Infinity/N3 Tactics/Onyx Contact Force

Why Play Onyx

Because your heart is filled with darkness and treachery and you desire nothing more than to brutalize all under the wrath of the EI.

Ahem, on the serious side, the OCF is unique for sectorials in that your trooper choices aren't restricted to one particular sub-faction - there are Shaasvastii, Morat and Triad in this list as well as Combined Army drones plus the Umbra. Put them all together and you got yourself a sectorial with awesome, if somewhat expensive little kill teams. Who wouldn't want that?

Faction Features

• Strength through Diversity: You get access to a slimmed-down version of the full Combined Army list, meaning you can choose units from the Shaasvasti, Morat, Triad, etc.
• Heart of Darkness: Fucking. Umbra. KILL TEAMS. Umbra Legates and especially Samaritans provide your Fireteams with an additional layer of deadliness; they're good at shooting. They're awesome at CC. You want them!
• Bad Mojo: You get access to VoodooTech stuff because you're playing a CA sectorial.

Special Skills and Equipment

• EI Hacking Devices: You only get a couple units that have these but the EIHD gets the Sucker Punch upgrade program and the EIAHD gets the Stop! upgrade program. Sucker Punch is a straight upgrade over Brain Blast while Stop!'s advantage over Carbonite is the use of Breaker against your target.
• Plasmaguns: Carbine, rifle and sniper are available for your high-strength, make-both-an-ARM-and-BTS-save needs. Of course, all shots have the option of a higher strength shot or a lower strength small teardrop shot.
• Vampire Martial Arts: Protheion grants your Umbra Samaritans both a variant of Martial Arts, plus any wounds dealt by him in CC go him.
• EI Drones: the CA REMs, RP TAGs and other "generic" (as in, not from one of their assimilated races) units are available in the OCF.

Unit Overview

(None)

• Imetron: Yes, they are not categorized by an infantry type, probably because they aren't infantry. You can only ever take two of them despite their 4 pt. cost because let's be honest, taking a bunch of them is kinda cheesy. Regardless, it's combat jumping desktop computer that gives your list another order - that's its entire purpose! Drop it somewhere your opponent can't reach.

Light Infantry

• Fraacta Drop Unit: An bitchin' drop unit with a nanopulser that can take a combi-rifle, boarding shotgun, spitfire and an EIAHD. Once she takes an unsaved wound, she'll transform into survival form to double your ARM and BTS. You'll be getting close with this guy, so tool accordingly.

• Med-Tech Obsidon Medchanoids: They are your doctors AND your engineers, fast as hell and with a great WIP. You will take one and maybe a slave drone or two just to ensure that it isn't exposed.

• Nexus Operatives: A cheap little operative, most of the things it does can be done better by an Umbra except for that nanoscreen (and a spitfire). Great for that travelling cover! The other option is the EIHD because that guy also comes with Nullifiers - just be sure he's the only hax in the team or you will be tripping over your own feet.

• Noctifers: Nice TO camo dude, you'll be wanting to take Spitfire the ML/assault pistol combo because it's a great lethal at all ranges combo.

• Umbra Legates: Now we're talkin', the first Umbra in this list comes with a shopping cart of special rules (MA4, mimetism, forward deployment, kinematica and NWI) plus a savage stat-line and a flash pulse, pistol and DA CCW for basic gear. It has options for a K1 combi rifle (because fuck armour), a spitfire or a boarding shotgun and HD+. If you didn't take a Nexus with an EIHD, the Legate hacker is an excellent choice sporting better WIP and a better hacking device. However, the best part about a Legate in the OCF is that it can form core fireteams with Morat Rodoks or Batroids and a Nexus Operative! Long story short, you should probably be taking a Legate.

• Umbra Samaritans: The other Umbra in the list, it also comes with a shopping list of rules (Hyper-dynamics, kinematica 2, Protheion 4, Super-Jump, NWI and Haris) and an even better stat-line than the legate! For gear, it gets a flash pulse, pistol and a much feared Vorpal CCW although TBH, it's more of a surprise instant killing throwing weapon (Protheion prevents the use of CCW damage and special ammo in CC). For weapon options, there's a breaker combi-rifle, spitfire or plasma carbine with an EIAHD plus the Goodnight upgrade program. Additionally, like the Legates, they can be taken in fireteams with other units, namely Rodok cores and Xeodron Haris, but also can form their own Haris...
  • Fireteam: Haris: It's gonna be expensive, like over 120 pts., and it will attract damn near ALL of your opponents guns for good reason - a single Samaritan in lethal range is bad enough news, but THREE?! Don't do this; Taking out nearly half your army's points for a 3-man squad of single-wound dudes (NWI notwithstanding) is crazy on the brink of idiotic.

Medium Infantry

You have two options here, not the best section but not the worst.

• Maakrep Trackers: They wear an automedkit and an MSV2 and have courage and sixth sense 1. Their sole purpose is to dig out cover-camping shits with camo, so take the grenades and boarding shotgun for infiltrators or the MULTI-sniper or HMG for the long range jerks. You can consider the EIHD if you didn't take a Nexus but want one anyway.

• Rodok, Morat Armed Imposition Detachment: Rodoks have an impressive arsenal to field. Though they are slow at 4-2MOV, they have the Super Jump skill -thanks to their Super Mario Boots- to get to high places for better attack vectors. Mimetism makes them harder to hit, and with BS12, they are great in firefights. Unfortunately, they have no mid-ranged options so the short-ranged options like Combi Rifles and Shotguns will struggle to get up in relevant rangebands. There are 2 specialist options: Paramedic and EI Assault Hacker.
  • Core: The Rodoks are a very popular Core choice. Their slow movement is greatly mitigated by the order efficiency of a the fireteam bonuses. The HMG will be the cornerstone platform and do most of the fighting in Active Turn. However, even short-ranged options can make take out enemies thanks to firteam bonuses. The ML options is a great ARO piece, and the Boarding Shotgun options all come with Mines. Adding either a Paramedic or Assault Hacker makes this team ready to cap Objectives and Classifieds for ITS. Mimetism on a Core fireteam is actually uncommon, but incredible. The OCF gives them an option for either an Umbra (Samaritan or Legate) or a Nexus Operative and they're all a mixed bag at best. Basically, the awkward MOV values and Super Jump just do not lend well to attaching other units to their team.

Heavy Infantry

• Suryats Assault Heavy Infantry: Suryats are basically standard HI with the Morat rule and your only HI choice in the OCF. They also do not have a Specialist option, but they provide the list a decent amount of Fire spec ammo weapons.
  • Duo: Fireteam:DUO skill is in the profile taking 2 of them can be a good mobile weapons platform. Take the Vulkan Shotgun and HRL to burn things at short and long distances.

Tactical Armoured Gear

• Overdron Batroids: This is your gun TAG. It comes with ECM and two tinbots for protection against hacking attacks and to create a white noise zone around it for a turn. In terms of guns, there's the ever popular HMC for medium-range, high-burst MULTI death as the most expensive option. If you're strapped for points, you could also consider the double plasma sniper for long range spam or the double HRL if you're really strapped for points and want circular fire templates. It's only downsides are its comparatively low speed and light armour for a TAG, but it easily makes up for that in guns and gear.
  • Staldron Remote Ancillary Unit: New from ITS Season 8, you can "dismount" a what's basically a REM from your Remote Presence TAGs. This little specialist bugger isn't much, but can be used to grab an objective in a pinch.

• Sphinx: TO camo Shasvastii TAG with a really quick 6-6 MOV, Multiterrain and Climbing Plus. Its armaments are a tad disappointing at range with a spitfire as its only ranged weapon but it has two HFTs and an EXP CCW. This TAG is also rather pricey taking out over a third of your army's budget so maybe the points are better spent elsewhere.
  • Scindron Remote Ancillary Unit: As above, Sphinxes can eject a Scindron which is very similar to a Staldron.

• Xeodron Batroids: Super-Jump, bio-immune bro-TAGs. They all come with a heavy pistol and blitzen standard; their options are a red fury, K1 combi rifle or a MULTI-rifle. If you want to include a TAG in your list, you'll be pressed to either choose between the Overdron above or the Xeodrons (maybe the Sphinx, but probably not); fact of the matter is that Xeodrons require commitments (Haris, anti-hax, Ikadron, etc.), which will push out the price and SWC. Granted an Overdron has more raw shooting power and is an easier trooper to wield, Xeodrons provide one of the most brutal if order-hungry assassin teams in this sectorial. Armour won't stand against them, hit points will dissolve and even the most recalcitrant troopers will acquiesce.
  • Staldron Remote Ancillary Unit: Comes with a remote pilot identical to the one in the Overdron.
  • Haris: Getting the most out of a Xeodron/Samaritan Haris revolves around using Super-Jump effectively. The general idea is to hop in and out of LoS with the Xeodrons in front soaking the hits with their STR, ARM, BTS and using their silhouette to generally protect the Samaritan. Then it's just a matter of getting into position to blast whatever needs blasting; the trick is to deke around the awkward MOV values of the Sam such that when you're ready, all you do is a move-shoot or move-CC. Reductively speaking, an Umbra Samaritan is basically a rather pricey tax you pay for fielding what is essentially a Xeodron duo; the only thing it really adds is a close- range/combat smackdown but if you have an opponent trying to CC TAGs, either they've done something wrong (like allowing your Haris to get close or god forbid, trying to charge at you in CC) or you have done something wrong (like getting caught in CC with an Oniwaban, in which case you're losing one or more TAGs).

Remotes

• Combined Army Basic REMs:
  • M-Drones: The M-Drone is the standard toolbox REM.
  • Q-Drones: The Q-Drone is different from all other basic TR bots because they have Mimetism and two weapon options: HMG or Plasma Rifle. Both are solid choices which one you may need more will depend on the composition. Otherwise the stats are the same as other TR bots.
  • T-Drones: T-Drones are standard Smart Missile Launcher REM.
  • R-Drones: Basic Flash Pulse bot, but with Mimetism.
  • E-Drones: The CA does not have a baggage bots with EVO option. Instead the EVO Hacker is on the basic Drone chasis, thus making it faster. It is upgraded with Exile and Goodnight.

• Slave Drones: Little Nurse Worms for Dr Worm. Use them to keep Dr Worm safe.

• Ikadron Batroids: The Ikadron is is a fast little baggage bot armed with 2 LFTs. It also has Flash Pulse with WIP13. They're only 9pts and only AVA2. Ikadrons are good for order filler, mid ranged Flash Pulse overwatch, and occasionally making a mad dash to light a dude up with the 2 LFTs. They're also excellent support for resupplying Xeodrons should they use up all their Blitzens.

• Unidron Batroids: Yeah, they're basically battledroids. They are nicely armed sporting plasma carbines or K1 combi-rifles but stat-wise, they are garbage; their sole saving grace is very high BTS of 6, handy for defense against the haxorz. Speaking of, you will need to field a hacker or TAG yourself in order to run Unidrons because of their G:Autotool rule. Fortunately, Unidrons have 3 main upsides: first, they're REMs so they benefit from support ware programs. Second, there's a strange interplay between Dogged and Remote Presence (remember, autotool is RP with extras); be sure to read up on how it works in order to better understand how it works. Lastly, they can form delightful little kill teams with Umbra Legates and Nexus Operatives.
  • Fireteam: Core: A great little team, what you'll be wanting to do with these guys is boosting their ARO shooting with some clever hax. There are a number of ways to do this, but the program you're gonna focus on is Enhanced Reaction. Having more than one hacker would be beneficial, but chances are you're only taking one so if you want to get the best use, be sure your hacker has access to GADGET 2 programs. Now, the two easiest ways of getting this are to use either a Legate and/or Nexus hacker as part of your team; just remember that using the program may make you vulnerable to any AROs as the rest of the team will have to idle. The alternative is to take something else that has the program, usually an E-Drone; the downside here being that you have to either move the hacker or a repeater with the unit, which will quickly eat into your orders.

Skirmishers

• Malignos: TO camo Just like the other Shasvastii units, but it's also an infiltrator... and your only one in the list. And it's a good one, too! Comes with an automedkit and your choice of mines or a MULTI-sniper. If you're taking mines, you can take Monofilament mines for an SWC; you also get the option of a boarding shotgun to replace your combi-rifle or an EIAHD. Not super necessary, but can present a bit of a surprise for your opponent when hit him a surprise DA sniper volley when he was focused on your Umbra-led killteam(s).

Building Your Army

New for HSN3, there's a big box of OCF that costs a shitload but comes with the Rodok detachment, 3 unidrons with Plasma Carbines, an Umbra Legate, a combi-rifle Fraacta, a HMG Maakrep and an E and Q drone. Altogether, it's exactly 300 pts. and is a fast and easy army to get yourself started. From there, get yourself a Samaritan and a pair of Xeodrons, the Combined Army Support Pack for the Obsidon Medchanoid and a pair of slave drones and the rest, well that's up to you.

Strategies and Hints

Okay, time out for a second. You might be looking at this list at and the Umbra death combo Fireteams and thinking "hell yeah, I'mma kill me some suckers!" I know you're very excited but you should know and understand something first: those weeaboo sith lords you have there may as well be cast with a giant target on them because they will attract every shot from every one of your opponent's troopers' guns. It's one thing to fight a link team, it's one thing to fight an Umbra; it's goddamn scary to face that combination. This isn't 40K, you can't sneak force-multiplier into a squad without consequences!

So whaddya do about? Well you could not take Umbra and their killteams, but you're playing OCF for the sauce and that's them. The next most obvious thing is to limit your pricey Umbra teams to one and the rest should be things to make target priority a bitch for your opponent. A Suryat Duo, Maakreps and/or Fraacta, Noctifer ML/AP, Malignos or an Overdron are all available and add either sneak attacks, area denial and brutal ranged support.

Tactics

• Bot-Buster: Samaritan hacker in a Haris with two Xeodrons with K1 combi rifles spell doom for STR troopers. Chip away at the bot's STR with the K1's and when they're unconscious, use the Samaritan's Goodnight upgrade program - brick 'em harder than an XBox with the red ring of doom.
• Use Supportware!: Unidrons are REMs. Hackers can give them Assisted Fire. This is a very effective combo especially since Assisted Fire can ignore BS MODs from Partial Cover, and templates from Plasma weapons. If you want to keep your Hackers safe and still provide supportware, cheap REM with Repeaters is a great way to extend the Hacker's influence. Remember if your Nexus/Legate Hacker is in the fireteam and you spend an order for Supportware, that means the entire team is activated and your opponent can freely ARO against them. If AROs are keeping you up at night, consider taking an E-Drone for your hacking needs.
• Super-Jump Shenanigans: Rodoks, Xeodrons and Samaritans all but require the delicate use of this skill. The thing that really makes it difficult is that all three of those troopers have different MOV values. Rodoks are better kept to themselves in an FTC but Xeodrons and Samaritans pair very well in a Haris. For Rodoks, getting them into a good firing position in difficult to reach locations is key, shooting what needs shooting and then acting as an ARO piece. Xeodrons and Samaritans should instead be a bit more discriminate using SJ to quickly close on a particular target and then covering the Samaritan while providing AROs.