Bakunin Tactica

[IJW Wartrader]

Without further ado, Picken's Bakunin guide!


As I enjoy reading unit summaries such as MuRm's for vanilla Nomads and Penemues for generic Ariadna, i think we could enjoy reading a Thread full of experiences about my until now mostly played Nomads Sectorial .

As others also think, i am the opinion that there is not the one style to play, and articles like this are best served with discussion to illustrate our opinions, i think you should see this thread as my personal opinions and experiences with this Nomads sectorial. I have other experiences than you, Meta will differ, and we play on diofferent terrain. So some options i take more often than others may be because of that, and as Infinity is such a variable game, feel free to suggest things i missed, and to state your opinion about mine. We all will have some insights, i think .

As already said, i think i will never have all insights, as noone of us ever will know; there will be things to discover anew each game. So i do not state that this Thread has the complete information about Bakunin, and i am happy if anyone suggests some other thoughts . Also MuRm [ and Duelist] have done a great job of displaying hte units in vanilla Nomads, and i think i will agree on much what they said already .

So, without further ado, i will present my thoughts on the first parts.

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Bakunin in General

I think playing a sectorial is verya interesting, and Bakunin has some of the strangest and most interesting units in Infinity, i think. As the nature of Bakunin are the differences between the different people and how strange it is that they live together, controlled by the moderator police corps, you have many different models, from the very aggressive Überfallkommando to the slow and steady, yet highly reactive Sin Eaters. So Bakunin offers a lot of options, and i try to list some of them.

I struggle with my thoughts about general strenghts and weaknesses in Bakunin, because the models have so variable and different abilities and equipments that i am glad if anyone can flesh this out a bit. In my personal opinion Bakunin has got the tools and the possibilities to cover everything you can do, some things are harder to achieve, but all in all you have got plenty of options.

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So, what does Bakunin have ?
- ODDs en masse
- Some very strong Religious Troops
- Very effective Camo Infiltrators
- Strong Hacking coverage because of Markers
- Two very strange and strong CC/CloseQuarters units
- Some of the best Doctors and Engineers

What does Bakunin not have ?
- We have no TO Camo
- Only one, but very special AD unit
- Really heavy armed models. Even our TAG is just the "normal" ARM8 [yes, i know, that should be enogh ]
- No MSV2+
- any cheap SWC - free Lt.

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Units that are linkable:
- Moderators [5]
- Reverend Moiras [4; 5 with Kassandra Kusanagi]
- Reverend Custodiers [3]
- Riot Grrls [5]

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Which Lt. should i take ?
Yeah. THe Lt. question is interesting, because Bakunin has got only one SWC free Lt., which can be obvious, and you usually want to spend the SWC on heavy weapons and not on Lt.s . Which options does Bakunin have ? As i recently got asked to answer this question my way, here i write .

Moderators are the cheapest Lt. option point-wise. That a Moderator is Lt. is pretty obvious because of his WIP of 12, but on the other hand side you can hid eyour Lt. in a 3 to 5 Moderators Link Team, ans even wothout proxying you have 3 Moderators from which one can be the Lt. That is mostly too much possinbility to kill the wrong guy for the opponent, if he wants to assassinate your Lt. If i am in tourneys, i usually try to leave half an SWC spare to have a possivle Moderator Lt., even when i am playing two Link Team options like a Custodier Link and a Moderator Link. That is my own way of being flexible in my options . The Moderator Lt. also has Shock Immunits, is [if he is in a Link Team] easy to defend with probalby SS2, and Moderators have Shock Immunity. In addition to that Moderaor Lts. have an Electric Pulse, so noone except Berserks wants to be in CC with them.That leads to a promising Lt. Choice, and i take him very often.

Moiras on the other hand side are rather expensive points- and SWC wise. But: They have an ODD, so they are really durable in shooting fights, and with their MULTI Rifle they are able to defend them in shootings well. Also in CC with their Shick CCW they are better tan a Moderator; i know that this does not shy away Ninjas with MA3 and such, but normal targets do not want to come into close range to them. I did not use her very often until now, but being able to hide your Lts under 2 Moiras or even a Custodier is great, and also since this is a shooting game, ODDs are very powerful. The Mora Lt. also can use ther Lt. order really well by fighting.

Custodiers are my favourite Bakunin unit, so i personally use her very often. You do not waste your Lt. order with them. Protectet by an ODD they can easily advance midfileds against most targets, and if you do not want to risk your Lt.s life, you can let her hack AD or some other juicy targets, and with her you also have the Marker which lets you expand your Hacking Range . If playing a Custodier Link Team, you can also hide her in the Link Team.

Zeros are rather pricey; i think almost all Camo Lts are 2 SWC in most factions. But that has also its advantages. Because so many SWC are not obvious on the table, yxour opponent might fear a Prowler with Spirfire under one of your Camo Markers. And a Lt. which is Camoed is invulnerable to most surprizing attacks since his Camo protects him from being shot at. His Lt. order is easily used by shooting some targets from Combat Camo and he can protect his and the other miniatures lifes with his AP Mines. Also he can infiltrate, so you can choose from various locations where to deploy him. You can choose a rather safe place if you do not have the first turn, or you go full risk and start being a huge threat for your opponent pretty early in the game with him. Your decision. His weaknesses are the steep SWC cost which leads to less good and effectiev weapons/loadouts in the rest of your army, and his weakness if he is discovered; when he gets hit, he almost everytime dies because of his ARM 0. I almost never use him, but when i use him, he is performing great.

Morlocks are Bakunins Irreglar Lt. option whcih leads to be never used, since i never used an all-Irregular army until now. Playing an all Warband army could be fun, especially in smaller games, but it also has great downsides. If you use thiy Lt. you have no regular model in your army which could be Lt. so you are very limited in your options of how to play. You only have 2 orders fpr everyone, but the Lt. has three. So make great use of this vast flexibility compared to your other troops . If someone has experience with him, please drop me some info .

Last but not least Rev. Superior Kusanagi is a very interesting Lt. choice. She has all advantages of a Moira Lt., has got better weapons and also V:No Wound Incap. So she is much more durable than a normal Lt. bakunin can offer. She does not cost SWC and also gives you an additional SWC to spend, so you finally can put allt he shiny toys into your list easily. But be aware, and protect her well, since then she will be an obvious Lt. and NWI does not protect ehr from being shot down in many salvos of HMG fire.

[IJW Wartrader]

Moderators from Bakunin

I have to admint that moderators have not the great stats, but they have some very interestng things they carry. fiorst of all, they have no good BS, but 10 is worth a shot if you ave no other unit around. they move fast enough, like any other linetrooper, have a low WIP of 12, no ARM.

But they have a BTS of -3, and Shock Immunity. That makes them very interesting in Bakunin, because you only pay 0,5 SWC and 9 points for a Lt. that is immune to shock ammunition, can get cover against normal threats and has got armour against E/M and Viral weaponry. Yeah, i have to admit that a 3 ARM against two viral saves is not the best protection and he is likely to die, but he is one of the best protected infantrymen in the game when it comes against these ammunition types. In addition to that they are the only Infantry unit which has got an electric pulse, i think. And everyone who has lost some good CC units such as a Ninja or a Daturazi against a simple drone with electric pulse will not be happy about engaging the noderators in Close Combat .

And they are cheap.

Also, they are linkable, which buffs their stats up. then, the spitfire and the grenade launcher come in; a B 5 BS 16 [when enemy is without cover] spitfire is nothing to complain about. The grenade launcher especially is good against crowded enemies.
I did not use the MULTI Sniper Rifle loadout til now, but i think with the link bonusses this is one of Balunins best long range options, since the increased Burst in the Active and Reactive turn should really boost her ability to lock down firelanes and to be aggressive at long range, while Bakunin in general lacks long range weapons. According to IJW this loadout is definitely worth every single point you spend, but the SWC cost od MULTI Snipers always are high, which is in Bakunin sort of a problem since some very effective troops also cost many SWC.

Then the moderators have a somewhat unique-to-nomads- weapon: the Marker. This is in fact a grenade Launcher which shoots a limited ammutition of two deployable repeaters. this cheap moderator model with a lollipop in her mouth can be a real nuisance if your enemy tries to get to you with HIs/REMs or even a TAG and you have also a Hacker in your force [or more than one, since we are Nomads ]. Sadly this option replaces the Forward Observer which many other units in Infniity have.

Then, Moderators have the option of a Hacker, and allthough i did not use this option, i have to say that he should be a cheap but defensive hacker for his price. Sadly you do not really need defensive Hackers in ths Sectorial army, but if you want a cheap hacker to field remotes, then he could be good.

The Paramedic, at last, is also interesting, Yes, i know, many of the Infinity players do not field doctors, because they want to put out as much damage as they can, but a paramedic in a linkable unit is always worth their points. In the link team this paramedic is able to advance, he is protected by some great weapons for ther price [spitfire for example]; the other members can guard him, the link team is fast and already in the middle of the action. when i had to use a doc/paramedic for some tournament missions i learned to love my moderator paramedic babe, because she was able to heal up my heavy damage dealers up out of retreat .

[IJW Wartrader]

Reverend Morias

Here we go, the Reverend MoreAss as they are called by some people .
What stats do they have ? They are moving a bit slow, 4-2. since they are ARM 3 MI, have a decent CC, good BS [12 is very good for nomads], good PHY, WIP14, one wound. They are religious, carry an ODD and have Multiterrain.

Their weapon loadout always includes a form of CCW, be it a Shock CCW, an AP CCW or a normal CCW, but going into CC should not be the option you want to choose with moiras, because if you are in CC the enemy troops dont give a fuck about your ODD. But since they are not bad in Close Combat, this loadout can prevent that your enemy wants to go into CC with you, as it is with many Yu Jing units which are also decent in CC but far better at shooting.

Moiras are clearly a shooting unit, as most Infinity troops, and with the ODD they are clearly superior to most units that do not carry an MSV2+. Imagine, your Moira is standing in cover at up to 16'' away form the enemy, and he gets a -9 on his BS. OK, he also mosty gets +3 for short distance with hir (combi) rifle, but as you have got strong weaponry the enemy wont want to try this out. Even better, when you are a bit more far away; with -3 from the distance and the -9 from ODD and cover you can not be shot anymore, but you yourself hit [at best] on 9s. So Moiras in general are very good at defending firelanes, even against other Mimetism/ODD troops. OK, if you are getting attacked per Combat Camo, this can get worse, but with Kusanagi you can form a linked team of 4 members which gives you Sixth Sense Level 2 .

OK, up to the BS weapon loadouts, Moiras can have very interesting weapon options.
First, the so consodered "standard" loadout is a MULTI Rifle with either a Shock or an AP CCW. Which one you use is optional, but i normally prefer the shocl CCW since heavy armoured targets are normally not as common as the squishy ones in my meta. But in case you will face Military Orders or heavy TAGs, an AP CCW could be very useful.
Secondly Moiras can have HMGs and MULTI Sniper Rifles. This is very effective when you consider that they have an ODD and will win most shootouts, and if they are linked, they are far more effective than for example Line Troops with such long range weapons. Moiras are also the only source of HMGs on aggressive non-remote units in the Bakunin Sectorial, so if you want to field HMGs, Moiras are your choice . Both variants come with the costs of 1,5 SWC which is worth it.
The next loadout is somewhat special to Bakunin. I do not remember any other faction which lets you have an E/M LGL on an infantry unit, and this Moira also has her normal MULTI Rifle. So if you want to go E/M warfare, this Moira should be very interesting. Being able to destroy Monofilament Mines [even if they already exploded and covered the board with their Monofilaments] and to possibly disable REMs/TAGs in addition to destroy your enemies weapon loadouts can be very powerful. Especially when fighting against high tech targets the E/M LGL should be very interesting. I did not use it until now, but i think having the option to fight the battle your own way and disabling the enemies equipment [remember, also MSVs get diasbled] by speculative shooting can save the game for you.
Then the Moiras have another very intereting loadout. This one switches he trusty MUTLI Rifle for a normal Combi Rifle, but also has an E/Mitter, and this Moira costs only 30 points which can be considered very cheap in comparison to the other moiras which can cost up to 50 points. I think if you want to go the electronical warfare way, this is also an important option, and also with this moira you can fill your Link Team of Moiras up to your 4 Woman Team with Kusanagi proportionally cheap. Keeping in mind that Moira Link Teams alwas cost a huge chunk of points, and if you want a bit of support for them, by using this loadout you can prevent yourself from paying too much for a MSV vulnerable Link Team if you want to.
The Hacker Moira - it is also somewhat unique, since I do not remember any other faction which has an ODD equipped, MULTI Rifle wielding Hacker. These Moiras can hack aggressivley very well, while they can fight very well with their MULTI Rifle and also can run with this Link Team around the board very fast. But i can not judge how they perform, because the Reverend Custodiers are my favourite unit, and if i want to use Hackers, i normally use the Custodier which is far better in Hacking and also has got a BTS. And the cost of the Moira Hacker is vers steep, comparing her 50 points to the 38 points of a Custodier. But that is a matter of which emphasis you want to have in your army list.
Lastly the Moiras have a Lt. option. It costs one SWC but can fight better than every other Lt. option Bakunin has got. also you can protect your Lt, in a Link Team if you want to. The downside is, your Lt. is in the middle of the battle and if the opponent comes with Direct Template weapons such as cheap warbands and these come through to your Moiras, your Lt. can be pretty fucked up. But against normal shooting targets your Lt. Moira should be save enough.

The biggest strength of the Moiras, their ODD, makes them also vulnerable against enemy MSVs, and your have sunk a huge sum of points in these vulnerable troops. If your opponent uses DTW troops as mentioned above or some strong MSVs, be sure that you support them well and have troops that can kill the MSV bearing troops you other wise have to face woth the Moiras. I would recommend using the Überfallkommando [thanks, Magno], since they have Zero-V-Smoke and at least 2 orders you can use without unsing some from your Order pool. Also Moderators and your REMs can get handy while supporting your Moiras.
And, if you want to have a very string Link Team, be sure to use Reverend Suprior Kassandra Kusanagi .

[IJW Wartrader]

Reverend Custodiers

Reverend Custodiers. The Nomad's designated combat hackers. As said above, this is my favourie unit in Infinity, so i field them often :pacman_by_bad_blood:. Also the models are looking gorgeous, but that is only my personal opinion.

What do they have ? As the Moiras, they have decent stats; MOV 4-2, same CC of 14, BS 12, WIP 14, ARM 3. They have a bit lower PHY of only 11, but a BTS of -3.
Where they really shine is there equipment. They carry, as the Moiras do, an ODD. This makes them an aggressive unit which can risk some serious shootouts, especially if the opponent models are not in their optimal range band.

And the carry a Hacking Device plus. This HD+ grants then the ability of a Forward Observer, and it includes the Flash Pulse weapon. And IMHO here lays the greatest strength the custodiers possess. Allthough they have no heavy weapons like the Moiras, they can flash almost every opponent very easy because of their ODD. Also they flash with their WIP of 14 instead of BS 12, which makes the flash pulse almost everytime a considerable weapon which is able to put a 2- or 3 wond model out of the game for the current active players turn. I think the FP is one of the most underrated weapions in this game. Considering that most heavy targets have a lower ARM than BTS and often have multiple STR/W, you could not kill them with your normal weapons in an ARO anyway. But with the flash pulse you are a long range threat even against TAGs.
When used in a Link Team the Custodiers get far better, even if they are only able to form 3-woman Link Teams. The bonus of +1 B to the flash pulso is downright evil; who without an MSV2 wants to face 2 shots rolling on 11 while you yourself are rolling on 6 at best [if both models have cover]?
And that is the moment where the custodiers, even since they are hackers, shine not only against hackable targets but especially against the not hackable faction Ariadna, since they do not have access to MSV2s to counter that thread .
Also with their ability to fire their repeaters across the board and then not needing LoS to mark their targets they are perfect for GuidedMissileLauncher tactics if you go that way. Also if you want to bombard your enemy with a LGL or even E/M Light GRenade Launcher, marking the target first could be the easier route, especially to disable enemy TO/ODD equipment, since the sepculative shot route is the better one there.

Weapon loadouts: First, the Custodiers can carry either a Boarding Shotgun or a Combi Rifle. There are far more effective weapons in this game, i know, but if you ask for example a Haqqislam player who simply does not have access to MULTI weaponry, they will say you that even rifles can kill good enough. Especially considering your ODD the umpteenth time . The Boarding Shotgun is especially good at short range bands, which are the ranges ou want to get your custodiers at, since they are most effective against hackable targets in their Zone of Control. The Combi Rifle then has one shot more which can come in handy in some situations.
But the most important loadout of the Custodiers is the Combi Rifle + Marker. The Marker, as i said above at the Moderators, is a tool which let you expand your hacking range and your hacking board control by yourself. Also the CR/Marker variant is the one that can get use as a Lt., which makes them also a good unit if the custodiers just sits around in the back while hacking some juicy targets or AD troops. Allthough then her potential with her ODD as being a good front unit is somewhat wasted.

Some people may prefer the Reverend Moiras over the Custodiers because you have some stronger weaon options such as MULWI weaponry and high rate of fire with the HMG, but having all tools in a 4-woman Rev. Moira team is costing either many points and SWC while you do nothing for your hacking strength. Also a 3 Custodiers team is a bit cheaper than a 3 Moira team, even with the standard Moras [if you did not include the Combi Rifle Moira]. You can pack these points and spend them on good support units to protect your ODD units from CC and from enemy ODDs. Both tactics have their strenght and weaknesses, like everything in Infinity .

[IJW Wartrader]

Sin-Eater Observants

The SinEaters are Bakunins greatest Defense against normal enemies, and they are a unique unit in the whole Human Sphere. If somebody tells you that Total Reactions are good at defense, they probably did not face a SinEater until now . While losing much of their potential in teh active turn, they are real beasts in the reactive turn, since they have a good, BS 13, ARM 3 and Mimetism.While being Religious which causes them being unaffaected by Loss of Lieutenant and Retreat Situations. They simply do not move away unless they get shot or you want them to move . And in Bakunin you have an increased AVA of 3 :_PickingOn__by_bad_blood:.
Their Mimetism in combination with the neurocineticts let them be a great threat in teh active turn; the opponent has to face against strong weapoins while he will not be able to aim properly [-3 on BS]. The downside is, you have to position him well and if you have to change your position or you want to secure a perimeter outside your deployment zone, he has only B1 in teh active turn, so you have to either clear his spot from enemy units before you advance with the SinEater or you have to advance in smoke. I prefer the second way, since in Bakunin you have easy access to smoke woth Moderators and the Chimera of the Überfallkommando, and these units are always Impetuous, so the order in which you throw the smoke is free .

You can equip them with weapons from very long range to very short range, whatever you need to.
First, the HMG. it has got a very high burst and a long range band so many people prfer this loadout over the others. The downside is that HMGs can be outgunned under 8'' pretty easily, so if you are protecting mission objectives or your own units like a Vertige Zond, you have to be cautious where you place your SinEater that you force the enemy to walk through your HMG sweet spot, otherwise he will shoot you down with [relativy] ease.
Secondly, there is the MULTI Sniper Rifle. While having only two shots in the reactive turn, these shots have great potential. Nobody from the infantrymen wants to be hit with DA ammunition, and no TAG, especially the tick armoured ones, wants to be hit by a AP round. Yes, you only have two shots, but with Mimetism and Cover, which also boosts your ARM to 6, you can survive shootouts against heavy weapons. Especially against the HMG which has two more shots against you, you have the sweep spot from 32'' to 36'' where a HMG gets -3 on BS while you are still in your +3 range. While i thought a long time that these range spots do not occur on most tables in the last few games i had my HMG outclassed by a sniper a few times and also won a few firefights because my Sniper Rifle was better than a HMG at this range. So, place your SinEater carefully and you can outclass every long range weapon.
Also the MSR SinEater is the one who is best of the loadouts in the active turn, since, when your burst is limited to 1 anyways, why dont you use Integrted Ammunition [AP+DA] for your round ? If you hit with it, which is even against TAGs not too hard and worth the risk, then one or two wounds on teh target are almost guaranteed.
But as this is the SinEater with the longest range, he also has the most problems in short range; if somebody gets to you in under 12'' distance, prepare for the worst.
Then the Mk12 loadout, which has the strenth of a HMG but the rang of a Rifle. He is not as good as the other SinEaters, but he is the cheapest of the 4 and also he costc no SWC, which makes him a considerable force if you already used your SWC for ahrd hitting aggressive units or your Lt. , wich unfortunately costs SWC in Bakunin . But, as teh HMG, his Mk12 does not get affected by E/M ammunition, whcih makes him more resilent against, for example, Plasma Rifle wielding troops B).
Last but not Least, the SinEater with Spitfire. he is my personal favourite, but that should be a matter of taste since i think Spitfire have style :pacman_by_bad_blood:. He is not very effective in areas over 24'', but noone wants to face him from 0 to 24''. Especially in Close Quarters, in Indoor environments, when protecting some of your models or mission objectives, he is your best choice.

So, you see, it all depends on how you want to use your SinEater. Each one has got situations he can shine in, and each one has his weak point(s); some range in which he is outgunned fairly easily. If you are facing a SinEater, try to do not get FtF rolls of him. So Your opponents will try to ignore him, which could be what you intended to do. if a SinEater Sniper covers a huge, long firelane and nobody dares to step into that firelane, maybe the sineater has done his job well enough even if he does not fire a single shot. His points then often are not wasted.
But be afraid of Total Reaction/Neurocintetics yourself if you move your SinEater .
Also a weak point are Combat Camo Attacks, since there the chance to succeed and kill the SinEater is high because of the nature of a Normal Roll. You have some decent ARM and SinEaters are tough, but prepare for loosing your SinEater after a few shootouts with Camoed/TO troops ...

[Andre61]

Thanks IJW Wartrader

[IJW Wartrader]

More posts to be copied over the weekend...

[Andre61]

Hey! where is the rest?

[IJW Wartrader]

Delayed because of preparing for the interplanetary this weekend...

[Picken]

since my thread in the international forum is now archived, i cannot quote it properly to insert it in here quickly. so it would be an opportunity to rewrite it with currently gotten insights.

but i have to admit that i won't be able to test as many Bakunin tactics as last time, since i do not own most of these models any more.

is there an interest in a more updated version of my Bakunin viewpoint here, after N3 got into the fray ?

[Errhile]

Sure there is

[Icchan]

Hells yeah!
N3 is going to be massive change for Sin Eaters, Riot Grrls, Uberfallkommandos, Morlocks and Moderator Hackers. Hopefully Moiras and Custodiers will find new roles too.

[Gwydion]

Absolutely! I'd love to see more discussion of the Bakunin.

[Lampyridae]

Moiras will become your long-range fire support whilst the Grrls are the assault units.

HMG Moira: 39 points, likely unchanged
MSR Moira: 39 points, similar to HMG
MR Moira: 32-33 points

free CC buff for all of them (14 -> 17), and Religious will be quite useful.

[Dozer]

Hells yeah!
N3 is going to be massive change for Sin Eaters, Riot Grrls, Uberfallkommandos, Morlocks and Moderator Hackers. Hopefully Moiras and Custodiers will find new roles too.

I love putting out a my Sin Eaters - what changes are we expecting with N3 to the Sin Eaters. ?

[Icchan]

They now get to fire their full burst as face-to-face in ARO, it increases their survivability in many cases.

[ewok40k]

ok some official N3 coverage:
Moiras: 34 pts/1,5SWC per MSR/HMG one, 30 per multi-rifle (a very nice option since multi-rifle changes), 28 for combi/e-mitter
stacking the ODDs against the enemy (worst pun ever?) is made even more efficient with general prevalence of face to face in N3
they do get a "5th ranger" link option with either rev.healer or Kusanagi
probably best used as long range fire support, they will hang around even in retreat situation
Grrls: 36pts/2swc for spitfire, 33 for multi, 30 for combi/blitzen, 28 for boarding shotgun
their msv1 is much more useful now, reducing enemy ODD/TO camo bonuses by 3"pips"
as previously lack of long range weapons beyond blitzens, coupled with relatively fast MOV 4-4 make them a definitely offensive unit
Sin-Eaters: 33pts/2swc for HMG, 33/1,5 for MSR, 31/1,5 for Spitfire, 30 for MK-12
they definitely benefit from N3 switching to mainly face-to-face, and as usual are almost perfect long-range defensive firepower
no one likes to cross open ground in their sights, and it takes a very competent assault team to dislodge one located in good position