The JSA specializes in naked aggression with a hint of finesse. Point for point, few others can match the raw power of iconic units like Haramaki or Aragoto, but they pay for this with their impetuousness. Stealthy units like Ninjas and Oniwaban require precise usage but have almost no limit to their potential. Like other forces, they have a bare minimum of specialists (FO/Paramedic/Hacker Keisotsu, Tokusetsu), but units like the Karakuri provide effective linkable combat specialists. The JSA may not have flexible models like other forces, but they have a wide variety of options that makes them very versatile as a sectorial. Above all, however, they focus on dominance over the enemy rather than success in the mission.
To this end, I have three strategies to victory.
Honor is engaging the enemy in straightforward combat, relying on superior attributes, favorable modifiers, and optimal weaponry. The goal is simply to bring down an enemy model, either removing a roadblock to your continued advance, neutralizing a potential threat, or withering the enemy's order pool. Mastering this approach requires understanding the fundamentals of playing Infinity - choosing the correct attackers and carefully positioning them.
- High-powered fireteams are designed to win straightforward engagements.
- Haramaki fireteams threaten the hardest of targets with blitzens and MLs. Because their best weapons are low-burst they benefit most from fireteam bonuses. Coupled with their high BS and multiple wounds, they are more than capable of overwatch tactics, threatening key sections of the table and controlling the game on your enemy's turn. They lack high-burst weapons, so they're stuck with a ML for long range and a combi for short range active turn engagements - which won't be enough when you truly need a high burst weapon to dislodge a well-fortified enemy. Their high CC and MA skills repel aspiring assassins from approaching them. Their only true weakness is hacking, which can render them helpless and break them from the fireteam (changing their dynamic completely).
- Keisotsu fireteams are dirt cheap and provide much more flexibility, but are much less resilient. There are enough weapon options to provide fill any battlefield role. The "ideal" fireteam has one HMG, one ML, and three specialists (FO or Paramedic). The ML can be directed at hard targets or used for overwatch on long firelanes, the HMG can clear fortified enemies in the active turn, and the specialists use their combis to cover/engage in the short range. Keisotsus, used aggressively, are destined to face losses and should have Tokusetsu support (preferably in the form of a Yaozao). Yuriko Oda is an expensive but valuable addition to a fireteam, providing a higher BS and a Panzerfaust (enabling her to cover 0-32" range). In an ITS game with objectives on the table, you will need to use them aggressively to get them up the board and seize objectives.
- Domaru fireteams are extremely capable in the short range, but near helpless past that. With E/M grenades, chain rifles, and perhaps boarding shotguns, they can own their ZoC and perhaps a little more. This makes them ideally suited for assaulting/holding an enclosed area. This can make them vulnerable to being hacked, but mostly on the enemy turn - their stealth skill keeps hackers from shutting them down on an uncovered approach.
- Karakuri fireteams are resilient, flexible, and useful. They lack true heavy firepower, but their array of weapons can handle almost anything in the short-medium range. Total Immunity removes the risk of many powerful ammo types, allowing them to directly engage devastating enemies with much less risk to themselves. Also, they are each specialists, making them key objective takers and holders in ITS. Unfortunately, they're only AVA 3, and a single loss breaks the team. However, they are capable and versatile models on their own, unlike Keisotsu (fragile and unskilled) or Haramaki (impetuous and low-burst weapons).
- Heavy Firepower, when properly applied, owns the table.
- The Oyoroi is the best HMG available to the JSA. At BS 14 on an ARM 7 STR 3 model, it's on par with the best of many factions. This model is an effective troubleshooter, dealing with enemies at long range who dare to threaten the table on your turn. In optimal HMG ranges, there are few threats it can't handle, but be careful about engaging skilled shooters with effective anti-TAG weapons. If your target is putting BS modifiers on you and rolling at a higher number (perhaps with multiple dice), you need to consider what will happen to your best model if you lose the FtF roll. Lastly, don't forget the crazy koalas, which can be used like mines to keep the enemy away from certain areas (or at least slow them down).
- The Rui Shi (and, to a lesser extent, Lu Duan) are ideal for clearing out camo models in overwatch positions. Their mid-range weapons may require maneuvering to engage far-away enemies. Combined with a Marksmanship upgrade, they can dispatch 1 wound models relying on dogged/NWI or a nearby doctor. These models are difficult to hide and the enemy will surely consider them priority targets, so make sure to position carefully and use suppression fire liberally.
- Raiden are cheap firepower options that have no special capabilities other than limited camo and x-visors. Raiden are not particularly subtle, and an experienced/educated foe will know exactly what to expect from a camo marker deployed in the DZ. Currently, the HRL seems severely undercosted and provides long ranged firepower with fire ammo and templates. The MSR and Spitfire, while more expensive, offer higher damage and higher burst, respectively. Unfortunately, once the surprise shot is expended, the Raiden has no real advantages in a firefight.
- Camo modifiers are a powerful advantage against enemies without without BS modifiers or MSVs.
- Ninjas with combi rifles are very versatile for harassing the enemy. By infiltrating into the midfield, they can easily engage foes inside their ideal range. Stacking suppression fire with cover and TO camo can make a ninja nearly unhittable. The MSR is powerful, but it requires long range for positive modifiers, so infiltrating may not be a good idea. Unfortunately, the tactical bow is too limited in range and burst for effective attack - the pistol is preferable just for the burst advantage.
- Oniwabans are ruthless inside the 8" with their boarding shotgun. Superior infiltration provides ample opportunity to start in effective range and tear through the vulnerable underbelly of the opponent's DZ. The only effective way the enemy can stop him is with a direct template weapon, and in the worst case scenario he can use the nanopulser just to throw out some spiteful damage.
- Aragoto are unmatched in their reckless speed and ruthless efficiency. Being impetuous means they can't use cover, which is a huge blow to their survivability in a firefight. They don't have much chance to dislodge a dangerous foe, but they can certainly dominate weaker models with mimetism and superior range modifiers. Direct templates and deployable weapons can stop them in their tracks - you will need to either risk an ARM/BTS roll or find another way to eliminate the threat. Be mindful of enemy minelayers.
- Nothing is more honorable than defeating a foe in close combat.
- The most feasible form of engagement is charging an enemy hiding behind a corner. Enemy models without direct template weapons can be reliably trounced in this manner - BS scores are much lower than CC scores and MA skills can widen this divide. If the enemy model has a DTW, there's really no way around it without smoke or sneaking from behind.
- Smoke is a rare and effective tool for engaging enemy models. Only 3 named characters get smoke, but they are all well-suited for it. Any models touching smoke cannot be seen, so as long as the edge template is within 1" of the target, there's a safe approach. Smoke effectively neutralizes the threat of DTWs and covers an approach longer than a single move skill, but apart from that it's not necessary.
- Even the most resilient models (TAGs, total immunity) can be engaged in CC. The CC specialist will probably win the FtF roll, and there's a significant chance of critting. Keeping the enemy engaged also stops it from rampaging through your lines. With Kinematika, CC specialists have significant engage range, and, with hidden deployment, Ninjas can pounce on unsuspecting models with a 60% success rate.
- JSA has top tier CC specialists - the standard Haramaki, Domaru, and Ninja are all CC 23 and MA 3, better than most other factions can possibly field. But being better than enemy CC specialists doesn't make engaging them the best idea. Consider CC against inferior enemy CC specialists a risk.
- Domaru don't need Berserk to defeat the enemy. With MA 3 and CC 23, the FtF roll is almost always in his favor. There are only two circumstances where Berserk should be used: the enemy is performing an unopposed action, or you want your attack unopposed to remove the possibility of failure. If your target is giving you a normal roll (by attacking with a DTW, for example), use berserk for the extra crit chance (and MA 2 for the extra damage). Likewise, Berserk removes the risk of failing against an enemy CC specialist, changing a duel to a trade. Either the Domaru can rely on his armor to save him or know that his sacrifice has brought honor to himself and his comrades.
- Musashi is the purest form of CC-powered death. He's quick, he's tough, and his blades can shred a TAG. If the enemy is hiding behind cover, Musashi is free to do what he does best - move forward and kill the enemy. However, don't forget his Chain Rifle and Flash Pulse.
- Yojimbo is ridiculously fast. He can strike quickly at models with direct motorcycle access, but dismounting and approaching on foot might be necessary and worthwhile. He's capable of taking any non-CC specialist target to pieces over the course of a few orders.
- Impetuous models are cheap and powerful, but tactically impaired.
- The impetuous order can expose the impetuous model, setting it up for a very unfavorable FtF roll. Skilled opponents will recognize the potential liability and set up overwatch models. Be ready to hold back your impetuous models unless there are no other options to eliminate or contain the enemy.
- Plan out your impetuous orders carefully. If you suspect hidden threats, probe the field with your least valuable models first.
- Because of their inability to claim partial cover, this consideration must be completely removed from their positioning. Only range bands and LoF matters for them, which means they should either stay concealed behind terrain or engage in the most direct manner possible.
- Impetuous models are ill-suited for long-range shootouts with entrenched foes. Direct assaults on unprepared targets work much better - the enemy should be just as exposed as the impetuous model.
- Motorcycles are faster than many opponents expect or prepare for. Aragoto can travel from DZ to DZ in 2 orders (1 of which might even be impetuous). If your opponent has not exposed models to threaten their advance, then they own the table.
- Coordinated orders can mitigate the risk of crossing dangerous territory.
- Multiple activated models means multiple threats. With a credible enough threat, the enemy may choose to dodge rather than shoot. If the true goal is simply to move through a dangerous area, then the coordinated models can keep moving if they need to.
- If the enemy decides to shoot one of the coordinated models, the rest have normal rolls to retaliate. Or, the rest are safe to keep moving.
- Camouflage Markers shield the camo trooper from enemy fire, freeing it to seek new positions or even advance.
- Ninjas have a lot of potential for sneaking towards targets or around sentries. Enemies need to discover the marker, but by doing so they surrender any defensive ARO. This makes many players hesitant to declare a discover against a marker moving in for a kill.
- An enemy within 4" of a Ninja is doomed if it declares discover. It's allowed the Ninja to engage in CC - which is the only safe way for the Ninja to neutralize DTW threats.
- If the enemy does not declare discover, the Ninja can continue moving - either past it or around it. If you must kill the model and it has a DTW, you'll need to approach from the rear. If you simply want to get past it, then the coast is clear.
- Don't forget Stealth! Even an exposed Ninja can sneak around a model's rear facing and dispatch it.
- Skilled opponents will rarely declare discover against a basic camo marker (expecting it to be a Raiden capable of unleashing ranged hell).
- Remember that mines blow up against camo markers. Be mindful of enemy minelayers.
- Ninjas are highly capable CC assassins, but otherwise unimpressive TO skirmishers.
- With Sneak Attack and MA3, most targets have no hope of winning the FtF roll unless they crit. Even after that, non-CC specialists are still very unlikely to win. Even hard targets like TAGs can be reliably locked down in CC, though shredding them requires more orders and risk than should be spent.
- With Kinematika and Hidden Deployment, a well placed ninja can Engage an enemy rambo before he draws first blood. This is a risky maneuver and requires some forethought - the ninja must wait at a predictable approach and must succeed in the Engage roll. Ideally, other models are declaring AROs on the enemy rambo, forcing him to split his burst (or perhaps even ignore the ninja altogether).
- Enemy models with Direct Template Weapons pose a serious obstacle, but they can be outmaneuvered. If a ninja in TO Camo state moves close to an enemy model with a DTW, it will likely hold its ARO. If it does, continue moving past it, hopefully into its back arc. The ninja may then charge from behind and avoid the pesky DTW. Alternately, the ninja can risk an Engage ARO instead of spending several orders maneuvering for an attack.
- The Silent attacks of the Knife and Tactical Bow are more a novelty than anything else. The weakest targets fall to the silent arrow only half the time (assuming ideal range on the bow), and the knife is not much better. Remember the silent bonuses if it comes up, but don't rely on a string of stealth kills to sneak past sentries.
- The cheap Tactical Bow profile can't effectively threaten an enemy more than 8" away. Its positioning during deployment is critical to its effective use. This option is overly attractive for its price, but very difficult to use because of its short range burst 1 weapon.
- Saito Togan has superior CC abilities, giving him a lot more capability to defeat stronger/tougher models in one order. With Burst 2 CC 24 EXP CCWs, he can cut down unskilled heavy infantry with ease.
- The Oniwaban is the ultimate surgical alpha striker.
- Superior Deployment is a rare, valuable skill. The Oniwaban has a 3/4 chance of deploying at a convenient edge of the enemy DZ. When going first, this is the perfect reserve model, ready to deploy within 1 order of killing the juiciest target(s). To make matters even better, this skill is basically immune to scenario rules like Exclusion Zones, because it deploys clear across the other side of the table.
- The Boarding Shotgun is an excellent weapon for assaulting huddled cheerleaders. The Oniwaban may have a mediocre BS, but with camo, surprise, and range modifiers, the FtF roll will (almost always) be in his favor.
- The Monofilament CCW and the Oniwaban's top-notch CC skills make him a spectre of death. While not as effective against light targets as DA or EXP, it's perfect for dispatching high ARM targets with multiple W/STR points. The target may get lucky and survive the ARM roll(s), but as long as the Oniwaban keeps winning FtF rolls (as he should), that luck will run out.
- Direct Template Weapons ignore all of the special advantages the Oniwaban exploits. It ignores camo, surprise, and martial arts. It might be worth a risk to attack valuable model(s), but there's no avoiding it (the Oniwaban's best attacks are between 0 and 8").
- Shinobu Kitsune has a Combi instead of a Boarding Shotgun, which makes her less effective at sweeping up cheerleaders, but more effective at ranged engagements. Also, her MA 5 makes her capable of attacking multiple enemies at once, potentially making short work of HI fireteams.
- Saito Togan, Shinobu Kitsune, and Yojimbo are your only source of precious smoke grenades.
- Smoke opens a lot of tactical possibilities to avoid enemy fire. When an enemy is too costly to engage directly, smoke allows you to negate his LoF and proceed on the table with your plans.
- If you can land a smoke template within a base width of an enemy model, you have a safe path to CC.
- Closing a firelane to an objective gives your specialists a safe path to claim it.
- Avoid enemy LoF when throwing smoke, if at all possible. Most of the time the model can cut sharp angles to drop the smoke around a corner and land the grenade in a suitable spot.
- The Rui Shi sees through smoke and can safely fire on a smoke-screened enemy. Combined with Marksmanship L2 (hacking support) this is an extremely effective way of neutralizing enemy models on overwatch.
- Saito can surprise the enemy with smoke starting in the midfield. This is incredibly helpful for covering objectives, key firing lanes, and aggressive enemy models. Kitsune can do even better by laying smokescreens into and around the enemy DZ.
- Yojimbo behaves more like a standard warband, and his smoke is a very useful tool for himself as well as the rest of your forces. Even so, avoid relying on it as a FtF (special dodge) defense. Use it carefully whenever you can - his speed will more than make up for the time spent laying smoke.
- CrazyKoalas and Holoechoes trigger enemy mines. These are cheap and disposable options for clearing a path.
- Advance or lose. Mines are some of the most effective counters against the fast/sneaky but fragile troops in the JSA.
- CrazyKoalas work similarly to mines, but suit the aggressive playstyle of JSA much better. They are excellent for terrorizing an enemy if you advance on them and place the Koala within activation range but out of LoF of other troops.
- Holoechoes are only available on the Lu Duan. It's difficult to maneuver these large silhouettes without making one of them the obvious real model. Perhaps I just need practice, but I prefer the minesweeping potential.
- Yuriko Oda is the only source of mines in JSA. There is potential for shell-game shenanigans with deploying a mine (with the minelayer skill) and a Raiden camo marker in her ZoC, but the value of this is pretty limited. The mines are best used to protect herself and nearby allies, which could be very valuable for a Keisotsu fireteam.
- Speaking of Minesweeper, I have not tried out that Panguling variant.
- JSA hackers are not impressive in their baseline hacking abilities (WIP/BTS), but they have other advantages.
- The Keisotsu hacker is the only basic hacker in the army, which makes it the only source for basic SHIELD and UPGRADE programs. Upgraded REMs are surprisingly powerful. Try combining the Marksmanship program with the Husong, Rui Shi, or Lu Duan if there's an enemy giving you trouble. Fairy Dust could be vital to protecting an HI fireteam from enemy hackers. Unfortunately, using these programs is incompatible with fireteams, so he needs to operate solo.
- Aragoto assault hackers have speed as their primary advantage. They can move quickly into a target's ZoC to launch hacking attacks, and they have an excellent hacking device for that role. However, its speed makes it particularly efficient as a mission specialist for claiming objectives.
- Ninja assault hackers start in the midfield and can launch a surprise hacking attack, giving it a temporary edge. Like the Aragoto hacker, its starting position makes it an attractive mission specialist as well (starting near the objectives). Note that a camo marker can't be hacked, so the Ninja can bypass some repeater zones if necessary.
- The standard array of REMs offers the basic options for repeaters. This could be useful, but isn't special.
- Don't face enemy hackers in the net, if at all possible. Find ways to assassinate the enemy hacker threats so that you have the only hackers on the table.
- Linked specialists are very effective for claiming and holding objectives in ITS.
- The Keisotsu fireteam has easy access to Forward Observers and Paramedics. These models are cheap, can accomplish classified objectives, and fill out the core of a fireteam very nicely. However, they are not effective or tough fighters, so expect casualties when fighting over objectives.
- The Karakuri fireteam is expensive but very useful. Each model is a FO, so they are all capable of claiming objectives. Their various weapon options and resistance skills makes them versatile and reliable fighters.
- The basic Doctor and Engineer provide vital support.
- The Tokusetsu is a very humble specialist with average WIP and low fighting skills, but it's the best the JSA gets.
- Always include at least one YaoZao. The YaoZao is dedicated to healing fallen models while the Tokusetsu should be moving for objectives. It takes a lot of orders to heal models and claim objectives, so moving towards both at once makes the process much more efficient.
- Yuriko Oda is expensive, but has some superior weapons and abilities that might prove worthwhile. Also, she can link with Keisotsu. Consider her for missions that focus on Engineers.
- Repairing Karakuri is a risky endeavor because of their Explode skill. They can only be repaired at 1 STR, and there's a 35% of failure. Make sure to have a command token at the ready.
- Don't forget the focus of the mission. Defeating the enemy on the field gives your specialists the security they need to grab objectives, but they still need orders to accomplish the mission, and (thanks to WIP rolls) there's no telling how many orders that might be.
- Putting the enemy in retreat before you've accomplished the mission is a terrible way to lose. Know when to stop killing the enemy.
- Putting some specialists in a small second combat group provides some opportunity to move specialists into position while the primary combat group engages the enemy. Key specialists can be transferred into the primary combat group later on.
- Consider grabbing objectives with fast/infiltrating specialists and moving back to safety. If the enemy is well secured and not threatening the field, this is a good use of orders.
- Be ready for the endgame. If the enemy has the last turn, secure as much as possible and set up a final defense. Otherwise, plan one last assault.