Infinity Unit Review: USAriadna Mavericks

USAriadna is the only army in the game with multiple types of bike. They get a warband-style bike in the Desperado, but they also get a more standard fighting bike with the Mavericks. These fast soldiers deliver an effective firing platform, with a strong blend of speed and maneuverability.

Profile

All Mavericks carry a suite of equipment, which gives them some amazing versatility on the table top. Each one comes with BS12, ARM3, an 8-4 bike, smoke light grenade launcher, and a multispectral visor L1. They are Regular troops, so add their order to the pool, but they also are Impetuous, not Extremely Impetuous, so you can always opt to NOT use their impetuous order. That distinction is incredibly important as it keeps your Mavericks from running out into enemy fire, without having to spend a regular order to cancel.

The light smoke grenade launcher gives you a long-range option for dealing with some tough enemy troops. I've used this unit quite a bit to deal with things like Total Reaction bots, driving up, hiding just out of sight, and shooting smoke where the enemy remote gets caught in the blast. Similarly, it's a great tool for dealing with a Bulleteer in suppressive fire, that is otherwise a real pain in the butt to deal with effectively. So not only can you use smoke to protect yourself directly, but you can also shoot it onto enemies to keep them from shooting in any direction. A recent favorite story of this was firing smoke at an enemy Uhulan so that Van Zant could move into combat and chop it down at the knees.

Molotok

The big gun of the group, and aside form the Unknown Ranger though, it is your highest BS Molotok when combined with their MSV1. The speed of the unit helps get them into a good firing position, though their wide base and lack of cover does make it a slightly more vulnerable platform. I'm personally mixed on this profile, mostly due to the SWC cost. I'd like to hear from people who have used this profile effectively, over the light rocket launcher.

Boarding Shotgun

This model comes with the big starter box for USAriadna, so most players have one lying about. Being fast, with a MSV1 and boarding shotgun, is a great combination. Hitting 18, even with camo or mimetism, and covering your advance with your smoke light grenade launcher helps you get close and blast the enemy. This is also your only 0 SWC choice for a Maverick, so that in itself is worth considering. I don't personally run this option often, usually my mid-field boarding shotguns come from Foxtrots, but when you're playing with exclusion zones, these are a great option.

Light Rocket Launcher, Submachine Gun

My absolute favorite Maverick profile, the light rocket/SMG profile comes with a myriad of options. This profile can go suppressive fire with AP/shock ammo, backed up by that MSV1, or blast people with an impact template of fire ammo. Between the two weapons, you have +3 to hit up to 24". Only costing 1/0.5 more than a boarding shotgun, I have been taking two in most of my lists lately and have no regrets.

Forward Observer, Rifle

When you absolutely have to get objectives as quickly as possible, the Maverick forward observer is a great choice. A fast specialist who can cover their advance with smoke is a very desirable option in any army. This is the cheapest profile at 19/0.5, and oddly the only profile with a rifle. It's usable as a fast, suppressive fire platform, which won't drop suppressive fire due to being impetuous (since you can just choose to not use the order). Being a fast forward observer also lets you get into a good position to mark enemies to be hit by your ordnance (Katyusha or light grenade launchers).

Overall, I absolutely love the Maverick, and the more I use it, the more uses I find for them. Their equipment is incredibly diverse and they can fill many roles. Their speed meshes nicely with the otherwise frequently slow USAriadna advance. Use them to tie up your enemy with quicker threats that are up in their face, while your other units are able to move up and claim the objectives.