Appearing from the dark [Starmada vs. Nomads]

While I lost some feathers over the last two IGIL-rounds, the fourth mission seemed to be tailoredto my needs: Not the all time same ITS stuff and no longer shots than 32". Dark Mist from the Dire Foes seemed to be the perfect mission for Starmada! My opponent for this was CrazyNomad, playing (who could have guessed) Nomads! Since my options are limited in general and I didn't want to play bigger hacking-games with Starmada, I was not that afraid and preoccupied with any considerations. For those unfamiliar with the mission: First you need to download a data-pack by activating one of three consoles in front of the opponents DZ, starting from T2 you need to upload the data on a centered console and to get the full points there is a HVT on the center line, which should be held in CivEvac. It can be accomplished quite easily, but for both players. To make things slightly more complex, ranges are restricted to 32" and any skills allowing you to deploy outside your DZ suffer a -3 mod to needed rolls.

Dark Mist
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GROUP 1  10  
 ANDROMEDA Submachine Gun, Flash Pulse, Zapper, D-Charges / Breaker Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 30)
 HECTOR (Lieutenant [+1 Order]) Spitfire, Nanopulser, Grenades ( | TinBot: Firewall [-3]) / Heavy Pistol, EXP CC Weapon. (0.5 | 67)
 BLUECOAT Adhesive Launcher(+1B), Heavy Riotstopper / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 13)
 BLUECOAT Adhesive Launcher(+1B), Heavy Riotstopper / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 13)
 KAPPA MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1.5 | 19)
 KAPPA Combi Rifle / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 12)
 KAPPA (Paramedic) Combi Rifle ( | MediKit) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 14)
 CRUSHER (Forward Deployment [+8"]) Submachine Gun, Nanopulser, D-Charges / Pistol, E/M CC Weapon. (0 | 29)
 FUZZBOT (Minesweeper, Repeater)  ( ) / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 8)
 KYTTÄ Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 7)

GROUP 25  / 2
 VARANGIAN Submachine Gun, Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Heavy Pistol, AP CC Weapon. (0 | 12)
 VARANGIAN Submachine Gun, Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Heavy Pistol, AP CC Weapon. (0 | 12)
 CHO (Chain of Command) Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 20)
 FUZZBOT (Minesweeper, Repeater)  ( ) / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 8)
 CRUSHER (Forward Deployment [+8"]) Submachine Gun, Light Rocket Launcher, Nanopulser, D-Charges / Pistol, E/M CC Weapon. (1 | 35)

 3 SWC | 299 Points
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Maybe I got a bit lazy, but maybe this list seemed to be sufficient for the mission. It is nearly unchanged to my previous Hector-list. Only the Kappa ML is changed to a MSR, since the range-restrictions are not that bad for the MSR compared to the ML. Besides that Andromeda should be able to get the data early and slow my opponent down, while the two Crushers do the rest of the job. Of course Hector should plough the path for them. That is all of the trick.

 
 
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GROUP 1  9  / 1  
 PUPPET MASTERS (Minelayer) Submachine Gun, Shock Mines / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0.5 | 14)
 PUPPETBOT (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun, Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 12)
 PUPPETBOT (Forward Observer) Boarding Shotgun, Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 12)
 PUPPETBOT (BS Attack ) AP Marksman Rifle / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 14)
 ZOE & Π-WELL undefined / undefined. (0 | 44)
   ZOE (Hacker) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 25)
   PI-WELL Combi Rifle, Flash Pulse / PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 19)
 MORAN (Repeater) Boarding Shotgun, Flash Pulse, Crazykoala ( ) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0.5 | 17)
 MORAN (Repeater) Boarding Shotgun, Flash Pulse, Crazykoala ( ) / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0.5 | 17)
 GECKO MULTI Marksman Rifle(+1B), Chain Rifle, Panzerfaust / CC Weapon. (1 | 56)
   GECKO PILOT Combi Rifle / Assault Pistol(+1B), CC Weapon. (0 | 0)
 JAZZ Hacker & BILLIE undefined / undefined. (0.5 | 24)
   JAZZ (Hacker) Submachine Gun, Pitcher, Cybermines / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0.5 | 18)
   BILLIE Flash Pulse, E/M Mines / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 6)
 MODERATOR (Lieutenant) Combi Rifle / Pistol, PARA CC Weapon(-6). (0 | 9)

GROUP 22  / 1
 VERTIGO ZOND Missile Launcher / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (1.5 | 17)
 CARLOTA KOWALSKY Breaker Combi Rifle, Light Flamethrower, Adhesive Launcher(+1B), D-Charges / Pistol, CC Weapon. (0 | 34)
   MORIARTY PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0 | 4)
 LIBERTO (Minelayer) Light Shotgun, Shock Mines / Pistol, CC Weapon. (1 | 8)
 MORLOCK Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 6)
 SALYUT (Hacker, EVO Hacking Device)  ( ) / PARA CC Weapon(-3). (0.5 | 15)

 6 SWC | 299 Points
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As always, this is recreated by some sloppy notes, so don't take this to be 100% correct. There are no real big guns except for what the Gecko and the Puppetbots may achieve. They are supported by a nasty ARO-play and thread of the Morans in combination with Jazz' hacking and the guided missiles from far behind. Even if the Morans, the Puppets or Zoe do not succeed at the mission, Mrs. Kowalsky can attempt for a last throw and mix things up. The Liberto and the minelayer option on the Puppetmaster clearly help to disguise the AD-troop here.

To reduce our workload a bit, we borroughed this map from Cabaray. It can be found in the White Noise collection. While the north side has some trouble of defending itself on the longer ranges, the blocking central building also forces the attacks to defined channels. Nevertheless the south side makes it a bit difficult to safely deploy more models and defend the DZ simultanously.

I win the Lt-roll and decide to go first. CrazyNomad deploys second in the north.

My link scatters around the left building with the MSR on the roof and everyone else trying to be safe and cover some close edges. Cho as second Hector starts on the left side of that building, but in relative safety. My REMs are scattered on my table edge and cover the right a bit more. That side is also covered by the LRL Crusher. Hector starts centered.

The opposite left is taken by three camo-markers, the Puppetmaster, Piwell and the Missile-REM behind the obstructions, while the puppets take the right side together with the Gecko. Jazz, Zoe and the EVO hide somewhere in the center. One Moran starts prone on the rooftop on the left side.

My second Crusher takes the left side behind Andromeda, which succeeds her roll and starts advanced on that side. A second Moran takes the central roof on the right.

Starmada 1: Both Varangians advance, while the left one goes up to the DZ, clearing the mines and koalas, shooting down the Morlock but fails to kill Piwell and dies. So Andromeda can spot the left antenna and try to get rid of all the remaining stuff on the left. Here I fizzle a lot of potential and end up with only killing the Liberto, taking a wound on a new mine and getting stunned by the Moran. At least she threatens the Puppetmaster with her guard now. The turn ends with my MSR also getting stunned by the Moran.

Nomads 1: One guided missile takes out the previously targeted Andromeda. Luckily the Gecko gets stunned as he peeks out on the right. The puppets get more lucky by killing my Kytta and the Kappa paramedic and getting two antennas spotted on their way.

Starmada 2: To get into the game, everything has to cross LoF of the Moran on the left roof. Hector first fails here and gets stunned, then again my MSR. Only the LRL Crusher can reach his back, burning him off the table, then uploading the mission-data in the center and getting a look over the right side. Both Crushers enter suppressive fire.

Nomads 2: Piwell tries to engage my MSR over the far left building but goes down to a well aimed shot. On the other side the Gecko can't disable my Crusher which also hinders the puppets on their mission to upload their data in the center.

Starmada 3: While trying to get rid of the marksman-puppet, Hector recieves two wounds until the bot goes down, followed by the last one. The LRL Crusher uses his reputation to scare the Gecko on the right into full cover, scoring the classified on one of the wrecked puppets and spots the right antenna. Hector and the other Crusher enter suppressive fire.

Nomads 3: Unfortunately my Crusher ended up in repeater-range of the right Moran, so a guided missile ends my defense on that flank and giving the HVT free. Hector can't resist the Gecko and dies, but at this moment I am still leading in the mission. This is changed by Carlotta, entering on the left flank and pushing right through that side. Meanwhile her Zondbot repairs Piwell, scoring the classified. The right Moran then leaves his roof, uploading the data and evacuating the HVT.

The last turn changed the game against me, resulting in a 10-8 for CrazyNomad. While I made a terribly unefficient play with Andromeda and my Varangian in t1, his two Morans and the squishy Puppetbots pinned my further advance down. I thought to have a decent defense build up in my half of the table, but I totally ignored the potential of an AD troop. Even if I already experienced a Tomcat going wild in my DZ some years ago, I still don't consider the options for Nomads. So he got me unprepared. Probably I need to play some games against AssaultUnicorn again to get my caution back on this topic.
This time I was really lacking the Epsilon HMG, or even the SMR here due to the better ranges in this mission. If there are camo-troops somewhere, where you can't throw a Varangian on, Starmada gets a difficult play here. Probably I should have skipped my attempt to get the Puppetmaster and the missile-bot killed with Andromeda and instead kill the Moran with guard after berserking Piwell with the Varangian. But I wanted to keep him alive as long as possible...Wrong decision, I guess.

About Hector getting stunned and then recieving two wounds against the Puppetbot I don't want to talk...