Unit Spotlight - Yu Jing's Daofei

Let's face it.  Whether we're playing a complicated scenario or a straight-forward slaughterfest, Infiltration is always useful.  It helps our models get where we want them, and it dissuades our enemies from advancing up the field too quickly.  Even the threat of a Rifle shot from a lowly skirmisher is enough to give people pause.



Yeah, that's it...come closer...
Most Infiltrators are humble skirmishers, but the mighty Yu Jing StateEmpire had the brilliant idea to train one of their awesome heavy infantry in the secret arts.  This model - the Daofei ("Bandit") - brings all the advantages of Heavy Infantry to the typical Infiltrator position in your list: higher PH means the Daofei has an easier time pushing past the halfway line; BS 13 means that you'll be hitting more often than the usual Infiltrating models; 2 Wounds and 4 ARM means that the Daofei will be hard for your opponent to dislodge, especially compared to the usual squishyness of Infiltrating models.  The traditional weakness of Heavy Infantry - low speed - is all but cancelled because the Daofei starts so far up the board.

We shouldn't forget that, like many of its skirmishing cousins, the Daofei also has CH: Camouflage.  Sure, it's paying the price for this ability on top of Infiltration, but never underestimate the power of a heavy infantry model able to strike from Combat Camo.  Even once its Camo drops, you still have CH: Mimetism to make the Daofei even harder to eliminate.

I see you...
There are downsides to the Daofei, of course.  An Infiltrating, Camouflaged Heavy Infantry ends up being really expensive compared to its cousins (both skirmishers and other heavies).  Unlike comparably expensive HI, the Daofei has lower BTS, making it more vulnerable to hacking, E/M, and Viral weaponry.  This means that your Daofei could end up stuck in no man's land, immobilized by a hacker and pinned down with repeaters, with next to no support to keep it (a definitely a big investment on your part) alive.

For those players who aren't fans of the StateEmpire, stopping the Daofei all depends on what's happening on the tabletop, but there are a few tricks/tools that really help.  MSV 3 can see right through the Camo marker, and MSV1 will counter Mimetism once the Daofei is exposed.  Higher power weapons like HMGs and Missile Launchers help against *all* heavies, and ammo types that target BTS (Viral, Nano) are more useful against the low-BTS Daofei.  As usual, Hackers with repeaters work well to lock the Daofei down.

The Daofei is one scary model, but as with everything in Infinity, there are different ways to use it - or to kill it.  Good luck and happy hunting.

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