Corvus Belli has launched a new narrative campaign called The Monday Signal, centering around the treasure hunter (“Sāchā”) Ruby Monday, who has left a trail of breadcrumbs leading to a special treasure or location. The missions and a series of thematic audio clips can be found in the Mission Geist app.
Two of my friends agreed to play the campaign with me, and I want to document the games here—at least partially—with battle reports for the various missions and a little lore/story here and there. I already wrote a short prelude story to our first game in A Sāchā’s Love, and what follows here is the actual battle report.
Mission and Battlefield
The campaign’s first mission, “Raid on the Kazureibu”, is a search for the first data fragments Ruby left behind. Specifically, she left them with her friends, colleagues, and rivals in the treasure hunter community (the eponymous Kazureibu). They are meeting up at a massive, illegal rave on the planet Shinju, and the goal is to scan them, secure them, and dominate the final one. The mission is complicated by the fact that the data jumps to different ravers from round to round, and the rave’s lights and special effects obstruct visibility (represented by four Eclipse Zones that block all Line of Fire).
We agreed not to play this first mission at the full 300 points. Instead, we used 200 points to try out a smaller game size and give the whole thing the vibe of a limited special operation. As a result, the battlefield is slightly narrower than usual (3′ instead of 4′), but the depth remains the same (4′). Furthermore, to keep things simple, we will not play inside the buildings: all doors are locked and cannot be opened.
The Armies – Druze Bayram Security (Uli)
Uli, my opponent and most frequent Infinity opponent, brought one of his favorite armies: Druze Bayram Security, a mercenary unit with a bad rep and plenty of ties to various criminal syndicates. So, these are definitely the bad guys. Since I’ve had the pleasure of playing against Uli’s Druze many times, I had a general idea of what to expect: airborne Yuan Yuan, a holomasked Tao Wu, Diggers, Brawler snipers, and a nasty hidden Ninja in the midfield (Saito Togan).
Army list: Druze Bayram Security (200 points)
I reconstructed his list as best as I could, though I don’t know every exact detail. We will see what appears as the game progresses.
Haqqislam (Me)
I am playing my beloved Haqqislam faction, which received some nice upgrades in N5—especially Saladin, who is leading my force today. His newly acquired Inspiring Leadership skill makes list-building significantly easier. However, since this paints (even bigger) crosshairs on his forehead, I brought a Bashi Bazouk. Using Holomask and Holoprojector, he creates three fake Saladins, which should make attacking my lieutenant a lot harder.
For the heavy lifting, an Asawira with an AP Spitfire is on board, and Knauf is tasked with systematically taking problematic enemies out of the game. Our specialists for scanning the ravers are a Sāchā and an Al Hawwa’ Hacker (with the Bashi serving as backup), while two Muttawi’ah, a Daylami, and a Warcor handle defense. Finally, there is a Fiday. Uli loves setting up a Brawler Sniper in a hard ARO, which can give even Knauf a run for his money, and the Fiday is a great tool to remove him from the equation. This brings the total to 11 units, meaning the Warcor has to go into a combat group by herself. However, if I suffer casualties, Saladin can easily move her into the main group as a replacement.
Army List: Raid the Kazureibu (200 points)
Initiative and Deployment
Saladin wins the Lieutenant roll. Since going second offers certain advantages in this mission, I choose the deployment zone, forcing the Druze to deploy first. Uli could still choose to take the second turn, but that would be highly dangerous, as it would leave him with no way to counter-deploy against the Fiday. Consequently, he opts for the first turn and sets up his Druze.
As expected, a Brawler with a MULTI Sniper Rifle and MSV2 (in a Duo Fireteam) takes up an overwatch position on the right flank, while another Brawler Duo sets up on the left. Then there are two Diggers acting as Impetuous attackers, and Fiddler with her two Jackbots as a specialist. One of the three Brawlers must be the Lieutenant, and another is likely Tao Wu. Uli holds back one model, leaving two slots open in his combat group for airborne troopers. I am firmly accounting for two Yuan Yuans.
Accordingly, I make every effort to make my Saladin a complicated target. I deploy him amidst the holographic echoes of the Bashi Bazouk (who is disguised as Saladin) on a roof near the Warcor, over which the Daylami also has a clear line of sight.
My two specialists, the Al Hawwa’ and the Sāchā, infiltrate forward into two of the Eclipse Zones. Keep in mind that at this stage, we don’t yet know which two ravers will be the Intel Carriers for the round, so nobody knows exactly where the specialists need to go.
The Muttawi’ah cover as much ground as possible with their Jammers, and the Asawira deploys on the left flank, where he has a good avenue of approach. Thanks to Saladin, I get to hold back two models: my Fiday and Knauf.
Uli sends me out of the room to place his final model in Hidden Deployment, which has to be a Ninja—either a Kunai Solutions Ninja or Saito Togan. In return, I place Knauf where he will hopefully get a few lines of fire on my turn, and the Fiday directly next to the Brawler Sniper. She passes her WIP roll (needing a 15) and is allowed to deploy inside Uli’s deployment zone.
Then, it’s time to determine the Intel Carriers. It turns out to be the two ravers on the Druze side of the battlefield. This is good for Uli’s first turn to secure points, as both are practically out of sight from my side (partly due to the Eclipse Zones), but bad for the later stages, because everything will shift to my side.
Round 1 – Druze
The Druze begin with a distinctly peaceful turn, focusing entirely on the mission objectives. Fiddler advances on her left flank, scans Intel Carrier #1 without any issues, and stays close to secure him. In the center of the table, a camouflaged unit appears, moves to Intel Carrier #2, and reveals himself as Saito Togan, who also has no trouble with the scan.
However, he leaves the securing duties to a Digger who entrenches himself in the nearby Eclipse Zone, while Saito retreats back into the center and recamouflages.
And with that, Uli’s turn is already over. Due to his two airborne troopers, his order pool is quite small, and he doesn’t see a good target to bring them into play just yet.
Round 1 – Haqqislam
I have to overcome significantly more resistance to secure my points for round 1. Both Muttawi’ah use their Impetuous Orders, and the one with the Boarding Shotgun immediately picks a fight with Fiddler’s first Jackbot.
After successfully dealing with it, she seizes the opportunity to engage Fiddler herself. She wins the first face-to-face roll, but Fiddler passes both armor saves. Then, Fiddler lands a critical hit, and the brave Muttawi’ah dies instantly, unable to even utilize her Dogged state.
Let’s look at the other flank. Unfortunately, the Eclipse Zones block all lines of fire for Knauf, and the enemy sniper has a good eye on the Intel Carrier. So, the Fiday has to go to work. Staying low to the ground, she creeps up on the Brawler from behind and promptly dispatches him in close combat. However, thanks to his Sixth Sense, he sees her coming. Instead of engaging in a probably futile melee or shootout, he drops a Mine. He is dead, but the Fiday can now only perform further actions at high risk.
The Al Hawwa’ manages to reach Intel Carrier #2 unseen and successfully scans him. Unfortunately, he cannot secure him because the Digger is still nearby, who can only be attacked in close combat due to the Eclipse Zone. The Al Hawwa’ could hack him, but that won’t remove him from the scoring zone.
To tackle the Digger in melee, I need a competent close combatant. The Fiday would be ideal, but the risk of dying to the mine is too high. So, the Asawira is called up as the next best option. He reaches the Digger without trouble, but the fight is grueling. The Asawira takes a wound and requires a total of three orders to eliminate the Digger. After that, only one order remains, which he uses to reposition into a better spot, and – with a bit of luck – to discover Saito Togan.
Score Update: I have scanned only one Intel Carrier but am securing it, earning 2 points. The Druze have scanned both Intel Carriers, and Fiddler is securing the first one. They take a 3:2 lead.
Round 2 – Druze
Before the Druze are forced to go on the offensive, the new Intel Carriers are determined and the Eclipse Zones shift. Intel Carrier #3 is Helen of Troy in the center, and Carrier #4 is the Dragon Lady on my right flank. This means my left flank will become the hotspot at the end of the game. I’m happy about this, as Knauf is nearby. Uli is at least relieved that an Eclipse Zone moves right into the center of the table, swallowing both Helen and Saito Togan.
This gives Uli a clear first objective: Saito Togan scans Helen and starts flirting with the beauty. A Yuan Yuan drops in behind the Asawira but doesn’t attack, choosing instead to hold position. His Chain Rifle is now a lethal threat to the Asawira.
Since it is difficult for Fiddler to reach Intel Carrier #4 herself, she sends her remaining Jackbot forward. It manages to eliminate the Al Hawwa’, the Sāchā, and the remaining Muttawi’ah. This is where my reliance on the Eclipse Zones for protection backfires. Because they move before the turn begins, the Druze had a window of opportunity before I could reposition my vulnerable specialists.
Their deaths theoretically clear the path for Saito to scan the second Intel Carrier as well. However, the casualties from the previous round now take their toll, and Uli runs out of orders. He could bring in his last airborne trooper, but the model wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything else, so it stays in reserve.
Haqqislam (Turn 2)
I have now suffered quite a few casualties myself, and above all, I am missing my two midfield specialists. Therefore, the Bashi Bazouk will have to drop his disguise as Saladin, as he is my only remaining specialist.
The Asawira would normally have an Impetuous Order due to his Frenzy skill and the killed Digger, but since he is standing within range of a Yuan Yuan’s Chain Rifle, I think it wiser to cancel it. Fortunately, Knauf can now spring into action, as a line of sight has opened up through the shifting Eclipse Zones. A well-aimed shot eliminates the Yuan Yuan and frees the Asawira from his predicament.
The Bashi Bazouk quickly scans Intel Carrier #4 (Dragon Lady). He doesn’t need to secure her, as the Warcor is handily already inside the Zone of Control. This allows the Bashi to march onward toward Intel Carrier #3 (Helen) in the center of the board. He makes it into the surrounding Eclipse Zone and into base-to-base contact, but then a jealous Saito Togan passes his Dodge and engages him in close combat. Even though I can no longer scan or secure Helen, I at least prevent the Druze from securing her.
I have a few orders left to inflict as much damage as possible with the Asawira. He engages the remaining Brawlers in the Druze deployment zone and manages to kill the Lieutenant, as well as identify and eliminate Tao Wu. This means the Druze will be in Loss of Lieutenant during their final round.
Score Update: The Druze scanned another Intel Carrier but secure none thanks to the brave Bashi Bazouk. I scanned one and am securing it, bringing the total score to a dead tie at 4:4.
Round 3 – Druze
The last remaining raver (Ksenia Lavochkina) on my left side becomes the final Intel Carrier, and as if it were planned all along, the Eclipse Zones converge right on top of her. Uli tallies his units and only has 3 orders left: Saito Togan, Fiddler, and the Brawler Doctor. Since he still has 3 Command Tokens, the Loss of Lieutenant doesn’t hinder him much.
First, he lands his second Yuan Yuan, who successfully drops onto Knauf’s roof but fails to survive the ARO shot from the nearby Daylami.
Saito activates and kills the Bashi Bazouk almost in passing. Uli then reviews his remaining options and realizes that only Fiddler can still reach and scan Ksenia. To do so, however, she must brave a Flash Pulse from the Warcor and a shot from Knauf. She survives both, disappears into the Eclipse Zones, and successfully scans the final carrier.
Haqqislam (Turn 3)
I have no specialists left, meaning I cannot scan the final Intel Carrier, but Fiddler has to go anyway so that I can secure it. First, Knauf takes out Saito Togan so he won’t interfere or potentially Dodge into the Zone of Control.
I still have enough orders left to move the Asawira all the way over from the other side of the table. For a brief moment, the remaining Jackbot stalls him by Dodging into close combat, threatening to detonate. Fortunately, the civilian Ksenia is already too close, and safety protocols block the explosion upon the Jackbot’s destruction. [Note: This was incorrect. In N5 civilians don’t block templates anymore, they simply don’t take any damage. But we did roll a damage save for the Asawira, just to be sure, and he passed it.]
Fiddler herself offers no resistance to the Asawira. He kills her, secures and dominates the final Intel Carrier without any problems (Knauf would have been in range as well).
Final Scoring
The Druze receive another victory point for scanning Ksenia, while Haqqislam gets one for securing and two for dominating.
- Druze Bayram Security: 5 points
- Haqqislam: 7 points
The game ends 7:5 for the good guys!
Summary
Many thanks to Uli for a tense and exciting game. We both found it very refreshing to play a smaller match with “just” 200 points. The “Raid on the Kazureibu” mission worked brilliantly at this scale.
My “man of the match” is clearly the Asawira who killed a whole bunch of opponents, including the lieutenant and chain of command on the same turn. On the Druze’s I’d say it was Fiddler, even of Saito Togan did a lot of work as well.
The mission is highly interesting and unpredictable—both the randomized sequence of the Intel Carriers and the shifting of the Eclipse Zones introduce an extra element of chance that you don’t normally see in missions. It might not be ideal for a strict tournament setting, but it’s fantastic for a narrative campaign. The player going second definitely has a certain advantage, especially because it’s quite easy to contest the opponent’s ability to secure an Intel Carrier. However, the movement of the Eclipse Zones at the start of Round 2 and Round 3 balances things out a bit by favoring the first player, who can immediately exploit the suddenly altered lines of sight.
A big thank you to the creators of the Loss of Lieutenant Podcast who wrote the mission, and I’m already looking forward to the next ones by Robert Shepherd. Bring it on!