Bostria’s Challenge: Qapu Khalqi

This Bostria's Challenge entry is brought to you by Darek, a fellow Haqqislam player from Warsaw.

When I first heard of the challenge to write a playable, ITS effective army list using only existing and good looking miniatures I thought it might be a fun exercise. However, I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to do it with no models left over from a box.

I tried Corregidor, but kept struggling with the lack of Alguaciles, I gave PanOceania a try, but none of the starter boxes seemed to work for me. Finally I decided to use Qapu Khalqi in my attempt to meet the challenge. Since it was my first sectorial army and the one I play the most, the challenge should not be that difficult after all.

The Qapu Khalqi Starter Pack shall provide us with the core of this army list.

A good start for the challenge and in general

Three Hafzas, including one with a spitfire, will be the base of the link team. Now we could use them in two possible ways: form a link together with the Djanbazan or with the Odalisque. Their special skill allows them to link with any other linkable unit in Qapu Khalqi. An Odalisque link would be a mobile attack squad with two spitfires on board. The Djanbazan link may be a bit slower (Djans are only 4-2 MOV) but will pack a bigger punch. In my humble opinion a solo Odalisque is “killy” enough on her own, do I’d stick to the Djanbazan linked team. One way or another we will need to find an extra, fifth model to bring up our fireteam to full strength. I’ll deal with this issue later, now back to the starter box. The last model here is an Al Hawwa Hacker – a very useful unit who can infiltrate, grab objectives in ITS missions, kill some models with his boarding shotgun and surprise shoot or hack an unsuspecting heavy infantry. A very versatile unit.

Since we’re trying to have a liss that’s ITS-effective, we need more specialists on board. Enter the Haqqislam Support Pack.

A doctor and an engineer, both with Nasmat remotes to increase their effective operating area. Let’s not forget they also pack a rifle AND a light shotgun, so you will find them quite able in the killing business, as well.

Remotes. Some love them, some hate them, but in this case I found them to be a perfect fit for a Qapu Khalqi list. We’ll use both Haqqislam REM boxes – the Kameel and the Chickens.

An order and extra points? Yes, please

Two Kameel remotes will provide orders, baggage (so imprtant in those “control the area” scenarios), minesweeper and a repeater. A good deal for 8 points. Definitely the droids you’ve been looking for. Off to the other box. A Shihab remote is a total reaction HMG platform, with some hacker upgrades it can be a potent threat to an unprepared enemy. Fanous remote will play a similar role to the Kameels.

Time to fill up the link team. A Djanbazan HMG will be the best choice. In a fireteam he provides a Burst 5 heavy machine gun along with a Multi Spectral Visor level 2. Your enemy is trying his luck with an Intruder or a Swiss Guard? Easy job for a Djan HMG. Facing the Steel Phalanx with their ODDs on every model? Let them come! A Djanbazan might not be the most mobile platform for an HMG, but you already have this role govered with a Shihab remote. Definitely one of my favourites in Qapu Khalqi.

Just to make things even worse for your enemy we’ll include Yuan Yuans to this list. Apart from being cheap, impetuous Airborne Deployment troopers, the Yuan Yuan have access to smoke grenades. Combine that with the MSV 2 of your Djanbazans and you can already start carving new notches on the butt of your rifle. Since the blister contains two models, one with a CCW and another one with a rifle, that’s what we’re using. This is actually the first time I’ve included a rifleman Yuan Yuan in my list. With BS 9 they’re probably the worst shooters of the human sphere, but that’s not really an issue. What we want him to do is toss smoke grenades around, and boy can he do that…

The last model to include would be the Husam Special Operative.It’s really up to you what skills and equipment you’ll want to give him, although I’d strongly recommend a hacking device to be able to use upgrading software on your Shihab remote. The Spec Op also gives you access to one of the most potent long-range weapons in Qapu Khalqi – the Viral Sniper Rifle. Definitely an option to consider.

It all adds up to two combat groups, one with 9 regular orders and another one with 5. Both groups also include one Yuan Yuan who is both irregular and impetuous.

Qapu Khalqi
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Group 1 9 1 1
HAFZA Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 22)
ODALISQUE Spitfire, Nanopulser / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 30)
YUAN YUAN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW. (9)
KAMEEL (Minesweeper) Electric Pulse. (8)
HAFZA Lieutenant Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (16)
HAFZA (Forward Observer) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (17)
DJANBAZAN HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 35)
DJANBAZAN Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 31)
HAWWA’ Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Boarding Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 26)
NAJJARUN Engineer Rifle + Light Shotgun, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (17)
NASMAT Electric Pulse. (3)

Group 2 5 1 1
YUAN YUAN Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (14)
KAMEEL (Minesweeper) Electric Pulse. (8)
FANOUS REMOTE Flash Pulse, Sniffer / Electric Pulse. (8)
SHIHAB REMOTE HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 25)
GHULAM Doctor Plus (MediKit) Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (16)
NASMAT Electric Pulse. (3)
HUSAM Rifle + Light Shotgun / Pistol, Knife. (12 / 0XP)
MOV:4-4 CC:13 BS:11 PH:10 WIP:14 ARM:1 BTS:0 W:1

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open with Army 5

You have two HMGs, two Spitfires, a sniper rifle (or two – including the Spec Op), 5 specialists and enough orders to play around with.

Is this the ulimate Qapu Khalqi ITS fighting force? Definitely not. Bu it’s still good an effective, fun to play and I intend to win a few games using it in the incoming ITS season.

Purchases made:
Qapu Khalqi Starter Pack
(hafza, hafza, hafza Spitfire, Djan sniper, odalisqe spitfire, hawwa hacker)
Haqqislam Support Pack
(Najjarun, Ghulam Doctor, 2x Nasmat)
Husam Spec op
Kameel box (2xkameel remote)
Shihab box (shihab + fanous)
Djanbazan HMG
Yuan Yuan blister (chain+rifle)