I think an update on where I am at in trying to prepare for the NOVA ITS Tournament (Hunger games and the Team Tournament too!) Myself and another player in my local gaming group (The Dread Gamer Todd, if your on the infinity forum you know what I am talking about) have been playing with some of the theorized lists that would seem to be rather hard to deal with (First Turn TAG Lieutenant alpha-stirkes and Preta Spam so far.)

I'll explain the Preta Spam first with a little bit of history (from 2 months ago I believe) about how Pretas (of the Combine army) came to lose their biomines and gain just regular mines... well I really have no idea, it just happened.

Now there is a 5 point model that is impetuous and has mines running around. We theorized a list that ran 8-10 of the could be a real pain to deal in regards to the ITS (any of the token scenarios and front-line especially.)

We both made lists (I used a list for supply run that I have been working on getting comfortable with to play at NOVA and Todd made a Preta Spam list.) We played two games (ah yes super small sample size) with the same lists both knowing exactly what the other had from the get to. First game the Preta list got first turn, then it basically flooded the board with mines using coordinated orders to limit the ARO exposure and take 2 of the 3 supply boxes. I was a complete loss as how to get through the 2 dozen or so mines that made it onto the board IN ONE TURN (mine sweeper/Engineers). I lost that game before I even got to go. Keep in mind there was still 260 points worth of army still pointing HMGs, etc at me. Now we just flip-flopped who went first in the same scenario. Basically, a Spitfire equipped Prowler mowed down the Pretas and all of the Major ARO threats. I grabbed all 3 boxes and got ready to weather the counter attack that never came. During the course of the Prowlers shooting spree I had taken out Todd's Lieutenant buying me time to secure the boxes in hard to reach areas going for the win. This game was a result of the terrain density and the quanitity of models to get into cover not working out.

Our conclusion is that 1st turn is super important and that leads into the next thing we started messing around with: 1st Turn Lieutenant Tag Alpha-Strike. We took turns (I choose the Avatar; Todd the Marut.) In both cases we "assumed" that the TAG Lieutenant side won initiative. Not a far stretch for the Avatar with WIP 17 and the Marut's WIP of 15. Todd played an army he was looking to use for the NOVA ITS and I went after him with the Avatar. I could only get one supply box, but managed during the process to take out his Lieutenant, 2 Kaplans, a HMG total reaction remote and put two wounds on Scarface. So he was hurting on his first turn right from the get go and we called it to switch. He did managed to ARO hack the Avatar and immobilize it during my last order.

Now with Todd in control of an Aleph group with a Marut in the lead, I choose a list similar to one I usually play a variation of for most objective type scenarios with the twist of having as many Total Reaction or Neuroscientics models as I could to see if an offensice reactive turn could stop the alpha-strike. First turn saw common use of smoke covered movement and smoke/shooting that left all but one defensive model out of the game. Todd had secured two boxes and the Marut had taken to wounds (from criticals from a TR combi-rifle at 32"..) I then tried to counter but the boards we played on (very similar density from what we've seen posted at other ITS events) did not allow me to move without getting into a TR firelane of some sort and my attempt the hack the Marut failed. After that the Marut was in a position to be repaired and most of Todd's Aleph force was still intact (I think I took out a yudbot and a thorikite) and mine was missing a good chunk of my heavy weapons due to being shot apart as part of my attempt to stop the Marut.

The conclusion we came to was you can not build a defensive list that will be strong enough to stop an alpha-strike reliably and will leave you weak in the offensive capability side of things. My preparation has turned my lists over a little bit, adding more active turn bite, and reducing the amount of reactive turn offensive threats. My thought process is being prepared on your active turn if you go 2nd to take out the 110+ alpha strike model with the use of hacking or concentrated fire to remove the threat. Now if your opponent is playing convservatively enough that they are happy with 1-2 boxes and they secure the alpha-strike model back into Total Cover you are going to have a tough time digging that model out with taking heavy losses.