Gates Of Antares: Chryseis Units Guide

By Gary Martin

The Chryseis Shard

With the release of the new Chryseis Shard supplement, we all have some great new army selectors, units, characters and vehicles to pick from. To give you a better idea of what you can do with all of these choices some of the Gate Builders and play testers have got together to give you a quick rundown of our favourite new units and lists from the new book.

C3 Gary Martin – Gate Builder

Concord Drone Force

One thing I have always liked about the Concord background and game play is the way they integrated drones into the army. The new Concord Drone Force takes this a step further and lets you take a full army of drones. Background wise it makes sense that rather than sending people into hazardous environments the C3 would send in the drones.

The selector allows you to build a force around your support options which include lots of C3D1 and C3D2 drones. There is also an additional Strategic choice at all levels so you can use some of the heavy drones at lower levels which I will be taking advantage with the new C3M407 close support drone. This beauty uses the usual heavy drone body but it is with 4 plasma carbines and a plasma light support. This will give the army a unit with some point blank shooting which the rest of the army lacks. Not that they are short of fire power with all the drones being armed with plasma light supports. I’ve also included a Compression Cannon to help dig out anything in cover.

This is a great list but it does have small units so you need to hit hard and fast and even up the odds.

2 x C3D1 Light support drones (118) with a Spotter Drone (10) – 128

1 x C3D2 Medium Support Drone (83) with Compression Cannon (10) and Spotter Drone(10) – 103

1 x C3M407 CS Drone – 240

4 x Targeter Probes – 20

747 points and 7 order dice.

Boromites Gary Martin – Gate Builder

Tas Geren’do

The Boromites get some re-enforcement in the Chryseis Shard in the form of Miner Tas Geren’do. Tas is a half human half machine in charge of the miners on Chryseis 3 and he has a great back story in the book. He is also a great commander for any Boromite army. Start off with the basic stats of special rules of a Rock Father but add in an extra wound and a suspensor platform and you have an army leader who has the mobility to keep up with units like lavamites and the rules needed to keep them moving.

Also, Tas Geren’do also have the option to include 3 work gangers in his unit. This is a great option as it means you need to take 4 pins before any break tests which is a big advantage over a lot of other characters who usually only come in ones or twos. The work gang gets the option to add lector lashes as well which is a potent mix with the usual mass compactors.

For a list to go with him I’d like to keep to work gangs for my tactical choices to keep the miner theme plus (of course) a single unit of Lavamites. Throw in some light support weapons and you will have a great all-purpose army with a mix of fast, assault and shooty units.

Tas Geren’do (122) with 3 gangers (63), with mass compactors (15) – 200

Work Gang with Heavy Tractor Mauls (98) with extra ganger (17) and reflex armour (12) – 127

Work Gang with Mass Compactors (98) with extra ganger (17) and reflex armour (12) – 127

Lavamites (82) with Suspensor Platform (5) – 87

X-Launcher (36) with full ammo (15), reflex armour (4) and a spotter drone (10) – 65

Mag Cannon (46) with reflex armour (4) and a spotter drone (10) – 60

Mag LS (36) with reflex armour (4) – 40

Scout Probe Shard – 40

746 points and 8 order dice.

Algoryn Asher Longney – Gate Builder

Algoryn Spearhead Formation

Do you like Heavy Armor? Do you like going fast? Do you like Algoryn? Well, boy, do I have some news for you! Featured in the new Antares expansion, The Chryseis Shard is the Algoryn Spearhead formation, an alternative force selector which focuses on both rapid movement and brutal armoured assault. The formation doesn’t allow for any Tactical Choices at all but allows you a far greater number of support choices and an additional tactical choice at most points levels to really form an armoured spearhead. I’m looking forward to making the most of this list and running something similar to the following:

Hazard Squad – 100

Intruder Command Squad – 186

Intruder Squad – 106

Avenger with Mag Cannon and Spotter Drone – 148

Liberator X-10 Special – 234

Targeter Probe Shard – 20

1000 points and 10 Order dice

A couple of hard hitting but slow Infantry units forming a fire base with the Liberator and Avenger. The tanks are there to handle heavily armoured targets, while the Intruder Squads strike deep into the heart of the enemy. They have a lot of anti-infantry fire powers to round out the army. They can perform hit and run attacks, shaking the enemy and softening them up for the arrival of the slower moving hazard squads. When they do arrive though, look out! With their D-Spinners, they will happily punch through any squads that have survived the strafing of the Intruders.

Isorian – Asher Longney – Gate Builder

Isorian Tsan Ra Taskforce

I’m going to level with you folks, I don’t actually play Isorians. At the present anyway, because all that may be about to change with the arrival of the new book! I’ve always loved the Tsan Ra, but always thought it was a shame there weren’t more of them. Well here comes Rick with a couple of exciting new units and a new list; The Tsan Ra Taskforce. This list allows, indeed, requires you to take more Tsan Ra than ever before, while the Tsan Ra Torus Squad adds a dangerous new close assault unit to the Isorian Roster. I’m currently very tempted to do something like this:

Tsan Ra Command Squad with Medi Drone and Spotter Drone – 161

Tsan Ra Phase Squad with spotter drone – 103

Tsan Ra Phase Squad – 93

Tsan Ra Torus Squad – 91

2 Nhamak Light Support Drones with spotter drones and batter drones – 148

Andhak Medium Support Drone with plasma cannon and spotter drone – 98

Targeter probe shard – 20

Mediprobe shard – 40

993 points and 10 order dice

A 1000 point list that combines 2 of my favourite things; Tsan Ra and Drones! This list might struggle with seriously denting Res 13 Vehicles, but it can spit out a terrifying amount of SV 3 shots to keep them pinned and the Plasma Light Supports and plasma Duocarbs will melt infantry away, or if they are heavily entrenched, keep them pinned down until the Torus Squads can charge in and sweep them away with devastating shock waves. 5 units of Tsan Ra are only 15 models on the table, but they have the fearsome firepower and hopefully, the Mediprobes will help keep them alive!

Algoryn Martin Otten – Gate Builder08

Algoryn Spearhead Formation

If you have followed my articles in the past you will know that the reason I chose Algoryn, as my faction for the Antares Initiative was the vehicle, I just love the look of them.

In the new supplement there is a new set of force selectors, I am not going to tell you them all, you will have to get a copy of the Chrysies Shard for that, what I will do is tell you about one of them and that is the special forces selector, and within this selector is the Algoryn Spearhead Formation.

Remember what I said about my reason for choosing Algoryn was the vehicles, well the Spearhead Formation, has no options for Tactical units, yes that’s right it enables me to build an all flyer list, isn’t that just awesome, Ok, so let’s have a look at what I would choose to field a Spearhead formation at 750 points.

750pts Algoryn Spearhead Formation

AI Intruder Command Squad (186) with spotter drone (10) – 196

AI Intruder Squad (106) with spotter drone (10) – 116

Avenger Attack Skimmer (128) with Mag Twin LS (25) – 153

Total 734 points and 7 order dice

PIC 5

Freeborn – Adam Murton (Vardos Cadex)

Freeborn Raiders Force Selector

In my time wargaming, I have always been drawn to fast cavalry/ jet-bike type forces. Two of the models that drew me to becoming a Freeborn player in the first place were the Striker and the dynamically posed Skyraiders. So the idea of a specialist optional army selector for a fast Freeborn force had me (metaphorically at least) doing cart wheels.

The obvious core units around which to build such a force are the Skarks and the Skyraiders. I chose two units of Skyraiders and the Skyraider command squad. The Follow order should get the unit off to a flying start in turn one. Thereafter I am likely to be retaining run orders. In terms of load, I tend to favour giving a squad the Mag Light Support option for its rate of fire and reasonable strike value.

For something a bit tougher which can form a lynch pin, I select my other favourite model the Striker. It’s not fast but could use its MOD 2 to keep up or alternatively lay down a curtain of fire.

Skarks with impact cloaks add a close combat edge (15 melee attacks at SV1)

I round the force off with targeter probes.

Skyraider command plus MLS and impact cloaks – 175

Skyraider squad plus MLS – 129

Striker attack skimmer plus batter drone – 168

Mhagris skark squad plus impact cloaks – 118

Targeter probes (plus two probes)- 030

749 points and 7 order dice.

Six units seven dice (although most turns only three will be in the bag).

So there you go. I hope you found this informative and it might give you some inspiration of what to do next. Lots of fun new toys and hopefully some great games ahead.

Thanks for reading!

Gazza

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