Model Tactics: Epicurus-Class Sky Fortress

Alrighty, now that we're done with the new units and requests, it's time to dabble in some of the Covenant's more standard units and their general use. We'll start with the Epicurus-Class Sky Fortress, which is one of the strongest in the game.

Compared to the standard Sky Fortresses of other factions, the Epicurus is an oddity- It's the most expensive (Excluding things like HQ Sky Fortresses and the like) at 150 points, and has the least HP, with only 8, compared to the standard 10, or 9 of the Blazing Sun Tenkei. And, par for the course with the Covenant, it has weak AA and AP values- 7 and 6 respectively, where other sky fortresses see AA of 8 or even 9 with some regularity.

So what does the little Epicurus have going for it? Why is it so expensive? Let's start with something minor: CC 6, the best in the fleet, so it can give subs something to worry about. And it has that staple of Covenant models, a Shield Generator and Inventive Scientists, giving it a surprising level of survivability despite the low HP count, especially when you consider that it can fly obscured. Don't let me understate how tough it is- I take my Epicurus, the CAS Andraste, in every game I play. And she always survives. She's never been killed. Ever.

Next up, Quick Launch. In conjunction with ditching drones, the Epicurus can be throwing out a squadron of dive bombers every turn. This is one of the best carrier MARs in the game, and is only overshadowed by the other reason the Epicurus is fantastic- the sheer weight of guns she brings to the table. While most Sky Fortresses bring some bombs (Nigh useless due to the speed of these flying juggernauts) and a faction specific weapon (Britannian turrets, Blazing Sun rockets, etc.), and sometimes some broadsides, the Epicurus skips the bombs and brings more of everything else. Equipped with two of the Covenant's high quality long range turrets, each with a 270 degree arc of fire, the Epicurus can start firing early and effectively. Alongside the turrets, there are some broadsides- although weaker than the turrets, it is with the final weapon system that these shine. As the Epicurus is not a conventional carrier, she uses a large turret to fire drones into the sky, and is able to turn this into a powerful, if short ranged, turret. With linked turrets and linked broadsides/launch turret, the Epicurus can put out one 12AD and one 13AD shot at RB1 (And another broadside shot, if you can position it right). For 150 points, on something so tough, and is a fantastic carrier, that's a lot of firepower.

So, the question is, how do we get this flying gunboat into range of the enemy?

Pincer Movements- Not Just for the Archimedes

First, give your Epicurus some room to play. Situating it on a flank and moving forward will often avoid the enemy's biggest guns, and there will often be some medium or small models for the Epicurus' multitude of guns to remove- Even at RB3, the Epicurus can be causing damage to a lot of enemy models, and fire across into the heart of the battle. By avoiding the main enemy force, there's suddenly a very large and tough target dishing out long range firepower, which your opponent will be hard pressed to deal with.

Bring a playmate

If there's anything more fun than shooting up your opponent's stuff, it's making them make hard decisions while you do it. Pair the Epicurus with something else big, such as an Aristotle- suddenly the Epicurus is a less valuable target for your opponent, and they have to decide which target to bring down. Either they stay at range, where the Covenant shines, or they close in- towards a lot of firepower.

Bloody Minded Determination

The Epicurus is a lot of scary for the price- just send it forward to a good firing position, and watch your opponent's attacks bounce off. Beware of boarding, but the Epicurus won't need much shepherding to see the battle through. If they're expending resources on the Epicurus, they're not going to be focusing on everything else- and the Epicurus requires an inordinate amount of resources to take out of the fight.

Why Bother? Let Them Come to You

If you're facing a close range opponent, hang back and use the Epicurus' drones to bomb anything that gets close enough- the expendability of drones, combined with the Sky Fortress' Quick Launch means you can throw out a lot of drones, worry the enemy with them, and not worry if they die. Then, when the opponent closes in, you have a mostly intact Epicurus to bring the hurt.

Wrapping Up

All in all, the Epicurus is a damn fantastic choice in any list, and does so much for the cost- there's a reason the old Daedalus was always heard of with the phrase "Yeah, but why don't I have an Epicurus instead?". If you don't have one in your Covenant fleet, you're missing out on one of the strongest models in its class, and one of the strongest Covenant options.

Model Tactics: Aronnax-Class Submersible

Worms in our world are, as a whole, not the most terrifying creatures. Essential, yes, and beloved by gardeners, but not terrifying. In the Dystopian world, on the other hand, the worm is an object of pure terror, tearing all asunder in a blizzard of teeth and lasers. The particular worm in question, if you hadn't guessed by the unsubtle image above, is the Aronnax-Class Submersible. A model described by any player who has encountered me as "resoundingly unfair", though usually in less polite terms.

So why is the Aronnax so feared? One could put it down to the incredibly variable number of Rs and Ns that seem to feature in its name on the official forums, or the rather... interesting shape of the closed mouth version. But the true answer is in this monstrosity's capability for insane violence. We'll start with the first purpose of this unit; a boarding option for the Covenant. Though less capable in a straight boarding action than, say, the Blazing Sun Ika Mechanical Squid, it only loses out 1AP, with a compliment of 8AP in total, and Ferocious. You might think that this makes it a worse choice. Wrong. With an extra inch of movement and Sturginium Boost (One Dice Ability Counter: 1), the Aronnax is fast. And while the Ika's gunnery options are usually described as "suicide", the Aronnax is more along the lines of "hilarious". First, it has the Maw Gun, a solid 8AD at RB1. Second, it as a Particle Accelerator- a full, 12AD Particle Accelerator, beam of doom, bringer of fun (A technical term). All with High Angle, because even flyers shouldn't be safe. And once it's too damaged to take advantage of the guns it has, the sandworm of doom has a Ram Rating of 8. Because teeth. And if you think that's enough chaos for this thing, it has a Sonic Generator (One Dice Ability Counter: 2)- after all, it has to have some sort of terrifying roar as it breaks the surface of the waves and tears into a warship. And if you run out of things to board, and just start shooting and ramming, it has Panic Dive (One Dice Ability Counter: 3) to keep it alive. And for 15 points, it can take a Cloud Generator, to make sure it has no problems with those damned torpedo bombers. Oh, and if you thought you could escape by running inland, it has Semiaquatic, so it can move up to 6" on land (with a working Sturginium Boost). The only downsides of this monster are lower than average survivability for its size class, with only DR5, CR8 and 6HP, and its poor auxiliary stats, with only 3AA and 3CC. And what is the cost of this all-terrain blender? 145 of your hard earned points for the basic version. So it's fairly cheap, too.

I'm sure you've all worked this out as you read the previous paragraph, but here's how to use this beast: OMNOMNOMNOMNOM. Alright, that might be a bit vague. I'll start with my preferred tactic:

The Sacrificial Worm

This is a fairly simple tactic- pair the Aronax with a Callimachus Time Dilation Orb, and hurl it towards the enemy. Depending on fleet, this may vary in complexity and target. With a long range fleet such as Britannians, choose the nearest squadron of Lord Hoods and drop the worm on them as soon as possible. Reduce Hoods to wrecks, then move on to whatever else happens to be within range. Make sure that the worm turns as late in the turn as possible when it teleports, and then goes early in the turn next turn, as it certainly will not survive long without extreme luck. Against opponents such as the Prussians, timing is more of a fine art- you have to ensure that the Aronax is going to drop onto a squadron that will really throw a spanner in the works for your opponent to lose- for example, an imminent medium or small boarding attempt. Remember not to leave this too late, as the Aronnax does not do too well when boarding larger targets without some luck- I once had the misfortune of sinking my sandworm's main target with another unit's gunnery, leaving the enemy dreadnought as the only viable target, which proceeded to not notice the worm's boarding attempt. This little tactic in a tournament earned me approximately all the medium units I laid eyes on, causing explosions (responsible for at least five throughout the three games I played) and fury at every turn, especially when it ate a French commodore first turn (I lost that game in the end, but the Aronnax was hilarious as always.). As of yet, this tactic has never failed to claim more than the cost of the Aronnax, almost always at least 200 points, and in one case, 450 points in one activation, as a drifting derelict Hood collided with its squadronmate and caused a string of four explosions to clear out almost everything except the eldritch monster.

With the new E-Turret rules and upgrades, this becomes even scarier- you can now use the actually worthwhile energy turrets to soften up your target and weaken the inevitable retribution, then drop the sandworm.

Boarding? Oh, I Brought a Playmate

Of course, if you don't want to hurl it forward unsupported, keeping it in reserve is a valid option- and opponent will be afraid of this monster descending on them, and it can stay submerged and near the fleet's air support to keep it alive. The Aronnax will tear through any squadron of mediums or smalls it gets to, and can put a big dent in larger models. Even then, using the Sonic Generator will mean that you can seriously weaken enemy boarding attempts that turn, though killing targets is usually the better option. Be aware that this will give enemy TFTs time to try a torpedo run on it, so care will be needed to avoid this, either through use of escorts, TFT countering or the Cloud Generator. Using this allows your fleet to support the Aronnax, and in turn, the Aronnax to support the fleet, but you may lose out on putting that early game heat on to the opponent.

Wrap-Up

I love this model. Other players (The ones that don't play Covenant) hate it, because it will do something nasty and scary. It is almost certain, when used correctly, to take out a squadron of mediums on its own, and often more. You'll notice I didn't make much mention of Panic Dive in the tactics- usually the worm won't live long enough to make use of it, due to the order of actions in an activation. A terrifyingly destructive model, I generally only bring it out when I feel mean, or think someone's been likewise (For example, a Russian Coalition player taking a double battleship list against a newbie player...). And yes, it does have three abilities based on rolling a single dice at itself or targets, and hoping for a 5+. Unlike the Fresnel, it has enough of them that one or two will probably work.
On land, the same principles apply as at sea, except that the Cloud Generator is more of an important purchase, as you lose all benefits relating to being a diving model when operating on land.

I call my Aronnax by the name CNS Jormungandr. And he certainly lives up to the name.

Model Spotlight: Alea-Class Escort Flyer

A fairly short article here, as this is probably the simplest of the models in the upgrade box. The final model in the Covenant of Antarctica upgrade box, the little Alea-Class Escort Flyer is only less interesting than the other models in the set by virtue of the sheer cool factor of its larger brethren. That is not to say that this isn't going to be a useful model, far from it. Veteran players are immediately going to see the utility of the Alea, especially considering the new toys the larger flyers are getting.


If I were a middle-management type, I would describe the Alea as 'Synergistic'. But since I don't earn a living from being a self-indulgent git (It's more of a hobby), I'm just going to say that this will kick arse with a good pairing with other models. The only weapons on the Alea are mines, with a reasonable 5AD, which are really given a place when you realise that the new flying options the Alea was clearly designed to escort both have access to a Mine Controller Generator option. By using the Alea's fantastic manoeuvrability, the flying escort can deploy mines a good distance from their parent model, then utilise the Mine Controller Generator to move the mines even further for optimal hindrance to anyone trying to avoid the mines. With AA and CC values of 2 each, the Alea does fairly standard duty as an escort, but with Hit-and-Run and 360-degree movement, can reach out and put a little pain on a threatening target, then skip back, all the while using Low Level Flyer to ensure that it's at the correct height level to avoid retribution. With a movement of 12", it has a fairly decent threat range.


MARs specific to this model are Small Target, Elusive Target and Limited Availability(500). The two target MARs mean that this model will pretty much only be hit on 5+ by enemy models, which will help given the standard small model survivability of DR3, CR5, HP2. Limited Availability(500) feels a bit unnecessary on this model, given that it's an escort costing 35 points, so won't be escorting more than one or two models anyway.


The current Covenant escort model, the Galen, comes in 10 points cheaper and has a gun, but for that you trade in 4" of movement, the ludicrous manoeuvrability and mines. Considering that the gun was a bit rubbish and only used occasionally (for example, popping off a rush of boarding small models), the Alea appears the better choice- if you can spare the points, and use them well. But hey, the gnashing of teeth when you use Aleas to maximum infuriating effect will be worth the points.

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Charge!

You know what I don't see enough of? Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth players. As a faction, I'd love to see more of them on the tabletop, and an expansion of the units they can choose from. Not that mine have struggled so far- even if land core games are a bit rarer than the naval fare of most of Dystopian Wars. As a dominion faction, the PLC are often overlooked compared to their Russian allies, but there's a very good reason to play the PLC- they're the underdog. With a pure Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth list, you can be sure that you are brave defenders of your homeland, from all comers- especially those damned Russians!

Of course, the question arises; "How do I play my Polish forces?". You're not the Russians, crushing all beneath a wall of steel. You're better. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is remembered in history for one of the greatest and, more importantly, most stylish heavy cavalry to storm across the fields of Europe. Let history be your guide, as they say- the lance, cavalry charges, and sheer insane bravery play a part in using a Commonwealth army- and it's clear that this has gone into the models that make up the Commonwealth unit options. I don't think Spartan could have done a better job of getting across the idea of a cavalry charge in the form of thousand ton tanks and flying aircraft carriers than they have with the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The units of the PLC move faster than just about every other equivalent, with their Szpada medium tanks moving at more than a range band a turn, and their Zamiec Sky Fortress moving 2" faster than most other flying carriers. It would be a shame to neglect this frightening turn of speed, and few foes will fail to be intimidated by squadrons of medium tanks, backed by the aforementioned Sky Fortress charging forward at full speed. With fast movement, you can get the PLC up close and personal, and use precise firepower to eliminate the most immediate threats. After the mediums hit home, the squadrons of Rycerz small tanks can strike from cover to remove even more enemy targets, and use Hit-and-Run, combined with their Fast Target. The Rycerz is 25% more expensive than most small tanks, but for good reason- they're the fastest, and currently toughest small tanks around. For even more fun, take the Combat Drop(Small Tank, 4) upgrade for your Zamiec, and you're almost guaranteed to get a squadron of small tanks right in the heart of the enemy line, without losing any while closing in.

Boarding with the PLC is not something to base your strategy around- their sub-par AP numbers mean that they're not going to have much luck unless the target has lost some AP already. This is perfectly possible with judicious use of flamethrowers, but generally, you'll find that just using them as a reliable source of single damage points on most targets, and a useful way of blunting enemy AP in boarding-focused fleets.

So, we have our 'lance'- a spearhead of mediums backed by a Sky Fortress, with small tank support. But what about other options? We'll start with the Kursk Land Dreadnought. Stick one of these not too far from the lance, and use the mortars to soften up your enemy. If the enemy focuses on the Dreadnought, then the lance will be in better shape to cause havoc, and if they focus on the lance, there's three big turrets bearing down on them. And if they focus on neither, you're probably going to take less damage overall, so win-win. If you're really determined to board, then the Hawk-class Scout Rotors are (Despite opinion of many Britannian players) a solid option to follow up on scorched targets, and are fast enough to be wherever those targets are. As of recent updates, the Commonwealth also gains access to the new Orlov heavy tank, Minsk tank destroyer and Poltava light tank, all of which add some potent weapons to the mix, though I've generally leant upon the sheer intimidation factor of the Land Dreadnought. The Minsk seems like the best choice of all the new units, as it makes up for the PLC's lack of cheap bombards. In the end, though, all that matters is making a glorious charge into the enemy ranks at full speed, and that's what your core Polish-Lithuanian units will do best.

Really, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a list for someone who cares about faction flavour, and really wants to avoid Conscript Crews. The standard Russian Coalition list has more choices and more theatres to fight in, but they'll never have the same style that the Commonwealth has. And when it comes down to it, why else are you playing a game with the White House and St. Paul's Cathedral on tracks?

Model Spotlight: Euclid-Class Dreadnought

Hoo boy, this one. Strap in, kiddies, this one is a beast. The Euclid-class Dreadnought. Or, to give it a more appropriate title, the Euclid-class Command Sky Fortress Dreadnought. Where do I start with this monstrosity? Hovering in from the Covenant upgrade box, this is a floating monster. Varying in points cost from 240 up to 330, depending on loadout, the number of choices you get on this thing is insane.

At its heart, the Euclid is a carrier. With 8xTFT capacity, Combat Launch and Double Decker, the thing from another world is one of the best equipped carriers in the game. Capable of launching two squadrons of four Covenant drones a turn, and firing all weapons at the same time, the Euclid will be raining fire on the enemies of the Covenant all game long.

And now I hear you cry "But Seb, it's a Dreadnought, not a Sky Fortress. Why does it have drones?". Well kiddo, the answer is thus: It's both. This thing does everything. And more, if you want to pay the price for upgrades. Seriously, you can spend as long working out your upgrades for this thing as your opponent will spend trying to kill it. Despite being equipped with a long list of MARs, weapons and generators, the Euclid has space for more. Let's start with the basics: Extra generators. Although it's already equipped with an Amplified Shield Generator with Inventive Scientists, it can also choose from either a Mine Controller Generator (12"), or a Target Painter (Telescopic Zoom 16") for 20 points. With this, you can either have this thing trailing mines around, or paint up a tasty target for all the weapons and drones, from range band two. Next up, Combat Coordinator. There are two options here, and you can choose one for 10 points. First up is Combat Coordinator[CoA TFTs, Acrobatic Pilots, 8"]- because all those drone bombers you have hitting on 2+ from the Target Painter needed to negate 1/3 of all AA hits against them, just to make sure. The second choice you have here is Combat Coordinator[CoA Robots, Ferocious, 8"]. Because those Prussians have lorded it over us with their Fausts for too long (Or at least, since the last release batch). But then, what good is a robot upgrade without robots? So, for a grand 50 points, the Euclid can carry a full squadron of Colossus small robots, using Combat Drop(CoA Colossus Robots, 4). Even in a naval battle, take the robots and drop them on an island somewhere to snipe enemy smalls and mediums. And if your opponent takes time killing them, all the better- they get none of the points unless the Euclid is dead.

The most interesting upgrade you can take, though is the 10 point Heroic Commodore upgrade. Priya Kumar has a couple of interesting abilities. The first allows her to buy Sturginium Boost for any Medium or larger model, for 5 or 10 points per model, respectively. Note the lack of restriction on it being on the Euclid, too. Yet another upgrade. Her other ability is the real stinger, though. Ever thought that there should be a way to weaponise the lunatic cackling that comes to any good Covenant commander? Fusion Cascade is what you need. Any capital model Priya kills with the Euclid's energy weapons (and you'll love those when I get to them) on the turn this ability is activated is considered to have Combustible Cargo. That's right. If you ever wished you could have more explosions from your giant lasers, she's got them for you. So it's only a once per game ability- how many battleships (and cruisers, and... yeah. Lots of things) are you going to kill in one activation?

So, what are these hilarious energy weapons? For a start, there's an Energy Turret, with 10AD at all ranges. Nice, but fairly standard. And nothing compared to what's coming next. There's a 16AD Particle Accelerator. Oh yes. On a flying dreadnought. Those of you who read my post about the Capek and the box theme will know why this is great on the Euclid. I'll come back to those later for those of you who weren't paying attention. Finally, there are two 6AD rocket batteries. Eh, guess they'll do. Might annoy some smalls, but since rockets have a habit of doing nothing at all, it feels more like they're there just because two guns isn't enough for a dreadnought.

Now, a dreadnought isn't a dreadnought without some survivability, and the Euclid has it. DR7, CR11, with 10HP. You might say that isn't that much for a dreadnought, but with the 3d6 + reroll of the Amplified Shield Generator, the toughness of this model shoots up. Along with 10AP, 8AA, and Electrical Defences, which should make the Euclid a tough prospects to board, it also comes with Experienced Engineers, so even if it does take some negative effects from enemy fire, it should do a good job of shrugging them off. Other MARs include Limited Availability(1500), because one of them is already a scary prospect, and Radio Network, because it's so big it might as well count as another squadron.

Finally, we need to talk about the manoeuvrability of the Euclid. It moves 8". Yeah. A dreadnought moves 8". And it has Hit-and-Run, and a 360-degree movement, as well as Low Level Flyer, because we need to make sure that Particle Accelerator is where we want it. For a dreadnought, this thing has some utterly insane mobility. This is the crux of the matter: this is not a dreadnought like any we've ever seen before. It's a highly mobile, high-finesse piece of kit, that can go where it needs to go, drop some of the coolest toys the Covenant has on its opponent, and, because all its weapons are at least Redoubtable, keep doing that until it finally drops out of the sky (if it ever does). The capability of this vessel, when used correctly, is massive. It can hop in and out of range, equip itself with exactly what it needs to accomplish its mission, and make your opponent tear his hair out trying to stop it.

I would compare it to other vessels in it's class, but the only one that comes close is the Epicurus Sky Fortress. I'm a big fan of the Epicurus, but this is a different beast entirely. I've found the Sky Fortress effective when paired with something else big, and it generally becomes the less important target compared to the battleship that's advancing down the flank with it, so it can continue to reliably pick off smaller targets and drop drones on things. The Euclid, though... is not going to do that. It's not going to be the lower priority target. There's nothing big that can keep up with it. While the Epicurus sails gracefully, the Euclid is going to do a jig, jumping around enemy vessels, and being where the the opponent would really rather it wasn't, where it can't be pinned down and they can't get a grip on it. In short, the Euclid is going to be a right holy terror.