Military Orders in Infinity N4
With the recent confirmation that the revamp of the Sectorial, which we have known was coming since Bostria talked about it on White Noise mid year, won't be happening in 2020, it seemed like a good time to consider what the situation is for Military Orders in the N4 environment.
We'll consider the army as a whole, strengths and weaknesses, as well as the individual units. This won't be entirely comprehensive, but will seek to give a strong overview of the faction as it stands as one of the "Core 3" PanOceanian Sectorials at the beginning of N4.
Overall Strengths
1: Armour / Heavy Infantry
With the significant improvement to the value of Armour thanks to the N4 Crit rule, and the significant discounts which many ('though not all) Heavy Infantry saw in terms of their Points and Support Weapon Cost, Military Orders is well placed. With Heavy Infantry Knights being one of their premier unit choices, and the overall flexible range of options available within those orders, Military Orders remains one of the "go to" options for a Heavy Infantry based force.
2: Close Combat
Thanks to the re-arrangement of the Martial Arts chart in favour of MA2 Military Orders went from an "almost" Close Combat power to significant strength. While top tier elite CC units are generally better than a Knight, the various orders offer CC ratings, MA skill and weapons to be well worth taking advantage of when the opportunity arises.
3: Mid-to-Close Range Firepower
From 24" through to CC ranges Military Orders offers top tier firepower. With a range of high quality Spitfire platforms, and good access to Multi Rifles, they present dominant mid-range firepower. Core Linked Shotguns, on the other hand, give the rare opportunity to push past 20 in a BS attack, and there are few things more enjoyable than adding +3 to your roll with a firearm.
Overall Weaknesses
1: Expensive Obvious Lieutenants
Starting at a minimum of 26pts, mostly costing SWC, all being Hackable and largely on platforms which aren't easy to spam, it's often tough keeping your Military Orders Lt alive. It's also a significant list building hurdle, with most choices needing to play double duty in a Fireteam and thus facing increased risk.
2: Order Economy
With limited access to NCO and Tactical Awareness, no Lieutenant Level 2, expensive line infantry and limited availability of cheap remotes, Military Orders lists struggle to get to 15 orders. This isn't the disadvantage it once was, but what was nearly crippling in N3 is still challenging in N4.
3: Peak Ranged Firepower
Limited HMG options, limited Mimetism and no Camo gunfighters caps Military Orders firepower at "good but not amazing". Confronted by top tier ARO units like a Core Linked Kamau or Grenzer Sniper (and if the latter sounds like a strange example, go check them out... they got GOOD) Military Orders can find themselves stymied fairly easily.
Unit Breakdown
Light Infantry
The basic line infantry option for Military Orders, the Order Sergeant is an example of a unit which improved with N4 and yet remains somewhat disappointing. 3 points more than a Fusilier buys you 5 more CC and 1 more WIP but neither really makes up for the additional cost.
Even in a Core there's little to recommend the Order Sergeant as a Spitfire platform, and the MULTI Sniper likewise doesn't offer enough to be attractive. With no Lt to conceal amongst their fellows there's little reason to lean into the basic Combi either. The obvious exception to this is as an order base, with the N4 Military Orders offering even more strong solo pieces which a Core of Order Sergeants can support.
The AuxBot options, of Heavy Rocket Launcher or basic Combi, are useful Deployment Zone defense and "warband" standins. The high SWC cost of the former means they are unlikely to appear in numbers without Joan in the mix, while the latter is relatively expensive (although effective). Making use of the extra burst from an AuxBot can be enough to pull the Order Sergeants CC up to a useful level, 'though only against very weak CC units with Mimetism or other strong defense against ranged attacks.
Acting as either an option to join an Order Sergeant Core Fireteam, or an Infiltrator, Konstantinos is an example of the uninspired character design from PanOceania's past. His cost is too high and a Combi Rifle too poor a weapon option to really leverage his MSV in the Core, while his lack of a Marker State makes his Infiltrating profile too vulnerable.
There is an argument for him as a dedicated midfield hunter, especially combined with Dart, for taking on particularly midfield heavy opponents. But this limited role is ultimately too narrow for this Brother to make the field often, no matter how interesting his background might be.
With no "Sectorial Unique" option for the former, and reduced need for the latter thanks to the improved performance of Paramedics and competition from other Doctors, these are two units which some Military Orders commanders will reach for if only to give them another low cost option. 
Both of these units offer useful support however, with the Machinist continuing to be excellent backup for Heavy Infantry despite the option to Reset or Dodge out of most states. Likewise the Trauma Doc is likely to have opportunities to bring up your Knights due to the likelihood that they will survive an initial volley of enemy fire.
The utility of either of these support choices is significantly enhanced by the selection of a PalBot to support them. Don't just think of these as offering better support coverage however, as they can make up in minefield clearance what they may lack in combat capability, and there's more than once their CC potential has thwarted an enemy attack. You may want to consider investing the limited availability elsewhere however, as they can also be a significant CC boost for better fighters.
These two Irregular units obviously synergize perfectly with Joan and her Inspiring Leadership. This is one of the key reasons why you will see many players wax lyrical about Joan as the premier Lt choice for Military Orders. Obviously the 15 Trooper cap in N4 limits their value as pure ARO
pieces, which used to make them a solid choice regardless.
pieces, which used to make them a solid choice regardless.
Don't overlook the value of the Tech Bee as a backup pocket Specialist, and as an emergency option to repair Remotes or TAGs, but generally speaking these are options to reach for with your last few points if you happen to have a slot free, or to abuse with Joan.
Medium Infantry
Within the context of Military Orders the Crusader Brethren are a useful option, presenting one of only two drop troops and three off-table choices for Military Orders. They are, however, an exceptionally vanilla Drop Troop.
Basically, if you really want a drop trooper, the Crusader Brethren is fine. But you probably won't pick one up because of what the Crusader is offering. This raises the interesting question, does Military Orders want support from a drop trooper? This is obviously build contextual, but an unhackable attack option with positioning advantage is likely enough to be useful that you certainly won't regret having the choice available to you.
The second Doctor choice, and the one sitting in the awkward middle between the Light Infantry offering of the Trauma Doc and the Heavy Infantry Hospitaller Knights. This unit represents the kind of problematic Medium Infantry which I had really hoped N4 would solve. You are paying a lot of points for Skills and Attributes which ultimately won't last long on a one Wound model.
If you do want to run an Infirmarer solo then one potential boost is to run an AuxBot and use it to pull their melee potential up by adding +1 B. It's certainly going to help you land that Mono CCW hit!
The Black Friars are another missed opportunity, which I can't help but consider with regret. If they had simply been given Wildcard for both profiles then I think we would see a lot of them on tables, but as it is they remain a VERY niche choice.
If you REALLY want an MSV MULTI Sniper there's also the other profile, but I'd basically consider it dead and look elsewhere to cover whatever need you thought it was going to fill.
Heavy Infantry
Up front let's acknowledge that we know this unit is changing. They are becoming a S5 "Super-Heavy Infantry" unit, the second for PanOceania and the first for Military Orders. If that's literally the only change made it'll be pretty disappointing, but we'll see what happens in 2021 when we get our update. For the moment, however, we are consider the KotHS as it stands today.
The former can also be an Lt choice, but is likely outclassed in the role of aggressive Lt and doesn't really offer much else to recommend it beyond the marker state. These can be combined with Dart, Forward Deployed Hospitallers, Konstantinos, Peacemakers and Trinitarians into a surprisingly strong midfield game if you want to lean into it. Holoprojector mine clearance, Stealth and Surprise Attack are all key tools for these choices.
The latter are probably best thought of as a second aggressive Lt option, to back up your first, rather than traditional hidden Chain of Command units. Their ability to Holomask as another choice is helpful to veil your force composition, but the ultimate cost of your initial Lt plus this can become prohibitive.
The Holy Order of Hospitaller Knights of St John of Skovorodino are the base for two of the three main Heavy Infantry Core Fireteam builds offered in Military Orders. With a range of weapon options, good CC, Stealth, a Doctor option and the cheapest 0 SWC Lt in Sectorial the Hospitaller are a popular choice. They can also run a Duo or Haris, to supplement other Core options.
With a HMG for Core Fireteam bonus enhanced ranged work, MULTI Rifles for flexible mid-range firepower and a Boarding Shotgun for rounding corners before finishing opponents off in CC, Hospitaller Knights offer a full package of offensive engagement. The Doctor can cheap out with a Combi Rifle, or take the MULTI Rifle instead if you have the points free. Only the one MULTI Rifle option for the Lt is disappointing, but it's still one of our best value options.
But we also have interesting solo options. While Frenzy hurts more for a solo piece, the Doctors can be highly effective especially with a PalBot to help them work and in CC (3pts for +1 Burst is a good deal). The other interesting option here is the new Forward Deployment +8" Boarding Shotgun profile with D-Charges. While a DA CCW means that the D-Charges aren't necessary for most CC work, they certainly add an interesting anti-armour option, and obviously bring some utility as well.
While it's easy to see De Fersen purely as a character Hospitaller, that obscures some significant differences with his profile which are worth noting. The first of these is the fact that he drops Frenzy, making this profile much more effective solo than his brothers.
On top of this he's bringing a Spitfire, which isn't an uncommon weapon option in Military Orders by any means, but isn't a standard weapon for Hospitallers making the option more useful. Although the KHD Santiago offers a better overall Fireteam package De Fersen is an outstanding pick for covering a wide range of Classified Objectives. Perhaps not something you'll use all the time, but certainly an option worth remembering.
Thanks to Inspiring Leadership both versions of Joan are outstanding Lt choices. So much so that some players will argue that she's the only viable Lt choice in Military Orders. That overstates the case somewhat, but she certainly has a lot to offer.
While Frenzy helps keep the cost down for her total package, it certainly negatively impacts on her solo capability. On the other hand, the bonus Coordinated Order offered by Inspiring Leadership argues in favour of keeping her out of a Fireteam, so this can be a delicate balance. It is certainly true that both versions are very tough, effective at range and in CC, and offer a good combination of weapons.
On balance the V1 profile probably fits better into the "Crusade Fireteam" with Hospitallers, while the V2 profile probably ends up being more effective as a solo piece with other options supporting her in those Coordinated orders.
It's hard to overstate how effective Joan can be overall. With the opportunity to add cheap Regular orders with the Tech Bee and WarCor helping drag her effective cost down, she hits hard and is tough to put down. Of course she's a perfectly obvious Lt, but she's tough enough all 'round that it'll seldom be too much of a worry.
Only the restrictive nature of the Crusade Fireteam and challenge of optimizing for both the Fireteam and Inspiring Leadership pushes back against including Joan all the time. But while she is an excellent choice, and the bonus SWC from the V1 Joan gives greater build flexibility, her cost and the particulars of her abilities do push towards a narrow list design philosophy which may not suit all commanders.
Knight of Justice
These new units are basically the N4 replacement for Father Knights. Although Svalarheima gave us a brief glimpse of them in N3, their background and design clearly speaks to a desire to deliver on the concept of the Father Knights, but more effectively.
The key issue here remains overall cost. Even after the substantial discounts which N4 delivered it's a hefty investment for a very "vanilla" HI unit which is spending a lot of points on basic stats. Combi Rifle armament on the specialists is also frustrating, and undermines the otherwise elite feel of the unit overall. We'd recommend considering the FD Spitfire, Hacker or FO as a solo piece, or the Missile Launcher in an Order sergeant core, if you want to give this unit a spin.
One of the few things we do know about the upcoming Military Orders redesign, and one of the reasons that we know that it is happening, is the Magister Knights. The controversial new Magister box set has been taken out of production, and CB admitted that there was more coming for MO in N4 in response to questions about that decision. We are told that this will be similar to what happened with the Japanese Haramaki, which became Tankos in Uprising, with the former going OOP and the latter being a stylistic and conceptual reworking based on the same design conceits of the original.
Another great use, which Joan helps with as well, is Coordinated Order attacks. Mass Panzerfausts is one of the strongest ways to do these kinds of plays and Magisters are a solid platform for it, even the target your opponent AROs against has a decent chance of surviving!
One aspect which is disappointing is that this, lighter Knight, doesn't have the 6-2 move which many other N2 "fast HI" picked up, which would have made a real difference to its performance in the "heavy warband" role. While the one point upgrade to the DA CCW is a no brainer, it's also nice to have the option for AP CCW, if only so you can shave off points for list building flexibility. And with Armour such a significant feature of N4 play they are more useful in any case.
If you are a returning player, coming into N4 Military Orders from N2 or early N3 MO or Shock Army, then you may be surprised by the transformation of the Montesa. Third Offensive has the full details, but to cut a long story short they adapted after heavy losses to the troop transports they used to use and picked up motorcycles (and light TAGs as we will see later).
In Military Orders you will want to either get your Montesa working with friends, with Joan and Magisters being one effective pairing, or clear the way with fear of overwhelming firepower, a TAG or Core Hospitaller HMG being the best threats, in order to get in to where they can do the most damage. In N4 MO this is one of the best ways to get across quickly and deal to whatever is hiding from your really big guns.
The Santiago Knights seem to be where Corvus Belli are using up nearly all their inventiveness and inspiration for Military Orders in one set of profiles. They are certainly well loved, and represent a significant package of interesting options.
Frenzy argues against running these Knights solo, but once again they are perfectly suited to slot into any Fireteam, especially as they are a Wildcard option. They have decent CC but weak MA, with their other key weakness being lower BTS.
Our other option here is a full HI Combat Jump trooper. With Assisted Jump up from a handy EVO (which you may well want to run in any case) this profile becomes 80% accurate, and a Stealth HI with Shotgun, Mines, solid CC and access to a marker state is something of a nightmare.
The Sacred Military Order of Teutonic Knights remains something of a disappointment overall. It still lacks the full CC capability to make use of Berserk effectively, sports a Combi Rifle as the base, and costs SWC for the cheapest Lt option in the Sectorial.
Lack of 6-2 on what was one of the original "fast HI" options from the N2 Human Sphere is disappointing, as is relying on a Specialist Operative for a specialist option. On the other hand the Combi Rifle armament is nicely supplemented by the Panzerfaust and leaves the Teutons with quite good coverage of range bands. This also allows them to participate in Coordinated Order attacks, especially alongside Magisters or aided by the bonus from Joan.
The whole package comes together somewhat in list building. The NCO Spitfire leading a team of Magisters with an Order Sergeant and/or Infirmarer is such a strong, low cost but effective, Core that you can include good support and a TAG as well. In and of themselves the Teutons may be as disappointing as always, but in the context of the Sectorial they are well worth seeing what you can build.
Tactical Armoured Gear
Seraphs
Both Seraph options offer useful choices, with HMGs being relatively rare in the Sectorial, while the Spitfire with AuxBot brings speed and mobility which is difficult to match in other options. The key argument against going with a Seraph now would be either competition, from a Fireteam Core of Knights or a Tikbalang, and the fact that with falling removed from the game Superjump simply isn't worth the investment on a 55mm base.
Don't overlook the utility of the Crabbot, which now has slightly better WIP than in N3. While certainly only an emergency backup, the fact that it will be up with the TAG that carries it can make all the difference in order expenditure. Using the AuxBot as a support piece, and leveraging the ability to double Discover and double Intuitive Attack, is probably the best way to get real value out of the Seraph in N4, leaving the regular HMG profile largely outclassed.
The Tikbalangs TAG was already one of the best value-for-points offensive units in the game. The addition of the Montesa option, swapping out the Mines for AP on the HMG, was already great in an N4 context. The discount which this unit has seen has only reinforced it as one of the best units in the game.
In fact, the Tikbalang of Montesa is so good that it creates a fairly significant internal competition problem for Military Orders, where this long range fire support piece is overwhelmingly superior to anything else you can take in that role. Even the Core Fireteam linked Hospitaller HMG, can't compete and Joan v2 in a full Core is only just as good, but with worse rangebands and damage.
Now that it's a points neutral straight swap the decision between the Tikbalang classic and the Tikbalang of Montesa can be tough. The original has been very effective, and dropping your own mines to defend a TAG is excellent, but AP is very valuable in N4. Make sure you have another excellent anti-armour tool before you go past the Montesa.
In short, you should probably take a Tikbalang in your Military Orders force. And if you aren't then you should probably know why. Because this unit is good enough that you shouldn't overlook it without good reasons.
Remotes
One of the most effective cheap attack pieces available to PanOceania, the Bulleteer has suffered from the reduced access to Supportware, now that key programs have been moved from the Hacking Device to the EVO. However, given the fact that most Military Orders lists will want an EVO one way or another anyway, the opportunity cost of supporting the Bulleteer drops significantly.
Improved in N4 thanks to the ability to go Prone, both the Heavy Shotgun and the Spitfire are viable options. You will likely want to put up Assisted Fire before one launches an attack run, and with this enhancement in place you are a top tier hunter. This is also one of the only units available to Military Orders which is taking advantage of visual modifiers, and that can allow you to punish different enemies more effectively.
The Peacemaker has suffered slightly from the removal of the Mechanised Deployment rule, but while Forward Deployment +8" leaves is slightly further back from the center line in most missions the added flexibility in positioning more than makes up for the difference.
The change to Shotguns has made the Heavy Shotgun an even more dangerous option, even without the boost they used to get from EVO support. Their contribution helps to make Military Orders better in the midfield than most people expect.
In addition the aggressive Spitfire option gives an alpha strike potential which is hard to match within the sectorial. Combined with the Motorized Montesa and Magisters you can really get an opponent on the ropes quickly.
One of the first things any new PanOceania commander should pick up, the DronBot Remotes are vitally useful options which help Military Orders in a number of ways. Each can help cover off weaknesses which are otherwise difficult to mitigate within the Sectorial, and overcome challenges which your other units will struggle with. But more than anything else they offer durable orders for not too many points in a Sectorial where it's very easy to run out of points before you fill out an order pool.
More so than previously the Clipper can also fill a reasonable backup ARO role where necessary, especially after key enemy high burst and ranged strike pieces have been eliminated.
It's just a pity that Military Orders only gets the one!
With the dearth of cheap Regular Order options, and plenty of Disposable Weapons scattered throughout the Sectorial, MuleBots can be a fantastic choice for any Military Orders list. Make sure you hide your 8 point Deactivator well 'though, as it has absolutely no way to defend it'self and even improved Remote dodging won't be enough if your opponent gets a bead on it.
The Total Reaction Combi Rifle used to have niche value for zone control missions in N3 when Baggage added extra points to its value and it became difficult to dig out. As things are in N4 there is basically no reason to want to use it.
Skirmishers
Thanks to a background interaction with Konstantinos during the defense of the Fortress Monastery of Strelsau against the Combined Army Third Offensive on Paradiso, the Military Orders have access to the Aristeia! star and Optimates member Dart. Providing the only Forward Deploying Camo option in the army, and she is an outstanding one to have.
Thanks to synergy with the Trinitarian Minelayer we'll look at next, and with support from the Hospitaller FD Boarding Shotgun and Peacemaker, Military Orders can fight in the midfield well. The only real pity is that Dart outcompetes Konstantinos hard enough to make taking the two of them together a purely thematic choice.
Trinitarian Tertiaries
This new unit is the replacement for the Specialist Sergeant, trading reduced availability for much better flexibility. While an occasional meme list might have pulled on the unlimited TO Camo Forward Observers and MULTI Snipers which MO had access to in N3, the reality is that Hidden Deployment doesn't really allow mass use, and especially not with the cap of 15 to contend with.
First off, this unit is exceptionally well priced, while the Minelayer is slightly SWC heavy it's not hard to fit one or more Tertiaries into a list. You can also use these, along with the other midfield options, to build a force which won't fit most expectations for Military Orders and will engage in objective heavy missions well. Dropping a Mine to help conceal Dart and to cover those units which might be more exposed in the midfield is especially valuable.
But look at the full package you are drawing on, a specialist with D-Charges, and AP ammunition, and Mines, and (with the Boarding Shotgun) a direct template weapon as well. This unit is just so darn good!
Don't overlook the Hidden Deployment ambush with the MULTI Sniper as well. Military Orders offers some excellent quality AROs which you can back up with this, but it can be even more effective when dropped on a unit expecting a quick and easy win against a WarCor or a Fugazi.
Concluding Thoughts
Although still presenting some challenges, the N4 expression of the PanOceanian Military Orders is a solid force. It offers one of the best ways to run Heavy Infantry in Infinity, and supports them well. But it also presents interesting TAG choices, good mixed Fireteams, some exceptional solo pieces, a strong midfield game, and even a PanOceanian take on Warband swarming.
Going in knowing that you will need to build around your Lt choice, and then plan to keep them up if the enemy hunts them, is something which will make a big difference. Likewise looking for ways to keep your order count up despite the expensive key pieces.
Overall Military Orders are starting N4 from a solid place. We'll be back soon with a couple more articles, looking at Fireteams in Military Orders and at building some armies as examples.
Let us hope that they grow to even greater heights in their upcoming review!
As always your thoughts, comments and feedback is appreciated.
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