In today’s blog we’re taking a closer look at the second brand new faction introduced in Deadzone: Outbreak… the Nameless. These semi-aquatic aliens are a terrifying mix of tentacles, teeth and talons. They’re armed with a range of powerful, psychic attacks and mysterious weapons that utilise curious Nameless tech.

You can order the Nameless Faction Starter now and they’re proving extremely popular so far! You can also pick up the Blight, the Terror and the Fear to bolster your collection of be-tentacled beasties. What’s more, later this week we’ll be putting the monstrous Goliath and powerful Bathomite up for pre-order. Make sure you’re signed up to the newsletter to hear when they’re available.

Anyway, to help guide you through this new faction, Andy Sharp from the Deadzone Rules Committee is here with some tips and tactics. Over to you Andy…

LEADERS

Psychotroid – this is your go-to leader, thanks to its Tactician (2). Although it has a reasonable chance of surviving combat, it’s best to keep it hidden so it can use its Psychic abilities without needing line of sight. The Psychotroid’s ‘splat’ is also pretty amazing. It can make models fall off buildings, leave combat (so they have to break away) and move them out of cover.

The Fear – this leader is very good at shooting. Its ‘splat’ makes models stealthy (an ability unique to the Nameless), which means they can’t be targeted with a clear shot.

The Blight – an absolute beast in combat. The Blight’s ‘splat’ allows Corrosive Spittle to be given to any Nameless model (even if they don’t have a Shoot stat). Corrosive Spittle then causes It Burns. Although you’re unlikely to damage with the initial hit, setting fire to models is way more dangerous and potentially activates the target too.

TROOPS

Inkers – keep your other units out of harm’s way from shooting armies by using Inkers to lay smokescreens across the field. They’re designed to be sent out to die, so don’t worry about keeping them alive.

Scuttlers – may not seem that much but Agile, Horde and Evade mean they can be potent and faster than people think. Sneak up on your enemy before they realise what’s happening

Caratid – fast and deadly to compliment their smaller brethren.

SPECIALISTS

Needle Drones – don’t overlook these little fliers. They’re fast, stealthy and agile, which means they will take more to kill than your opponent thinks. The Psychic Blast ability means you can push opponents off objectives with ease, then jump on the objective yourself.

Assassin – fast and stealthy means they should stay alive long enough to get into combat. Frenzy (2) and armour piercing also means they should make mincemeat of any size 1 they catch in their claws.

Gunslinger – a great support unit. It can take out units itself and even if it can’t kill them outright, it can tag enemies with its Triclinic Shard. Unlike normal TAG Rifles, which grant a +1 bonus to shooting, Triclinic Shard grants a bonus to close combat.

Ogre – don’t mess with this monster! Its heavy armour acts as an in-built Defender Shield, giving armour 3 to the Ogre and +1 armour to another size 1 model in the same cube. It should make mincemeat of a Strider or Iron Ancestor with a Fight stat of 3+ and AP2. The can opener of the Nameless.

The Terror – it’s fast and stealthy. Plus it should be able to take down a lot of enemies, thanks to its size 2 and AP2.

Rifleman – a long distance support unit that can tag enemies with its Triclinic Shard, ready for the melee Nameless to storm in. It’s also pretty handy at shooting too and should be good enough to kill size 1 models outright.

VEHICLES

Bathomite – half Strider, half artillery. This thing can do lots, with indirect fire, multiple shard attacks, psychic suppression, and it can even fight. It’s size 4 and has armour 3, so it will be hard to take down. However, it doesn’t come cheap once you start adding weapons.

Goliath – OMG! The Goliath is huuuuuuge and is an absolute nightmare in combat. Yes, it can be seen absolutely everywhere on the battlefield, but it’s able to attack back with a range 2 attack and a new rule called Smash. This allows you to hit and pin a model but also move it one cube in any direction. This means you can pull it out of position or even into combat with yourself or another model. It’s worth noting the enemy will get the normal +1 bonus for moving into a new cube. The Goliath is likely to become a bullet magnet, so while your opponent is ragging on the Goliath, you can be sneakily securing objectives with your smaller guys.

TACTICS

Keeping your models alive is critical so Inkers and Stealthy are you friends. Not literally, that would be odd – but you get the idea. Sadly, none of the units has a great Survive stat (most are 5+) so keeping them well hidden is going to be key.

However, before you start laying down the smoke, it’s a good idea to prime enemy models with your Triclinic Shards ready for melee later in the game. Aim to use your Shards in turn one or two. Once the smoke is down, make the most of your Psychic attacks because these don’t require line of sight. The Nameless aren’t a predominantly shooting faction or an all-out melee faction. This means synergy is the key to success as you combine the faction’s abilities together. You’ll need some finesse to get the most out of them.

Finally, a lot of the Nameless units are expensive – things like the Ogre and Goliath are 35pts and 48pts, respectively. Even in a 200pts list, you’re not going to be able to take everything, so choose wisely.

Deadzone: Outbreak is SHIPPING NOW. You can order from the Mantic website. The Nameless Faction Starter is currently on order. The Goliath and Bathomite will be available for pre-order soon.

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