Starting with the Imperial Secret Service
List 1: the Celestial Guards
This list will focus on the paramilitary police force of the Celestial Guards
What you need for this list:
ISS Starter Boxed Set
Celestial Guard Boxed Set
Kuang Shi Boxed Set
The List:
Celestial Guard (Boarding Shotgun)
Celestial Guard (Boarding Shotgun)
Celestial Guard (Combi Rifle + Kuang shi Control Device)
Celestial Guard (Spitfire)
Celestial Guard (Hacker)
Hsien (Multi Rifle)
Wu Ming (Forward Observer)
Zhanying Imperial Agent (Forward Observer)
Kuang Shi (Chain Rifle)
Kuang Shi (Chain Rifle)
200 points/2 SWC
This is 10 orders at 200 points. Not bad, not bad at all! You bring two Heavy Infantry tanks, a linkteam of elite Line Infantry, an Agent, and two exploding warband options. Let’s have a look!
The Celestial Guards are a great linkteam option and to get the most out of it, we bring 5 of them. The Celestial Guards have some pretty cool options in their arsenal. The Kuang Shi Control Device, a Smoke Grenade Launcher, a Spitfire and a regular Hacker.
The Kuang Shi Control Device is needed to field Kuang Shi. It’s a device linked to the neckbraces of the Kuang Shi, that steers these lobotomized prisoners to their deaths. This profile comes equipped with a smoke grenade launcher, that you can use to great effect to move your forces forward. Smoke allows you to move unseen which might come in handy for those Kuang Shi or for the other units in the force.
The Hacker profile allows you to sprinkle some Fairy Dust on your Heavy Infantry, protecting them a bit better to hacker attacks. With two Heavy Infantry it’s almost mandatory to bring one.
The Spitfire is there for the firepower, and together with the linkteam bonuses, it’s a fearsome weapon.
The ZhanYing Agent is a new unit in N3, and since there is no model for it at the time of writing, I use the Pheasant model as a proxy for the Zhanying.
Zhanying are elite agents that come packed with very cool toys. BioImmunity and Sixth Sense Lv2.
BioImmunity allows the ZhanYing to roll certain types of ammunition on either their ARM or their BTS stat. That’s not bad, as it can turn out in their favor on many occasions.
Sixth Sense Lv2 allows the Zhanying to react to shots fired from outside Line of Sight, or blocked by smoke. And they don’t suffer the modifiers from back-attacks.
Comes equipped with a Breaker Rifle. Breaker Ammo halves the BTS of the target.
The Kuang Shi are in this list to provide some first turn orders, and act as a hassle for your opponent. Extreme Impetuous exploding warbands are something to deal with as soon as possible, otherwise they’ll blow up in your face.
They are cheap, have the ability to go into Dogged State (although this negates their Explode Lv1) and can even function as a homing beacon for any smart missiles.
In this list, they’ll just run towards the enemy. Keep in mind though that their impetuous won’t allow them to take partial cover. The smoke can protect them a little bit to run across things and get into total cover, if you feel the need.
Fairy dust is an entire Order and will kick the Hacker out of the Link.
Smoke is a fine thing, but the kuang shi have to act before the smoke-lgl, still vrry usable, but you have to be carful with the kuang shi.
Sprinkle dust as a first order and form a link afterwards. And same goes for the Kuang Shi, have them start as a link, and you will negate their impetuousness in your first turn. Lots of ways to get the most out of what you bring. 🙂
Yes you can Do that, but It will also cost you a command token…
Could always just take a Wu Ming fire team with a Tinbot. Hell, Tinbot, FO, and HMG/MULTI Rifle + LGL is a fine budget fire team that can get a lot done. Especially in an ISS list.
I also didn’t see you mention anything about Wu Ming being sans-Cube, Scorch! Huge deal when CA players in your meta try to spring Sepsitor on your precious fire team. Same thing goes for the Su Jian.
Add in some Quack Sheep and their handler, a Zhanying Hacker (I know, no model but we can proxy), and a Dakini Paramedic.
http://goo.gl/nD2j8H
3 specialists isn’t terrible for 200pts in ITS, but it’s hard enough to do so and stack a HI fire team. Especially, since the Wu Ming has 2 juicy ARM3 BTS3 PH13 wounds to get through.
Cheers
Good and tough list, GhostWolves. The ones in the article are just one of the countless options available! 🙂
True, there is a cost. But I see no reason to save 4 of them for a ‘later moment’ that might never come! 😉
That’s why I love Infinity. No two lists have to be the same. We both offered something interesting and playable. This is what makes Infinity unique and fun. The list is a small facet that can show off a players skill.
Agreed! 🙂 These articles are meant for the new players, in a way of showing the flexibility you can bring! 🙂
last night i played with one of your lists. Since i have problems with list building in IS. I used list based on Su Jian. Only things i have changed where 1 celestial guard hacker instead of regular one and i have added Ninja Hacker. Changes where made as we played for 250 pts. During my 2nd and 3rd ,I have made bad tactical decisions (like going in h2h with Armored Brigade and getting hit by combi rifle from last specialist from my enemy) Should have just shoot that guy (last specialist) and i would have win that game, as my opponent didn’t had sized any objectives by that point. Kuang Shi, they ended up dead in my 2nd turn, but they returned themselves but killing around 100 points [great unit]. Next on my list to try is your list with Crane (as i love that model). Over all very good army list (sujian one) thanks a lot for your effort of helping noobs like me 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂 It was a joy coming up with some lists. I’m a big fan of the Ninja Hacker in N3, but I feel it’s too expensive for a 200 point list. Good choice to pick that one if you expand the list to 250 points!
And you took out 100 points with a couple of Kuang shi? That’s not bad! 😉 Points well spent!
Enjoy your game with the Crane list. 🙂 I’m still waiting for the model myself.. 🙁 LGS is a bit slow.