Freeborn Patrol Themed Garrison

The Shield of the Oban Way – A Freeborn Patrol themed force

By Jamie Howard

I love themed lists, snapshots of a universe, a way of looking at something in a new light. More often than not they add something special that you can get your teeth into and use units or models that otherwise may stay on the shelf.

The Freeborn Garrison List is definitely one of my favourite lists in the Antares universe. After 23 years in the Army, it resonates as a list where you have to do the best you can using limited resources. I can imagine all the vehicles being old front line relics, sent for repair and deemed only suitable for second-line units or jobs. The Commander and her squad are cut back equivalents of their front line counterparts, possibly a disgraced commander put out to pasture after a battle lost or maybe an up and coming young thruster, working their way up through the ranks and seeing this as an opportunity to win their spurs on the frontier. For the ‘Shield Of The Oban Way’, I started with the Freeborn Starter Army. It gave everything I wanted and left loads of room for expansion.

As it stands the army looks like this.

Commander Albo + 2 Body Guards, Plasma Carbines and Plasma Pistol 88 pts

Bernado’s Domari Squad, Mag Pistol, Reflex Armour, Mag Guns, Micro-X-Launcher, Sling Net Ammo 102 pts

Doodo’s Domari Squad, Mag Pistol, Reflex Armour, Mag Guns, Micro-X-Launcher, Sling Net Ammo 102 pts

Ambi’s Support Team, Mag Light Support 34pts

Venga T7 Transporter Drone. 174pts

Total: 500 pts

This gives a nice rounded force with plenty of fire support and 6 dice at 500 points.

The way I play them is to have a base of fire with the Mag Light Support and a Domari Squad then move up the T7 containing Commander Albo and a Domari Squad to either flank in two phases. Typically, this involves either:

a) dropping off a Domari Squad in a flank position then relocating Commander Albo to a secondary flanking position to help negate cover; or
b) charging to a central location or objective, disembarking both squads and continuing with the T7 as a mobile Mag Light Support.

This approach grabs table location and makes opponents react to me rather than the other way around. Though I considered a shield drone, points are tight and the slingnet ammo on both Domari squads gives more bang for my buck.

Expansion

I fully intend to expand this force to a full 1250 pt Battle Force in time, however, the basic list is flexible enough to be rapidly expanded to the following at 750 points:

Commander Albo + 2 Body Guards, Plasma Carbines and Plasma Pistol, Leader 2 98 pts

Bernado’s Domari Squad, Mag Pistol, Reflex Armour, Mag Guns, Micro-X-Launcher, Sling Net Ammo 102 pts

Doodo’s Domari Squad, Mag Pistol, Reflex Armour, Mag Guns, Micro-X-Launcher, Sling Net Ammo 102 pts

Jambi’s Feral Sepoy Squad, Soma Grafts, Micro-X-Launcher, Plasma Grenades Sling Net Ammo 103 pts

Ambi’s Support Team, Mag Light Support 34pts

Mounted Feral Sepoy Squad, Maglash, Reflex Armour, Skarks, Soma Grafts. 124 pts

Venga T7 Transporter Drone. Shield Drone 184pts

Total: 747 pts

The addition of the Sepoy squad with Plasma Grenades and soma grafts gives me a ‘fairly’ potent assault squad. This gives me an armoured infantry force with a decent level of firepower that can get amongst it. Slingnet ammo allows a fairly rapid build up of pins and the Mounted Feral Sepoy’s give a fast unit that can really terrorise rear echelon units and support teams.

The one downside to this PDF force is it doesn’t allow me to field Prince Batu! However, I await the new PDF lists with interest, and I look forward to seeing how things play.

The Garrison List gives some truly unique options at lower points and a real flavour of a defensive unit, hard pressed and working with what it’s been given.

Moving towards 1000 points I want to add the Solar Command Skimmer and another unit of Domari, this will probably mean dropping the Mag Light Support but as its a game of compromises and it’s one I am prepared to take, for the safety of ‘The Oban Way’

Now to do some washing up to earn pocket money for those Skarks …