Token Scenario Break-Down: Part 1

This is the beginning of my thoughts on the ITS 4 scenarios leading up to my first entry into a Infinity and ITS 4 event a the NOVA open.

Supply Run:

 

 

Simply three boxes that need to be picked up by specialists and retained (in possession of a living model) by your side until the end of the game. Players receive 2 OP per box in their possession at the end of the game (Main Objective), Secondary are the standard Kill more points than you opponent for 1 and kill 150 more points that your opponent for 1, and 1 Classified Objective . A good note is that the specialists are only required to extract the boxes, after that any model can hold/transfer by the use of short skill.

Models with Baggage can hold up to 3 boxes, while all other miniatures can hold one.

Supply run is in the middle of the difficulty level for the Token scenarios, if you go second you have opportunity to take or re-take the boxes from your opponent. In saying that once a player has the boxes and can squirrel them into a defensive position you are going to be hard pressed to dig them out. In other words a player can grab the boxes, transfer them to nasty model (HI/TAG/Baggage) and then encircle them. This will force much more direct confrontation on the opponent’s terms.

After playing supply run a few times a trend has started to crop up with the players that get 1^st turn. Being able to protect your specialists with smoke or if terrain is dense it is really difficult to stop someone from grabbing 1-2 boxes and getting them buried in a good position. Getting all 3 is more than possible but you will be a bit more pressed to then bring them all back into Total Cover or a Total Reaction umbrella that can protect them.

 

My suggestion is to really secure 1-2 boxes on your first turn (whether you go 1^st or 2^nd) and then make the other box location really difficult to take/secure with the use of suppression fire zones, mines, and Total Reaction/Neuroscientics. If your opponent has the advantage and you have to drive deep into their side of the board to grab a box it is going to be difficult to take a box back without the use of infiltrators, AD, or fast specialists. Set yours lists up accordingly to be able to strike back and quickly take a box back to your side of the board or protect it with as many high threat reactive models are possible.

 

Seize the Beacon:

 

Goal of this scenario is simple, be in control of the beacons at the end of the game. You get 1 OP for the closet beacon (closest to your deployment zone), 2 OP for the beacon at the centerline and 3 at the far side near your opponent’s deployment zone. Secondary Objective is 1 OP for killing more points than you opponent, and  1 OP for killing 150 more points than your opponents. Finally there is one classified objective that garners 2 OP.

This Scenario is one that can be approached from a few angles. You can bring a list to break stuff and grab the beacons before your opponent runs or turtle and prepare for a turn 3 blitz on the points. You can also end up against some crazy specialized lists (Order Sergeants) that will work for all the token scenarios and be really damn hard to counter, especially if that player gets first turn. The use of late game AD: Airborne Infiltration and Combat Jump will be common, late reveals of Hidden Deployment models, or just pure break stuff Alpha-Strike to reduce the possibility of you even grabbing the points to start with.

With terrain set up so that you can see two or more of the beacon locations having models with TO/Camo/Smoke to make it to the beacons and survive will be important early. Layering of mines, deployables, Total Reaction/Neuroscientics around the beacons can be a decent counter to someone grabbing the points early. Making your opponent fight through a meat grinder to complete the objectives, will hopefully wear down the model count in their army and allow a turn 2 or turn 3 push that will have less opposition.

A few games into this scenario leaves me the most confident about being able to do something about not getting first turn and having enough ways to get back into the game by the end. Having the last turn to hit those beacons even if the model doesn't survive afterwards will get you the objective points.

That is the end of Part 1. Part 2 will be dedicated to the emergency transmission scenario and how to attempt to deal with going 2nd.