In Search of Wisdom - My RTF List Building Philosophy Part 1 (the Basics) (Update Pending)

In Search of Wisdom - My RTF List Building Philosophy Part 1 (the Basics) (Update Pending)

In this series I reflect on the game of Infinity, as well the place of Ramah Taskforce in it. 

Through my time writing the Good Guys Wear Orange, many people have asked for my takes on list building with RTF. This is a subject I have been very hesitant to cover, as few things are as personal (and as hard to quantify) as (good) list building in Infinity. I however, do have a personal philosophy when it comes to building my lists, and I feel I'm ready to start covering it piece by piece in a series of articles. However... Readers of this piece must keep in mind that there are no right (and only few truly wrong) ways of building Infinity lists, and what follows is my very personal and subjective take on how I like to build my lists for myself - so take everything with a gigantic grain of salt! 

 

As I'm going split this subject into a series of articles, I can't cover everything here and now. Considerations on the effects of the Mission, the Opponent and the Table must be done another day, so we'll just stick to the basics this time. With the disclaimers out of the way, let's get cracking!

What to Expect When Building Lists with RTF?

 Ramah Taskforce is very much what I'd call "an elite Sectorial" - it has access to very powerful individual pieces, as well as flexible Fireteams, but it (mostly) lacks cheap Irregular troops and Warbands. RTF also isn't home to any "apex" pieces of Infinity, so while your force will mostly be made up of elite career soldiers, it can't confidently expect to dominate any area of the game against all the opposing forces arrayed against it.

Our guys and gals in orange also aren't able to rely on extensive use of additional Order generating abilities, be they Impetuous, NCO or Tactical Awareness (though all of the before mentioned abilities are present in the Faction to a lesser extend). RTF operatives aren't S-tier durable either (though many of them are quite sturdy by Haqqislam standards), so your list has to be able to keep operating despite suffering notable casualties through the battle.

All of the things mentioned (atleast in my opinion) very much funnel RTF to being a Sectorial that should strive to have as close to 15 Order generating models in it's lists as possible - in this way the strike team can persevere despite suffering losses, and it can dedicate enough Orders to take out troublesome opposing pieces in non-linear ways. I feel that this is a blessing in disguise however, as a fifteen(ish) Order Ramah list will propably end up with an excellent roster of Specialists, as well as enough redundancy to keep fighting through most circumstances!

The 'Core' of the List

One of the reasons to play a Sectorial is it's ability to form Fireteams, and none are more powerful than the Fireteam Cores. RTF basically has access to three such squads. At elite end of the spectrum we have the (counts as) Janissary and Zhayedan Fireteams, and at the more mundane end we have the (counts as) Ghulams. While the scenario, opponent or one's playstyle may lead one to use one of the more expensive Cores, 99% of the time I will field a Ghulam squad (not least because the other two can form Haris' if I also want to bring them along)!

To me, the opportunity cost of not fielding a Ghulam Core is just too much to bear. There are several reasons for this:

• They're cheap: A low cost Fireteam Core saves me points for more of the awesome supersoldiers - I can almost afford to bring a 30ish point elite operative for each 10ish point Ghulam I include in the list.
  
• They've got plenty of Shotguns: few things can trade favorably against 11-16 point models with multi burst Direct Template Weapons!
• They're very flexible: Naffatûns, Khawarijs and Namurrs count as Ghulams, while all the Wildcards can also join the squad - I can tailor this Core for almost any situation!
• They can provide ARO presence: Burst 2 AROs with +3 BS and Sixth Sense make even BS 11 models respectable reactive turn pieces!
• They've got access to excellent Specialists: WIP 14 Hackers, Forward Obsevers and WIP 17 Doctors for everyone!

I've heaped praises upon the Ghulams in the appropriate Unit Focus Article, and I still feel they're the best place to start when building an RTF list. If I have a clear idea what role I want my Line Troops to play in my forthcoming game(s), I'll tailor out the Fireteam accordingly, and if not, I'll just throw together a Swiss (Bourak?) Army Knife style build and refine it at the end of the list building process to match the rest of my force! Some of the most important considerations when buidling my Ghulam Core include:

• Where does the Doctor support come from? An active Ghulam squad needs to have a Doc of their own incorporated, while a passive one can get by having another Doctor's Nasmat stand by them.
• Do I need Specialists? In Missions with a heavy emphasis on button pushing or Classified Card completition it pays to have spare Specialists along, otherwise I might not need to bother!
• Who's the pointman/woman? If (and when) the Fireteam needs to engage targets on my active turn, who's going to be the one to lead the attack? Will I bring a piece dedicated for the job (Ghulam HMG, Khawarij heavy weapons, Yara Haddad), or will I be resorting an active turn Sniper?
• Can I fit the Ghulam NCO in? 15 points isn't much for the guy, though sometimes the 1 SWC does hurt... Then again, I'm willing to bet on this model doing something useful pretty much every game - lobbing Speculative Attack grenades if nothing else, win me the game with Smoke every once in the while!
• How many Light Shotguns can I include? A Ghulam Fireteam charging enemies at close range with Shotguns is a terrifying prospect to face! As such, I try no minimise the number of non-Shotgun carrying Ghulams in my squad, while being able to bring Panzerfaust Number 2(s) is a definate bonus!

I really can't remember a time when I'd have been dissapointed with my Ghulam Core! They give a Ramah Taskforce list a solid base of fire (as well as a solid beginning of an Order Pool) for minimal cost, and there are plenty of situations where they can punch up effectively, and sometimes in late stages of a game a squad of these humble soldiers can even become the most powerful active component on the battlefield!

I'm Looking for the Commanding Officer!

As of writing of this article, I see two ways of running Lieutenants in RTF. In both cases the Commanding Officer and their decoy (or their second in command) require two squad member slots.

The first way is to run a cheap, no frills Ghulam (or Naffatûn) Lieutenant and his/her body double. In this scenario I hide the two at totally different parts of my Deployment Zone, and try to deter my opponent from going after them by not telegraphing which of them is the real deal. I've even lured my opponent into attacking the wrong one many a time (a tactic I call the Ghulam's Gambit, more details on this can be found at the very end of my Ghulam piece). I try to avoid running just a tucked away LT by themselves, if possible: in a world full of Guided Missiles, Speculative Attacks, Impersonators, Combat Jumpers and Parachutists (Deployment Zone), it's really not a good idea to serve your Lieutenant on a platter, unless of course it's not your Lieutenant you're serving...

While I've sometimes run a Ghulam/Naffatûn commander in a Ghulam Fireteam (for Sixth Sense and the shooting bonuses for increased survivability), I very rarely do so anymore. I feel that having the Lieutenant among them restricts the squad too much, as I have to worry about the safety of my Lieutenant when maneuvering the Fireteam around. Suicidal Shotgun charges are pretty much off the table (atleast until turn three) when there's the potential for Loss of Lieutenant on the line, and having two bog standard Rifle + Light Shotgun Ghulams diminishes the team's tactical capabilities somewhat (they don't carry heavy weapons, they aren't Specialists, and they don't provide additional threat vectors or supportive abilities). If I absolutely must preserve model slots and decide to do so by inserting my Lieutenant and his/her decoy into a Fireteam Core, I make sure to build a static squad that isn't going to venture out of it's defensive position unless there's no other choice!*

The second approach that I prefer to use is to include an active Lieutenant plus a Chain of Command model. This active LT could be Tarik, (solo) Yara Haddad or maybe a Khawarij Spitfire, though by far my personal favorite is the Zhayedan HMG! This guy can take pot shots at enemies straight from my Deployment Zone, and if he goes down, there's always the chance he'll Regenerate and rejoin the fight! Fielding such a heroic strike team leader does carry it's dangers, so it pays to bring some Chain of Command along. While I do love the Hortlak Janissary, I've been running the Khawarij CoC more of late - the latter being un-Oblivionable, and also being a decent deterrant against melee assassins... The Rifle Khawarij model is also really cool, and he can even moonlight as an aggressive Specialist should the situation so require! If I've got the points and the squad slot available, I can even bring a lone Rifle + Light Shotgun Ghulam along and leave him/her looking lonely and vulnerable to draw out any turn 1A assassinations... Then if my opponent goes for it, I just have remember to look very distressed and sigh alot!

On ARO Presence

Ramah Taskforce lacks any apex ARO pieces that can challenge the whole world by themselves (looking at you Kamau and Grenzer Snipers) - I don't include the Hortlak Janissary AP Sniper in this category simply because he/she can't be fielded in a cheap Core like some of the other such pieces found in other Factions... Most of RTF's traditional ARO units are also very 'vanilla' reprisentatives of their type (such as the Shihab Total Reaction Bots, the Ghulam Snipers), while the Sectorial also characteristically to Haqqislam lacks MULTI Snipers altogether... The afore mentioned facts, combined with the lack of traditional staying power, have historically made Ramah a rather weak reactive turn faction, but despair not!

 

The first thing that helps to level the playing field against other forces you'll be facing is the fact that RTF's aggressive pieces are very, very good at their jobs! The supersoldiers can confidently dig all but the most powerful of enemies out of any defendable positions they may have occupied, so as a Ramah commander I don't feel forced to try and stop my opponent from advancing and occupying key areas of the middle table - you want to close the distance between your troops all of my biogenetically enhanced fighters? Bring it on!

 

The second thing is the tremendous amount on Direct Template Weapons (mostly Shotguns) that RTF lists tend to pack. These should deter any enemies from getting delucions of grandeur as they close in on my Deployment Zone - even the most humble (human) cheerleaders of the Faction can sell their lives dearly against vastly more expensive troops, or counter attack them on my turn!

The third, and the most often overlooked strength of Ramah Taskforce is their abundance of high PH troops with Dodge distance increasing abilities. Such troops can keep active even in the reactive turn, Dodging around to engage foes in melee, or to find stronger defendable positions - elite RTF units rarely get caught off guard by their enemies, while the humbler troops can form Fireteam Cores to gain Sixth Sense! Such aggressive reactive stance also reduces the need for traditional ''hard AROs'' when list building.

At the end of the day, I don't like to bring too many dedicated long range reactive pieces when assembling my strike team. A couple of Flashpulses, A Sniper or a Missile Launcher, some Panzerfausts, and maybe a Total Reaction HMG or a Missile Bot will most of the time plenty - it's important to remember to be mentally prepared to lose anything that gets left out to face the opponent's active turn! I also tend to see nimble supersoldiers as soft ARO pieces, and once they can occupy the midfield and cause some casualties among the enemy's attack pieces, getting rid of them becomes ever more difficult and dangerous for the opponent!

The Supersoldiers

The stars of the show is Ramah Taskforce are without a doubt the supersoldiers. Even though they technically aren't bioenchanced, when list building I include units such as Tuaregs, Zhayedans, Hakims, Janissaries and Al Fasids in this category - pretty much all the 30+ points units that bring better than average durability and superb fighting ability to the table fall into this category for me!

 

I personally rely on these units to do the heavy lifting when the bullets start flying: they must cut down the most dangerous enemies, secure the crucial Mission Objectives, and to a lesser extend fight off the best advancing opposing units. A well selected group of these extraordinary soldiers can often carry the day, while poorly thought out picks can lead to unneccessary casualties and lost games.

When choosing my supersoldier equivalents, I never just pick individual units, but rather look to select a group of models that supports one another, as well as plays together with the rest of my force towards completing my game plan. Some examples of this include:

• A flanking model such as a Tuareg or a Namurr is supported by a sweeper such as a Zhayedan HMG to clear the way, and a Hakim to drop in to heal them if neccessary.
• A strong gunfighter supported by another in case one of them gets pinned down - my Zhayedan HMG and Khawarij MSV L2 Mk12 have shredded entire enemy strike teams between them!
• Something to clear the way for Parachutists entering the field; once the landing area is swept clear with long ranged or fast moving fire power, the airborne troops can drop in and wreak havoc!
• Models that can cover each other in the midfield, like a Hidden Deployed Tuareg guarding an Infiltrating Nahab!
• A group of models that look to overwhelm the enemy force by applying pressure on a single facet of the game, like three Nahabs all dropping in!
• A versatile Haris that can drive forward and make a nighmare out of themselves; my personal favorites are the Khawarijs for this role!
  

What units and strategies will I pick for the game? Well that'll very much depend on the Mission(s), Opponent(s), Table(s) and what units I feel like fielding! As a general rule I'll throw in three or four supersoldiers to begin with, and add (or substract) as neccessary when rounding out the list!

 

The Supporting Elements

Once I'm done picking the models for my (Ghulam) Fireteam Core, and the supersoldiers who will spearhead my offensive, it's time to look at what I still need, and how many (or rather how few!) points I have left to get what I need with! Usually things that I'm still looking for at this stage are...

• Supporting ARO pieces such as Fanous Remotes, or Warcors - the latter is almost an autoinclude because this 3 point model frees me to spend more on the supersoldiers!
• Tertiary attack pieces and/or Specialists, such as Rafiq REMs or solo Ghulam FO's (who can also serve as RTF's ''Warbands'').
• Repeaters for my Hackers, such as those found on most of the REMs.
• Baggage from Kameels for Mission Scoring or for an endless supply of Panzerfausts.
• An EVO Hacker for supporting my other REMs and/or Heavy Infantry/TAGs, while being a deterrence for enemy Combat Jumpers.
• Engineering support for my STR models, the Najjarun if I can afford him, the Monstrucker if I can't!

There really aren't any hard and fast rules on what supporting elements I choose to bring along for each Mission. From time to time I run lists with absolutely no Heavy Infantry, TAGs or REMs, though most of the time I do find that the Murafeq and the Kameel Remotes provide my force with a self supporting tactical element on the cheap. If I choose to bring several Remotes however, I make a point to invest in a Najjarun or a Monstucker; my opponent has to respect even the Unconcious REMs when there's a possibility that I'll be able to bring them back!

Once I've blugged any holes in my tactical capabilities with low budget supporting unit picks, I'll see whether I have enough points for additional supersoldier(s), or if I can afford to upgrade something, or if I still have to save points somewhere!

 

So How Does It Look in Practice?

I've been moving away from all comers -lists for a while now, as I believe every special circumtance requires it's own considerations and list modifications, but here's an example list to illustrate my list building process. The list below is made for the ITS 12 Mission Countermeasures, and I wouldn't recommend it for beginners simply because putting it together requires quite many purchases!

The Core

For my Ghulam Core I picked the NCO for Smoke and a potential extra Order, the Panzerfaust Number 2 as a soft ARO piece and a keeper of Fireteam Integrity, the Doctor for squad healing and the Hacker for Spotlights and Classified Cards. The Fireteam still requires a pointwoman, but more on that later...

 

The Lieutenant

For my Lieutenant I chose the excellent Zhayedan HMG for Lieutenant Order fire support - he's even Veteran and Medium Infantry for Classifieds! The trusty Khawarij Chain of Command will pick up the mantle should he fall, and he can secure a flank looking for attacks/Classifieds of oppurtunity to present themselves!

The ''Supersoldiers''

For the rest of my primary active pieces I went with Yara Haddad (to complete my Fireteam and to provide it with not only MSV L2 shooting, but also with a Character (=Veteran) Medium Infantry for Card hunting!), the Mukhtar Hacker (for infowar capability and a whole slew of potential Classifieds to go for), as well as the Hakim (for deep flanks and hard to complete Objectives).

The Support Elements

For firesupport I went with the Total Reaction Shihab and the Guided Missile Shaytaniyah - the latter can even take advantage of any foes being unlucky enough to be in the Targeted State at the end of their turn... The Rafiq will Fireteam Duo with Leila Sharif to provide some light attack power as well as Hacking/Specialist support. The Warcor will Flashpulse things as if he's life depended on it, while the Najjarun will be ready to repair either of my heavy weapon REMs thanks to his little Nasmat helper!

So in the End We'll Have...

Something like this! Most of my active turn pieces have been positioned in the first group to take advantage of the maxium number of Orders to do their thing. The Core will be wanting to take it easy for the first turn or two, in order to save Orders for the other pieces, but I'm not going to be above throwing them in from the get go if neccessary!

The second Combat Group is mostly dedicated to fire support duties, but the Rafiq + Leila Duo can strike out and press the advantage if the situation makes it viable. Having the Lieutenant and the NCO in different Order Pools gives me the flexibility of 'super charging' either group with an extra Order as required.

This list can complete every single Classified Objective in the Deck with atleast two models, and it can both shoot and hack rather competently - not bad at all!

That's All Well and Good But...

How about how many and what types of Hackers do I bring? How does the Mission effect the list building process? What opposing Factions should I be on the lookout for? How do I try and surprise my regular opponent? What if I want to run a list that's crammed full of supersoldiers? All very good questions, for another time... Now that I've finally summoned the courage to start covering my list building philosophy, I'll be sure to return to the subject in the near future! As to the Hacking side of things, you can look forward to my take RTF's Hacking game in the next article!

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

 

 

*9/6/2021 Edit. I originally forgot to include the paragraph where I go over the reasons I prefer not to have by Lieutenant be part of a Fireteam. Thanks to forum user QueensGambit for commenting on the subject, and thus alarming me to the missing part!