Faction Focus - Ativari Conclave
What's up Breachstormers!? With the Ativari Conclave core set becoming available for preorder last week; and players around the world getting access to Breachstorm's latest faction... it's high time to dive in to discuss the faction and it's mechanics in more depth.
The first beta version of Ativari profile cards are now available on the rules page. While we encourage players to use them in games of any format; they are still in active playtesting and you should expect periodic changes to them in the near future.
Adaptive Tactics
Key to the power of the Conclave's infiltrator teams are their sophisticated Adaptive Combatskins - advanced biotechnology capable of rapidly shifting power to different subsystems, dynamically altering their physical properties based on the tactical situation. This is represented in the combat zone by the faction's extensive use of Adaptation tokens.
Unlike all other token types; these tokens persist until the beginning of the assigned unit's next activation, and Ativari troops can spend them to perform a variety of unique actions. Ativari profiles also typically gain passive benefits from assigned Adaptation tokens as well.
This presents Conclave players with a dizzying array of options at any one time... do you hold on to your tokens to enable their persistent effects, or spend them immediately to power your abilities? Mastery of the faction requires skillful management of their unit's combatskin capabilities and Adaptation token economy.
The Need for Speed
The key to Ativari tactical philosophy is misdirection and maneuver warfare - their infiltrators are masters of clandestine operations, and completing objectives swiftly and silently... bringing down merciless decapitating strikes when martial force absolutely must be applied.
While their light combatskins don't offer the same enhanced protection that ACE-class Combat Exoskeletons (leaving most Ativari operatives without any Defenses on their profiles); the wavelength-bending nanofield swarms spawned by their suits instead offer near-total invisibility, even to multispectral scanners.
You may remember a similar version of this rule from Qairus, Synod Agent - an Ativari contractor who can embed into teams of other factions. While on assignment with other faction Qairus equips a lighter de-militarized combatskin; frontline Ativari troops boast much more powerful versions that allow them to recloak and redeploy far more often.
This, alongside high Action stats and many adaptations that offer additional ways to reposition units during their activations (such as the Prelator's "In Shadow Clad" or Praetorian Interdictor's "Adaptive Assault"), make Ativari teams absolutely unmatched in their maneuverability.
Stinging Like a Bee
While stealth may be the Conclave faction's primary form of defense; when pressed Ativari warriors are some of the most disciplined in the Spur; and equipped with weapons technology centuries more advanced than that of any other species.
Graviton-based weapons are a common sight amongst the Conclave's military orders; and while only used as a last-resort when stealth does not avail them, are nonetheless useful tools for a variety of tactical situations. Graviton projectors shred their targets with relentless tidal forces, rip apart armor, or act like simpler kinetic weapons depending on their setting.
Widespread access to the Rend attack modifier that applies damage-buffing tokens to targets helps Ativari teams work in concert to set up enemies for elimination. This allows ranged-focused units like the Prelator Vanguard prepare a target for a finishing blow from a more dedicated fighter like the Praetorian Interdictor, or their unique character Legate Atrius.
Outmanned... Never Outgunned
Ativari infiltrator teams are never engaged in large numbers; nor does Conclave doctrine allow for mass-deployment; making their units the least-numerous out of any faction in Breachstorm. Combined with the scant protection offered by their combatskins; this makes playing an Ativari team a balance along a knife's edge. Careful movement, positioning, and use of Adaptation mechanics is crucial to achieving success with them; but when mastered Ativari operatives are nearly unstoppable in the field.
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