Infinity Operation Crimson Stone: 15 point beginner list building

With face to face gaming likely to be coming back soon, and the new Code One starter box for Infinity incoming, I'm pretty excited about the idea of getting back into any game - but Infinity was always my favourite skirmish wargame and I am hoping this is an easier entry point.

From playing Haqqislam before, and feeling somewhat that their Red Veil / starter units weren't a great starting point, let's see what's in the box!

Cyber-ninjas and werewolves you say? Image (cc) chesterocampo

Nomad implied list, from the units in the box:

Intruder - HMG @ 4pts

• Primary role: tough, long range assault. Hang back and use mimetism to stack modifiers further in a firefight.
• Visor makes it easy to take on camouflaged troops, and can use camouflage itself too.
• HMGs have great range bands for bigger tables, but keep them at the back at 15 points for max effectiveness. More usable at higher points and in N4 where suppression fire comes in, but no better alternative loadouts for now and HMGs are strong.

Hellcat - Boarding Shotgun @ 2pts

• Primary role: mobile, short range assault. Drop in and get close to exploit the shotgun's short range bonus.

Sombra - Rifle/shotgun implies Hacker profile @ 3.5pts

• Primary role: mobile specialist. Deploy closer to to objectives and use camouflage to approach unmolested.
• Secondary role: Area denial. Hackers are active and reactive threats to heavy infantry but this is a bigger factor against the other opponents than against Ariadna.

Evader - Spitfire @ 2.5pts

• Primary role: mid range assault. Spitfires' range bands are perfect for menacing a smaller table.
• Secondary role: Specialist Operative for grabbing objectives (probably in your half).

3x Alguacil - Rifle @ 3pts

• Primary role: "Cheerleaders" to provide Orders for the heavy hitters in the list.
• Secondary role: Area denial by providing cover fire in your deployment zone and near half.
• The only Lieutenant option in the box, so although they can become specialists it's probably best not to for now so they can hide the leader in their ranks.

Total: 15 points, 4.5 SWC (5.5 including Alguacil Lt option!)

That looks playable if it wasn't way over SWC. I'd question the utility of the Sombra hacker if only playing against the other half of the box - whose HI is not hackable.

Dire Foes: Jazz & Billie @ 2pts

• Mines provide area denial capabilities.
• Jazz is a specialist option (Hacker) and Billie's repeater adds some threat range against hackable targets but not for securing objectives.

Ariadna implied list:

Volkolak - HMG @ 4pts

• Primary Role: tough close and long ranged assault.
• HMG range bands are long for a small table, so hang back to engage targets in your opponent's half.
• Under 16" consider moving into close quarters to take advantage of the template weapon and high CC. If you feel somewhat conflicted then try swapping to a profile with shorter ranged weapons.

Para-commando - Boarding Shotgun @ 2pts

• Primary role: mobile, short range assault. Get that shotgun close, fast!
• Secondary role: mobile specialist. Perfect for swooping in and taking objectives from under the enemy's nose.

S.A.S. - Boarding Shotgun @ 2 or 2.5pts

• Primary role: area denial. A dangerous unit to have hiding under a camo marker, opponents will learn to be wary. Of all camo markers, so exploit this when possible!
• Secondary role: mobile, short range assault and specialist. See Para-commando.

Zenit-7 - Sniper Rifle @ 2.5 or 3pts

• Primary role: long range area denial. Snipers can ARO from outside a lot of units' threat range, and camo / surprise attack adds enough that opponents may choose to go the long way round.
• Secondary role: Specialist, although I'm not sure if its utility given the Zenit's expected position on the field I can see a last turn rush (protected by camo) to an objective.

2x Rokot - Rifle/Shotgun @ 2pts

1x Rokot - SMG @ 0.5 or 1pt

• Primary Role: Area Denial, when deploying as camo infiltrators when you have other, more dangerous camo units.
• See Cheerleaders, Lieutenant on Alguacil, and be aware these can also be specialised with the same caveat.

Total: 13-14 points, 2.5 SWC

On paper, the implied Ariadna list in the Operation Crimson Stone box isn't playable in a standard Code One 15 point game.

Dire Foes: Cadin "Firststrike" Donn @ 2.5pts

• Cadin is tough and capable in melee; not something I am used to but potentially a scary bullet magnet for control/denial.
• AP weapons are useful against HI.

As a preface to the next section: let's be clear that I am not an expert on list building, or these armies, but information for beginners can be scarce so here we go:

List building for Annihilation

Objective points are awarded for killing the enemy and for your own troops surviving, so your core should probably be survivable hard hitters and whatever can remove your opponent's survivable hard hitters and keep yours alive.

Nomads: the Intruder, Evader, Sombra and Hellcat are all a good fit, so I would actually consider running the implied list here if it was legal! The Evader's Spitfire has to go as there are no lower SWC options for the Intruder:

3x Alguacil - Rifle (one is Lt) @ 3

Intruder - HMG @ 4

Sombra - Hacker @ 3.5

Evader - MULTI Rifle @ 2

Hellcat (paramedic) - Rifle @ 2.5

15 points, 3 SWC (phew), 7 orders.

Ariadna: the SAS, Volkolak, and Zenit are survivable heavy hitters, as is Cadin, so how about:

3x Rokot - Rifle/SG (one is Lt) @ 3

Cadin Firststrike @ 2.5

S.A.S. - BSG @2

Zenit-7 - Sniper @ 2.5

Volkolak - AP rifle @ 3

Para-commando (+1 Damage) @ 2

15 points, 1 SWC, 8 orders.

List building for Domination

Objective points are awarded for occupying the quadrants each round, and at the end for hacked consoles. Your core should probably be tough or camouflaged units that can occupy an area for multiple turns, and (preferably) hackers if you want to go for the consoles.

Nomads: despite multiple hackers we can't take both due to SWC; the Alguacil Lt and either Intruder profile only leaves 0.5 and we can't drop either of those troops. As the Sombra can hold quadrants let's take the Spec Ops profile and let Jazz and Bille out to play, as they also bring some denial tools, dropping an Alguacil:

2x Alguacil - Rifle (one is Lt) @ 2

Intruder - HMG @ 4

Evader - MULTI @ 2

Jazz & Billie @ 2

Sombra (Specialist) - Breaker @ 3

Hellcat - BSG @ 2

15 points, 3 SWC, 8 orders.

Don't forget that the Sombra can deploy forward and start in one of the quadrants, and that the Hellcat can drop into any quadrant on your turn.

Ariadna: No hackers to speak of so this is purely take-and-hold, although other specialists can hack the consoles. Let's take advantage of having multiple troops that can deploy straight into the quadrants in your half, and of the area denial power of many camo markers! Two of your Rokots can join the fun; you can place them nearish your S.A.S. and/or Zenit to confuse things but remember your Lt will be easy so spot - so park them somewhere safe, like next to the Volkolak...

Rokot (Lt) - SMG @ 1.5

2x Rokot (camo infiltration) - Rifle/SG @ 2

S.A.S. - BSG @ 2

Firststrike @ 2.5

Para-commando (+ Damage) @ 2

Volkolak - Mk12 @ 3.5

Zenit-7 - Marksman @ 2.5

15 points, 0.5 SWC, 8 orders.

Don't forget the commando can enter any quadrant on your turn, and giving the Zenit a marksman rifle means she can move up and contest a near quadrant in turn 1 because of its shorter range bands.

List building for Supplies

Objective points are awarded for holding the supply boxes at the end of the game, and only specialists can do that, so load up on (perhaps fast) specialist troops but don't forget to bring fire support to keep them alive.

Nomads: let's take the Hellcat Paramedic profile to try to drop in on one supply box and the Sombra Hacker to forward deploy near another. No SWC left for Jazz & Billie so we'll take a basic Evader profile alongside the Intruder:

3x Alguacil - Rifle (one is Lt) @ 3

Sombra (Hacker) - MULTI @ 3.5

Hellcat (Paramedic) - Combi @ 2.5

Intruder - HMG @ 4

Evader - MULTI @ 2

15 points, 3 SWC, 7 orders.

Ariadna: The only real standout we have is the S.A.S. Specialist profile, who can infiltrate near one of the supply boxes. The Para-commando can take one of two specialist profiles, so let's take one and plan to walk it on behind enemy lines (no combat jump) and take a box in the late game. If we take the Rokots as cheap as we can we can fill up on things to stop the enemy scoring:

3x Rokot - SMG (one is Lt) @ 1.5

S.A.S. (Specialist) - BSG @ 2

Para-commando (Specialist / Paramedic) @ 2

Volkolak - HMG @ 4

Zenit-7 - Sniper @ 2.5

Firststrike - AP Rifle @ 2.5

15 points, 2.5 SWC, 8 orders.

List building for Firefight

Objective points are awarded for having numerically more, and killing more, specialists - which could be a double edged sword - and for killing Lieutenants specifically and other stuff generally. This one is harder to build for IMO, so go with what feels like it works, or you're comfortable with, and don't forget that airborne units get a boost.

Nomads: With the Intruder hogging our SWC we can only really take the Sombra as a Specialist, so let's run with specialists. Adding in Jazz & Billie as a second, and the Evader Shotgun profile we can pick up a trio of mine-laying units to keep enemies away from our back-field Lieutenant.

2x Alguacil - Rifle (one is Lt) @ 2

Intruder - HMG @ 4

Sombra (Specialist) - Breaker @ 3

Evader - BSG, Mines @ 2

Jazz & Billie - SMG, Mines @ 2

Hellcat - BSG @ 2

15 points, 2 SWC, 8 orders.

Ariadna: Let's try getting the Volkolak and Firststrike close, covered by the sniper, to draw attention away from our squishy Lieutenant. We can fit all our troops in the list at least, so let's go for it - taking the rifle for the Para-commando to extend their range and make them more a nuisance on the flank:

3x Rokot - Rifle/SG (one is Lt) @ 3

Volkolak - Chain Colt + AP Rifle @ 3

Zenit-7 - Sniper @ 2.5

Firststrike - AP Rifle @ 2.5

S.A.S. - BSG @ 2

Para-commando - Rifle + Chain Colt @ 2

15 points, 1 SWC, 8 orders.

Are these lists any good? Probably not great. Try them, tweak them, find what works for you - that's the core of the list building process. Keep what works and change what doesn't. Pick up other units to fill the gaps and expand your options; learn how you use these units best and what else you need to support that.

Proxy lists

A small pool of units to choose from is both a blessing and a curse.  Proxying models is allowed and encouraged, so we can definitely experiment with fielding units not in the box.

For a beginner, at 15 points on a small table, I would generally look to include the line troopers and:

1. A survivable unit that can score objectives. Objectives vary from mission to mission, but often this is a Specialist.
2. A mid range assault unit, to reduce my opponent's order pool and make it harder for them to score objectives. Spitfire is the gold standard at 15 points IMO.
3. A unit that offers area denial or other battlefield control, to make my opponent waste orders going around it or trying to dislodge it. Mines probably, as snipers are better on bigger tables, but this could be a dangerous camo unit or bullet magnet.
4. A unit that plugs any gaps or weaknesses, for example where the rest of the list is poor against armour or camo, or can be used to remove problematic enemy units via special deployment or similar.

Ideally, if one of these could pick up the Lieutenant role that would allow for experimenting with specialist line infantry (which can be up to all 3 of them at 1 point each) and learning to take advantage of the extra Lt order. I'm open to suggestions and critique.