Infinity Unit Review: Scarface and Cordelia
A mercenary TAG with a bad attitude, Scarface has made his appearance in a few armies now, and is available to everyone else through the Soldiers of Fortune ITS extra. While not as heavily armed as many frontline battle TAGs, he makes up for it in style.
Standard version.
Druze Bayram version.
Stats and Special Rules
There are two versions of Scarface, with slightly different equipment, but all the same stats and rules. Scarface is somewhat lightly armored for a TAG, with only ARM5, but he is quite fast with MOV 6-4, and has a solid BS 13. Being a Manned TAG means you can dismount Scarface Turner himself to push any buttons you may need, though it's usually best to stay protected inside his armored sarcophagus. Unique as far as I can find, Scarface is the only TAG with the Assault rule, which if you aren't familiar with, means he can move a whopping 10" and make a CC attack, though it will be at -3. I haven't found much of a good use for that yet, but I'd like to find one! Finally, it's important to note that Scarface has Frenzy, so once he's killed something, he will become (regular) Impetuous and lose the ability to use cover.
Cordelia is a very handy Engineer, and since Scarface is bound to take some damage, a pretty great additional unit that you must buy. She's nothing special in a firefight, though a bit better than other people's engineer thanks to Mimetism. Cordelia brings some extra handy gear though, D-charges are welcome, and a chain colt can come in handy from time to time (I love them on my Druze). Overall, she's inexpensive, and gives you a WIP13 specialist to fix Scarface, or push some buttons, nothing to be sad about.
Profiles
Standard Version. With a pair of MK12 and a panzerfaust, Scarface is a solid mid-range fighter. In many respects, I prefer the dual MK12 to an HMG, covering a closer range band, though with no less effectiveness of firepower, for long range engagements, the panzerfaust will come in handy. While not the most impressive TAG in the game, for his incredibly low cost of 51 points (not including Cordelia) there is really nothing to be disappointed by. Be careful with Frenzy, but remember that you don't become impetuous until the following order generation step. Once he does become Impetuous, that ARM5 may begin to hurt, the upside however is, when no longer burdened by gaining cover, you have a lot more freedom in your mobility, so just move to out-range the opponent and stick them with as many negative modifiers as you can.
Druze Bayram Scarface. When fighting for his alma mater, Scarface really shines. He trades his panzerfaust for a heavy rocket launcher, and also forms a Duo with Cordelia (and also Gromoz). Now we're talking! Despite the heavy rocket launcher lacking the punch of the panzerfaust, it does have double the burst, and unlimited ammo, which I am quite happy with. His capability of creating a fireteam though is probably the biggest difference. While joined by Cordelia, he no longer has to worry about Impetuous, letting you bask in the sweet discount of his points, but not suffer the penalty, so long as you keep her alive. Towing her around also gives you a mobile specialist who can push buttons while following along. She is a little slower, and remember that while you're moving you don't block LOF, so you can't always use Scarface as a big shield, but that's all a small price to pay and something you can work around with practice.
On the Table
Scarface generally does what most TAGs do, he's big and scary looking, draws a lot of fire, and murders things dead. He doesn't have the firepower needed to go toe-to-toe with enemy TAGs, but his gear is well suited for blasting enemy infantry off the board with weight of fire. Remember that he isn't very many points, closer to the cost of a S5 Heavy Infantry than a line TAG, so as long as you expect him to perform similarly, you won't be disappointed. Don't forget Cordelia either, she isn't just a tax, and you can get Cordelia a helper bot too (but not in Druze if you want her to link). Overall, for he's a great threat at a very low cost.