Aragoto Training Wheels

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So, you want to join up with the gang? Think you can handle it?
Eager. I like that. Let’s see if you can keep up!

This is what I find to be one of the most enjoyable ways to play Infinity! The Aragoto are a veritable spring of opportunity and chance. If used well, you will find a search for worthy adversaries on the field a difficult task. Potentially, if used well, you’ll also be left a smear on the asphalt. Sometimes, you just have to grin, clench, and go for it!

Let’s go through the profiles with a quick bit of synopsis for the burgeoning biker enthusiast.

  • Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun
    A combination of mid- and close-range firepower gives our quick gangster the ability to apply whatever is appropriate to the situation. Knowing when to use the rifle and when to use the shotgun is key to utilizing this model correctly. Sometimes, the correct option is neither and you just need to really crank it and hope that panic shot is as inaccurate as gas price predictions.
  • Lieutenant
    Same load-out as the basic Combi + Shotgun, but with the benefit of Lt. Order utilization. As it says on the tin, it’s an extra order, and there’s a lot that can be done with an 8-6 BS12 Mimetic Rifle + Shotgun.
  • Spitfire
    Despite appearances, this is our scalpel. Our entry vector. Our keys to the castle that is your opponent’s defensive line. Don’t be afraid to rush him/her headlong into an opposing model, but discretion is the better part of valor. If you see a more prime target that has less opportunity for retaliation, utilize your speed, burst, and range to approach and dominate the more vulnerable target. Beware engaging more than one model at a time.
  • Boarding Shotgun
    If the Spitfire was our scalpel, this is our fist to the face. The Boarding Shotgun is not a subtle weapon. Your primary targets will be Nanoscreen’d individuals and those in insurmountable cover. Utilizing the +6 range to counteract ODD and various camouflage modifiers is also a great way to use this model. If you end up facing a TAG, load AP and shoot out the hydraulics.
  • Hacker
    The hacker’s objective grabbing potential has already been highlighted, so I won’t cover it here, but I would note that I don’t use the hacker as just an OP machine. I make sure to have fun with Spotlight, Carbonite, Oblivion, and the occasional Blackout. Combine strong forward hacker support via the Aragoto with plenty of other elements in the JSA inventory and you’ll break past some of the most solid defenses.

Of course, we also have additional options in the form of Asuka Kisaragi and the enigmatic Yojimbo.

  • Asuka Kisaragi (Lt. or not)
    Ms. Kisaragi is dangerous. Not just to her opponents with her Combi + Light Flamethrower and Assault Pistol, but to her allies who need to her handle some of the more difficult things for the Aragoto regiment to handle. Things such as Camouflage, TO, ODD, and Fire Teams. Need to overwhelm an HMG? Zip Asuka up to within 8″ and unload with your Assault Pistol! Need to scare a Fire Team into inaction? Sounds like a task for the Light Flamethrower! Bonus points if it’s a Myrmidon Fire Team.
  • Yojimbo (Mercenary)
    The great Japanese Sectorial Army is graced with smoke only on very expensive (39 or 47 point) models… with the very important exception of Yojimbo who clocks in at a cool 21 points and 0 SWC. Of course, he’s also Extreme Impetuous, and will be the most finesse requiring model of your bikers. In active turn, Yojimbo should be utilizing his Smoke (both Grenades and Light Grenade Launcher) to mask his approach and engage in Close Combat. With a CC of 24 and Martial Arts L4, you command the 5th best Face-to-Face CC specialist in the game (behind Achilles, Musashi, Shinobu Kitsune, and Saito Togan, in my opinion). Important to remember is that as long as any part of the 55mm base of Yojimbo is in the smoke radius, the whole 55mm model is considered in smoke and not a valid target for shooting without MSV or Speculative/Intuitive fire. What does this mean? It means you can shoot smoke such that the edge of the smoke is just within 55mm of an opposing model and then engage that model under full smoke cover utilizing Yojimbo’s large base. This gives you a lot more forgiveness when placing those smoke templates and potentially order efficiency, to boot. Chaining smoke no longer requires a <25mm gap between smoke edges, as an example. V:No Wound Incapacitation even lets you sacrifice your first wound to a single ARO and almost guarantee a smoke placement where you absolutely need it. That’s not even taking advantage of the shenanigans available when you have two CrazyKoalas following in your wake.

As for general tips…

  • Generally, the Aragoto shouldn’t get hit. That’s what the Mimetism is there for. Should an Aragoto get hit, it might be wise to consider him/her lost and celebrate should survival occur.
  • Remember that any level of Impetuous means you cannot take advantage of cover. This is both good and bad, even if it seems like a straight negative at first. Since you don’t have to concern yourself with gaining cover, this lends the Aragoto a well deserve versatility. You can achieve desirable range-bands quickly, particularly against longer ranged threats. Or make use of those Shotguns. Whatever you need at that time, since the terrain plays a lot less significant of a role for you.
  • You are S4. This means you’re wide and low. Keep in mind your silhouette size as you look and assess the battlefield. Some passages are too small to go through (though this won’t stop you from shooting through such opportune gaps) and plenty of scatter terrain will not hinder you. Be aware of your mobility options. You die fast or you die young, so keep moving.
  • Aragoto are (unsurprisingly) weak in the reactive phase. As your turn draws to a close, make sure you position in such a manner as to have your tail lights covered. It’s never a good thing to find some foreign object making it’s way up your tail pipe. Unless you’re into that. Whatever floats your boat.
  • Despite their anarchistic leanings, Aragoto benefit greatly from some advance planning. When making moves, remember that you may want to utilize their Impetuous order in your next turn.
  • On that note, you should practice getting in the habit of thinking what your opponent is thinking. If you can guess with some measure of accuracy where you opponent intends to advance, you can better know what positioning is advantageous to you during your Impetuous phase.
  • Of course, incorrect positioning isn’t the end of the world, as 8-6 MOV grants a much higher degree of flexibility than even the likes of Achilles can reach. Don’t be afraid to make a retreat and flanking maneuver.
  • Remember, you have Kinematika L2. As much as the -3 penalty to our already low PH of 11 hurts, rolling for an 8 isn’t bad if the alternative is rolling for 6 or 3 on BS. If you do manage to get out of the way, utilize the extra 2 inches we get to ensure it’s very expensive to try the barrage again.
  • Mimetism is good. Mimetism with Suppression Fire is better! If you can’t think of anything else to spend that order on, putting an Aragoto in Suppression Fire is far from the worst choice. Stacking with Mimetism, you’ll get a total of -6 MOD to your opponent’s BS attack.
  • Make “vroom vroom” noises. It helps.
  • In fact, scream out “TETSUOOOOOO” when facing against Combined Army. It also helps. I also encourage your opponent to spit out “KANEDAAAAA” when you Crit him.

But what else in the faction complements the Aragoto?

  • Keisotsu in a defensive Fire Team (I like having two Missile Launchers and a bunch of Forward Observers), can go a long way to keeping the opponent away from your payload. This can also be a good place to have specialists.
  • By extension, Yuriko can do well as an engineer in a Keisotsu Fire Team to keep your Aragoto in top form in the event of ADHL.
  • Kempeitai are, without a doubt, highly recommended. And for good cause. The Chain of Command ability on a fairly inexpensive platform lets your biker Lt. go all out to show just how crazy they are. Now, you can even include them in your Keisotsu fireteam and they come equipped with Number 2 to give that fireteam a little more durability!
  • Raiden can help provide a bit of mystery (particularly when combined with Yuriko) that can give your opponent some pause. My preferred load out is the Heavy Rocket Launcher due to the threat of such a dangerous Fire template on a BS12 Medium Infantry and the Minelayer skill.
  • Wanting something a little more durable? Might I recommend the Karakuri? They’re all specialists (thanks to Forward Observer, which also means Flash Pulse), and fairly hardy with 2 STR (not Wounds, which is a big deal!) and 3 ARM. Better still, they now all have V:Dogged for even more increased durability! Combine that with their G:Remote Presence and the fact that V:Dogged no longer breaks fireteams (such as the Haris they are now privy to), you’ve got a very solid piece here. They don’t have too much in the way of long range firepower, but that’s more endemic of JSA, at large.
  • The O-Yoroi can be a very solid foundation from which to build your assault. Use it as your anchor and you’ll likely not find a more reliable ally.
  • Oniwaban/Shinobu Kitsune can be highly advantageous for taking out threats when your Aragoto would be out of range. Make sure to utilize that Superior Infiltration!
  • Shinobu Kitsune/Saito Togan both provide smoke, which can be used both offensively and defensively. When placed on the mid-line or even in your opponent’s center half of the table from Togan and Kitsune, respectively, can be utilized to cover your allies or prepare for a ninja assault.
  • The RuiShi, with it’s MSV2 can perform wonders handling the ODD and Camouflage targets that the Aragoto typically have problems with. Couple it with a Keisotsu hacker for some Assisted Fire routines and you’ve got BS15 within 24″ with a B4 D14 weapon. This setup requires a bit of order tax to perform, though.
  • WarCors are phenominally useful ARO tools, which can assist on aiding the Aragoto’s vulnerable reactive phase.
  • The LuDuan gets special mention for having Holoprojector L2 and a Silhouette 4. This means you can project as an Aragoto! Of course, the jig is up as soon as your first turn starts and there is no Impetuous Order for him. His Mk12 is fairly long range and the Heavy Flamethrower is a welcome addition to most JSA forces.
  • Musashi get’s special mention for having MOV6-4 coupled with some serious close-range potential.

Hopefully this helps. Now get on out there and show all those clowns how it’s done.

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Bryant "Claudius Sol"

Aerospace Engineer, Programmer, Gundam enthusiast

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4 Responses

  1. Dude163 says:

    thumbs up for the Akira quotes and GIF 🙂

  2. UnderConstruction says:

    It’s true. I’ve been on the receiving end of this paddling.

  3. Marash says:

    After Hsn3 there is no LT profile ))=

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