The Court of the Scorpion Queen - Maghariba Guards & Shakushs in RTF

THE COURT OF THE SCORPION QUEEN - Maghariba Guards & Shakushs in RTF

In the Unit Focus series I take a look at the different units that make up the Ramah Taskforce, and try to answer why, not if, you should include them in your lists.

 

(Disclaimer! As of writing of this article, there is no Corvus Belli released model for the Shakush Light Armored Unit, and thus I've painted a Gecko Squadron model to serve as a replacement, as I feel it incampsulates the essence of this Light TAG quite well.)

While it is highly unorthodox to field a TAG - especially the largest TAG in the game - in a rapid reaction force that's mostly made up of light units, there are times when even Ramah Taskforce players get to go big (rather than go home)! While you propably came here for the supersoldiers and other elite operatives, sometimes the situation (or one's mood) requires busting out the biggest guns and the heaviest armor; so let's talk about the two Tactical Armored Gear units available to RTF!

The Desert's Apex Predator

The Scorpion-like Maghariba Guard is one of the most iconic TAG units in all of Infinity. While most of the nations of Human Sphere have gone all in on the smaller, more modern humanoid TAGs, the Haqqislamite military industry has also kept upgrading their heavier quadropod model to meet contemporary tactical standards. I love this backround and it's interpretation on the game table; just because something isn't the most modern, doesn't mean you can't make it fully serviciable by just slapping more and more weapons and support systems on it!

"Maggie" (as this monstrous TAG is more lovingly known) boasts the high MOV value of 6-4 quite often found on units of this type, though you do have to take into account the gigantic base size imposed by the (game's only) S value of 8. The huge siluette of the Maghariba is a double edged sword; on one hand, it gives Maggie good lines of fire on the active turn, and allows for her to vault over most terrain pieces, but on the other, hiding her is a pain, and while you may be able to vault a piece of terrain, having enough movement and/or landing space to fit the base on the otherside can prove troublesome...

When it comes to combat stats, BS 14 is as good as you're going to find in RTF (discounting the Zhayedans' BS 12 + Marksmanship), while CC 16 goes to the "oh, good grief no!" -category. PH 17 is mighty strong, but when combined with Dodge = PH11 and Gizmokit = PH10, it no longer feels all that special... ARM 8(!), BTS 6, WIP 14 and STR 3 mean that Maggie can take quite some punishment before falling to the enemy, and these defensive stats are further enhanced by ECM Guided (-6) and more exotically, ECM Hacking (-3). These electronic defenses don't make the Magharibas imperveous to Guided Missiles or Hackers, but they can help you fend off such attacks until you can find a way out of the sticky situation! As with all multi-wound models, Immunity (Shock) is also present.

Courage is pretty much a moot point on Maggie, as she also has Religious Troop, which very much negates the former skill's usefulness. Terrain (Desert) can on occations see this huge TAG accelerate to blistering speeds, while Tactical Awareness effectively means that Maggie brings two orders to the field. Funnily enough, this TAG also brings it's own Baggage with it (more on this later), as well as packing the impressive 360 Visor - can't creep up on this girl! Lastly, BS Attack (+1 DMG) gives the TAG's weapons some additional bite. And now, to the three profiles available:

MULTI Heavy Machine Gun, Heavy Pistol (+1B) - 81pts/1,5SWC

Maghariba Guard is the only way of including a MULTI (or AP for that matter!) Heavy Machine Gun in an RTF force. This immensely versatile weapon allows you to take advantage of high BS, excellent Burst and good Rangebands, even before you factor in the three different ammo types available. Apply Shock rounds against soft targets (No Wound Incapacitation/Dogged models without Immunity (Shock) beware), use AP to strip hard targets of their protection, and save the Explosive shot for the ARO. Heavy Pistol (+1 Burst) is a decent close range weapon with which to defend your TAG, and Burst 3 means that in a pintch it can also be used aggressively! The only real problem with this profile is the fact that the other two offer even more for only slighly higher prices - did you really get an 80+ points TAG, only to save a few points by not upgrading her further?

MULTI Heavy Machine Gun, Heavy Rocker Launcher, Grenade Launcher, Heavy Pistol (+1 Burst) - 88pts/1,5SWC

Someone called for artillery support? For additional 7 points, your standard Maghariba can have a (DMG 15/16 mind you!) Heavy Rocker Launcher and a (DMG 14) Grenade Launcher installed. The HRL really is the thing here, as it allows for Maggie to threaten clumped up targets with Continous Damage Impact Templates on both the active, and especially, on the reactive turn. The Grenade Launcher will mostly find it's use Speculative Attacking stuff if you've got nothing else to spend your Orders on...

MULTI Heavy Machine Gun, Heavy Flamerthower (+1B), Mine Dispenser, AP Heavy Pistol - 85pts/1,5SWC

This version of the Maggie is propably the most popular one! In addition to the hefty MULTI HGM and an AP Heavy Pistol, this girl packs Burst 2 Heavy Flamethrower for a healthy close range DMG 15 dose of Continous Damage! The more imaginetive addition, however, is the Mine Dispenser, which allows for you to launch out two Mines per order (rolling for 17s if you're operating on optimal range)! The hilarious thing is, as Maghariba Guard carries Baggage, she can resupply her own Mines, fire again, rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat... The Mine Dispenser gives Maggie always something to do, and it can allow for her to really pressure opposing troops by launching Mines next to them and then pressing the attack from one direction or the other!

If you do decide to invest in a Maghariba Guard, you pretty much must have her take centre stage in how you're planning on the game to pan out. On the active turn, you should be taking advantage of the MULTI HMG (as well as any of the secondary weapons you brought along) to decimate any enemy targets foolish enough to leave their heads poking out. Just be weary; if your Opponent has caught wind of you bringing a TAG and they've had the time to deploy/redeploy their forces to counter you, the Opponent may have set up an ambush for your centre piece, or pinned her down with multiple simultanious AROs. While in cases like this, the movie logic of springing the ambush and just fighting it off can work, it's usually more prudent (not to mention effective) to use the rest of your forces to clear the way for your TAG to do what she does best!

Maggie can also form a major part of your reactive turn gameplay; most enemies will struggle to make a dent in a ARM 8 model hunkered in cover. It's usually best to retreat your mechanical scorpion to a safe position towards the end of your turn, though not as a last thing - this will allow for you to react to any surprises that your opponent may throw your way! While it's often a good idea to use the Tactical Awareness Order for starters, since the model producing it is the only one that can benefit from it, saving it until later can prove a great idea; if your Maggie get's Isolated by a Jammer or the Oblivion Hacking Program, you can still use your personal Irregular Order to escape or attempt a Reset!

Whether or not you're planning on leaving your TAG out on ARO duty, it's worth keeping in mind that your Opponent will (in most cases) be zeroing in on this massive threat as soon as possible. As such, try and prioritize the destruction of forces most dangerous to your walking tank, and try to consider pontential threat vectors yourOpponent's list/army can use to get to you, and counter them accordingly. Few things feel more satisfying than ambushing an enemy that's thinking they're ambushing you... High BS, strong ARM and the 360 Visor also make Maggies extremely good at performing Suppressive Fire AROs - just find a nice spot guarded by the rest of your troops, and let rip!

Despite their apparent power, Maghariba Guards are still very vulnerable to traditional counterplays to TAGs. They can't reliably defend themselves in melee, they're blinded by Smoke, and AP weapons can tear them right up. Hacking is also always a threat, and with the RTF's lack of (early game) Repeater presence, you will have to find alternative ways of keeping your TAG from getting Immobilized, Isolated, or even worse, Possessed. Luckily there are some really excellent troops with which to screen your Maggie with - a prime candidate being the Nahab Killer Hacker for example; he can oppose enemy Hackers, outfight even the most dedicated melee combatants, and Dodge 4'' to redeploy quicly when neccessary!

 

If you're afraid of having your TAG (regardless of their flavour) Possessed in your reactive turn, there's a small trick you can play: have your (Engineer's) Nasmat stand in base contact with your armored centre piece, thus meaning that if the enemy does indeed posses the TAG, it'll be instantly engaged by your robotic Peripheral, thus buying you some time to react!

Another way that RTF struggles to support it's Maghariba Guards is it's Engineers. While Najjaruns and Monstruckers are fine models of their type, and you could even employ the services of Fiddler, the traditional RTF strike team's tactical makeup means that Engineers tend to be low priority when building your lists. It also pays to remember that with neither of Ramah's TAGs being Remote Presenced, you can't reroll failed attempts to fix them - are you really willing to spend an Order and risk taking out your TAG for good, or would you rather eject the Pilot instead?

Speaking of! Last thing of note about the Maghariba Guard is the Pilot. She is a Paramedic (the only one in the Faction!) that also carries D-Charges, so she can on occasion be pressed into service as an emergency Specialist, Classified Card hunter and (Light) Shotgunner, though if you're running around doing such things, you're propably already in a really good (or a really bad) spot!

So You're on a Budget, Huh?

If the Maghariba Guard is the unconventional older generation TAG that stands out for being unique, then the Shakush Ligh Armored Unit is the epitome of the lean and mean modern fighting machine, with next to no extra bells and whistles attached!

The Shakush boasts quite similar offensive stats to those of the Maggie, with BS of 14 and CC of 17 and the BS Attack (+1 DMG) skill. Defensively it's quite a bit lighter however, as you'll have to do with ARM 6 and PH 14, though STR 3 and BTS 6 are actually rather good! Sadly, the lightness of the Shakush doesn't translate to maneuverability or ease of maintenance; it's "only" MOV 6-2, with Dodge = PH11 and Gizmokit = PH10 - atleast the base is is a whole lot smaller than that of Maggie's!

The profile is rounded out with Courage (this time actually useful!), Immunity (Shock) and Tactical Awareness (two orders for 58 points - yes please!).

 

Both Shakush profiles carry AP CC Weapons... But even so, best stay out of melee since their CC is south of 20, their PH is "only" 14, and they lack any special melee skills whatsoever! 

Heavy Machine Gun, Heavy Flamethrower - 58pts/1,5SWC

The first Shakush profile is a dedicated fire support TAG. Tactical Awareness, BS 14 and the good old HMG make it an excellent gunfighting platform, that can even sustain some hits from unlucky engagements! This option is one of Faction's prime candidates for just poking around a corner in cover, firing a salvo or two, and retreating for the next turn. At the same time though, this Shakush lacks (serious) armor penetrating power, as well as optional threat vectors (HMG or Heavy Flamethrower - pick your poison!), so countering it doesn't require superhuman efforts. What's worse, the Shakush lacks any protection against Guided attacks and Hacking, leaving it a Repeater away from getting Targeted for destruction or turned against you! To me this isn't too much of a prolem though - as long as you keep a close eye on potential Hacking vectors and support the light TAG with you infantry, it shouldn't be too hard to get more than your points worth out of him! If you're still in doubt though, you could just bring the versatile Al Fasid instead as he can resist most Hacking attacks, while also contributing in various ways besides firing his HMG!

AP Spitfire, Heavy Flamethrower - 58pts/1,5SWC

Oh boy... If the the first profile was a fire support piece, the second one is a pure hunter! AP Spitfire gives the Shakush increased killing power against tough targets, but the shorter rangebands require more aggressive maneuvering! This Light TAG should propably take pot shots at targets of opportunity, until a chance arises for it to go big game hunting. Once you do decide to commit the Shakush on an attack run, make sure there are no Repeaters/Hackers/Hidden Deployed models waiting to ruin your day, because they're poised to take advantage of the exposed nature of this TAG. The target you go after should ideally be something so expensive/important, that trading your Shakush for it is worthwhile, or something that you can take out with plenty enough orders in the bank to retreat back to safety. Then again, if you do lose your light TAG, it's only 58 points...

While the Shakush shares some similarities with the Maghariba Guard (they are afterall, both Haqqislamite TAGs!), I feel that from listbuilding and tactical application perspectives they work quite differently. The Shakush is more of a supportive cast member, than the actual star of the show, though properly used, he can turn out to a devastating piece! At the end of the day, you do all the fundamentals of a proper TAG (long range, high damage, high BS, several wounds, highish ARM, Tactical Awereness) at a pricepoint that doesn't restrict the rest of your listbuilding more than bringing an elite Heavy Infantry operative would, and thus while a Shakush can (and mine has on several occasions) lead the charge to victory, you as it's commander can be just has happy while dedicating the light TAG to fire support duty or using it to lure your Opponent into sacrificing their most valuable assets trying to take it out!

When it comes to support requirements and dangers to avoid, what applied with Maggie mostly applies here too - just to a greater extend! Even the pilot is very much like his/her scorpion operating counterpart, though true to form, he/she lacks the D-Charges and is a Specialist Operative instead of a Paramedic.

A TAG Team or a Tag Team?

Since the N4 Fireteam Update overhauled the way RTF's Fireteams can be formed, you've been able to combine Magharibas and Shakushs with one another as well Al Fasids, Zhayedans and Redfury Rafiqs in the so called "Armored Assault Fireteam" Duos. Combining two heavily armored Hackable assets into a single (mighty expensive) tactical element does feel not only terribly risky, but also rather redundant in my eyes - you just aren't getting enough for your investment when putting so many eggs in one basket! While bringing a Rafiq or a Zhayedan Specialist along might at a first glance make some sense, the TAG pilots themselves are already capable of interacting with Mission Objectives, and thus I'm pretty reluctant to recommend such Duo partners either...

Luckily for us, Ramah Taskforce does have access to some fantastic Wildcards however! While bringing a Doctor along in the form of Rahman Rouhani or yet another expensive gunfighter in Tarik Mansuri might not be the best of ideas, the other three options are way more appealing!

• Leila Sharif can accompany your TAG to counter any Hackers that could try to spring an ambush on your armored piece in your Opponent's reactive turn - a Hidden Deployed foe gets only a single try at Hacking your (probably Resetting) TAG before Leila fries their brains! She's also a Specialist who can hunt some Classified Cards while escorting your warmachine!
• Yara Haddad can cover the TAG's weakness to Mimetism employing enemies and also hunt down Hackers without the risk of getting stopped by their inforwar attacks! She can also complete some Classifieds while she's at it! I've even used Yara to Discover enemy Camouflaged units for my Shakush to then destroy!
• Namurrs can bring yet another Tactical Awareness activation to the table and they are highly capable of protecting the TAG against close quarters attacks as well as able to contribute additional threat vectors of their own!
  

Confirm Deployment of TAG Unit (Y/N)?

Maghariba Guards and Shakush Light Armored Units share a peculiar place with many of the other more heavily armored units in Ramah Taskforce; they're ugly ducklings in a force mostly geared towards supporting elite Light Infantry units. This can leave them with less support than models of comperable nature in other Factions, but this also makes many Opponents less inclined to expect having to face them when they take to the field against RTF. If you can use clever plays and coordinated efforts to allow for your ducklings to mature into (terrifying mechanical) swans, you should be good to go! Just remember - the weight is on the enemy to survive and to counter your TAGs; don't make it easy for them by charging enemy lines heedlesly! The value of your heavy armored vehicle will only go up as the battle matures! So, why not don the pilot's outfit, jump right inside your steel beast, and let your enemies have it!

Until the next time - I wish you the very best in leading the Swift and Deadly Spear of the Haqqislamite Army to Victory!

 

 

The Veteran's Word

In The Veteran's Word I write down experiences and tactics that I did not include when I released the article originally. I will separate these additions into a subpart of their own, instead of adding them to the main text, as to make it easier for readers who've already read the article to find the new additions!

• 
   Just Heavy Enough Support. I've been playing the Shakush alot of late, and I have to say that I'm really impressed with how well this Light TAG complements Ramah Taskforce's strengths and how well it covers many of the Sectorial's weaknesses! The Shakush offers long range sweeper -type firepower at a pricepoint per Order (when we factor in the Tactical Awareness!) that can only be matched by the Zhayedan HMG, and unlike the elite Inftantryman, the light TAG can force it's way through coin flip (or even worse) face to face rolls thanks to it's three wounds and ARM 6 (or rather ARM 9 in cover)! The Shakush also unlucks an additional "victory condition" for an RTF strike team - a tactical situation where all the credible threats to the TAG are neutralized and it can dominate the field! Even if you're not actively seeking to advance such a victory parameter (for example because the Mission doesn't support such a plan), the enemy still has to respect the threat of such a situation materializing! The Shakush is even a surprisingly effective ARO piece, because BS 14 helps it reduce the amount of hits it suffers (while threatening a DMG 16 hit of it's own), and it's armor should keep it alive long enough to fail a Guts Roll in order to retreat from overwhelming firepower to live and fight another day. And you get all of this for only 58pts/1,5SWC, which means that you often don't have to make any sigficant compromises in list building to include the Shakush either!
  

 

8/4/2021 Edit. Corrected the mistake in the Shakush's MOV value; thank you forum user Brokenwolf!

23/4/2021 Edit. Rewrote a couple of badly worded sentances, corrected some spelling mistakes and added links to the text.

15/7/2021 Edit. Added pictures of my painted Shakush proxy. Removed the warning that the article is based more on theory than on actual experience; I've played TAGs in RTF quite a number of times lately, and my personal experiences have validated the assessments I've presented in the article.

2/3/2022 Edit. Added The Veteran's Word Just Heavy Enough Support. 

3/8/2022 Edit. Updated the Article to post N4 Fireteam Update era.