Infinity Unit Review: Daturazi Witch-Soldiers
Possibly the most iconic Morat fighter, the Daturazi Witch-Soldier exemplifies the Morat combat doctrine. There is no subtlety to them, Daturazi are among the strongest close combat fighters in the game, with incredible physique, and most importantly, able to fling a lot of grenades with unnerving accuracy.
Stats and Special Rules
It doesn’t take long looking at their base profile to understand the role of a Daturazi. Their impressive CC21 and PH14 combines with MA4 to create a monster of a melee fighter, even more powerful in combat than a Myrmidon. Kinematika L1, combined with mimetism, and their high PH all work together to ensure they are hard to hit, and will keep moving up the board, or into safe positions should they avoid enemy fire.
Profiles
Combi Rifle, Smoke Grenades. While this is the standard profile, it’s probably the one that is seen the least, Daturazi have an unimpressive BS stat, so spending a lot of points on additional firepower is often a bit excessive. In a fireteam though, this isn’t terrible, since they will then be able to claim cover, extra BS, and an extra Burst, turning them into a capable gunfighter. Most often, if you’re taking this profile, it’s to get the DA CCW, letting them break objectives, and hit incredibly hard in melee.
Chain Rifle, Grenades, Smoke Grenades. Without a doubt the most common profile, this load out maximizes the effectiveness of the Daturazi, forgoing traditional ranged weapons to load up with a direct template weapon and regular grenades. These grenades are amazing in the hands of PH14 Daturazi, able to speculative fire in good range on 11’s (or 14’s in a link). They can lob these grenades over walls, or into buildings, to hit hard to reach enemies, with no chance of retaliation. When I take un-linked Daturazi, it is almost exclusively this profile.
Boarding Shotgun, Smoke Grenades. The boarding shotgun’s +6 range within 8” goes a long way to make up for the poor BS of the Daturazi, especially in a fireteam. I’ll probably be experimenting with this profile as a solo hunter more often, though I will miss grenades of the cheaper profile. Still, tossing grenades on 17’s while you move up the board into shotgun range isn’t bad at all, and mimetism helps a bunch to make up for the lack of cover bonuses.
Combi Rifle + Smoke Light Grenade Launcher. For 0.5 SWC, you can upgrade smoke Grenades to a light smoke grenade launcher. Again, as a solo daturazi, I would probably pass, a single shot on 14’s within 16” isn’t bad, but you can usually get by for a cheaper profile for providing smoke. This profile really shines in a fireteam though. Not only does it add a reasonable gunfighter to the fireteam, it also lets you do some great shenanigans with it’s smoke. With the full link bonus, you can put a smoke grenade 32” away, with a ~70% chance of success. This is fantastic to blind enemy ARO pieces, or provide cover for your other troops who are advancing.
On The Table
Obviously, the job of Daturazi is to get close and break heads. While they are INCREDIBLE in close combat, don’t forget that they can pack some surprising firepower as well. Tossing grenades over a wall is a great way to clear out bunched up enemies. Often times it’s better to go for the grenade shot than to engage the enemy directly, but if you get the chance to move into combat, you’ll really see the magic.
As a fireteam, they have one of the best ARO’s in the game; if the enemy gets up close to them, you can lob a grenade (smoke or regular) at them with B2 hitting on 20’s. Furthermore, the updated Raktorak profile lets them take both a specialist and a red fury. This combination creates a very deadly link that can dominate the midfield. My favorite Daturazi link includes a red fury Raktorak, smoke light grenade launcher, boarding shotgun, plus two of the chain rifles. This gives the link a diverse range of threats, allows them move up the board with effective covering fire, and still has plenty of smoke to protect themselves and other units.
