Infinity Battle Report - Tunguska vs Shasvastii (Biotechvore!)

[@R0bertShepherd]

Today we're playing Tunguska and giving the not-really-recently released Zellenkreiger superfriends gang and Rounders a try out, in Infinity's best and most unique scenario, Biotechvore. We'll also be breaking down how to use models like infiltrators and impersonators in this scenario, with a particular focus on how infiltrators in particular can be great pieces for the mission.

[@AraigumaTV]

Awesome batrep! I noticed that you put the Mission into the title, and honestly, I'd love that for future batreps as well. Makes it easier to distinguish videos when I want to go back and hear your thoughts on how to play a mission!

[@mythicgames2450]

I agree about the mission. Its always a fun one.

[@galigen5511]

Thank you! Perfect timing for my game this week too

[@burlesford]

Oh lord, so happy to finally see you play a Tunguska list. I'm curious - would you include the Rounder in any list that doesn't require the link to move forward like BTV? I find the profiles are good in theory, but the fact that you can only link them with Securitate, which usually form a stationary DZ Grenzer link, makes it hard for me justifying their inclusion in any standard mission. What are your thoughts on them, especially the other loadouts (shock MMR & hacker)?

[@R0bertShepherd]

I think so, yeah. I like using the szal for longer range fire support so am fairly happy with shorter range weapons in things like 3 person teams. The grenzer is good but doesn't fit my personal style as well.

[@maxmartinez2032]

Yo nice quick game, would love to see some kind of guide on Shasvastii, been really trying to figure out how to play them/what to run.

[@R0bertShepherd]

In my (uninformed) opinion, Shasvastii list building peaked with this: glsKc2hhc3Zhc3RpaRZUaGUgT25seSBHb29kIFNFRiBMaXN0gSwCAQEACQCFEAECAACFEAECAACFEAECAACB%2FQEBAACC5QEBAACB9wECAACCEAEEAACCDgEBAACCDgEBAAIBAAgAhRABAgAAhRABAgAAhRABAgAAggQBAwAAghUBBAAAghABAwAAgf0BAQAAghQBAQA%3D (However I will do a SEF faction focus at some point and consult with more expert folks in doing so)

[@inaneimp4314]

I see what you're doing. With all the local Nomad players distracted by Bakunin (or Tohaa and PanO) you join us. :P

[@R0bertShepherd]

*return* to us

[@riccardosartirana1155]

Love biotechvore. In my gaming group I'm known as the One Who Always wants Biotechvore in the map pool for the weekend. I also rarely win.

[@Griffolion0]

Appropriate opening shot given BC's latest update.

[@owenyates6046]

My poor girls never make it through your videos unscathed. First it was Ko Dali now its armoured Sheskiin.

[@R0bertShepherd]

Please just play the one that doesn't pay 12pts to become hackable XD

[@krobiekong4326]

@@R0bertShepherd Doesn't she also lose NanoScreen as well?

[@R0bertShepherd]

@@krobiekong4326 yep. She gains some armour and BTS etc and a few other useful things, but the tradeoff in totality really isn't good.

[@RattlerNxt]

BT is a common tournament choice in some of the large western tournaments.

[@RattlerNxt]

Noctifiers are very good in BT. Yes. Love that.

[@R0bertShepherd]

The only reason why I don't generally recommend it is that it's one of a couple of scenarios that are susceptible to people setting up tables without the DZs in mind. I see a lot of tourney tables out of Australia and America where the back 6" of the DZ are a bit of an afterthought, for example, and in Biotechvore that means three quarters of your DZ can be literally empty. Provided TOs make sure tables are set up to accommodate the scenario, though, it's a cracker.

[@rodrigorezende5841]

Biotechvore!!!

[@nuuskye]

I hate to be the wet blanket, but zellenkriegers, XZkrieger, and Denma don't currently have impetuous. They probably are *supposed* to - they have the impetuous order symbol and are seemingly costed and kitted for impetuous, but they do not have the skill. They didn't have it in their preview, and it hasn't been fixed in the updates/bugfixes since their release. I think it's still an oversight, since literally everyone I have played against thought they were impetuous, but RAW, they're just great warbands.

[@R0bertShepherd]

They all have the impetuous skill icon next to their unit regular/irregular classification which, when moused over, says 'impetuous'. While it would definitely be best for them to also have the skill linked in their listed skills profile, it isn't essential (and for example CB don't denote the Cube special equipment any way but via an icon). In short, they absolutely are impetuous and while CB should be consistent in how they represent it (both as an icon and a listed special skill and equipment - unless they want to change other impetuous models to be consistent with zellenkreigers, which I'd also be fine with), I don't think there's any argument over the actual presence of the skill.

[@nuuskye]

@@R0bertShepherd I completely agree - they have the order symbol that denotes impetuous- but because the skill is not listed, it can't be said, unequivocally, that they have the skill. It's a matter of not being in the profile. You can confirm that something is missing, but you can't officially confirm whether the symbol was the accident or leaving the skill off was the accident. Like, we know it's supposed to have it, but because it doesn't have the skill listed, we can't assume it has it

[@R0bertShepherd]

@@nuuskye that argument relies on the assumption that the huge red icon that says 'impetuous' isn't listing the skill. Given that skills and equipment are *frequently* listed outside the special skills list - for example, it's extremely common to have profiles like "Perseus FTO-2 (Super Jump)" - I think you need to be arguing in fairly deliberately bad faith/obtuseness to say that we can't know that Zellenkreigers don't have impetuous. (In a similar vein, a huge number of troopers have equipment listed outside the regiment equipment list - to whit, literally everything with a cube.)

[@nuuskye]

Yes, but those other skills *are listed somewhere* and if the order marker was the way that the skill was listed, this wouldn't be a conversation, but as a TO, you have to work with what is on paper. Everyone else has the skill listed. Regular training or irregular training are not skills, but impetuous is a skill, and is listed as such in every other profile with it. This is the same reason the Zeta has ECM: Guided -8; it's almost definitely a typo and isn't divisible by 3, but it's on paper, so you play it that way.

[@R0bertShepherd]

​@@nuuskye there's no especial reason why we should assume the Zeta's ECM is a typo. Something breaking with convention doesn't automatically mean it's a mistake.