by Erik Lind

I watched as he guided his craft through the hail of bullets and debris, not taking a spit of damage. It was an amazing event to see. He even had time to pick up a pinned down Ranger on the way. They proceeded to press deeper into enemy territory. I lost sight of the scout when it vanished over the horizon. I heard an explosion and the cries of pain. I never found out if the scout had survived, but I walked away that day with one thing on my mind:

"That was cool!"

— a citizen's account of witnessing the Great Grey Scout in battle

How many times have you heard the phrase, There's no "I" in "team" or, The whole is greater than the sum of its parts ? These statements stress the importance of working together, and not relying on one individual to achieve everything for you. Growing up, you probably didn't enjoy hearing this: when watching Batman take down baddies and Superman saving the world over and over, teamwork was working alone. But now that you've grown up and looked back on this lesson, you can see why this was said to you: preparing you for playing Capitol in Mutant Chronicles !

In many miniature games previous to Mutant Chronicles , your reliance on one powerhouse character was probably a sound strategy. When playing Capitol, this simply cannot be. (Sorry!) Not only will you stop relying on a single miniature to lead your Capitol army to victory, you'll also have to concentrate on the "whole picture" if you wish to succeed.

So, when playing Capitol, you may ask, "How do I win?" Suggestions aside, here are the basic strategies to keep in mind:

We > Me

When playing Capitol in Mutant Chronicles , you must rely on group tactics rather than having one brave fighter go it alone. The synergistic qualities that make up the Capitol is impressive to say the least. The adjacent abilities for the Ranger fighters are a clear representation of what their teamwork is capable of. Having the ability to give adjacent Rangers two additional light-range dice, or giving your Rangers two additional spaces to their base movement makes for an interesting combination when ironing out your strategy.

Another unit that lends a hand to the Capitol is the Great Grey Scout . With its speed of 6, this fighter has room for two, allowing an adjacent fighter to be transported with them and dropped adjacently at the end of his movement. Doing this will turn your units into a quick assault force, allowing you to swiftly claim territory much earlier than your adversary could ever dream.

From a Distance

Things always look different from a distance, but to a Capitol army it all looks the same. Their soldiers have a skillful eye when it comes to ranged combat as their weapons prove dangerous from unheard of distances. As long as you position your fighters in clear lines of sight, your Capitol fighters will be able to pick enemies off with ease.

Also, putting some of your units on guard can create a bit of a stalemate with you and your opponent. Having the long-range, mobile units around a Capitol guard action is easier said than done. This type of setup can be good if you wish to create a buffer between you and your opponent's forces. Also, with units that have Dodge , keeping them at a good distance will make it difficult to land a hit on one of these nimble fighters. Combining the range of the Capitol soldiers with the Dodge ability will create a cantankerous enemy as you throw them off of their game, and in their distraction of anger, allow you to crush them!

The More the Merrier

As I said before, playing Capitol works best when played as a group rather than taking on an entire squad with one of your soldiers. Performing a combined attack with Capitol units is not only effective, but it could be necessary if you plan on one-shotting a unit during your turn.

Capitol fighters do have great range when attacking opponents, but it's their lack of damage that can make one leery when hoping to inflict wounds on their enemy. A combined attack is the perfect answer to this dismay. Sure, the unit involved in the combined attack will not be able to function until the next round, but increasing your odds of sure-fire destruction to your enemy make it a necessary risk.

Leaps and bounds

The mobility of Capitol units is something you always must keep in mind when you're bringing them to the forefront. Many times has a Capitol force crumbled due to inadequacy of exploiting the mobile superiority of their units. Using the Banshee units, walls no longer impede your movement and capturing Victory Zones becomes a fast reality. As for the KA 67 units, not only can they zip around the destroyed grounds, but their speed proves for steadfast assaults and coordinated rushes to overwhelm the enemy with a shattering pace.

As for the movement of the other Capitol fighters: cover, cover, cover! This is immensely important if you want to see your soldiers succeed in combat. Due to the lack of armor and low amount of health points, it's imperative to keep these soldiers in the safety of cover and in the company of walls. Of course you don't want your troops to be cowards, but this simple preventative measure will prolong the lifespan of your Capitol troops for a surprising number of rounds.

Final thoughts

All in all, there are many things to keep in mind when playing Capitol. Yes, keeping all these thoughts in mind during a single turn could give you a headache, but practice makes perfect. The more well-versed you are in your ways as a Capitol commander, the clearer you'll see things when fighting an opponent. Just be sure you remember these four key strategies as they will bring your troops to a brilliant result: Victory!