Outbreak Week: New units for existing factions…

Hope you’ve been enjoying Outbreak Week so far. Just to recap everything we’ve covered so far –

• first up we introduced the Mazon Labs faction
• next we looked at the new missions in Outbreak
• yesterday Andy Sharp gave some fantastic tips on using the Nameless

However, it’s not all about the exciting new factions and missions… we wanted to make sure the Deadzone: Outbreak supplement had something for everyone! What do you mean, everyone?

If you’ve got an existing Deadzone faction, it’s likely you’ll find a little extra or two in Outbreak. Some of these may have appeared in other supplements or a PDF but now they’ve been brought together in one handy book! So, let’s break down the factions and see what’s changed compared to the original rulebook.

ASTERIANS

A new faction starter for the Asterians was introduced last year, which brought with it a number of new units for the aloof Asterians.

Black Talon Prime – a new leader for the Asterians that gives Cyphers or Black Talons +1 dice on a Survive roll when they’re the target of a Shoot action.

Kalyshi Dervish – want some more Kaylshi action in your Asterian list? Well look no further than the Dervish leader. With a Fight stat of 3+ and the ‘Dance of Death’ special rule, this Kalyshi is going to cause havoc for your enemy.

Cypher Warden – a new troop version of the Cypher that’s slightly better in combat but is no longer such a demon when it comes to shooting. It’s still Vulnerable though, so choose your fights carefully.

Support Drone – a brand new specialist for Asterians that can be given Camouflage, Communications and Automatic weapon options. As the name would imply, this is a great unit for supporting your troops.

Oh, and on the subject of Drones - you can now buy the Pulse Bombard on its own from the Mantic website.

ENFORCERS

On the surface it looks like there’s nothing new in the Enforcer list but you would be WRONG!

Strider – the Strider can now be used as the Ajax Siege Strider with the Aggressor Shield and Grav-Ram Spear. Say goodbye to those pesky Iron Ancestors.

Stealthy Jet Bikes – jet bikes now have the option to take a Stealth Device, which gives them the Stealthy special rule. Look out for some ‘invisible’ jet bikes on the website soon

Fusion Gun – a new weapon option for the Specialists

FORGE FATHERS

There’s plenty to get excited about in the Forge Father list.

Forge Lord – at 42 points this new leader is very points heavy, but for that cost you basically get a mini Iron Ancestor. Good luck taking this guy out!

Thorgarim Huscarl – it’s hammer time with the Thorgarim Huscarl leader. This new leader is great at upgrading your hammer-wielding troops and is very handy in combat, thanks to a 3+ Fight stat.

Thorgarim – talking of Thorgarim, as well as getting a new leader, the Forge Fathers now have the option to take the Thorgarim as a troop.

Hammerfist Drop Trooper – what better way to surprise your enemies than dropping onto the battlefield from orbit and smashing them with a great big hammer? You can pick up the Hammerfist Drop Team from the Mantic website.

Bomb Bot – finally, just a small change here, but the Bomb Bot is now a piece of equipment, rather than a unit

GCPS

Although the GCPS has been available in PDF form for a while, this is the first time it’s officially been released in print. It’s a bit long to describe them all here but you can check this previous article about the various units available in the list.

MARAUDERS

There are a couple of new units for everyone’s favourite green skinned guns for hire.

Goran Auxiliary – although not as well trained as the Marauder Commandos, these are a cheap troop option for the Marauders because they only cost 10pts.

Goran Saboteur – with the Scout ability, the Saboteur is great at claiming those objectives nice and early.

PLAGUE

You’ve now got even more options for overrunning a planet with deadly plague toxins. Hooray!

Stage 3A ‘Lieutenant’ – another Leader option for the Plague, the Lieutenant’s Recon stat is worse than the ‘General’ but they make up for it with an improved Shoot stat.

Murderbirds – giving new meaning to the phrase ‘death from above’ the Murderbirds are a particularly nasty specialist that can quickly move around the battlefield. Oh, and they’re available to order now from the website.

Plague Bursters – these bloated plague victims can explode on demand, showering any surrounding people with their foul projectile pus. It’s like a typical night out in Grimsby town centre. If this sounds like your thing, you can order the Bursters on the site now.

Stage 3A Weapons Team – technically this is a new unit, giving the Plague the option to take a mortar.

Plague Strider – now has the option for taking the Burst Laser. Suppress your enemies and then hack them to death. Lovely!

REBS

The Rebs have a slew of new unit options as more systems join their cause.

Rebel Cell Leader – this is an exciting new leader for the Rebs because you can choose the race of the leader. Select from a human, Rin, Sphyr or Kraaw before heading out. Each of these units comes with their own speciality too.

Rebel Weapons Team – a slight change to the existing entries that combines the Sphyr Loader and Rebel Specialist into one. A far more sensible choice.

Rebel Sorak Swordspawn – why take one sword into the shower, when you can take two? The Swordspawn has Frenzy(1) and a Fight stat of 5+, so can help the Rebs deliver their message of rebellion up close and personal.

Teraton Shock Trooper – this heavily armoured Teraton is smaller than his female counterpart (size 2, rather than size 3). But that means he can Teleport into places the female version can’t reach.

Defender Shield – a minor update but still an interesting one. Rebs can now be equipped with a Defender Shield. You could potentially upgrade the Teraton Shock Trooper, which would grant a bonus to the Teraton’s armour and a size one model in the same cube.

VEER-MYN

This list is almost entirely new compared to the original rulebook. With new leader options, new specialists and new vehicles, like the awesome Tunnel Runner. Also, the great news is that the Veer-myn are now a competitive list, particularly when they’re armed with smoke grenades. You can get the low down on the Veer-myn here.

So, as you can see from the list above, no matter what faction you currently play, you’ll find something for them in Outbreak. Whether it’s something small, like a new piece of equipment, or an entirely new unit, you need a copy of Outbreak in your life.