Colton and I wrapped up another Infinity game on Tabletop Simulator. This time we played a full 300 point game but stuck with the simpler rulebook mission of Domination.

With Hackers at a premium in Domination, I decided to add quite a few to the list even though I knew Nomads would win the Infowars game. I decided to go with smaller Fireteams and have my midfielders (Zhencha and Hulang) free-wheel around to hunt anything scary that showed up. I figured they’d also be good late game to go push buttons if I needed them too. In hindsight, the double Zanshi Hacker + Missile bot was a waste as I didn’t really have the repeater network to make that defensive threat pay off.

Colton had a good set of hackers and repeaters out as well but also took the tools to make them work with Mary Problems playing star pitcher and the Moran and multiple hidden threats that could come in to help set up the field. His goal was to litter the field with mines and repeaters and hole-up with a “come at me, bro” sneer.

Using a map I found on TTS, we rolled off and Colton won and chose to deploy. I chose to go second and had to deploy first. I set up with my Zuyongs on the left, my Zanshi and Missile bot team in the center back. The Zencha was up front and the other REMs were up front behind a wall. I kept my Hulang in reserve and eventually placed him up with the REMs. Being slow, it didn’t dawn on me just how terrible I deployed the REMs and Hulang on that right side until we were about to start the game.

Colton had quite a lot of midfield play going on with camo’d Bandits and Zeroes along with a Hidden Spektr to boot. True to form, he put out the Moran with a Crazy Koala just to get things started. The rest of his hacker force was split but centered mainly on the left (my right). And this is where I thought everything was going to go horribly wrong. I realized way too late that Mary Problems could throw an easy pitcher out between those two blue buildings and easily get my REMs and the Hulang in the net. Then it’d be just a matter of a quick couple of hacks and those three would likely be out of the game. With no line of sight and not threatening any AROs, this would be easy to accomplish.

Turn 1 – Nomads

Lucky for me, Colton didn’t see that as dire as I did and focused more on the other side of the board. I spent a command token and cut his first turn order pool to 4 in group 1 and 3 in group 2.

Instead, he shored up my left flank where the Zuyongs were threatening. He put out a repeater and a mine within reach of the console nearest me. Then pulled the Moran back to hide behind the short wall as extra repeater coverage.

With his defenses set, he moved back over to the other side and started looking at what all Mary Problems could do and spied the pitcher. This was both of our first game with some of these new toys so it took us a little bit of time to realize what they could do. Lucky for me, Colton threw a pitcher out just to cover the other console. He then tagged the console nearest him to work on the mission objectives. This did eat up several orders as he failed the first time. Mary retreated behind the wall.

Turn 1 – Invincible Army

While repeaters suck, I start my turn much better than I anticipated. My entire force is hackable, even my light infantry since they are hackers themselves so repeater networks are going to be a big issue for me.

Checking angles, I can’t have the Rui Shi go right to flank the hackers so I have the EVO give him the assist and thenrun to the center. I’m able to spot Mary, who didn’t have the orders to also duck down. I take her down (but not out) and then work on the repeater and mines and other fun things Colton left for me. With my Zanshi discovering the mine, the Rui Shi again fires away at both the repeater and mine, taking them both down. Assisted Fire Rui Shi! Where have you been all my life?

Time for the Z-Team to get into action. They work their way up the container yard and get into defensive positions.

Krit Kokram knows there’s a koala waiting for him but little else so he decides to try to tank it. He runs out and is surprised by both the koala and a hidden Spektr. Luckily, it only took one move to get there so instead of hacking the console, I elect to dodge. The dodge works against the koala but I take a wound against the Spektr. Rui Shi is still in great position so I have it take out the Spektr (which it does). With everything clear, Krit is back up to bat and he tags the console.

My work here is done so I have everyone retreat to cover and wait out to see what the nerds have planned for me next.

Turn 2 – Nomads

The nerds need help so a Tomcat doc drops in. After some debate, Colton decides to burn the orders getting the doc up to Mary and doctor her up instead of hoping for a medkit. Good thing since it takes 2 command tokens to rez her back up.

Seeing my Z-team and Rui Shi all clustered around a building, the nerds bring in the Meteor Zond and try to land it in the middle. My EVO bot doesn’t like that so it jams his controls and it skitters in at the back edge instead.

Wanting to control that right flank console, Colton tries to throw down smoke and Eclipse but it all goes to crap. Nothing left to do except regroup a bit and get some additional troops up the board while hiding key figures like Mary so she doesn’t drop again.

At turn end, we both had 2 quadrants each so sat at one objective point apiece.

Turn 2 – Invincible Army

With the Nerds in disarray, I decide my Jocks need to own the field.

I send the Hulang out to do some work. He is in the best condition to go play with the camo markers and then take down the repeater blocking that console. Unfortunately, the camo marker was a Zero Hacker and even though I lit that nerd on fire, he still isolated the Hulang.

With my left flank console secure for the moment, I pulled the Z-team in since they have my only engineer. Krit just can’t seem to figure what to do with a Hulang and fails 4 engineering test (using mainly command tokens). Frustrated, I send up the HMG to the road edge and he is spoiled for shots.

I spread my shots around but only end up taking down the hacker nerd (Interventor) on the left flank. I’m low on orders and since Mary is back up, I don’t want to get a pitcher in the face. I pull back to set up my defense for the nerds counter attack.

I feel like I can put some pressure on Colton by also taking 3 quadrants this round so I get the Z-team on the roof and out of repeater range. I end with the left flank covered and the right alley (where Mary and team would come out from) is covered as well. Playing on TTS is a little silly sometimes and I grossly misjudge where the center of the board is and have none of my team threatening his quadrants like I thought I would.

Round ends and we both are equal on quadrants and are now at 2 objective points each.

Turn 3 – Nomads

We messed up and didn’t realize the Interventor I shot down was Colton’s Lieutenant, and so this whole next turn would have been pretty moot. Here is what we did anyway…

Colton’s main goal now is to get both of those untagged consoles, betting I either can’t take them back due to repeaters or can’t force him to lose both of his quadrants. He tries to get an Eclipse going to block my Rui Shi but that fails and, running low on orders, has Mary run in to tag the right flank console near her repeater.

She dodges through my HMG and Combi fire (nerds can be quick) and gets to the console and tags it eventually. This blows through a lot of orders and allows my Hulang to reset three times. True to form, he fails every time. Jerk.

With nothing left to lose, Colton throws the Zond in at high gear and books it to the other console. I totally whiff the first round of shots and I can’t stop him from making it there and trying to tag the console in one order. I end up lighting him up as he tries. The Zond is obliterated but not before getting off the switch and claiming the third console for Nomads. Damn nerds. With just a few orders left, Colton maneuvers some troops to help ARO for my final rush.

Turn 3 – Invincible Army

I have a hacker problem that must be dealt with. I figure I need at least one console flipped to Yu Jing control to tie things up (and win on kill points). To win, I need to flip a console and control 3 quadrants to Nomads 1 or control all the quadrants. To do either, I need to get rid of Mary (the last regular hacker) and the repeater. Hulang is isolated but not out so he does what he does best, nothing. Mary dodges the flame thrower and the repeater makes the armor save.

It’s up to Rui Shi again to save the day. It runs over and sprays Mary, putting her down for good this time.

With the regular hackers out of the way, the repeater is less of an issue. There is still a Killer Hacker out there though so I might only get one shot at this. The EVO hacker runs out (seeing how the Zond did it) and gets to the console (needing 16s) and blows it all with an 18. The Killer Hacker gets Trinity through and kills the bot as well. Lame.

I still need a console as my forces are too thin to take over all the quadrants. Rui Shi comes back and takes down some AROs and I decide to try to use its repeater to light up the Moran. I felt like I needed the Moran out because it could pop up and try to take down Krit when he got close enough to the console. Spotlighting twice fails and I give up.

Instead I burn my precious few remaining orders getting the Z-team down and having the Zuyong HMG tank the koala.

I’m down to one order to get Krit up to the console and flip it on 14s. After repeatedly failing most of the game, it seems like Krit can mess with consoles and succeeds.

With all my Zuyong up close, I also take three quadrants and combine it with my two consoles, the game ends in Victory.

Yu Jing 6 – Nomads 5


Our first full game on Tabletop Simulator went well, if very slow. Hopefully we’ll get faster but one nice thing about the system is the fact that we can always save the game state and start it up later.

Rui Shi was a beast in this game. I know N4 nerfed him a little bit but he seems as strong as ever. The EVO bot seems needed to power him up to be a killer, and that has been seen as a liability but the EVO did some pretty good hacking work for me as well. I wish it would have gotten its roll off with the console but I found the bot useful even without the Rui Shi.

I still am failing the deployment aspect of this game. If Colton was more familiar with hacking and pitchers, he could have destroyed me. Combing that learning curve with 4 units off the board hamstrung him several times as he would find himself short an order each round trying to finish up one last detail and leaving a critical piece exposed, which I later exploited.