Infinity/N4 Tactics/Ariadna
The unit overview and tactica for Ariadna (STILL WIP) Please add to this, as N4 has invalidated much of the N3 tactics.
Why play Ariadna
Ariadnans are the descendants of a lost colony ship to colonize planet Dawn. The wormhole to Earth collapsed after their landing stranding them from the rest of humanity. Thinking they were abandoned by Earth, they had to survive the harsh environments of Dawn and constant Antipode offensives. After many years of isolation and bloodshed, the Hyperpowers of the Human Sphere, PanOceanian and Yu Jing, finally makes contact - to claim the planet for the rich levels of Teseum. Ariadna fought back, seeing them as invaders rather than saviors, and is a nation recognized by O-12.
Though the rest of the Human Sphere went through a burst of technological achievements, Ariadna's tech did not. However, the deadly environments their planet makes them tougher than any Human Sphere trooper. This faction boasts a high level of Physique, and a lot of Camouflage and Infiltration as well as heavy firepower. Ariadna has mainly Cossack, American, French, and Scottish troopers with a splash of werewolves. Play Ariadna if you want tough survivalists who don't take shit from anybody. Play them, because you didn't want friends anyway.
Faction Features
Due to the lower levels of technology, Ariadna has ZERO MSV2 or higher, TO Camo, very little hacking, etc etc. However, they have many ways to compensate for it.
Special Skills
- Camouflage/Infiltration: Ariadna is commonly known as a "Camo Spam" army, because of the higher number of troopers with a level of Camouflage, and Infiltration as well as other skills such as Ambush Camouflage and Minelayer.
- Swole: All troopers in this faction has higher than average PH values allowing them to Dodge and use Throwing Weapons better.
- Transmutation: After taking a wound, a Dog-Warrior can transform into a ferocious werewolf.
Equipment
- AP: Ariadna has plenty of guns with AP ammunition -Rifles, HMGs, Heavy Pistols, etc etc- to deal with heavier armored troopers.
- T2: The planet is rich in Teseum. Teseum is a valuable resource used for spaceship building. Ariadnans use them for ammunition and CCWs. T2 is a very deadly ammo type, and is exclusive to Ariadna (mostly Caledonians)
- Smoke Grenades: There are a LOT of Smoke Grenades in this army. However, zero MSV2 or higher. Use Smoke Grenades to cover your advance or Dodge.
- Hacking (Lack of): Ariadna has very little in the way of hacking, but it's there if you need it. Remember: Hackers are not required to bring Traktor Muls.
Units
Light Infantry
- 112 Emergency Service: The Ariadna Doctor unit comes either on motorcycle or on foot. Either way it’s pretty cheap and with the motorized version getting to wherever you need it to be becomes pretty order-efficient.
- Caledonian Volunteers: As cheap as line infantry gets. You 'lose' a lot, but get some amazing template access for 6pts. Limited AVA, sadly.
- Dozers, Field Engineers: The generic Ariadna engineer, just as the 112 it comes quite affordable and with either D-Charges or an Acrylat-Cannon.
- Frontoviks, Seperate Assault Bat.: These are somewhat more combat-oriented MIM(-3) LI with a variety of profiles, including a paramedic, engineer and LT. Weapon picks worth highlighting are the AP Spitfire, T2 Rifles and AP Sniper Rifle with MSV1.
- Highlander Caterans: Caterans are irregular MIM (-3) camouflage troops with climbing plus for having a bit more flexibility in deployment. They come with either a Sniper Rifle or a T2 Sniper Rifle, enabling them to do some mean unexpected AROs.
- Kazak Doctors: The second cheap doctor option besides a 112, these get a rifle.
- Para-Commandos: Cheap parachutists with MIM (-3) and some solid loadout options, including specialists with D-Charges and an AP Spitfire profile.
- Polaris Team: 32 pts for two regular orders, split up into the Controller, who is just some cheap grunt with a light shotgun, and the king of this sectorial, a fricking Bearpode! The Polaris Bearpode comes with Chainrifles (+1B, +1Dam), extra 2 damage on top of it’s PH16 with either a Trenchhammer or an AP CC weapon, and access to grenades and smoke grenades. You could run a list without a Bearpode, but why would you want to miss out on this?!
- Rokots: Kosmoflots linetroops clock in at 8 pts with a chainrifle at their cheapest, making them great cheerleaders. For one point more you get an SMG, grenades and D-Charges and a 0 SWC LT option, which is pretty sweet! They also have camo-profiles with Infiltration for missions with a strong focus on the midfield.
- The Unknown Ranger: USARFs Captain America, now featuring SPAAAACEEEE. This character is a star among the Ariadna roster, bringing Tactical Awareness and an abundance of skills to a statline making him good at any kind of fight. You get the choice between either an AP Spitfire or the MK12.
- Zenith-7 Detachment: These are MIM (-3) Camo troopers with Decoy, adding a lot to the classic Ariadna mindgame. You get either an AP Sniper or an AP Marksman Rifle, just pick the one for the right rangeband and you’re good to go. They also have access to Chain of Command, incentivizing a more offensive LT, or a FO specialist.
- Aida Swanson, Submondo Smuggler: As a smuggler Booty is an obvious flavor thing, but still very nice from time to time. Forward deployment, MA L2 and Viral Mines, aswell as her SMG make her role of defending/taking the midfield obvious- she's not the cheapest choice for this role, but a competent one, especially if going first.
- Cube Jäger: Irregular parachutists, both profiles bring Paramedic, which seems to be their whole schtick. With WIP 13 they can do the button pressing quite well though and having a SMG and an e/mitter can be very useful to scare away the opponents units after a button is pushed.
- Knauf, Outlaw Sniper: While MSV1 snipers weren't that attractive in N3 the Outrage poster boy turned a whole lot hotter. BS (+1B) and Shock is nasty, and MIM (-3) makes using him a bit safer. Besides that he's not doing much, but that trait also keeps him at an affordable price.
- Krakot Renegades, Morat Fugitives: It’s weird that Krakot is typed as LI, as they are a straight up Warband unit. His purpose is to get up into the opponents face, kill as much as it can and die heroically, in a true Morat fashion. Worth considering for an Alpha Strike, if you can get one.
- Wardrivers, Mercenary Hackers: The name describes them pretty well. Both profiles are cheap hackers, although you gotta pay 1 SWC and two more points to let the Wardriver have an actual HD.
- Monstruckers: SPAAAACEEE TRUUUCKIIING! Monstruckers are cheap irregular engineers with Climbing Plus and a bunch of nice weapon options. The cheapest loadout comes with an SMG and Drop Bears, making it ideal to push a button and turn their position into a foxhole afterwards. The other two loadouts are also quite useful, just pick the one supplementing your lists loadout the most.
- Warcors: 3pts for an irregular Flashpulse ARO. Fit them into your list whenever you got the slot and points, they're well worth it.
- Libertos Freedom Fighters: Are the highly popular irregular roadbump unit, coming with either a SMG or a light shotgun plus shock mines. They also get Camouflage and Forward Deployment (8"), dodge on a 16 and have Dogged!
Medium Infantry
- Grunts: Arm3, 10pts, basic as basic gets, but with more survivability.
Heavy Infantry
- Veteran Kazaks: Simply amazing.
Tactical Armored Gear
Hah. You wish. Unless...
Skirmishers
- Scouts:
- Chasseurs: Still great.
- Hardcases, 2nd Irregular Frontiersmen Battalion: Cheap irregular infiltrators with Decoy, which turns up the mindgame a notch. Tactical Bow is situational, but either the Rifle or the light Shotgun can do some work.
Warbands
- DogSoldiers:
- Desperadoes: Very cheap motorized units with Smoke Grenade Launchers and sixth sense. There's really not a lot more to them, but at 6 pts for their cheapest loadout you really don't need much else.
- Wolfgang Amadeus Wolff, Wulver Bounty Hunter: He's got a MULTI Rifle (+1B) which is nice, but he really wants to get up close; Berserk (+3), MA L3 and a PARA CC Weapon (-6) are probably among the meanest combination of things you can bring into CC. To finish the enemy unit off for good he's also bringing a DA CC Weapon.
- Irmandinhos: The cheap, irregular and impetuous engineers from Ariadna come in handy as both smoke throwers and specialists. Booty can give them a nice boost if you're lucky, but they're solid anyways.