Cursed by fate (DBS vs. Hassassin)

The great thing about the aftermath of the ENTE is the opportunity to finally play against those guys, you met during the Team-Event but were not able to play against. So I was really looking forward for my game against papu, the former spanish captain. Knowing his results from the event, I expected an experienced player, but maybe a bit easier to access than Minass, his team-mate and sparring-partner. But nevertheless, I was aware of the current strength of Hassassin Bahram and how tricky suppremacy can turn out.

My general feeling is, that DBS is a solid faction when it comes to controlling and holding certain areas. Once you have deployed your link somewhere, they are hard to remove and the irregular troops available also contribute to this capability. With that in mind, I took my standard-list with a defensive core-team around the MSV 2 Brawler, Wolfgang and a Bulleteer to do stuff and a Hunzakut to have some tools in the midfield. Since this leaves some points, I saw the opportunity to try out a haris with the MSR Druze and a Red Fury ABH as flexible link for the second flank. A Bashi Bazouk then is nearly an auto-include for such missions, especially with the SO-option to click the consoles. To have something already in a zone, I chose to give Swanson a try.

If I had to build a HB list for supremacy, I would have ended up with something similar, I guess. A defensive but flexible core-team as a back-up for some camo-troops in the midfield, fueling an Asawira and two Fidays. The Fidays probably interrupt the first turn, while the second turn is done by the Asawira or the camo-markers, leaving nothing behind.

The map is created by Cabaray fom the White Noise-Podcast, if I remember correctly and features the new Kokkyo pre-painted terrain from Micro Art Studios, with some pieces painted by Perzan. There were only few long fire lanes on the ground level, but once you manage to put something on the rooftops of the higher buildings, you could overwatch quite a lot. On the other hand, all the trucks obstructed the main-street quuite well. The more residental areas were placed slightly elevated, so that there were different levels to consider everywhere.

I win the Lt-roll and choose to deploy second on the south. Of course, papu goes first, spending one command token for a second reserve.

A lone Asawira is deployed on the left side, while the core-team is spread on the right side. One Muyib takes a centered rooftop, while the other one prepares his action on ground level, possibly overwatching the right edge. The camo markers are scattered equally  in front of the DZ.

The core-team is squeezed around the two buildings on the right side with the MSR on the rooftop. I use the building to seperate the rest of the link, preparing for a Fiday. On the left, the haris is deployed with the MSR overwatching and everyone else looking at the back. The support-REMs take the back and the Bulleteer is also deployed there, covered by ABHs. In front of my core-team, Swanson and Wolfgang are deployed, hoping to cross that flank and remove the core-link later.

Two Fidays are deployed in front of my DZ. One is looking for my haris, while the other one is in the center, ready to go after my Brawlers. I choose to deploy my Bashi Bazouk as SMG in the center, overwatching both Fidays, once they are advancing. I thought that I can't block one Fiday with the holos completely, so this was the better option.

HB 1: I remove two orders from group one. The central Fiday sneaks towards my core-team, managing to down both hackers, but getting shot by the Bashi Bazouk on the way. The other one uses several smoke-grenades to kill the Red Fury-ABH, the MSR Druze, the Bulleteer and my EVO in CC. The Asawira advances and shoots down Swanson.

DBS 1: Most things are already lost, but at least my Lt is still alive and Wolfgang is also there. The Hunzakuts takes a shot in the back of the remaining Fiday, dropping it. Then the Bashi Bazouk and the Hunzakut advance into my sectors, securing them.

HB 2: The Asawira takes a run, dropping the Hunzakut, the Bashi and my MSR. This frees the core-team, which advances and activates one console. A second one is activated by a Farzan CoC and a single camo-marker advances.

DBS 2: Everything remaining is gathered in group two. The remaining ABH may have an opportunity to shoot the Asawira with his found panzerfaust. For this he needs to cross a small corridor. I misjudge this one with a cautious move and loose him to the Muyib HRL. Now things are done.

We play out the last round roughly, just to talk through actions and plans. Papu manages to secure more quadrants two times, activates three consoles and make his classified, granting him a 8-0 victory.

Even if I had planned a bit for a Fiday, I was not prepared for two of them. Followed by this, I made some mistakes with my placement, having not enough units by hand to discover the Fidays on their way towards my valuable units. The Fugazi in a better position would have been gold and a better placement of the haris would have been good, too. The next thing is the choice of deployment zone. Papu had a great spot for his HRL Muyib on one of the roofs, which would have been better used by my MSR. I really need to improve in reading the map and choosing the better deployment zone, since I made this mistake several times now with huge consequences.
Besides this, I am a bit disappointed by myself and DBS for the moment, since I deployed a good list for most of the tasks, but got no chance against the flexibility and combined strength of HB. At the same time I am bored of picking Wolfgang, a Bulleteer, Scarface or an Anaconda as the only reasonable units and beatsticks. I really don't want to play an army, where I can only play properly by fielding certain units. That is not what I expect from Infinity. So we will see, how things evolve.

But all of my mistakes and arguments shall not and can't overwrite papus disciplined and well planned play, really on the same level as Minass. His general results in this event really show his skill. And as all spanish guys I met via TTS now, he is a really nice opponent, allowing even such a game to be a good experience!