Guess What's Back?!?

 

Oh, look, it's the Atech dumbtube!

Major Points Changes - N4 NeoTerra

 

Now that the Out Of Production Sectorials and Factions have been added to the N4 Army Builder and their Sectorial and Special Fireteam charts are available we can see how things have changed.

Today we'll look at NeoTerra, here are their Sectorial and Special Fireteam charts:

There's a lot here which we've already seen. Obviously Fusiliers, with the Hacker change being the biggest factor, the Support crew, Hexas, the awesome new Bolts, Black Friars, ORCs, Aquila, Swiss Guard, Squalo, Locusts, CSUs, all the Remotes and Characters.

Of course, there are a few surprises in what we do get, Shona is good to see for certain and ORCs going into Fusilier Core is great (if familiar).

Our first actual change is to the Auxilia, who finally have something for the extra point which they paid for no reason!, but only on the Forward Observer. Oh well, it's not like we were often taking the other profile anyway. If you wanted to run the Lt, then it's slightly cheaper in terms of SWC, but that seems unlikely to be significant with how uncommon the choice is.

Although the profiles were already there in ALEPH, there's a good chance that a lot of PanOceanian players haven't checked out the Deva yet. Arriving for us in NeoTerra the Deva has remained an interesting option. Some small points changes don't really shift the unit in terms of overall balance within the Sectorial, we aren't getting use out of their Haris or #2 unfortunately, but both the Sensor or MSV Spitfire remain solid staple options. The previously amazing Assault Hacker with Lightning is no more, but the Hacker is still a high quality specialist option to consider. Hopefully the Lt Sensor option missing out on Sensor is an error and we can actually get use out of that profile again, but generally the Deva is one of our better leadership candidates.

Shona was an addition which I (for one) had hoped for, but did not really expect. She brings something to NCA which it has not previously had at all, a premier Close Combat unit. This is an interesting option to add to some of our units, especially aggressive fireteams. Of course, lacking Smoke we don't have the best ways in the world to get her to a target, so unless your opponent is really dug in and you've swept away AROs (not that NCA isn't excellent at that) you aren't likely to have a lot of luck in getting her to her target.

Not much has changed for ORC troopers, beyond their linkability (going into Fusiliers is grand) and the flexibility which some of the Wildcards offer (maybe Uma isn't terrible in a Haris with a Climbing + ORC?). We have all the usual suspects, plus the Varuna Feuerbach and Shotgun + TinBot, as well as the Svalarheima MULTI and MULTI + TinBot. Both are interesting, especially for Haris use, and especially with Wildcards.

The much anticipated return of the Clausewitz Uhlans has produced a somewhat mixed outcome. For almost anything else and 11pt drop would be huge, but here it's one of the smallest discounts on a TAG for N4. +1 Burst on the Feuerbach is good, but only makes the combo of HMG and Feuerbach feel even more like bloat. Still, a Camo TAG with a top tier TAG hunting tool is going to be useful in the N4 environment and I think we'll see an Uhlan from time to time at least.

The Garuda remains a very useful choice for NCA, not only offering our only drop trooper, but also a great one. While the loss of the cheap Combi and the HMG will be mourned by some, the addition of a Combi FO is so excellent that it's hard to overstate how good it is for NCA in general.  Not much has changed here, and yet the game has changed for NCA drop options entirely. If only Availability was higher!

Now, it may not have actually changed much it'self, but it's been pointed out that we would be remiss if we didn't discuss the huge change which Wildcard on the Bulleteer represents! Although the scaling back of supportware slightly pings the solo Bulleteer ('though they are still good, especially if you were already running a Machinist and EVO MuleBot anyway) pulling them into a Core or Haris is a huge boon. Obviously they have the speed to keep up with ORCs, which is very nice, and give both them or Bolts some (much needed) visual modification as an option. But adding the Shotgun armed Bulleteer to a defensive Core is useful too, as a Heavy Shotgun double-shot ARO with Mimetism -6 is going to hold a corner VERY well against most things coming around it in N4. 

When you can pull it off, you can get this thing up to 18's (full Core and Marksmanship, in your good band from 8-24" on the Spitfire) or 21's (ditto, but on the 0-8" band on the Heavy Shotgun) with extra burst. That's pretty nuts, and a 55mm base is a small price to pay.

Fusilier fireteams are going to remain a staple, with ORCs and CSUs as base additions, but slotting in an Aquila is an interesting option (BS 18 on MSV 3 with good bands out to 24" on an AP or Shock weapon seems hilariously strong). The Bolts are somewhat expensive, probably too expensive for an ARO base ('though including the Sniper as a Round One ARO on an otherwise active team seems like a solid option) but they will be a strong active offensive choice. Haris teams are going to be fun between the ORC or Bolt base, with Aquila, Black Friar, Bulleteer, Machinist and Shona to slot in.

Overall, things are looking pretty good for NCA in N4!

What do you think about the update?

Anything you hoped to see and don't?

Anything you'd rather hadn't changed?

What were the surprises?

Let me know below, on Facebook, or on the Infinity Forum.

Major Points Changes - N4 Acontecimento

 

Now that the Out Of Production Sectorials and Factions have been added to the N4 Army Builder and their Sectorial and Special Fireteam charts are available we can see how things have changed.

We'll start with Acontecimento, here are their Sectorial and Special Fireteam charts:

No real surprises there, but the meat of the conversation starts when we look at the changes to units, their points and SWC costs.

Up first with them are the Regulars. These have mostly changed along the same lines of most Light Infantry (slightly cheaper MULTI Sniper Rifles, Hacking Device changes etc.) but two profiles stand out. 

Firstly the Sensor + Minelayer profile, which has kept Triangulated Fire (which could easily have gone), but most importantly they have gotten a point cheaper AND now cost no SWC! Keeping with the no SWC trend, the Forward Observer is also now 0 SWC.

The Hacker + Grenade Launcher option has also dropped substantially in points, down from 23pts to only 16pts. Of course at a full 1 SWC it's hard to spam these, but it remains an excellent package of offensive and support options in a very cheap package.

Given that their only real role is "cheap AD" it's a little disappointing that the Akali Sikh Commando went up in cost, 'though the Boarding Shotgun coming into line with the Combi Rifle is simply par for the N4 course. They are still solid budget options overall 'though. Bagh Mari have picked up #2 and some minor points changes, up for the heavy weapons importantly, but broadly speaking they have changed very little.

Kirpal Singh came through the N3 to N4 conversion totally unchanged... in one profile. But the OTHER profile has a lot of potential, dropping Chain of Command and instead picking up NCO, an actually useful option on a Drop Trooper (especially in a Sectorial which typically hides its Lt). Stephen Rao got two points more expensive, a hard thing on an already questionable character (Wildcard or not), but at least he's a Specialist Operative, and #2 can be useful in other Fireteams? His Lt profile is more expensive again, but this, at least, is paying for an extra Command Token. It's fairly questionable 'though, considering his overall cost.

Drakios has swapped Free Agent for Specialist Operative, which is a nice upgrade, but he's a harder sell at the same points and SWC as he once was against the much cheaper HI options he competes with as an aggressive offensive piece. On the other hand Albedo on an aggressive unit does seem even more valuable in N4. 

Scylla hasn't change her attributes, but incredibly she picked up ECM: Hacker (-3) and her device options have changed completely. Trinity is available on all options, which makes her useful against other hackers without the "Marker Repeater" issue ('though the loss of Impersonation flamethrower sync remotes is sad). But the real highlight is the availability of the EVO device on something other than a MuleBot remote, a promising development for the game overall, and one which likely reinforces Acon as one of the best places to do a Remote heavy PanO build.

Finally, Teucer lost the pointless option with no MSV, his Feuerbach got 6pts and 0.5 SWC cheaper and his K1 Sniper got 10pts cheaper. He has lost Climbing Plus, Free Agent, Marksmanship lvl X and Multiterrain. On the other hand he gains BS Attack (Shock), Immunity (Shock) and Triangulated Fire. Probably overall a net gain for his active ranged sniping role.

The Guarda De Assalto is back to being the "fast HI" he (or she) was back in N2, with a 6-2 move. It's come down 9pts for the MULTI Rifle and 6pts and 0.5 SWC on the Spitfire. Significantly the AuxBot is impacted by the change from a Light Grenade Launcher (which had a +3 rangeband) to a Grenade Launcher (which has no +3 rangeband) making it even more chancy. It is overall for the best that it has remained Eclipse, as it's probably better (even with the terrible odds) to block AROs totally than occasionally set up "the smoke trick" for our MSV units.

The Montesa Motorized Knights we had already seen, the Red Fury will be as good here as it is in MO, but the key is that Acon can take a pair of them, which may be interesting for some builds and missions. I can see myself running a Red Fury to make a hole and then a Paramedic to exploit it (and pick his buddy back up).

The ORC changes, likewise, are well known. There are no special Acontecimento ORCs, but the peculiarities of Bagh Mari and Regulars as Fireteam Core options, and the flexibility of the Special Fireteam composition, mean that running one alongside the LI and MI will be very common. The Varuna Feuerbach and Boarding Shotgun + TinBot are available (and useful to think of as Acon ORCs, they do have Stealth and Jungle Terrain) and may be useful. The two MULTI Rifle Svalarheima options seem less good outside the context of their sectorial however.

We've already seen the Tikbalang, and while it's disappointing that the Tikbalang of Montesa is not joining Acon it's no real surprise. Our new friend for N4 is the Dragoes Acontecimento Dragoon, which has dropped in cost a whopping 21pts and 1 full SWC. Otherwise unchanged from N3 this fire support piece is now outstanding value and can be slotted into many different army builds as a go-to solution to any and all targets.

There are also other minor changes, Agnes is slightly cheaper, Nagas got some small points and SWC changes (but are still amazing), and a few other small bits which will shake out in list building.

Overall, things are looking pretty good for SAA in N4!

What do you think about the update?

Anything you hoped to see and don't?

Anything you'd rather hadn't changed?

What were the surprises?

Let me know below, on Facebook, or on the Infinity Forum.

OOP Faction and Sectorial Fireteam Charts

 

OOP PanOceanian Sectorial and Fireteam Charts

 

N4 Military Orders - As Things Stand

 

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

Order Sergeants

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.

More interesting is the Core linkable MSV2 Spitfire and the Heavy Rocket Launcher, especially as the Assault Pistol on the latter offers another avenue of attack. Both the Paramedic (more for the HI who may be with you) and the Hacker (with WIP 13 at least) are worth considering as well. Note the N4 ruling on MediKit, where one success cancels all failures, making the extra burst from a Fireteam all the more useful if you have HI to pull back up.

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.

Indigo Brother Konstantinos

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.

Machinist and Trauma Doc

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.

WarCor and Tech Bee

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.

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

Crusader Brethren

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.

With only middling CC and no Special Skills beyond Combat Jump, Parachutist and Zero-G Terrain (thematic but hardly inspiring), other than the ubiquitous Religious Troop, the only real standout points are how poor the PH is for a drop troop and the ARM and BTS. No Specialist is disappointing, and while D-Charges with the Boarding Shotgun are somewhat useful, and the MULTI Rifle, Light Flamethrower is interesting as a package of offensive options, this isn't exactly leaping out and demanding inclusion.

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.

Infirmarers of St Lazarus

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.

With a Monofilament CCW and CC 20 pushing up the price it's hard to make a case for the solo Infirmarer, but as they are Wildcard in Military Orders there may be a place for using them in Fireteams. This case is somewhat undermined by the role of Heavy Infantry in Military Orders Fireteams however, as linked Paramedics are a lot cheaper and often more effective healers thanks to the changes to Medkit (multiple tests allow a success to ignore all failures). But if you do want a Doctor in a Fireteam and you aren't running Hospitallers then the Infirmarer isn't bad.

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!

PanOceanian Black Friars

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.

The Multi Rifle profile offers an interesting package which you can build into an Order Sergeant Core Fireteam, or run as a solo hunter piece for engaging both Camo and Impersonator units. As a Fireteam option it has some competition from Konstantinos, and stiffer competition from the Order Sergeant MSV2 Spitfire profile. Albedo also offers an interesting tool for engaging other MSV users, which is more useful now that the unit isn't so slow. While not something you will reach for every time, this profile can be very useful.

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

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre

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 Equestrain Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulchre bring Holo and Marker State HI, with Stealth and decent CC, but are really two sets of similar troopers with distinct roles. One set, which has Forward Deployment +8", offers an aggressive marker attack piece and the choice between a Spitfire or Grenade Launcher. The other brings Chain of Command, with either a Breaker Combi or Spitfire. In either case it is disappointing that their drop in Armour hasn't been matched with an upgrade to the 6-2 "fast HI" standard which one finds commonly in other forces.

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. 

Knights Hospitaller

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.

Gabriele De Fersen

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. 

The bump to CC and MA is useful, and pushes him well into the territory where he will be more effective against most targets with CC once he's closed to range and the AP + Shock CCW is a very flexible tool. But the key is his good WIP, solid BTS, Stealth and Trinity upgrade to a Hacking Device making him an excellent hacking specialist.

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.

Jeanne d'Arc

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.

Joan V1 balances average speed with strong armour and a flexible MULTI Rifle armament with bonus damage. Joan V2 sacrifices armour for better mobility and a weapon upgrade to the Spitfire. It's also worth noting how strong the +2" for Dodge can be on this profile as well, with active turn Dodge use allowing ARO free repositioning and helping to drag up her average speed even further.

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.

With improved mobility, a minor tradeoff in WIP, and Martial Arts lvl 2 (which is now the key +3 -3 level) instead of the (now defunct) Assault, Knights of Justice are an excellent substitute. Making them a Wildcard also offers a key niche, allowing them to slot into Order Sergeant Fireteams (especially) and offer a strong ARO piece, tough specialist or point man.

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.

Magister Knights

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.

Magisters, regardless of external comparisons (which are a reflection of the fact that this profile will be replaced in 2021), are a useful "heavy warband" choice and Fireteam Core filler if you decide to run with the Teuton base. Both the Panzerfaust and the Missile Launcher are interesting ARO options linked, and the former (especially) offer utility for Coordinated Order attacks. A solo Joan can also make good use of these for a kind of offensive which many opponents won't see coming from PanOceania. 

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.

Motorized Knights of Montesa

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).

A Heavy Infantry motorcycle was an interesting option in late N3, but limited weapon options really held the unit back. The simple addition of the Red Fury here really takes the Motorized Montesa to the next level. The MULTI Rifle has gotten significantly better in N4 thanks to reduced cost and the improved value of AP, and a fast but still tough specialist is always worth considering, but the Red Fury is likely to be the most common option given the still strict availability.

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.

Knights of Santiago

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.

The "basic" choice is a specialist with a whole package of weapons, including a high burst medium range, direct template, grenades and D-Charges and this version is available as a Lieutenant. The most common choice, however, is the KHD Hacker with Tinbot, a profile only let down by the Combi Rifle armament. These are a common sight in MO Fireteams, and well worth including as either a point trooper, SWC free Lt, or your Hacking defense.

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. 

Teutonic Knights

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.

This is somewhat mitigated by the presence of an NCO option, with Spitfire, offering some capability to make effective use of the Lt order within a Fireteam. Of course the high cost of Lt options in MO and lack of Lt lvl 2 means that this isn't quite the cheap fuel which it would be elsewhere. 

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

The original Military Orders TAG now has options and a "fixed" AuxBot, just in time for its distinctive feature, Superjump, to be nerfed to borderline uselessness. On the other hand it now has improved CC, and Martial Arts, to be able to get some real use out of its EXP CCW, further adding to its utility options. 

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.

The key challenge is the difficulty in jumping up and fully on top of terrain. With the need to get all 55mm up the Seraph can only get onto smaller buildings and obstacles, barely higher than those the Seraph can simply vault at S7. This significantly cuts into the utility of the main skill you are paying for, and while 10" jumps can be situationally useful this isn't consistent enough to be worth the investment, especially when the competition brings Climbing +.

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.

Tikbalangs

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.

On top of the raw mechanical advantage of BS15 and Mimetism -3 on a Dam 16 AP HMG there is also the improved N4 Climbing Plus. This allows increased speed when going up buildings, thanks to the interaction placing the base fully onto the top once a unit reaches the maximum vertical height, and with all elevation offering cover in N4 the Tikbalang is well placed to be an even more deadly and challenging threat.

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

ArmBots: Bulleteer

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.

ArmBots: Peacemaker

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.

DronBot Remotes

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.

Pathfinders are fast specialists, decent backup ARO pieces, visual mod problem solvers and anti-Camo units all rolled into one neat package. They remain one of the best cheap specialist choices you can take anywhere in PanOceania, and N4 has not diminished how useful they are to basically any kind of list. Military Orders particularly leans into them for Sensor, as they can be particularly vulnerable to some Camo and Hidden Deployment ambushes.

Sierra are good ARO units, exceptional backfield cover and also useful as backup ranged support (especially if you have an EVO to drop Enhanced Fire on them). Total Reaction and the 360° Visor along with an HMG let the Sierra engage opponents throughout most deployment zones. The key is to ensure that they can't be engaged at over 32", and that opponents don't get to within 8" of them too easily without taking at least some risk. Corners tend to be great, rooftops less so.

The Clipper is a great support unit, and while the utility of Guided attacks is something which Military Orders isn't ideally suited for, it is still a useful threat to force opponents to spread their deployment more than they might otherwise be inclined to.

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.

Fugazi are fantastic order generators and a great way to push Repeaters up the table quickly. But with Mimetism to help protect them and WIP 13 their main role is to deliver N4s even more dangerous Flash Pulse AROs. Although some units are capable of shrugging it off entirely, against most Rambo units the threat of Stunned is far greater than any single Wound, so Fugazi can often be more effective than nearly any other choice. 

It's just a pity that Military Orders only gets the one!

MuleBots Remotes

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.

As the only source of Supportware Hacking in N4 the value of the EVO MuleBot has skyrocketed. It offers access to Firewall for your other Remotes, HI or TAGs, as well as Controlled Jump to help if you are using drop troopers, and Enhanced Fire to make your cheap Remote backup strike pieces genuinely dangerous. It will be an uncommon MO list that doesn't have at least some need for an EVO. On top of all this it's still cheap enough to allow you to invest points elsewhere, and surprisingly tough so that it's frustrating for opponents trying to eliminate 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

Dart

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.

Combining good BS with MSV she is exceptional at hunting down other skirmishers, while her NWI helps keep her going and Terrain (Total) and Climbing Plus give her access to the whole board. The choice you are making between the profiles is a Viral Tactical Bow with E/M Grenades or a regular (Double Action) Tactical Bow with Shock Mines. It's the former that you'll want nearly every time, especially as her solid PH makes Speculative Fire with the Grenades a viable option.

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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