2 v 2 Infinity Battle Report: Invasion Simulation

 "Contact!"

The entire patrol slowed as ominous red dots filled the tactical display on their HUDs. Emissions and profiles suggested Combined Army forces- not unsurprising given that this was an O-12 joint training exercise. Still, with their forces combined, it should be easy to-

"Lieutenant! More Unidentified Forces! IFF reads as 13th Shock Battalion, 'Cazadores' "

Damn. The 13th were veteran's of the Paradiso Conflict... but nothing about Pan-O affiliated hostiles had been mentioned in the pre-training briefing! Still, one didn't climb the ranks of the Imperial Security Service without recognizing a test when presented with one. It was a challenge- both to his leadership skills and to the men under his command.

"Spread out and engage. Assume all forces hostile- and strike true!"

Imperial Secret Service Forces

ISS 150pt List
     Su Jian- Panzerfaust, Spitfire, Light Flameflower
     Celestial Guard- Lieutenant
     Celestial Guard- Forward Observer
     Celestial Guard- Control Device, Smoke Launcher
     Kuang Shi x4- Chain Rifle

     Ninja Hacker- Killer Hacker Device, Tactical Bow

Shock Army of Acontecimento 

 SAA 150pt List

     Regular- Lieutenant
     Regular- Sapper, Multi-Sniper
     Regular- Paramedic
     Regular- Cheerleader ;D
     Akali Commando- Combi Rifle, Emitter

     Akali Hacker- Assault Hacker Device, Combi Rifle

     Montesa Knight- Combi Rifle, Chain Colt

Onyx Contact Force

  OCF 150pt List

     Nexus Operative Specialist- Lieutenant
     Unidron- Forward Observer, Plasma Carbine
     Unidron- Forward Observer, Plasma Carbine
     Unidron- Forward Observer, Plasma Carbine
     Q Drone- Plasma Rifle

     Fraacta- Boarding Shotgun

     Noctifier Hacker- EI Hacking Device, Combi Rifle
     Imetron

Part of the Qapu Khalqi Team

 Qapu Khalqi 150pt List

     Jannissary - Lieutenant
     Jannissary - HMG
     Jannissary- Boarding Shotgun + Tinbot A
     Alguacile Paramedic - Combi rifle
     Alguacile Hacker - Hacking Device, Combi Rifle

     Alguacile Forward Observer - Combi Rifle
     

The mission zone, dubbed 'Training Course 3'- designed as a high density
urban combat training zone for the O-12 joint taskforce.

This mission is also a hardware test! The new 'Nimbus Terminal Defense
System' needs to be tested out on the course before deployment into the field.
The Nimbus towers, and the terminals coordinating them, will be the objectives
for this mission.

Another angle.

The ISS - Qapu alliance's side of the board, ready to rush on up and get
at the objectives. The teammates managed to press two buttons on the
center and right (from this angle) consoles.

A regular sniper, dug in with the 'Sapper' skill, overlooking a pair of
Unidron's and their Nexus Operative minder. 

An arrow from a Ninja's ARO-ing tactical bow is enough to take out
an air-dropping Akali Commando even as the Montesa Knight rushes to
engage the Qapu Hacker. 

Moving up, the Paramedic regular takes aim around cover and with
a cry for vengeance...

... manages to gun down the overconfident Ninja hacker.

ARO threat from the assassin cleared, the knight declares an Assault,
taking a wound from a rifle as he heads into fray, dropping the man
cold with an expert spin of his blade.

The Qapu paramedic comes forwards to try to hack the Nimbus Tower
on his side of the table- sadly failing.

On the other side of the table the Onyx Lt. finds himself in trouble as the ISS
Su Jian Rambo's forwards, only narrowly avoiding death as the spitfire blares.

In just a few short orders both Unidrons and the Sniper go down, the Su Jian
itself taking two wounds in the crossfire and going to No Wound Incap. before
backing off.

The Onyx Lt. scrambles back, going prone behind some boxes even as the
Q-drone trundles over to dissuade the scary transformer from any more antics. 

Looking to even up the score, the hidden noctifer activates the last
console and Nimbus Tower - but the Kuang-shi are coming
through the smoke even as he brings the points to 4 - 4.

Luckily a Fraacta managed to disperses right next to the
objectives, giving the poor hacker some support.

The Fraacta, seeing a chance to take a shot at a bunched up link team,
decides this is her chance. Ignore the smoke cloud of course, we were
referencing something.

Coming around the corner, the link leader attempts to drop smoke...
and failing, allowing the shotgun wielding Sygmaa a chance to kill
two of the deranged psychopaths. 

BLAM, from another angle~

The other side of the board has become something of a shootout, with
the SAA forces digging in to deny the final two Nimbus Towers...

... but the spooky Jannissary Link team is a-coming. 

In a critical turn, the Q-drone turns and head's around the grey building. It takes
all of its orders, but it manages to actually destroy the remaining Nimbus Tower
on the ISS-Qapu side, robbing them of those two points.

Even more critically, the Akali Hacker jumps in, disperses, and ends up right
next to one of the other Towers, disengaging it- putting the OCF/SAA
score up to 6 - 4.., though the Q-drone is put out of commission by
the Jannissary HMG.

The ISS/Qapu have to make the decision to attempt to win the game, or go
for a draw... and they decide to win. The Alguacile paramedic just has to
dodge... four ARO's and they'll win!

But alas, it was not to be. The wounded Montesa Knight takes careful aim as
the brave Paramedic runs forwards and... rolls a critical- taking him out of
action and ending with a victory for the OCF/SAA!

With a soft whir, the simulation came to an end. AI run mock-ups of Combined Forces came to a stop, even as the 'casualties' found their armor finally unlocking. It was something of a disappointment to the losing forces- evident from the loud admonishments in Chinese ringing from the Yu-Jing Lieutenant.

Lying on his back, wheezing, the brave Alguacile paramedic who had at the last moment ran out into the open didn't pay the shamed Celestial Guard any mind. Suddenly, there was a mailed hand in front of his face, clearly meant as an offer for aid. Taking the outstretched gauntlet, the mercenary heaved himself up- only to find himself face to face with his 'killer'. The Montesa's armor was dulled black, and his visor was down... but it was impossible to miss the humor hidden beneath the armored plates.

"Brave move. Stupid- but brave."

The Alguacile took a long heave from a water-can, and shrugged "What, and you want me to keep my head down next time?"

The Knight laughed, clapping his erstwhile opponent heartily on the shoulder "Of course not! We need suicidal idiots like you on the front-lines. Its the only way we'll have a chance!"

Watching the Knight leave, the bewildered Mercenary couldn't help but shake his head. That... was NOT encouraging for his life expectancy...

Onyx Contact force and a 2v2 Battle Report

Another new miniatures game!

I've long been very impressed with the quality of Infinity models, and a recent sale/deal for a Combined Army Onyx Contact Force 300pt bundle was just too good to pass up. With their green armor and swampy bases, I wanted to give the feeling of a strike force used to the rough wilderness as much as any city- perfect for when the glorious EI requires resistance to be pulled out by the root.

This saturday I played my first game as well! Two 150pt teams of two convened, choosing a Lieutenant for the whole taskforce for what essentially boiled down to a 300pt game. It was my Onyx Contact Force working with a traitorous mercenary force of Ariadna (complete with Morat 'renegades'/forward scouts) against a joint defense force made up of Pan-O and Haqqislam soldiers.

Can the human's push back this alien probe? Or will the sector's defenses be crippled by a surgical strike? Let's find out!

My 150pt 'half' of my Onyx Contact Force. Three Unidrons with Plasma
Carbines (one an FO) , two Rodoks (a paramedic and a HMG), a Fraacta drop
hacker with a nanopulser, and a Mercs miniature counting as a Nexus Operative
(both my Lieutenant and a hacker). 

My favorite model from the 300pt Onyx starter box- with a swampy/wasteland
base scheme. 

A better look at the green and brass color scheme- I'm working on the lighting
issues with picturing my models.

The board set up for our 2v2 'Armory mission. 

First turn has the Combined surging forwards, unmolested by AROs due
to the cautious set up from their opponents. The FO Unidron manages
to breach the Armory.

Even as the Nexus Operative hides, the Unidrons move into the room, ready
to sabotage the town defenses. 

On the right flank my HMG Rodok manages to cut down  a crawling
Haqqislam trooper. Return fire on the opponents first turn cuts him down
without any chance for the paramedic to save him. 

Gunfights through an open door in the armory sees a Morat renegade going
down even as a Fraacta hacker and the Aridna hurry to make themselves known.

Two big heavy Haqqislam infantry make ready to breach into the armory-
slowed down a little by the Fraacta's hacking efforts- assuring the building
remaining in Combined hands for the turn. 

The Lieutenant for the Pan-O (a Father Knight) makes a dash to join the attack
on the armory. 

The big Haqqislam suit in the back keeps his lane locked down, cutting
down a Chasseur in the street and keeping my other Rodok and some
Kazaks from joining the fight.

Turn three we have the Ariadna mercenaries reinforcing the brutalized
combined forces holding the building. The line kazak paramedic
dropped something like five orders to spike as many guns as she could
manage!

The Fraacta takes an ARO entering the building, transmuting into her survival
form. The first Haqqislam heavy infantry goes down in a hail of ARO's (kill
shot from the hero paramedic). The second kills the Fraacta...

... leaving the Father Knight to execute the paramedic. The building
was in human hands yet again! But was it too late?

As it turns out, it was. With more crates interacted with (successfully) the
Combined/Ariadna 5 - 3 victory!

Zombie Attack- Get to the Chopper Mrs. President!

My second Cold Wars game worth noting, has the (alternate universe) President of the United States Hillary Clinton attempting to make her way with her staff from the second White House to a waiting helicopter. Local militia groups and law enforcement hold the barricades with the (probably fruitless) promise that the next wave of helicopters are right around the corner to evacuate them and any other civilians in the 'safe' zone. Can they hold?

Over on the extreme left, over eight hundred zombies (each one an individual miniature,
with no duplicates) all clamored to get over the barricades and taste the flesh of the
town's defenders.

State and local police join forces with a local biker gang and the
Dukes of Hazzard to hold the line against the horde.

Now, over on the left a smaller horde is split between the blocked Presidential
Convoy and the straw bale barricades.

On the one side, Jim Bob's Redneck Rangers prepare to
exercise their second amendment rights...

... while on the other the Liberal ladies pick up some hated deadly
weaponry in order to clear the way for the First Woman President.

The game used a really simple system, using Popsicle sticks
for all movement and determining ranges.

The Presidential convoy, stopped in its tracks. In the front we have a Secret
Service team, protecting the Presidential detail in the middle with the
Vice-Presidential Detail next with Seal Team Six bringing up the rear.

In this alternate universe, due to the losses in Washington DC, Joe
Biden has once again assumed the mantle of Vice-President. Unbeknownst
to anyone else, one of his detail is actually a CDC scientist with a
potential cure!

Oh no! Intelligence reports that the route to Genericsburg was free have
been proven very incorrect. With the helicopter so close, the President
and her retinue will have to make a run for it!

On the right side of the car you have Madam President Clinton and
her secret service agents assigned directly to her person.

If you look closely at the left side of the car, you might see Bill
Clinton with his pink-dress clad favorite 'intern'. Yeah, its a pretty
tongue and cheek sort of game.

As the rest of the Presidential detail moves forwards in a tight group,
VP Joe Biden sprints out ahead of the pack. Real leaders lead in
times of crisis- zombies be damned.

Of course the rest of his detail weren't quite so fast, the secret service agents
sticking as close to the CDC scientist as possible.

Seal Team Six started mowing down an astounding number of zombies,
but one of their number was surrounded, taking more than one injuries
before the creatures were put down.

With the zombies attracted to the larger group of people, Sneaky
Joe Biden continues his one man rush forwards. Scott free for
now, just how long will he manage to avoid becoming zombie chow?

Still, one of Joe's Secret Service agents are hot on his trail ,with the CDC
Scientist in tow. Let the other detail's get eaten, keep your eye on the ball!

Seal Team Six continues to cut down zombies in the backfield, even while
Joe's other two secret service agents are trapped on the SUV.

While moving forwards, suddenly (due to a card played by another player)
an ambulance suddenly bursts open with a mini group of EIGHT zombies!

With a huge horde in front, and now a troupe of ambulance zombies,
the CDC scientist starts up an old police car and (after Joe Biden and
Secret Service agent jump) drives right through the horde... and through
the barricades.

Joe, with his blinding charisma, manages to rally both rednecks and liberal
ladies from outside the car door- even killing a zombie that pops up
in the back seat with his bare hands.

Slow and steady win the race? The President and her detail certainly hope so.

Almost there...!

The zombies have broken through on the other side, cops and militia
pulling back as the wave of flesh comes forwards.

With zombies swarming and strange anarchists jumping out of barns
President Clinton and her husband are slowing down dangerously...

All the while, Joe Biden has made it to the helicopter! But the damn pilot
doesn't want to leave without waiting for the President.

Surrounded by zombies on all sides, Jim Bob drops his stash of moonshine at
his feet, taking himself and most of the zombies out in a huge explosion to let
his rangers and the liberal ladies to fall back to the helicopter.

The blur is a motion blur- with the President surrounded by the dead
and the copter full of survivors, the pilot finally decides to leave- just as
the town below is utterly overrun. Joe Biden finally gets to be President.

The three factions who managed to get into the helicopter and get away in
some way, shape or form. Between zombie kills, getting the CDC scientist
off with his cure, and getting off the board (WITHOUT the President on
the helicopter) I managed to win the scenario! Woo~