Overview
The Neoterran Sectorial is the home guard of the PanOceanian capital, and as such has some of the best funding of any army in the Human Sphere. This is reflected in the top-notch gear available to the Sectorial and the generally urban, defensive feel of its units.
Don't be fooled, however; the Neoterran Capitaline Army is not a defensive army by any means, and greatly rewards taking initiative and going on the offense. It has a variety of tools available to put on the pressure, and shines when forcing opponents to react to it, rather than the other way around.
The Units
AUXILIA
AUXBOT_1Auxilia are the core of the Neoterran Army, and are the primary thing that sets the sectorial apart from others, particularly base PanO. What you're getting with a basic Auxilia is a BS11 combi-rifle troop, the equal of a standard 10-point line trooper in any other faction. What you're paying the extra four points for is the Auxbot, the fulcrum around which the Auxilia and the rest of the army turn.
The Auxbot is a G:Synchronized Heavy Flamethrower on a fast, fragile body. What it allows you to do is aggressively attack otherwise protected enemies with relative impunity-- since you can keep your Auxilia safe from harm while the Auxbot does much of the heavy lifting, you can play much more aggressively with the Auxbot without fear that losing it will harm your order pool. If the Auxbot is destroyed, you're left with a BS11 combi-rifle troop, no great shakes, but no slouch either. With the Auxilia and Auxbot together, you're paying 14 points for two effective models who act on a single order; it's an extremely efficient use of points, particularly considering that you can use the Auxilia to cover multiple potential AROs simultaneously, or severely punish an enemy for provoking an ARO as they get blasted by both bot and controller at once.
Be careful, however! Auxilia are extremely vulnerable to E/M weaponry, and if the Auxilia is killed, the Auxbot immediately becomes worthless to you. Aggressive play from the Auxilia itself rarely does you much good; use the Auxbot instead.
Auxilia are a significant part of what separates the Neoterran sectorial from other lists, and (used correctly) can be as much of a terror as anything else in the sectorial, particularly in numbers. It's very important to note that the Auxilia and Auxbot can perform simultaneous Specialist rolls, if you're using the Forward Observer profile. This makes Auxilia units, despite their individually low WIP, statistically the best specialists in the game, rocking the equivalent of a 17-18 WIP. For 20 points, this is a steal, and worth it every time.
FUSILIERFusiliers are the basic (excellent) Line Troop of PanOceania, and they're only different in Neoterra in one notable way: the brutal Fusilier Link Team.
If you prefer to play Neoterra more like a standard PanO list, Fusiliers can substitute for Auxilia to a certain degree (AVA 5) and bring all of the usual Fusilier power to bear. In Neoterra, however, Fusiliers can become a full linkteam, the only sectorial where this is possible. Line troops with a base BS 15 are incredibly brutal, particularly when the price of entry starts at 50 points (read: ridiculously cheap). Adding special weapons to the Fusiliers only increases the potency of the link, and turns these troops into a force to be reckoned with, keeping with the Neoterra theme of taking your basic line troops and turning them into terrifying monsters.
NEOTERRA BOLTSBolts are an interesting unit. Medium infantry in the style of Wildcats, strong BS, very strong BTS, cost comparable to Hexas. Linkable. Unfortunately, they offer relatively little that Fusiliers didn't already provide at a lower cost. Generally speaking, the Bolts aren't a BAD unit by any means, but for all intents and purposes, Fusiliers do their job just as well for less. Slow movement speed and lack of cheap specialist options are the nail in the coffin here, sadly. My guess is that the Bolts get a noticable overhaul in N3, or Bioimmunity suddenly becomes super valuable.
HEXAHexas are a very vanilla TO Camo unit. No frills, surprisingly low points cost. For the price comparable to what most other people pay for a standard Camo troop, you're getting BS12, 1 ARM and TO Camo, but giving up Infiltration.
Hexas are generally fairly good troops, although it's easy to succumb to the urge to take several and load up on SWC, as both the Spitfire and MULTI Sniper variants are 1.5 SWC. I often try to include one, just to use as a surprise attacker, and in some cases two (and the second uses a combi-rifle), but usually no more than that, as there are much fancier toys to get elsewhere. PanO's generally low WIP means that the Hexa Hacker isn't necessarily the most useful, but it has its niche as a TO camo specialist. Lack of infiltration really hurts it, though.
AQUILAThe ultimate trump card, and a powerhouse in its own right, the Aquila Guard is tough and a shining example of the kind of tech Neoterra brings to bear.
Much like Hexas, Aquila Guard are fairly vanilla, except that in their case the claim to fame is the ultra-rare Multispectral Visor L3. With this, you can shoot at camo markers of any type with impunity. You want to give your Aquila an HMG if at all possible, although be wary that this single model will draw an immense amount of attention from your opponent. This is frequently a blessing in disguise, as flamethrowers are quite effective and when faced with four cheap Auxilia or one terrifying Aquila Guard, opponents will frequently focus on the Aquila, letting your flamethrowers go to town.
The Aquila Guard Lieutenant option gets a special mention here for being 0 SWC, something relatively difficult to find in Neoterra. Now that it is no longer required to disclose your Lieutenant's WIP, he's also a somewhat less obvious option, although your opponents are likely to wonder why you aren't packing the HMG version.
SWISS GUARDThe other side of the deadly HI coin, the Swiss Guard is extremely powerful and pays for every bit of that power. At 67-70 points, the Swiss Guard is a monstrous investment, but you're getting a TO Camo HI with 5 ARM and BTS -6, a particularly tough opponent. The HMG or Missile Launcher are ideal options; the latter's low burst is mitigated by the ridiculously high BS of the Swiss Guard and the good odds of surprise attacks. The MULTI Rifle version isn't terrible, but if you're going to invest in a Swiss Guard, you might as well save the SWC to get a really great weapon on him, particularly since the point differences aren't that large.
At WIP 13, the Hacker version isn't really worth 82 points for the most part, and if you want an HI Lieutenant, take an Aquila Guard rather than paying 10 more points and 1 SWC, and losing a significant benefit of TO Camo. It's possible to set up your Swiss Guard as a TO specialist hacker, but I generally tend to avoid it because I can saturate the field with specialists and don't need to load up on a single hard-to-kill one. In certain missions it can be nice, though.
SQUALO (Armoured Cav.)The Armoured Cavalry is a fairly vanilla TAG. MULTI HMG, HFT/HGL, the usual. In the event that you need a basic TAG, the Squalo won't do you wrong, but don't expect any bells and whistles. An interesting strategy with the Squalo is to take the heavy grenade launcher loadout and rain death on your opponent while your Auxilia do all of your specialist work. You will make no friends pursuing this strategy.
UHLANThe Clausewitz Uhlan is another TAG available to Neoterra, and is the more specialized of the two. An HMG and a Feuerbach give it some variety in dealing with different situations, and CH: Camouflage gives it a twist that opponents may not be expecting. Unfortunately, with no other basic Camo troops available to Neoterra, it's frequently obvious that you're running an Uhlan. You can mitigate this by bringing a Hexa and deploying her as a standard Camo marker rather than TO or Hidden Deployment, which is a nice way to disguise the location of your Uhlan.
DEVADevas fill in a lot of gaps in the Neoterran unit list. They're tough to kill with No Wound Incapacitation and bring some useful toys. At WIP 15, they're the best hackers Neoterra can bring, and are fairly reasonably priced to boot. A Sensor Deva can be useful, and the MSV2+Spitfire Deva gives you ways of combating stealth without the investment of an Aquila Guard.
The Deva Lieutenant and the G:Synchronised Deva deserve special mention as they provide you more Heavy Flamethrower bots, meaning Devas can play the role of Auxilia and stay safe while their bot does heavy lifting. The Deva Lieutenant is a relatively cheap, zero SWC Lt option with nice, high WIP, but unless you have another G:Sync Deva in your list it's going to be fairly obvious who your Lieutenant is.
A Deva Hacker is a very strong specialist addition to your force as well; the second-best specialist you can get in the sectorial (after the Auxilia). I'll occasionally take one for take-and-hold specialist missions, but I really do love having a Deva Lt, for that nice WIP 15. I really, REALLY want to go first as Neoterra, due to the lack of infiltration, so this helps.
GARUDA TacbotFilling in the AD gap for Neoterra is the Garuda Tacbot, an ALEPH loaner bot. It's a REM, so you need a hacker to bring one, but otherwise it's an okay drop troop, although its low-ish PH can be rough. Mimetism and 6-4 MOV make it potentially powerful, although there are often other places you may prefer to spend your points (and SWC).
Addition from Penemue: Unlike many other AD3 troops, the Garuda can use its high MOV and simply enter the table as per AD2, ignoring its low PH entirely.
Update after testing: I've started including the odd Garuda in my lists, because it can very effectively walk onto the table per AD2, and is fast enough to maneuver as needed. This is a great "sweeper" model, if you need one, but beware of hackers.
PATHFINDER DRONBOTThe Pathfinder has somewhat limited use in the Neoterran Army, as anti-Camo can be had much more easily and much more sturdily in the Deva or the Aquila Guard. Otherwise, it's the same remote you're used to.
Of note, the Pathfinder is a specialist with 6-4 MOV. While Auxbots *also* have 6-4 MOV, the Pathfinder isn't shackled to a 4-4 MOV buddy. I've never felt the need to take a Pathfinder specialist, but if you find your Auxbots are being held back by your Auxilia, it may be worth considering.
In certain (HGL TAG or GML) lists, a Pathfinder can also be used to mark targets through walls, though I tend to think that Neoterra is a poor sectorial to use if you're planning that kind of thing.
SIERRA DRONBOTThe Sierra Dronbot is a very reasonable addition to a Neoterran list, as it brings 1 SWC HMGs and mines, as well as Total Reaction. Like all basic remotes, it's fragile, but Total Reaction can mitigate that somewhat and cheap HMGs and mines are things that are hard to find in the sectorial.
If you have the spare points/SWC, it's absolutely worth including and sticking in Group 2 to chill out and rain fire down on your enemies.
CLIPPER DRONBOTThe Clipper is PanO's Guided Missile Launcher remote, and as such it has a hard time finding a place in Neoterran sectorial lists. There isn't a lot of Forward Observer potential; while Auxilia can do it, it's expensive, and there aren't a ton of synergies that make it terribly useful. Neoterran lists can also be a little order-starved thanks to expensive units, which doesn't help GML functionality.
FUGAZI DRONBOTA simple remote, 8 points for an order. It does what it always does.
BULLETEERThe Bulleteer is a decent combat remote, bringing ODD protection and some potentially nice weapons. However, it requires a hacker and is otherwise every bit as functional as a Hexa, only without the ability to use Combat Camo attacks, and is harder to hide.
If you don't need Hexa camo and really need either a repeater or a fast remote for some reason, then go for the Bulleteer, but otherwise a Hexa is just about as good.
PEACEMAKERThe Peacemaker is an interesting potential add-in to a Neoterran list, as it provides Mechanized Deployment, something distinctly lacking in Neoterran armies. Unfortunately, because it's AVA 1 and there aren't any other Infiltrating or Mechanized units, it's fairly easy for a Peacemaker to get hung out to dry.
Supported by Auxilia who race across the board, however, the Peacemaker could do quite well, particularly as it's a Repeater placed very far forward.
MULEBOT Mulebots do what mulebots always do, and they're as useful here as they are elsewhere. Not much to say about this one.
TRAUMA-DOCTrauma-Docs are nice for patching up your expensive models (Aquila Guard), and possibly saving a wounded Auxilia who can then resync with her Auxbot. The return on the trauma-doc, particularly with Palbots, is often quite high in Neoterran lists, as saving a single lowly Auxilia means you frequently get two active models back.
In many ITS missions, Trauma-Docs are also specialists, which can be nice, and they're a cheap way to allow yourself to score secret objectives, something that Neoterra can struggle with. While you're unlikely to be using them as your primary specialists (thanks to Auxilia), they're still nice to have as a backup.
MACHINISTMachinists are somewhat less useful in Neoterran lists than some other options, mainly because it's rare to run a lot of Remotes, so finding him something to do can be irritating. He's hard to recommend, unless you have a specific reason for needing one.
Also a specialist, and technically comes with D-Charges for that particular secret objective in ITS, but I'm not sure he's worth including just for that.
ITS Tactics
With the new focus on objectives in ITS scenarios, it's worth noting the various ways in which Neoterra can address them. With no access to Chain of Command, specialists are limited to Forward Observers, Engineers, and Hackers.
Neoterran forces have something of an edge over other PanOceanian forces when it comes to scoring objectives, thanks to two units: the Deva Hacker and the Auxilia.
The Deva Hacker is one of, if not the best hacker available to any PanOceanian force, with 15 WIP and -3 BTS. As a specialist, it's a good option, particularly because No Wound Incapacitation allows it to weather some fire in order to score an objective.
However, the real star of the show for Neoterra is the Auxilia Forward Observer. For 20 points, BOTH the Auxilia and her Auxbot get Forward Observer, and thus both are specialists. Auxilia and Auxbots have low WIP scores, but the versatility afforded by them is unparalleled. Specialist rolls are excluded to G:Servant models, but notably NOT G:Sync models. This means a couple of things. First, the Auxbot can move in and claim a protected objective by itself, apart from the Auxilia, at very little risk. Nice, but the Auxbot's low WIP means that your relative safety is marred by a lower chance of success. Second, and much more importantly, both the Auxilia AND the Auxbot can attempt to score the objective, or, in the rare circumstances when two objectives are within 8" of each other, attempt to score two at once. An Auxilia+Auxbot attempting to score the same objective have a very high chance of success, slightly better than a WIP 16 model.
This makes Auxilia one of the best and most versatile specialists in the game, at the low cost of 20 points and no SWC. In most lists, you can fairly easily free up the points you need to fit in your specialists; even if it means dropping one Auxilia to upgrade two others to FOs.
Neoterra struggles somewhat with a lack of infiltration, which is incredibly valuable in many ITS missions. Auxilia and their Auxbots make up for this, but it's certainly not a simple issue to overcome. Fast REMs, be they Pathfinder Dronbots or Auxbot FOs, can close this gap fairly readily, but it's still something to consider when planning your turn.
2x PALBOT
