper, Pitcher / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 30)
SECURITATE Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
SECURITATE Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
SECURITATE Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 13)
INTERVENTOR Hacker Lieutenant (Hacking Device Plus) Combi Rifle, 1 FastPanda / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 27)
HOLLOW MEN Spitfire, Chain-colt / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (2 | 36)
HOLLOW MEN MULTI Rifle + Pitcher, Chain-colt / Breaker Pistol, Knife. (0 | 35)
STEMPLER ZOND FTO (Super-Jump) Combi Rifle, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 18)
SPEKTR (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
VERTIGO ZOND Smart Missile Launcher / Electric Pulse. (1.5 | 18)

GROUP 2 3 1
WARCOR (360º Visor) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3)
TRANSDUCTOR ZOND Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (0 | 8)
CLOCKMAKER Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 18)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
ZONDBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
REAKTION ZOND HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 26)

5.5 SWC | 296 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Nothing new on this side. Some hackers and the Hollow-Men with the FTO-FO bot to distribute targeted states, used by the smart-missile-bot. The whole lists evolves around this plan, with all its weaknesses and strengths. I am not the fan of this list, since it needs many orders to be set up, but with the repeater-coverage, mobility and hacking-abilities of Tunguska, it seems reasonable. Maybe they add the few missing things, making the plan to expensive for Druze.

The good old icestorm-terrain and all my lovely planters - finally back on the table! I build some additional walls to break up LoF more efficient.

I win the Lt-roll and take the first turn to download the infos without any trouble.

Barid and Farzan take the left side, the Ghulam Doc the center and the Mukhtars are on the right again. This time, the Ayyar and his echoes are a bit more centered. I don't want my Fiday stuck in the Hollow Men, so he is in my half, in front of the Mukhtar. The Shihab overwatches the long lane on the right from behind the container.

The Hollow Men-haris take the left, together with Clockmaker and Interventor behind the building. The TR-bot on top of it overwatched the same lane as my. The Securitates are scattered on the roofs, while the flash-bot and Mary Problems take the right side. A Warcor lays on a container in the center of the DZ.

My Fasid supports the left side, since I need some smoke to protect my run on the objectives. A TO-marker appears on the right.

Haqq 1: WIth smoke from the Fasid, the Farzan activates the central console, only to locate the info in the right console. With some coordinated orders the Barid places a pitcher on the estimated route of the Hollow Men and the Fiday provides smoke on the right console. The Mukhtar fails to discover the TO-marker and retreats. The Farzan recamoes.

Tunguska 1: The Specter on the right downloads the info and places some mines. Mary Problem advances towards him and spotlights a holoecho and the real Mukhtar. Two missiles later, Mukthar and Ayyar are down.

Haqq 2: The Fasid takes down the Warcor to free the space for the Nahab on the right. I forget about the flashbot, but the flaspulse fails. My Nahab takes down the flashbot and Mary Problems, after the Farzan fails on Mary. The Doc revives the Ayyar, burning my last CP and let the Nasmat trigger the mines.

Tunguska 2: The Hollow Men advance in the center, dropping the Farzan and wounding my Fasid, while the Clockmaker repairs the flashbot and uploads the info.

Haqq 3: With some smoke in the center and on the right, I have just enough orders to let the Ayyar download the information and the Barid or my Doc upload them on my console. The Fasid fails to set up the smoke and the Fiday needs two tries. It is set up poorly, so that the Ayyar crosses LoF of the TR-bot and dies on the way. The Nahab assaults and kills the Specter, while the Barid imm-1s the Hollow Men spitfire, which takes a wound from my Fasid then.

Tunguska 3: The FO-bot activates the central console, while the MR-Hollow Men fires a pitcher next to my Shihab and dies on it. This is followed by a spotlight and a missile, dropping the Shihab.

This time, I loose 8-1. The limited ARO-potential with an exclusion zone let my opponent approach me easily and grenade my key-pieces. The Nahab performed great again and carries the list a lot, while my constantly too high rolls for my smoke-grenades maybe costed me the game or at least some OPs. Nevertheless, it was a great game and a lot of fun. The versatile but easy to overlook LI-list with all the potent tools does a great job and only needs a bit of practice to make the right defensive decisions. I am curios to have a LI game with Druze in the next weeks to have a better comparision. But the last two games felt more relaxed than most of my Druze games in the past...