Infinity/N3 Tactics/Neoterran Capitaline Army

The unit overview and tactica for Neoterran Capitaline Army.

Home of the sexy TAGs

Why Play NCA

Because you want the best PanO has to offer, but also make use of link teams.

Neoterra is PanOceania’s capital planet and thus NCA is not much different from general army. Basically it gets rid of the more “weird” parts of it, like Acontecimento Regulars or the knights. NCA heavy infantry are tried and true soldiers, infiltrators are scarce and Auxbots are aplenty.

Faction features

Point and Shoot

This is as true of NCA as it is of general PanO: your army’s strength is shooting and it’s weakness is low WIP. Having access to link teams can make the starting BS advantage even more apparent. What’s more, dedicated killer NCA units tend to have TO Camo or ODD, stacking the odds in your favor even more.

Special Skills

Regular Troop: PanOceania has hardly any Irregular troopers. On one hand that means a solid order reserve, on the other no cheap Irregular speed bumps. But outside LoL PanO players usually don’t need Command Tokens to turn Irregular Orders into Regular ones. Otherwise NCA relies more on equipment than skills.

Weapons and Equipment

High tech, as expected, but the special mention goes to MSV3, TO Camo, ODD, Drop Bears and Auxbots. The last two in particular are nearly synonymous with NCA. Drop Bears are a signature weapon, a mine that can be thrown, and it can be found on some very annoying troops. Auxbots are a very cheap way of covering the table in large teardrop templates. Since PanO is usually best at medium to long range, things that keep enemy away from engaging in CC are extremely valuable.

Units

Light Infantry

Those guys will be your Cheerleaders and cheap, backup specialists. Unfortunately PanOceania does not have them in flavor cheaper than 10 pts, but at least they can fight on their own, which is good for a backline/corner guard and ARO pieces.

• Auxilia: Some people use them as DZ guards/cheerleaders and Lts, but don't make that mistake. Auxillia is a combination of a cheap specialist and camo hunter/close range fighter meant to be used aggressively. The ability to fight in two places at once or use an expendable piece of equipment to force a Camo trooper into revealing itself on a 15 pts FO is not something to scoff at, especially when they have a Fusilier link support. And the funniest part? AVA: Total. Auxilia spam is a thing that happens, so if you like your pierogi, you’ll get a shitton of them. One of the few PanO units with BS below 12. They're basically a PanO version of a Warband unit.
  • Update: Recent rules updates have forced the cracks in this unit to be a bit more apparent, the biggest one being that they cannot be part of a combined order due to their AuxBot. Though you can have as many Auxilia as you can fit in your army, they have become that much more order hungry; a good choice, but multiple Aux become difficult to manage.

• CSU, Corporate Security Unit: Since Neoterra is home to most PanO corporations, you get these weird bodyguards. For a price of a specialist Fusilier you get a Duo linkable one with unusual weapon options and MetaChemistry. They also have Sixth Sense, which means they're very good corner guards, as they can Delay ARO against enemies in their ZoC they can't see – effectively you can't slip past a CSU. The new Rifle + Light Shotgun profile is a pretty interesting specialist, especially when you link 2 CSUs together, and the Breaker Rifle/Combi-Rifle will make Ariadna grumble, making them an interesting alternative to Auxilia FO. These also have two Spec Ops options and better WIP than PanO units.

• Deva Functionaries: Friendly reminder that ALEPH loves you. Devas are elite LI with NWI and Nanopulsers. Devabots are identical to Auxbots in use, while WIP 15 makes them excellent hackers or sensor troops. Another interesting thing is a Spitfire with MSV2 for just 1 SWC, very much a steal. It’s not a bad idea to take them.

• Fusiliers: The PanOceanian basic line infantry, 10pts for a base one, with BS 12. Just like everywhere else, in NCA they get Fireteam: Core, all the basic heavy weaponry and specialist options as well as a non-SWC Lieutenant. These guys will be your most likely cheerleaders and linked with BS12 base they make for excellent MSR or ML ARO pieces. AVA 5 is exactly a full link team.
  • Fusilier Indigo Bipandra: A WIP13 Doctor. Unfortunately still costs 0.5 SWC. In NCA can be part of a Fusilier fireteam, adding a DTW and Doctor to the mix. Not a popular choice as Fusiliers excelt at ranged defence rather than objective runs and Bipandra is still a little costly. Not to mention it removes her ability to take a Palbot. But she's an OK replacement for Trauma-Doc if you have the extra 10pts.

• Hexas, Strategic Security Division: A true clandestine PanOceanian unit, Hexa can be a real pain in the ass to remove if armed with a MULTI Sniper or a Spitfire. WIP 13 and two hacker profiles make it also a decent, if expensive, Infowar and Specialist choice.

• Machinist : Basically a non-linkable Fusilier with Engineer and higher BTS. Not very good, but it's the only Engineer in entire PanOceania, so if you're heavy on Remotes, you'll be taking him anyway. Get him a Palbot.

• Tech-Bees, Maintenance Battalions: An odd Irregular trooper, the Tech-Bee is a 5pts specialist (WIP12, but for that cost it's still a bargain) armed with a pistol and a Flash Pulse. But the more interesting part is Remote Assistant Level 1: Tech-Bee gives a +1 WIP bonus to all your Engineers and Remote Pilots, a.k.a Machinist and Crabbot (and in TAGline, Cordelia). Can be very strong with Engineer Spec-Ops. Pretty much auto-include in TAG lists.

• Trauma-Doc: The cheap Doctor option. Much like Machinist she's not very good, but she's also dirt-cheap. Get her a Palbot.

• WarCor: 3pts for a Flash Pulse ARO piece. Only if you have spare points and are maxed out on Palbots.

• Indigo Spec-Ops: If your meta allows for one, you have a choice of a Fusilier, an Order Sergeant or an Acontecimento Regular. Since Fusiliers are the ones linkable in NCA, that will be your most likely choice. A Spitfire in that aggressive LI team with Bipandra might be helpful, or alternatively just make him your specialist. Order Sergeant or Regular choices are good for a specialist with a Palbot, since you can’t use one in a link team.

Medium Infantry

Choice is severely limited compared to vanilla PanO, so your MI has very specific niches.

• Neoterra Bolts: Neoterra Bolts actual usability causes some heated debates. Fact is that they are the standard MI Fireteam:Core unit nearly every sectoral gets, albeit they are on the expensive side and with BS13. Bioimmunity lets them laugh at Shock and Viral ammo with their BTS6, while Veteran L1 keeps them operational when things go south (being Australian they’re probably used to it) as well as granting immunity to isolation. Running an aggressive Lieutenant such as a Squalo or Aquila Guard means the Veteran L1 becomes a safety net for the order pool in case the Lieutenant goes down. If those abilities come into play, they are great (The keyword being “if”). However Bolts pay a premium for their abilites and the higher BS13 (about double the cost of Fusiliers). If you do take them, play them aggressively. Despite a couple of long-range weapon options, they should not be left as a defensive fireteam; they're too much of an investment to hold back. In fact, they do very well midfield where all the Objectives, enemy Camo Infiltrators, and enemy Mines will be. That's where their Spitfire, Light Shotguns, and Drop Bears will come in handy.
  • In short, take Bolts when facing a lot of Shock or Viral ammo, so Haqqislam or Tohaa.
• Black Friars: You may not be expecting the Inquisition, but it certainly expects you. The Black Friar has two distinct profiles: an MSV2 MULTI Sniper, making him a Nisse substitute and an anti-shenanigan MULTI Rifle profile. MSV2, Biometric Visor and Albedo should cut short any fancy movements from any Holoprojector and Impersonation units, without fear of retribution from MSV ARO pieces, while Drop Bears let him mine the minelayers. The downsides are his squishiness and slow movement, but he shouldn't be moving too far; he's a bit of a scare unit.

Heavy Infantry

NCA is PanOceanian elite, so this is where a lot of the fun is condensed. Hyperpower’s heavy infantry favours specialized over generalist profiles. This is where you’ll be spending your heavy weapons SWC.

• Aquilla Guard: A big bad Rambo that makes Hsien Warriors yellow with envy and Camo or ODD lists shit their pants, Aquilla boasts BS 15 and MSV3, letting him auto-discover and obliterate every kind of Camo infiltrator or ODD trooper in his way. Strangely enough no HMG Lt. option. He’s stupidly cheap for MSV3, but that is because PanO has no reliable access to smoke, making him a bit more situational than other MSV Rambos, but then who doesn’t play Camo units?

• ORC Troops: ORCs’ greatest weakness in vanilla – heavy competition – is all but gone in NCA. Compared to Aquila or Swiss Guard, ORCs offer the budget BS14 HMG option, giving you more wiggle room for lighter elite units like Devas or a feasible HI for 200pts and below. And because it’s a sectoral, ORCs have a Fireteam: Haris profile. You’re still more likely to use one as a Swiss Guard proxy, but the option to play ORCs straight is there.

• Swiss Guard: BS 15, ARM 5, TO Camo? Swiss Guard is the elite of elite in PanOceania. HMG for a wondrous active turn Rambo, Missile Launcher for a ridiculous long range support/sniper overlooking your cheaper specialist or AHD for an objective run. Swiss Guard is another unit that Yu Jing players whine about, despite Hac Tao being technically slightly better. And looks almost identical to the ORC from your starter pack.

Tactical Armoured Gear

Neoterran Capitaline Army has two of them (+ 1 in TAGline), both pretty expensive, but wildly different in playstyle. Both are meant for active turn plays primarily.

• Clausewitz Uhlan: The only time PanO allows itself to stoop down to regular Camo, it’s on a tank-hunter Stingray TAG. HMG for general purpose fighting, Feurerbach for that delicious AP + DA or EXP shot. With Surprise shot and long range, Uhlan’s job is to take out enemy HI or TAG and then kill everything else with the HMG.

• Squalos, PanOceanian Armored Cavalry Heavy Lancers: Squalo is the TAG all other PanO TAGs (aside from Stingrays) are based on. ARM 8, MULTI HMG, Heavy Grenade Launcher, Squalo is a no-nonsense frontline TAG.
  • Crabbot Ancillary Remote Unit: Not a TAG, but a TAG brain that acts as a Pilot equivalent if your fancy mech gets fried. In true PanO fashion it has high BS and low WIP... Making it pretty useless, as it has no actual ballistic weapons. It is a Spec Op if you are goddamn desperate; not something to plan around, but might help you out in a jam if you lose all your specialists, somehow...

Remotes

With a Deva hacker in the mix, getting some interesting plays out of your Remotes is more feasible in NCA than in a general army.

• Dronbots: Standard issue S3 Remotes, PanOceanian ones are not special in any way.
  • Clipper: The Smart Missile Launcher Remote. Unfortunately PanO does not have good FOs or Hackers, so it's usually a waste to take one.
  • Fugazi: The Repeater/Flash Pulse Remote. Cheap Regular Order and a mobile Repeater, always good to have.
  • Pathfinder: The Forward Observer Remote. Mobile Repeater, armed, specialist, for 16 pts. Good, cheap, fast.
  • Sierra: The HMG Total Reaction Remote. Always good to have, even in vanilla.

• Garuda Tacbots: It’s not a Remote, it’s a drop troop! Garudas are fast, can take heavy weapons and are outfitted with Mimetism. Although not too resilient, Garudas are an effective way to get a Boarding Shotgun or a Spitfire in range to shut down enemy link teams or other problematic operatives. Being a Remote Garuda isn’t very good at dodging or falling prone and it costs a lot for a drop troop, so it’s a trade off.

• Mulebots: Standard issue S4 Baggage Remotes. Come with Minesweeper, EVO Hacker and TR Combi profiles. EVO Hacker is the one to take if you plan on using a lot of AD (limited to Garudas, so not really an option), or Armbots. Minesweeper is a standard cheap Order and a way to dominate a quadrant.

• Armbots: PanO-specific combat Remotes, come in two flavors:
  • Bulleteer: ODD, BS 12, Heavy Shotgun or Spitfire, Repeater, 23 pts. Bulleteers are known cheap killers. With Marksmanship supportware a Bulleteer is a sure way to clear out enemy TR Remote and other ARO pieces in a straight up gunfight. After you’ve paid premium for your awesome HI trooper, a Bulleteer is a good way to cover his flank.
  • Peacemaker: Just like Bulleteer, comes with a Repeater and a Heavy Shotgun and Spitfire options. Loses ODD in favour of an Auxbot, making it a less straight-up aggressive bot, fit more for clearing out infiltrators. Much like Bulleteer, can be used to fill a blind spot, arguably better due to it's two-in-one nature. Remember that if the controller benefits from Supportware, so does the G:Synch'd companion.

• Palbots: PanOceanian G: Servants. If you take Machinist or any of the Doctors, it's good to have one.

Skirmishers

• Locust, Clandestine Action Team: An infiltrator with ODD. Breaker Rifle will make low-tech armies cry. BSG/Grenades/Drop Bear profile is for mining up your opponent’s half of the table or peppering him with grenades from relative safety. Marksman is just a straight up killer, worth considering in an awkward spot. Only model out is for the assault hacker with Breaker Combi Rifle, so that can accommodate 60% of the possible combinations.

Building Your Army

NCA starter pack is an odd one in that it is exceeding 200pts. That’s right – you have to take stuff out to play a few basic 200pts games. And even after switching to standard 300pts you are unlikely to play everything from it at once. That is because it contains two units for a standard LI Link + Heavy elite type of list (Swiss Guard and Aquila) and 3 Bolts for a Bolt list. So it’s a good idea to get the regular PanO starter pack either instead or as an addition to the NCA one.

Things to buy:

• Fusilier SWC box: You are going to play a Fusilier link at some point, no doubt about that.
• Auxila box: how many depending on how Polish you are; it is possible to play a list composed of a Swiss with ML, a Fusilier link and filling the rest with Auxilias. In metas with high terrain density that’s devastating.
• Bolts SWC box, if you plan on playing Bolts after all
• Hexa sniper, Black Friar, Support Pack, Dronbot remotes.

Hints and Strategies

With less Skirmisher and AD options NCA has to fight head-on and footslog through the table.

Taking a WIP 15 Deva lieutenant makes you more likely to take the first turn and perform an Alpha strike, but it’s still a good idea to have a lot of defensive units. Fusilier link team is a good choice for that. NCA often plays by clearing the way for the Swiss Guard hacker or Auxilias, which is greatly supported by Auxbots. So a good cheerleader base is key. Be wary of hackers and cover your back for any cheap infiltrator or AD you don’t have, but your opponent will.

One of the things to remember about using Auxbots/Devabots: losing them does not cost you any orders, unlike a more traditional Warband, while Fire ammo is pretty devastating. They're one of the few things PanO can unevenly trade and they trade magnificently.