Infinity mission focus: Panic Room

Any road may lead you to either victory or defeat, yet probability and psychology can help us navigating in the sea of uncertainties which is wargaming.

With these essays, we try to make some considerations on the game's missions trying to stay away from the temptation of defining do's and dont's or establishing tier lists.

Panic Room is a mission from ITS season 12 supplement which pushes both players toward the center of the table in an attempt to score points and flee from the upcoming biotechvore.

Skills, weapons and equipment

🤩 Mimetism: wether you choose to rush the panic room or wait to turn the tables, you'll find yourself inside the room with no cover so be prepared and remember that it takes a level 2 multi spectral visor to nullify a -6 mimetism.

🙄 Superior deployment: this mission forces a PH -3 roll on troops using special skills to deploy. Unless you have PH 14 consider using something else if you don't want to loose you camo or hidden deployment state to a coin flip. There are not big downsides to a fail if you only have forward deployment but you're really paying for skills you're not using so it may be more useful to spend those points differently.

📶 Pitchers: just like diamonds, repeaters are forever. Like mine dispensers, pitchers can shoot up to 40" but, unlike mines, repeaters can be triggered multiple times. In case your opponent is holding the room with units with Mimetism remember that you can spotlight them to pieces.

Behaviours and tactics

🏃‍♀️Rush A: the first player may be tempted to rush the room and occupy it with as many models as possible, especially with fireteams. This may not always be productive because of range exposure and lack of cover inside the room. If you're playing first, consider taking the room with only one model, leaving the rest in cover. This way, you're forcing the second player to contend your achievement by exposing a small part of your power.

💥Blow that antenna: depending on your arsenal, it may not be easy to do it but it's worth remembering that a Multi sniper rifle has the anti-materiel trait and shoots DA rounds from antenna to antenna with a +3 bonus. Does it mean it can be smart to take a sniper cheerleader to a close quarter fight? Hell yes! Remember that you or your opponent may resort to antennas also in later turns and not only during deployment (see below).

🕺Stayin' alive: you can score 5 points just by holding one Essential Personnel Trooper in the room, complete your classified and then duck away from the panic room, shooting enemies through open doors. Easier said then done, right? What I mean is you don't really have to go into the room with all your troopers if your enemy has better close combat skills or more mines and flamethrowers than you: bring the fight where you can handle it!

Final thoughts

Panic Room is only apparently a straightforward mission where you fight to control the objective room. Differently from The Armory, a lot of the fight may take place outside the room and sacrificing troopers towards certain death may be more rewarding than careful investment and position holding.