Terminator: Battle Report – Infiltrate!

After our last report on Terminator Genisys: First Impressions, it’s time to delve back into the universe of Terminator Genisys, where we re-join Sam and Owen in their next game:

We opted to go straight to Scenario 3, Infiltrator – mainly because of the cool map!

The Resistance are conducting routine patrols in their base, with some being accompanied by sniffer dogs. Unbeknownst to them however, hidden threat is lurking. An Endoskeleton Infiltrator has managed to enter the underground compound, with the intent to seek and destroy its primary target. Worse still is that the Terminator is disguised as one of them!

Owen: The game mechanics mean that there’s a 50/50 chance that the Terminator player will be moving the Resistance around & therefore it’s likely that your dog handler will end up leaving his post to walk the corridors and let the Infiltrator past. What ensues is dramatic tight quarter’s mayhem of mini firefights and a relentless enemy.

By treating the confines as rough ground (pipes, cables, boxes & bits generally in the way) the going was generally at a walk except for a couple of open corridors.

We learnt early on the value of having a Resistance Captain with his level 2 command bonus. ie when a Fate is rolled the skill allows you to make your own fate and still activate him along with 2 others close enough and within sight!

Tactical Tips: Leave your NCO or Captain till last if possible, but if you roll ‘fate’ activate him and any other in his sight straight away! As the Terminator, remember your victory conditions – in this case searching for the objective, just as you would imagine a real T800 doing!

Now I’m just itching to add extras in a war game setting – on to Mission 2!

Sam: The Endoskeleton is lethal in this game, especially as I wanted those objectives! This game is vastly different to the open warfare we are used to. Fans of Bolt Action and Beyond the Gates of Antares will be more used to targeting your enemy from afar, moving into combat as and when needed. This game takes that option from you, as you manoeuvre your men through tight corridors with limited lines of sight. You will find that being up close to a Terminator is not the best place to be!

This game is very atmospheric, claustrophobic and gives you a real sense of dread! This also demonstrates the Genisys system as a board game, and it works great! In the beginning the mechanics of the game mean you don’t actually know about the Endo infiltrator unless you stumble directly upon it, or have one of the sniffer dogs move near it. When this happens, the game changes pace – the resistance become limited in the number of people who get activated and pure chaos ensues!

Tactical Tip: The shotgun is your best friend as it does more damage at close range. In the close confines line of sight can be tricky so positioning your commander can be key to success!

Sam: The game is fast and easy to set up, with more great cinematic moments as you would come to expect! More importantly for me though is the great tactical depth I feel Terminator Genisys is providing me so far!