Infinity Mission Focus: Safe Area

Welcome to another episode of this series focusing on Infinity Missions. After the carnage which is Firefight, we look into the compelling mix of ZO domination and specialists relevance: Safe Area.

Skills, weapons and equipment 

🤬 Frenzy: safe area is a mission generally played defensively, since points are made at the end of the game, so you can expect to face big links with snipers well castled within their deployment zone. This is why you may want to have your murder machines with that sweet impetuous order when times are ripe. It can start on turn two, but turn three is the real moment for cc units to shine. 

👯 Holoprojector: since all of the above, having some threatening decoys around can be a big boost to your manouvering capacity. Specialist profiles with holoprojector can make you win games: units like the Tian Gou or the Bashi Bazouk may really be your trump cards. 

The Knight of the Holy Sepulchre was born for this mission. With holoprojector and multi marksman rifle +1B, the specialist profile with chain of command will efficiently hold any console and its ZO.

🌋 Dazer: it is very unusual to mention something available only to a handful of armies in a mission focus but underestimating this equipment can be ruinous. Malignos and Draal saboteurs can be proficient both when attacking and defending, tampering your order efficency with the subtle stratagem of an unexpected difficult terrain area. 

Shrouded by Cristian Il Corinzio: despite not being as relevant or resilient as the Malignos, the Shrouded can still be a pain to deal with for your opponent. The 0,5 SWC, 23 points profile with boarding shotgun, minelayer and Dazer, despite its moderately high cost, can be an interesting choice for this mission. 

Behaviours and tactics 

🗡️🛡️ Sword and shield: aka attacking Haris and defensive Core fireteams. This is a classic formation regardless of the meta you play in and I find it extremely effective in this mission. The best way to preserve it is also the best way to counter it: use the third part of your list, meaning all the units that are not part of those fireteams. Bulleteer, Posthumans and Mary Problems all cover this "third part" role in our Operation Golden Ratio series. 

With either 2 wounds or NWI, any Posthuman proxy profile will allow you to stand tall during your reactive turn with no fear of losing orders.

⛹️‍♀️ Buzzer beater: this tactic is particularly appealing to Haqquislam, Nomads and Ariadna since they have access to cheap parachuting specialists with no SWC cost. Playing with low orders can be tough, but if you wait until the very end of the game you can change everything on turn three. Watch out with a coordinated suppress fire of your advanced troops on turns two and three if your opponent is suspiciously low on orders and you started playing first: they may seize victory right under your nose! 

Picture by u/Stormygeddon: Karakuris may not be everyone's piece of cake, but these STR 3 specialists with two unconscious levels can make a Haris with the ever frenzy Domaru Butai: a deadly combination that works both long range and in close combat 

🃏 Winner, winner, chicken dinner: in this mission, you and your opponent can turn your Classified Objective to either Increase your army points in one Zone of Operations or to make one enemy specialist count as a non-specialist. This is a great strategic boost but you have to declare it before the beginning of the game. I don't like dos and don'ts but if you can't read the situation and you can't make your mind up, always go for the Intelcom card if your opponent did so or you think they will. Moreover, since the "non-specialist" use of the Intelcom card means less points inside a ZO, you could fill the gap by including a Baggage unit in your list, granting you 20 easy additional VPs inside its ZO (especially if you think that the maximum VPs provided by the Intelcom card are 20, assuming you are lucky enough to randomly draw that specific card!). At the same time, keep an eye for enemy units with Baggage if you have to choose first what to declare.

Final thoughts

The Grenzer is a recurring sniper in our games and has proved repeatedly how dangerous they can be against any playstyle, even when not in a 5 trooper fireteam.

Safe area is a call to arms for all those not-hacking specialists profiles with a low SWC cost so there will be a lot of firepower anchored in the deployment zone, ready to jump forward on turn three. You will also face and/or list beefy troopers with specialist profiles, usually put aside in other missions where specific specialists are preferred. About this, please note that a lot of TAG pilots are Specialist Operative. Compared to similar missions like Quadrant Control, where points are made round by round, Safe Area nerfs Forward deployers and Guards unit which are not as effective, so take your time to take them down in case they show up.

Useful links

• Safe Area text battle report by us!

Operation Golden Ratio: episode 06

Intro

As the landing shuttle was approaching the surface of Rodne, J. "Wimpy" Wellington turned on the team radio:

"The high wigs pulled many jackets in the O-12 commissions and in compensation of all Aleph's dodgy deeds we got permission to inspect that research facility no one did know about and that was checking data and running experiments in parallel to what was going on that mess of a space station lab. We are officially entitled to go in and recover as much data, information and material we can. 

I cannot and do not want to understand what is going on here, I just want to get this done as effectively and efficiently as possible. Questions...?"

Unknown to VIRD High Command, TJC's operatives are also approaching the research facility to clean up all evidences and make it a... safe area 😉

Missions and lists

300 pts - Safe Area form ITS Season 12 supplement - 

🕷 Tunguska Jursdictional Command Vs 🐬Varuna Immediate Reaction Division.

Two different although similar lists: 

✅ defensive big links

✅ aggressive haris with specialist

✅ EVO hacker and mimetism -6 REMs 

As differentiators Tunguska brought 2 Puppetbots FO and Combat Jump Raoul while Varuna a pair of midfield Zulus, an Echo-Bravo parachutist and some more SWC in the big team.

Deployment

Tunguska wins the roll-off and decides to go first. Varuna deploys second on the side with the tallest building . The areas with the trees on top are played as difficult terrain (jungle) and saturation zones.

🕷 Tunguska places Core link on the right, Haris link in the middle and on the left EVO, Clockmaker and Puppetactica.

🐬Varuna goes for big link in the center (MSR and HRL both standing), Patsy Haris on the left and EVO-Bulleteer on the right.

Turn 1

🕷 Tunguska

The main threat are definitely those linked ARO pieces with LoS on a large portion of the battlefield. It's time for the Vostok to pay its cost back. 

1 order for Assisted Fire, 1 order for White Noise, 1 order to position and the REM is ready to engage the Kamau HRL first and the Kamau MRS second. Dice roll in favor of the Vostok and both Kamaus are shot to pieces. The Haris can then advance and position ready to defend, the Stempler FO in contact with a Console.

Then the Puppetbots are sent forward to contend the Console in the Varuna's half of the table. In the process they also discover and kill on of the Zulus.

Last order to slightly reposition the big link and brace for impact waiting for the imminent Varuna's retaliation.

🐬Varuna

Despite the unlucky ARO rolls, still plenty of orders (8+5) available to fuel the action in the active turn. Bulleteer is also granted Marksmanship and one of the Puppetbots goes unconscious.

The Bulleteer's advance on the flank is now threatened by the Grenzer MSR which has the advantage of range and the Mimetism -6 malus evened out by the MSVL1 and big link bonus. Patsy's team then advances in total cover on the left until the Kamau peeks out to pepper the Grenzer with HMG shells. Dice roll and Tunguska wins the FtF, DA ammunition sending the LI trooper straight to dead.

Echo Bravo then shows up, LRL loaded. He peeks out of cover and engages the Vostok but once again Tunguska wins the FtF and the Dam. 16 Mk12 causes another casualty. The remaining Zulu also goes for a surprise shot on the Vostok but does not have better luck and after a couple of orders he is killed. 

As ending moves the Bulleteer now opts for a cautious move to bypass the MSR threat and engages the Vostok through the saturation zone only achieving to remove one STR point from the REM. 

Turn 2

🕷 Tunguska

The turn opens with Raoul jumping in wearing a fancy suit he borrowed from a Hellcat. A mimetism -6 NWI Natural born warrior specialist operative is supposed to be quite a headache for Varuna to deal with. He rolls a nice 10 for landing and proceeds to engage Patsy. On the way in he is critted by the Machinist combi rifle and fails both the armor saves! He'll be dead at the end of the order but can still bring Patsy with him. Raoul wins the CC with an 18 forcing Patsy to roll 3 ARM checks with his DA CC weapon but she laughs at him passing all three as he goes limb with a combi bullet in the back of the head.  

Things are still looking ok for the Nomads. The Zondbot goes on an adventure and fixes both the Vostok and the Puppetbot. With burst and cover advantage, the Vostok then proceeds to disable the Bulleteer. 

Finally the big link gets on the move, climbs down the building and places points in the quadrant. The Interventor goes in contact with the Console and the Securitate Paramedic breaks the link going in Suppression. A command token is spent to reform a 4 men link.

🐬Varuna 

The best part of Turn 2 is spent by Patsy lobbing grenades on the Interventor. Statistics don't work and despite the large amount of coinflips (11s speculative fire vs 10s dodge) the Interventor ends up unharmed 

Patsy also tries to exchange fire with the Securitate Paramedic in suppression but loses a wound. 

 

Turn 3

🕷 Tunguska

The Vostok haris advances further to also contest the farthest quadrant shooting down the Machinist in the process.

The Interventor detaches from the link team and goes in contact with the console immobilizing Patsy in the process.

A new 4 men team is reformed without the Interventor and the Grenzer engages Patsy at short range. Patsy survives the first bursts, successfully resets and then the AP submachinegun rules over the MSR and the Grenzer is knocked unconscious.

The rest of the orders are spent repositioning and pushing points out of the deployment zone.

🐬Varuna

The order pool is now quite limited and Patsy walks back to remove the Interventor and get in silhouette contact with the Console.

Closing moves are played by a fusilier that peaks out from cover and fights the HRL Hollowman but no one hits and the game ends.

With more Zones and more Consoles it’s a Tunguska victory.

Debriefing 

🕷 Tunguska

Everything worked out nicely and the units under test, Vostok and Puppetctica did really well. Dice did definitely smile to the Nomads so it has to be considered that not all that glitters is actually gold!

🐬Varuna

The game was quite biased by Tunguska spiking too many FtF rolls. The list is solid, balanced and fitting the mission.  Should the game be played a hundred times victory would be PanO's at least 50% of the times 😉. Knowing the opponent was Nomads hackers and HI were kept at minimum, different variants of the list might include a crocman hacker and/or an Orc with feuerbach instead of the Kamau HRL.

Outro

The leds on the Stempler Zond dashboard blinked as it removed the data-link from the last Console chirping and beeping like an astromech droid in a XX century sci-fi movie. 

Servers successfully formatted and all data permanently deleted. Kasia, freshly appointed Securitate Lieutenant of the operation, nodded and turned on her headset moving a lock of pink hair:

"Spider-puppy to spider-mom: the area is safe. Repeat: the area is safe. Back to the nest.". 

Infinity Mission Focus: Firefight

Welcome to the sixth installment of this series focusing on Infinity Missions. After analyzing the beloved classic which is Acquisition, we dive into a multi faced mission that can be approached in radically different ways: Firefight. 

In this mission you score points killing more specialists, lieutenants and army points than your opponent; acquiring more items from panoplies than your opponent and completing 3 Classified Objectives. 

Skills, weapons and equipment

Rasyat Diplomatic Division by Cristian Il Corinzio: we wrote about this unit when analyzing Mindwipe and you're definitely going to meet it again in Firefight!

⛽ Disposable strikes back: if you're a fan of coordinated mine deployment remember that you can also use a panoply to cancel unloaded states. It's important to do that before succeeding the panoply WIP roll or you won't be able to use it again with the same trooper. Moreover, your opponent may have lowered his/her guard after you've used all your blitzen, sepsitor or panzerfaust: prove them you have more rounds up your sleeve with this simple trick (which is way better than using one entire order on baggage). 

PanOceanian Echo-Bravo Rapid Reaction Unit. This parachuting troop has two interesting specialist profiles with disposables: an hacker with Panzerfaust and (in picture) a paramedic with WildParrot

🌚 Hidden deployment: this mission really push you for some heavy airborne deployment, providing a +3 bonus and the opportunity to reach the enemy deployment zone. Setting up hidden deployed troops to welcome combat jumpers is a good way to break your opponent's nerves.

💂Veteran: this skill is not cheap but is still better than informing your opponent about who to kill next via Chain of Command, it will ultimately save you some precious command tokens. Remember: only the Veteran troop type is useful for Classified Objectives, not the skill!

Behaviours and tactics

Hexa (top center) and other PanOceanian troops by Supermassive Barnowl

🐅🐉 Hidden hacker, crouching camo: since the classified deck has 25% of the objectives that can be completed by hackers, you may definitely want to bring some here. Hackers with parachutist or hidden deployment have a defensive edge that will improve their life span so watch for this kind of units. Once you reveal them they will be on top of your opponents' killing list so troops below 30 points like Ninjas, Hexas or Noctifer are the real deal. My final line here is: lower your revealed specialists to the bare essential (doctor/engineer), make sure they have two peripherals and go for camo specs if you think you need more.

With camouflage, hidden deployment, infiltration, mimetism (-6), surprise attack (-3) and two specialist profiles the Croc Man is an excellent Firefight unit for PanOceania!

🤖 Remote spec. party: this is the occasion for your remote presence specialists to shine. With two levels of unconscious and a few hackers around, these guys can be a real pain for your opponent in this mission even when they're not hackers themselves like Parvati, Dakinis, Betatroopers and Dropsuit Taryots. Just be sure to have enough GizmoKits to bring them out of null state before the end of the game. 

📔 Be ready to change your agenda: you may have an idea of how to take the match home on turn one, based on how you and your opponent have prepared for the mission. This is ok and proves that you've made your due diligence, but victory cares about opportunities and you must be ready to seize them. If you have a specialist oriented list you may still win through army point killing in case you have a lucky reactive turn and, vice versa, you may still have a chance to win by classified even with a super aggressive born-to-kill army. Don't sit on your premises and keep trying to understand what is going on. 

Final thoughts 

Firefight tends to be a very oscillating mission so don't be surprised if things look irrecoverable at the end of turn one. Despite all the midfield elements, there is a high chance the game will be played around deployment zones so watch out for your cheerleaders and consider spending an order on them any now and then.

Infinity Mission Focus: Acquisition

Welcome to the fifth installment of this series focusing on Infinity Missions. After gazing at the everchanging dynamics of Capture and Protect, we now examine everyone's beloved classic: Acquisition.

In this mission you'll have to activate antennas, control them and control a tech coffin but remember: you only score points at the end of the game.

Skills, weapons and equipment

👨‍💻 EVO hacking device: there's always room in any list for some EVO hacking device but here you have 2 big reasons added to the benefits of its characteristic programs: 

• one additional cheap (doesn't apply to Scylla) specialist "automatically" activating antennas: doesn't matter how low is your WIP if you get a +3 bonus and burst 2; 
• antennas are 12" from the border so you want something to buff your combat Jump and nerf your opponent's. 

@ponty_painter's Salyut Zond is ready to hack! 

🪂 Airborne deployment: an excellent way to contend your opponent's achievement at the end of the game if you can resist the first two rounds without one order. Parachuting can be a good choice if your opponent has controlled jump, especially if your model has MOV 6.

Akalis, Sikh Commandos: the Shock Army of Acontecimiento can field up to five!

👻 The Libertos effect: forward deployed camo marker between the tech coffin and one antenna? That will definitely bug your opponent! The libertos is a very good pointwise choice to push your opponent forward and making mistakes. However, having one irregular order is not optimal so you may lean toward pricier profiles. My two cents: anything with these skills and a cost higher than 20 points should also be a specialist.

Behaviours and tactics  

😊 Among us: you're gonna bring hackers for this mission so you'd better remember what they can do. Cybermask is your friend for this mission: don't forget it. This is a very good reason to list those 0 SWC Killer Hackers.

🕵️‍♂️Hack antenna, achieve classified, spoil HVT, contest: remember you score objective points only at the end of the game? It means player two will always have a chance to challenge player's one achievements. Once you have one hacked antenna it may be useful to achieve your classified and spoil your opponent's possibility to secure HVT; the last step in this strategy will be to protect your hacked antenna and contest the tech-coffin. By doing so you're focusing your game on just two elements, forcing your opponent to keep at least one model in base contact with the other antenna: if it's a valuable model you're keeping it out of action and if it's a cheerleader you'll have a good chance to blast it.

u/Stormygeddon's Hisen shows us how to keep your opponent away from your HVT

Final thoughts

Profiles with high mobility (motorcycles, superjump, combat jump) and infiltrating units have an edge in Acquisition but can be countered with deployables so don't be stingy on mines and remember they can also be deployed with AROs. Watch out for units with dogged/NWI since they'll likely be used in the final round to challenge control of the antennas and of the tech-coffin.

Useful links

• Acquisition text battle report by us: Tunguska VS OSS
• Acquisition text battle report by us: Varuna VS OSS
• Acquisition video battle report by the amazing Ash Baker from Guerrilla Miniature Games
  

Infinity Mission Focus: Capture and Protect

Welcome to the fourth installment of this series focusing on Infinity Missions. After studying the possibilities of Highly Classified, we now examine a mission where both players have to go to Hell and back: Capture and Protect.

In this mission you'll have to reach and steal the enemy beacon to bring it to your deployment zone, while your opponent does exactly the same.

Skills, weapons and equipment

🩹 Akrylat-Kanone: pair this beauty with a 5-core link and a baggage bot and you'll be shooting glue blasts from deployment zone to deployment zone at BS+6 saving on PH-6. On average, it means hitting on 18s and saving on 4s. Your opponent is eventually going to waste a lot of orders on engineering skills to unglue its troopers. By the way: only Starmada Bronzes have Akrylat-Kanone and core link so be advised. Plus, they have BS 13 so make sure you bring some smoke even if you have -6 Mimetism.

🔥 Impetuous: anything fast is good here, especially motorcycles! Just remember that these troopers can't benefit from partial cover so think twice on turn one: it may be wiser to reveal/remove enemy snipers before finding yourself in a tight spot. 

👓 360° visor: in this mission you'll definitely cross paths with your opponent so this equipment will work like a charm. Sixth sense is good too but I don't see it as a reason to push for 4-core links. 

Behaviours and tactics 

🐂 Come at me bro! Don't let your opponent taunt you unless you really want to. The risk of being lured towards a trap is high. Better send un-hackable/sixth sensed units ahead if you feel like things look a little too easy. 

📸 Blinded by the lights: picking up the beacon is an attack skill and therefore cannot be performed by a stunned trooper. It may sound strange, but a flash pulse bot can put up an excellent defense for your beacon.

🚨 Steal your own beacon: just remember it can be done. I see it as an order waste but it can be situationally relevant. 

Oooops! No you can't: only enemy beacons!

Final thoughts 

👁️‍🗨️ Out of sight: before playing this mission you'd better familiarize with all those weapons that can be used without line of fire. Speculative and perimeter weapons are always a pain to deal with and can really be useful to turn the tide in this mission. Also watch out for guided bots: all troopers (especially the carrier 😉) may be targeted by an hacker or by a forward observer and have a close encounter with a guided missile.

Useful links

• Capture and Protect text battle report by us!

Operation Golden Ratio: episode 05

Intro

As the ship started its approaching maneuver over Rodne, Alisaa sat next to Gina. In a matter of minutes, they would have landed on Island 3, a PanOceanian outpost built during the construction operations of Space Station Donacimiento, now reduced to a mass of falling debris over the lush rainforest covering the planet. The outpost had been scanned by Aleph's probes which revealed recent biological activity: investigations on site were extimated to be compromised by Nomads interference with an 83% chance, henche the armored support.  

"I fear the Greeks, even bearing gifts."
Gina looked back, without saying a word, uncomfortable with Alisaa's approach, who continued: "Apparently, this is something Laocoön said. According to Virgil, he was a Trojan priest who saw through the ruse of the horse and was therefore punished by the gods."
Alisaa stopped for a moment, looking at the barrel of her Combi Rifle, as if considering how to go on.

"After the Perseus incident, PanOceania made a motion to O-12 for the development of a failsafe dormient biotech antibody that would trigger upon Cube disconnection during class E missions. The motion was approved but Maya managed to soften it: mission class was rised and the bioweapon was only loaded on a limited number of subjects as a pilot program. Despite a number of close call events, Laocoön remained silent, until six months ago...".
Gina felt like she could ask for more information. It was a game she was not yet used to.
"So it triggered without satisfying the requirements?"
 "Yes, and not on a common trooper."
Their comlog light up, commencing mission countdown... 

Mission and lists 

This 300 point mission was Countermeasures, from ITS season 12 supplement. 

After the last defeat, Aleph goes for a more order intensive list bringing back the Dakinis and Parvati. The unusual 3-proxy formation is kind of a forced choice made to guarantee an adequate ARO power since the Garuda and the Dasyu are not on the table at deployment. 

Deployment 

Aleph wins the roll and keeps initiative, deploying and going first. A command token is spent to keep out the proxies and the Dasyu. The left flank is taken by the MK5 proxy supported by the hidden deployed Dasyu. On the center left goes the proxy MK2 and MK1 medic both on top of the building while the Danavas remains at street level. The center right is occupied by the big core link while the Naga goes on the far right. 

Nomads counter deploy with the Grenzer MSR and his two Securitate buddies on a rooftop with decent LoS to interfere with Aleph's approaching the HVTs. On the other end of the board, the Transductor also on a rooftop for some annoying flash pulse ARO action. The Perseus-Hollowman-Stempler Haris goes in the middle next to the Puppetattica minelayer. Zondnautica on the left flank in total cover ready to impetuously scoot forward. Mary and the Heckler also in the center making best possible use of forward deployment to hack and jam enemies going for the middle HVT and hopefully score some objectives themselves. Last but not least the most neglected of my toy soldiers, the Spektr FO goes in hidden deployment on the right, in the thick of the jungle ready to leverage his Terrain (Total) skill.    

Turn 1 

Classified Objectives: 

• Net undermine
• Identity check 
• Mapping discarded in favor of Capture

One command token is spent to move a Netrod from group 2 to 1. The core link advances toward the center, securing Identity Check with the MSV Deva. The MK2 proxy reveals herself to shoot the Grenzer sniper. Saturation reduces her active turn efficiency and she is shot down by DA ammo despite surprise attacking. She tries once again after being healed by the doctor but then goes down for good.

Nomads draw: 

• Follow up
• Identity check
• Capture is discarded in favor of Inoculation 

The Zondnautica comes forward covered in smoke to complete Net undermine and Follow up. The Naga reveals himself as a hacker and tries to trinity the Zondnautica but to no avail and moments later is shot down by the Grenzer. A camo token reveals himself as a Heckler and places a fastpanda in the center of the table. Through its repeater, Mary Problems isolates the combi Dakini. 

Turn 2 

Classified Objectives: 

• Inoculation
• HVT kidnapping canceled in favour of HVT designation
• Experimental drug    

The MK5 is in position to take HVT designation home easily and makes it. The MSV Deva goes on the right to wipe out the Zondnautica and succeeds. She then proceeds forward to shoot the Grenzer with her spitfire. Despite the 5 shots in good range she's not only sent to NWI, which would have been positive since the Experimental drug objective and nearby Parvati, but also to the graveyard. Cautiously moving, Parvati comes in range of the HVT and reaches him to complete Inoculation. The objective is secured, but Grenzer sends her to unconscious level 1 with just one DA hit.

Nomads draw: 

• Rescue 
• Test run
• Experimental drug is discarded in favour of Sabotage. 

The Hollow man comes forward and exchanges shots with the HMG Dakini, which surprisingly damage it. The damaging is a great opportunity to complete Test run and the clockmaker reaches the HI to heal it, securing the objective. Trekking once again through smoke, the same engineer aims for Sabotage. He goes unconscious due to the fire from Dakinis and MK5 proxy but succedes, securing the objective. The rest of Nomads army comes forward. 

Turn 3 

Classified Objectives: 

• Rescue is discarded in favor of In extremis recovery
• Telemetry 
• HVT: retroengineering

The Garuda parachutes to secure Telemetry but is made unconscious by a lucky shot. Trying the easy way, the Proxy MK5 goes for the Transductor Zond but a hidden Spektr is revealed and he steals the objective succeeding in forward observing. The Deva lieutenant goes though enemy fire to reach the unconscious engineer and secure In extremis recovery. 

With 5 objectives completed to 4, Nomads are declared victorious. 

Debriefing 

Aleph - OSS

In hindsight, I should have run White Noise with my Danavas the first time I shot the Grenzer. That would have allowed me to move freely on the right side with the core link to tamper Nomad's left flank. It will be something to remember for the next game. Having no hacker-only objectives drawn has been both a blessing and a course. It didn't allow me to use the well placed Dasyu I had in HVT ZoC and ultimately made it a waste of points in this mission. Overall I think I didn't help myself when I had the opportunity and on the rest of the occasions dice where pretty rough to me. 

Nomads - Tunguska

Pulled a victory out of a few crits and good armor rolls. All my specialists did well: Zondnautica and the Clockmaker excellent value for money. The Spektr did nothing but achieving the objective in ARO and securing the game. Mary and the Hollowman haris did not shine but still anchored the center and a STR 2 HI was good for Test Run. The Grenzer MSR is just solid but I might have said that already, even in a 3 men team he was a pain for my opponent to deal with. 

Outro 

Boris opened the hatch and went down the blood stained stairs, reassured by the low parameters detected by the Grenzer's biometric visor. Back on orbit Ludmilla, his trusted Clockmaker, briefed him via comlog: 

"One of the escape pods left Space Station Donacimiento during the biotechvore event. It was dubbed as a system failure but it must have been the subject they were looking for. Landing here and surviving on this rock mustn't have been easy."

Boris cautiously opened the door, pointing his gun to the body lying on the opposite side of the room. His flashlight lighted up the battered body of a Myrmidon, unconscious and with a missing arm. Despite the damage delivered by the biotech antibody, his face was still recognizable to the astonished nomad. 

"Ludmilla, call for a top priority extraction: we've got Patroclus here."

Infinity Mission Focus: Highly Classified

Welcome to the third installment of this series focusing on Infinity Missions.
After studying difficulties and opportunities when playing Mindwipe, we now indulge in one of the most erratic missions of all: Highly Classified.

In this mission, four Classified Objectives (COs for short) are drawn and shared by the two players, while each one draws a personal Secondary CO.

It is not that important nor difficult to get familiar with the CO deck: it's an additional set of rules introduced in ITS Season 10 composed by 20 cards, each one detailing an objective and the requirements and rolls needed to accomplish it.

To be prepared for this mission, let's see if we can brake it down in order to be prepared whatever our 5 cards will be.

Breaking down the deck

👨‍💻 Hackers: 25% (5 out of 20) of the COs can be accomplished with an hacker. Only 1 of these (5%) requires base contact, therefore it may be very wise to bring pitchers to this game.

👩‍🔬 Other specialists: doctors/paramedics and engineers cover 25% of the objectives, with one being shared and the rest being evenly divided between the two academic skills. Also forward observers have their share but their objectives can also be accomplished by hackers and therefore were already counted so in the previous paragraph.

🎖️Veteran/Elite/Chain of Command: 15% of the COs can be accomplished by having CoC or by using a Veteran or Elite trooper.

🤷 Various: 5% of the objectives can be achieved by using Heavy or Medium Infantry, another 5% by equipping a Multi Spectral Visor, a Biometric Visor or using sensor and the last 5% can be achieved using D-Charges.

Completing the analysis

Adding all those percentages together, you'll reach 80%. That means there are 4 COs missing. These four don't have specific requirements and can be divided in two groups: premium and normal. 

🏆 Premium COs: these can be overachieved to have additional Objective Points. To reach them, you'll need to be proficient in Close Combat and to have very high PH and mobility. 

🚰 Normal COs: these only need you to be in base contact with Unconcious enemies and perform an action.

👫 Get personal with your HVT: last but absolutely not least, remember that 35% (7 out of 20, that's the highest ratio we've seen) of the COs require an interaction with the enemy High Value Target. It may need LoF, ZoC or base contact, but since HVTs have to stay 4" away from any deployment zone it means any Superior Deployment skill will save you some orders to reach that HVT.

Fast units like @ponty_painter's Lawkeeper shown in this picture can be very useful not only to complete objectives but also to deny the enemy's efforts to fullfill their CO agenda! Check out his Twitter profile for more Infinity pictures!

Final thoughts

Taking all the above information can be a bit overwhelming and is really not that different from reading through all the COs so here's the takeout:

WATCH FOR POLYVALENT UNITS

It's easy to understand that units with all the requirements above would be essential in this mission so you should be looking for units in your list (and in your opponent's) that can cover a high number of requirements. These will be your mission wildcards, capable of tackling most of the COs you'll draw.

Such a unit will likely be (in this order): a hacker, with a Superior Deployment skill, with troop type Veteran or Elite, equipped with some sort of visor and d-charges, either an HI or MI, proficient in CC and with some high mobility feature like MOV 6, Super Jump or a Motorcycle.

Of course there's not such a unit and some armies will have a hard time satisfying just the first requirement* but you'll find that there's a pattern you can follow here.

Notable examples

• Liú Xing from Invincible Army: these guys were born for this mission. I won't even start talking about their Combat Jump (explosion).
  

• Knight of Justice from Military Orders: super effective in this mission but lacks Superior Deployment so I see Kinghts of Santiago to be the perfect complement to them. Watch out for both.
  
• Ekdromoi from Steel Phalanx: these guys are dirty cheap for what they can do in this mission and you can bring 4 of them!

I won't go in detail for every army because I don't want to get trapped into making tier lists or whatever but I've spotted valid alternatives in each sectorial to cover this "Jack of All Trades" role.

*Ariadna and Tohaa players, I'm looking at you: you'll have to make things work out differently. I believe your strength here lays in fireteams but I'm not 100% sure. I'll keep thinking about this and come back for you.