Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Outside of total reaction, it seems like the acting player will almost always win a firefight 1v1, since they're rolling 3 times ( or more ) dice. With that in mind, how does one block off territory for the purposes of objectives or whatever, when it seems the acting player will easily sweep anything trying to defend out of the way.

For that matter, how does one stop a single HI ramboing everything to death? A BS 15 with an HMG is going to win every faceoff, and as long as he advances only enough to get one enemy in his LoF, he's going to be facing only one ARO at a time.

Suppression fire zones help.
Hacking that HI immobile then planting a D-charge on him when he can't ARO is always good for a laugh.
Smoking him (if he doesn't have a visor) or dropping something behind him outside of his ZoC (no aro) then shooting him in the back of the head.

Camo mines are also great, all it takes is one bad dice roll and once he gets one guy killed from a mine, he will be cautious for the rest of the game. Also never underestimate the power of a critical hit. I am sure others have said it but try to position your guys so you get more than one ARO on him, the more shots the more likely you will kill him.

Yeah but most mines tend to be one-shots that once used are gone.

Monofilament mines, however (and swarm grenades) linger around, remaining in place as a deterrent. And that mono mesh is still a dam12 or die save (armour won't count).

Playing the game will throw up many different tactical examples to the kind found when you just do things on paper. While it is indeed possible to rambo with an HI/HMG, its also something that there are several methods to defend against:
- As Chromedog has already said hacking is very effective. You can hack without LOS, and there is nothing more annoying than going repeatedly trying to hit 'reset' and reboot your HI while there is a hacker within 8" saying "nyah nyah nyah" and the odds in his favour that you stay immobilised.
- mines, especially monofiliment or virus, placed strategically will at best stop the HI from approaching, or kill any brave enough to try.
- placing guys in overwatch who are better shots than the HI; something like a Lasiq sniper, who is 26" away on the top of a building covering your guys. In cover, with 'mimetism' the odds are in her favour, and a very good chance the HI will get a viral sniper rifle shot in the face for his troubles. Substitute other sniper miniatures where necessary.
- Even with standard LI, use a measured approach to advancing. Always have multiple units covering where you think an opponent will emerge from, and use Suppression Fire where necessary. Keep your guys in cover and within easy reach of a retreat - if you do get shot at, take the 'dodge' option and move back round a corner or go prone. Generally HI aren't that fast, make him burn orders to get to you, and when you do fight give yourself a chance with the odds. Use flamers and other template weapons that are guaranteed to cause the chance of a wound if he attacks you.
- Fight fire with fire! Doesn't have to be an HI, but you can play defensively and keep a HI, or other nasty equivalent back, and make them cautious about coming to you.
- Finally, there are a hundred ways you can try and take out his HI before he gets a chance to rambo - air dropping units behind him, sneaky ninja attacks with TO units, or any number of special weapons that can nullify the HI including ADHL attacks, hacking, a missile launcher etc!

Just some ideas anyway, I'm sure other people can add to them!

placing guys in overwatch who are better shots than the HI; something like a Lasiq sniper, who is 26" away on the top of a building covering your guys. In cover, with 'mimetism' the odds are in her favour, and a very good chance the HI will get a viral sniper rifle shot in the face for his troubles. Substitute other sniper miniatures where necessary.

Is overwatch just a general term here? I see nothing in the wiki about it.

Even with standard LI, use a measured approach to advancing. Always have multiple units covering where you think an opponent will emerge from

This I think was basically the answer I was looking for. My confusion was with the LoF rules since I'm used to warmachine, where any point of base to any point of base is used. Having to draw LoF from center of base means the aggressor will need to expose himself to nearby figures, not just the one he wants, in order to shoot around a corner.

Overwatch is probably 40k players referring to Suppression Fire. Also remember that LoF is reciprocal in Infinity so if an enemy model has LoF to a head sized portion of your model from the centre of its base you have LoF to it as well.

Patyrn wrote:

placing guys in overwatch who are better shots than the HI; something like a Lasiq sniper, who is 26" away on the top of a building covering your guys. In cover, with 'mimetism' the odds are in her favour, and a very good chance the HI will get a viral sniper rifle shot in the face for his troubles. Substitute other sniper miniatures where necessary.

Is overwatch just a general term here? I see nothing in the wiki about it.

Yes sorry about that mate, it was just a general term for someone with a gun covering others.