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**let me preface this by saying - in hindsight - you might want to skip more than a bit of everything leading up to the list **

Well, I've had some fun with my acon list by now and thought it'd be fun to try out something rather different. Now I really like certain CA models (most of the EI stuff, hungries to a degree), but rather dislike others (most everything else and to a degree, the avatar). One thing I really, really want to use, is a sepsitor. What I would like even better than that...is two sepsitors. I'm sure you get the point by now
That does seem hard, though. I've been messing around in aleph toolbox a bit and several things stand out to me crystal clear:
1) there's basically three models which can take a sepsitor, all three of which both have an ava of one. Don't like the avatar, so that's the Anathematic and Skiavoros in.
The Anathematic is lovely, if a bit expensive but TOing a sepsitor sounds like the perfect dick move to make on a regular basis and the Skiavoros has the rather lovely benefits of V:NWI and CH:M even though at 68pts, 1w and 3arm isn't great, it seems.
The plasma rifles they both have sound like lovely weapons just in case I have to ARO something outside the ZC sepsitor range

G:Mnemonica and Strategos L2 could just be rather fun as well. I play a rather... casual meta of, at this time, three active players including me and perhaps a few really new starters, so a trick doesn't have to be all that dirty or well-executed to be pretty damn effective. I want to make a list that can shake things up and perhaps compete in nearby somewhat more serious tournaments (my acon list is rather non-cb-model-proxies-heavy - 4 bagmari and rao built from mantic enforcers with cb spec-ops guns, for starters - so that one's probably out for tournament use) though winning is not a top priority. ...okay, I'm rambling again. **note to self: stop starting these threads tipsy at 3 in the morning **

The next thing I really like with the EI stuff, is the obsidon medchanoid. Name's cheesy as hell and it's basically a friggin' mechanical rainworm. How cool is that? Also it's both a doc and an engineer, it's fast, and it's got wip14 at only 23 pts. What's not to love? next up, it's little siblings. Ever since spending half my original demo game trying to demolish some accursed little G:servant bot on the opposing (nomads) side, I've taken great care never to build a list which doesn't include two of the nightmarishly annoying little buggers. 6pts is easy enough to spare, so in they go. (None of those three are even up for advice, tbh. I like the models too much!)

After that, well: I've had good experiences suicideramboing my PanO peacemaker with his little friend up someone's flank and flambéing/shooting the gak out of everything it sees until it dies. Usually takes close to an entire round of orders from me and oh boy, it's always fun. Either I wipe at least four, sometimes more models with the thing or if forces my opponent into spending his entire game worrying about staying the hell away from the little fether. Now sadly, the inimitable auxbot has no direct CA equivalent, however running an HMG up someone's flank on a mov6-4 model can be plenty of fun already, with more fun to come if it drops a gaktonne (okay, three...) of mines along the way. In goes the Q-drone. I figure that while it's nowhere near as resilient as my peacemaker (usually I run the auxbot into the thick ahead of the peacemaker to flame everything to bits until it dies, and only then the peacemaker itself starts taking real risks - that's not an option here...) it has the advantage of having 360V and TR. Dropping that little piece of hell in someone's backfield can seriously mess up a round as well. kill one or two things then just make it sit there make the other guy's life (...okay, game) hell. I do like the templates a bit too much to dispose of those just yet (and my meta still has a habit of seeing folks conveniently lining 2-4 models up behind cover - get up that side and an HMG would just be a disappointment, really...) so I'm figuring a plasma rifle on that guy. Might go for HMG/mono if it doesn't work out and I have the points to spare but this will probably be rather effective, around here.

okay, that's a lot of expensive models in. So, Ikadron/Imetron blister, right? Maybe two now I don't *like* the Imetrons per se; seem rather hard to put down somewhere safe but since I really, Really, REALLY won't have the points to do it any other way (and get anywhere near 10 regular orders ) I will probably have to. the Ikadrons OTOH sound like the best cheerleaders in the history of cheerleading, infinity and any combination thereof. So, two of them in for sure; let's see about the Imetrons at the end.

last one in is pretty much the only EI model other than the avatar and charontid (don't really like the charontid models either, HMG is better but not the loadout I'd want and still far from amazing) remaining: Ko-Dali. MSV2 is something the list is missing (funny that, for CA) and I figure I can drop her right on top of where she's needed. that, or just spend a full round of orders ramboing her through the other guy's deployment zone. S:protheion makes it a realistic option; drop right on top of some badly covered cheerleader, knock it unconscious and eat a wound, rinse and move on only to repeat. I hope

Well, so far, great ideas: only one problem. aside from the cheerleaders (2xikadron, 2ximetron, Rdrone) and the med-tech there's four things which will do interesting stuff during every game: of those I want - if possible - two sepsitors, a hacker (if only for drone control) and a lieutenant. See, that's the issue. Now that wonderful, *wonderful* skiavoro has the option to combine the Lt and Sepsitor options in one loadout. Loving it!
My Anathematic, however (which I'd REALLY like to give a sepsitor - the lulz to be had with that piece of utter cheese hidden on a TO model is enough to make me giddy!) does *not* allow me to combine that with the hacker option; of course the drone can't be a hacker and neither can ko-dali. Feth... not good.

okay, the first try, with that little snag, looks like this:

Combined Army | 10 models
________________________________________________________

Anathematic Hacker (99|0.5)
Skiavoro Sepsitor Lt (68|1)
Ko Dali (37|0)
Med-Tech Combi (23|0)
Slave Drone (3|0)
Slave Drone (3|0)
Q-Drone Plasma (30|1)
R-Drone Repeater (8|0)
Ikadron (9|0)
Ikadron (9|0)
Imetron (4|0)
Imetron (4|0)
________________________________________________________

297/300 points | 2.5/6 swc
open with Aleph Toolbox : http://goo.gl/22hhv

So, first real question (of course, feel free to shoot holes in any of the above regardless ): how to fix this issue? I want a hacker, but I also want my anathematic to carry a sepsitor. Badly. So, dump Ko-Dali? If so, what to get in her stead? Obviously it's not going to be EI (all waay over in points...) but I don't really mind one ugly model (sadly, anything not EI will end up in that category for me ). Maybe having one morat model in the army isn't such a bad idea - if only to change the retreat limit from 60% to 75%... that is a nice thing to have and would actually leave a few points to play with. How though, not a clue...). Zerat? Shrouded? both yuck models, IMO maybe drop a single slave drone ( ) and get a vector operator?
That would leave a point free for one last idea: get a preta to replace an imetron (I like the hungries well enough... sort of...) and just view that as a cheap way to drop three mines in a first round, on the way to an inevitable self-destruct with the chain-rifle

Now I know all-EI isn't the most ideal way to go, I've seen the thread with RiTides inquiring about it etc (hell I got the idea to actually do this when I tried to buy a bunch of EI stuff off of him he turned out to have already sold, cheeky bugger ) as well as a few others but it does seem doable, what with the Ikadron/Imetron release?

so, questions/comments? (preferably a lot of the latter!)

Hi,
Seems interesting just playing these guys. I thought about something like that some time ago. I think you´ll have problems because Plasma is more a short/medium range weapon and your list will have problems killing things that are far away. Of course the Anathematic can get real close to the enemy and Ko Dali, too but you got a lot of expensive models in the list. The Imetrons won´t do anything just giving orders for your pool, the Batroids have to get REAL close with light flamers. I think the list has not enough fire power. There are only 4 figures for a firefight over medium range (Ko Dali, Ana, Skai, Drone...and perhaps the Med Tech) the rest will end up as simple cheerleaders.

...Yeah, I know that. I could go for an HMG on the Qdrone, that's something
Well, my experience in my local meta is that it's generally possible to find at least some avenue of cover to close to within 16" of juicy targets relatively safely - that and I was, indeed, kind of hoping to use a sepsitor anathematic to "acquire" some tools, here and there.
You're right though - every loss is going to hurt like hell. Doesn't seem to be much of a way to fix that though - maybe I'll just have to give up and get some non-EI stuff in (aside from one exrah model as a hacker instead of ko-dali) anyway. blegh

Bloody hell.. I forget how expensive some of the CA stuff is!

Very character full looking army though, and I like the idea of it. Sure it would be fun to play for a game or two, and with the Ikadron moving around like a herd of scared sheep in the back corner of the board

Oh, I was rather planning on having the other side moving around my sepsitors like a herd of scared sheep running from the wolves. I know my usual opponents - it'll take me one or two times sepsitorizing their precious HI to assert that little bit of psychological warfare.

...And yes, some of the CA stuff is ungodly expensive. That does mean that once I've bit the bullet on the (cashwise) horribly expensive fillers/cheerleaders it's dead cheap to switch out the way the entire army functions for fun, though. That's really nice actually - one or two blisters can mean a completely different playstyle much more so than I could ever see that investment doing in my acon lists.

Here's one I did but it doesn't have Ko Dali. I actually did this not to long ago thinking the same thing. I unfortunately don't have Sepsitor at all. I made the Skiavoro to have a spitfire for more range. I also figured it' would be obvious that he's the Lt. if I used Strategos. The Charontid is one of the best hackers in the game and cheaper than the Anathematic.

COMBINED ARMY
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

GROUP 1 9 0 0

SKIÁVORO Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, CCW. (1.5 | 53)
ANATHEMATIC Lieutenant Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (87)
CHARONTID Hacker (Hacking Device Plus) Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (0.5 | 82)
IKADRON (Bagagge, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (9)
IKADRON (Bagagge, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (9)
ÍMETRON Electric Pulse. (4)
ÍMETRON Electric Pulse. (4)
MED-TECH OBSIDON MEDCHANOID Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (23)
Q-DRONE HMG, Antipersonnel Mines / Electric Pulse. (1 | 29)

3 SWC | 300 Points

Open with Army 4

If you used some other models from Combined I would go for the Daturazi Witch Soldiers because of Coma. With Coma you can use your Morat as repeater for the sepsiptor, this is a nice little surprise for every enemy....

...So a 14pt chainrifle equipped not-so-ordermonkey blazing forward, hoping he causes a casualty and then being able to repeater that sepsitor - that's nice, actually. Hadn't even seen that option. Shame they don't come as hackers

I'm slowly warming up to some of the other CA models somewhat (however technically amazing the paintjobs are, I just can't bring myself to like most of them...) so I might try that some time. Thanks, it sounds like a really, really nasty thing to do - just what I wanted!

@CDK, mostly I figured I'd more or less suicide run the skiavoro into a few sepsitor worthy models (I mean, mimetism, NWI et al he should be able to do something!) then when he inevitably dies, Mnemonica him into the 28pt morat hacker I figured should replace ko-dali to make it playable and have a wip16 hacker anyway.

...better if I ever get to play specops - doc, engineer and hacker @wip16 from turn two or so but I digress.

The one problem with your list (strictly for me, of course) is that I don't really like the (rather old) charontid model either. It's worth considering though and since it's only an infantry sized model, I'll probably get it just to experiment with anyway

Well, all: I realize I'm going to have significant issues making this work but somehow it just makes it sound more fun to try (and with regular rather casual opponents, this might not be that much of a problem). Thanks for the advice

I would LOVE to face your initial list. The fact I mainly play Ariadna has nothing to do with it :p not a cube in sight lol!!

Honestly I think it is a bit of a 1 trick pony, it will work MAYBE once or twice then you will find that the list wont work. I wouldnt make it my 'main' force if i was you

Don't worry, I have a nasty acon force as a main and I'm warming up to a few morat models, so there might be some variety in the future even for *my* ca.
Yeah, ariadna could be an issue. In my experience however, the way to send my one regular ariadna playing opponent off to cry is to throw teardrops at him - he's got issues with correctly placing his models at times so I believe he'll have enough of an issue with the plasma rifles also, that TO anathematic is going to be murder for his lack of MSV combined with said formation... issues. But you're right, this would probably be a horrible idea in an actually competitive meta. One of the reasons I love this less competitive group is that it's actually wonderful practice when you get into a game to try the kind of wacky gak that would never fly around "better" players.

If you used a Charontid, you would have a Visor (Lvl3 I think).

Yeah, just bought a charontid for paint scheme testing (might as well use my least favorite mini of the bunch for that, lol) though I'd very much like to pick your brain on the scheme on the blueish flesh of your CA EI stuff especially, too - amazing stuff

I can't believe I actually won last night with this army! I started off with an Imetron deviating off board. The other one deviating to his deployment zone! My Preta went up and killed the Hassasin character what's-his-name even though he had first cc with Martial arts. My Skiavoro should have died several times over. Admittedly I kept making Arm rolls and he was rolling bad too. The dice were not with him. He also clustered his link team to close to each other and I got him with a combination HMG and Plasma.

I killed every guy and he got an Imetron and the Preta.

The MSV L3 Visor HMG Charontid was fantastic.

What I would change is, take out the two imetrons and add another R-Drone.


COMBINED ARMY
──────────────────────────────────────────────────

GROUP 1 9 1 1

IKADRON (Bagagge, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (9)
IKADRON (Bagagge, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (9)
ÍMETRON Electric Pulse. (4)
ÍMETRON Electric Pulse. (4)
MED-TECH OBSIDON MEDCHANOID Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (23)
SLAVE DRONE Electric Pulse. (3)
SKIÁVORO (Hacking Device) Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, CCW. (0.5 | 68)
CHARONTID (Multispectral Visor L3) HMG, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (2 | 80)
ANATHEMATIC Lieutenant Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (87)
R-DRONE Electric Pulse. (8)
PRETA Chain Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines (Biomines) / CCW. (5)

2.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open with Army 4

...skia, chari and an anathematic - damn that's ballsy nice though, looks like it was a blast

I actually used it again last night against my other friend and his Hassasin. I did change the 2 Imetrons to one more R-Drone. This time though we played a mission that I just couldn't do. It was the Emergency Transmission. I had only three dudes that were specialists. The Obsidion, Anathematic Lt., and Skiavoro Hacker. He had 18 orders! Including a Link team of Ghulam. The Charontid HMG was the star of the show again though. I got him up to a roof and killed a few little guys. But then he FO marked me and started hitting him with missiles :( Pretty fun though.