Jackals Tactics

Jackals
Setting:	Grimdark Future
Games:	Grimdark Future, Grimdark Future: Firefight
Species:	Jackals
Version:	v2.50

Note: as v2.50 is in constant development the following might not be accurate.

Why Play Jackals

Pros:

• Plenty of ways to improve hiding behind cover, with Strider making walking through cover a breeze
• Carnivore offers a welcome boost to melee
• Ubiquitous access to Beacon allows for more inventive Ambush plays

Cons:

• Generally weak armor
• Martial Prowess will trap you to hiding behind cover to get your bonuses

Rules

• Beacon: Allows your units to Ambush anywhere within 6” of this model, ignoring range from enemies.
• Bounding: A sort-of sidegrade from Fast. This unit moves +D3” on Advance and +2D3” on Rush/Charge actions.
• Carnivore: A rule native to the entire army, your unit gets +1 to hit rolls when in melee.
• Charged Ammo: An upgraded Ambush, a unit with this rule also gets AP(+3) when shooting on the round in which it deploys.
• Dodge: This model gets +2 to defense rolls when fighting in melee.
• Hidden Route: Grants Ambush to an attached unit.
• Martial Prowess: The hero and its unit get +2 to hit rolls in melee or shooting whilst inside terrain (pick one).
• Prowl: Enemies over 18” away get -2 to their rolls when shooting at this unit whilst they are inside terrain.
• Scrap Ammo: Gives an attached unit Rending when shooting.
• Stinger Bombs: Whenever this model moves over enemies, pick one of them and roll one die, on a 2+ it takes 1 hit.
• Taser: Poison+1. Unmodified hit rolls of 6 to hit are multiplied by 4

Psychic Spells

• Feral Strike (4+): Enemy unit within 12” takes two AP(2) hits.
• Lean and Mean (4+): Friendly unit within 12” gets +3" next time it moves.
• Psy-Canines (5+): Friendly unit within 12” gets AP(+1) next time it fights in melee.
• Quill Blast (5+): Enemy unit within 12” takes six automatic hits. Effective against mobs.
• Power Maw (6+): Enemy unit within 12” takes a single AP(4) Deadly(6) hit, capable of totaling tanks.
• Shaper (6+): Friendly unit within 18” gets Regeneration next time it takes wounds.

Units

Heroes

• Veteran: Your singular hero. While only just on tier with the basic Jackals with 4+ quality and 5+ defense, you do have a rather broad selection of weapons and buffs to make them capable of fitting any role. On top of all this, you also have the option to provide either a Satellite Backpack (for Beacon in case you're relying on Ambush) or a Beast Mount to make the Veteran tankier and more dangerous.
  • Melee: If you are looking to sacrifice your gun, you have three options - The Explosive Spear has Blast(3) and AP(1), letting it handle armored infantry fairly easily, the Goad-Spear has Rending to chance ripping through armor and the Harpoon's AP(2) Deadly(3) makes it the weapon of choice to nail Tough units. If you stick with the Pistol+CCW style, you have the option for either a Scrap Club (Blast(3) but lacking any AP), a Junk Sword (AP(1) Rending to handle a wide range of things), a Jagged Hook (AP(2) Deadly(3) to take down monsters) or the Heavy Claw (AP(4) to take down high armor).
  • Shooting: By default, you have to pick between either the basic Scrap Rifle or Scrap Pistol, both being no better than a basic rifle or pistol. Taking the Scrap Pistol gives you the option for either a Shotgun (Offering more shots and AP(1) to pop through armor), Energy Rifle (Rifle with AP(1) if you intend to be more of a marksman) or Hunting Rifle (Providing Sniper).
  • Buffs: The cheapest of your buffs are Shaman (Granting Psychic for spells) and Hunt Master (Prowl, giving extra protection from long range, excellent for Elites). After that is Warlord (Martial Expertise for a bit of a boost in either melee or ranged), Merchant (Scrap Ammo for Rending on all guns) and Pathfinder (Hidden Routes for extra Ambush).

Infantry

• Nomads: Your humble mobs, no stronger than an HDF trooper but you have the option between either Scrap Rifles for long range or Scrap Pistols for melee focus. On top of being your affordable gunline, you can also purchase Beacon for them so you can help others Ambush in as reinforcements.
  • Ranged: Above anyone else, the Nomads have the widest selection of guns to pick up. The Scrap Shotguns provide rapid-fire AP(1) but at point-blank range. The Power Spiker is little better with range and provides Rending for slightly better AP. The Force Blaster gives AP(4) to pop armor while the Zapper Gun provides you Taser to potentially overwhelm Tough units. The Fumigator has a small blast with Poison to potentially take down Tough units as well. The Rocket Launcher gives you the means to dent tanks with AP(2) Deadly(3). The Hunting Rifle gives you a sniper.

• Stalkers: Nomads that sacrifice shooting for dual-wielding CCWs, with Dodge for additional protection in melee and Scout to help get them closer in combat. Each CCW can be customized as you see fit, allowing you to tailor them to take on specific foes, and all of them cost 5 points.

• Elites: Superior Jackals with a 4+ to quality and defense. Though they don't have the same guns as the Nomads, they have more conventional guns and Relentless emphasizes their role as a gunline. While all of them have Energy Rifles for AP(1) at long range, any of them can instead pick up Shotguns for an extra shot but at half-range. One model can instead pick up a Plasma Rifle for anti-armor, a Flamethrower to burn through crowds, a Shred Rifle for rapid-fire Rending or a Missile Launcher with Lock-On to take care of aircraft.

• Vultures: Your airborne soldiers, having Ambush by default. Their base loadout of CCW and Scrap Pistol gives them a decent amount of flexibility, especially considering the various weapons they have on hand. Pure-melee builds can simply buy Explosive Spears for Impact to improve charges. You can also buy the entire squad Energy Rifles for long-range AP(1) instead of pistols, but you can also replace a pistol with either a Scrap Shotgun (for rapid fire at point-blank), Force Blaster (AP(4) to pop armor) or Zapper Gun (providing Taser for more hits).

• Trackers: Dedicated snipers given Charged Ammo, not only giving Ambush but also improving the AP of their rifles to the point that they can ripping through any armor. However, this buff only lasts for the turn they are deployed so you absolutely need them to hit their marks or else waste their selling point when compared to Nomads and Elites.

• Hounds: Your flankers and harassers, gifted with Fast and Scout so they can make a charge immediately. They make for a fairly cheap distraction and you can purchase either Rending or Poison for their bites, letting you handle a different set of foes depending on what you pick.

• Beast Riders: While Bounding isn't quite Fast, you're still more mobile than most with Tough(3) to tank enemies. Their basic build focuses upon their melee prowess with their AP(1) claws and Explosive Spears with Blast(3) AP(1) to demolish crowds. If you're planning to make a more offensive stance with them, you can also buy Bladed Tusks for Impact, turning them into an angry pack of pincushions.
  • Melee: The Explosive Spears come stock with AP(1) Blast(3) to handle smaller mobs, but you can get other weapons for fairly cheap. Harpoons are better suited for nailing monsters, Hunting Hooks stack on Impact (working best with the Tusks for excessive Impact), and Goad-Spears carry Rending for high armor.
  • Shooting: In place of spears, you can instead buy guns for the entire squad. The Heavy Machineguns provide long-range AP(1) firepower to harass squads while Hunting Rifles let your beasts snipe out enemies from heavy weapons platforms.

Monsters

• Great Beast: Your lightest monster, but also your fastest with Bounding and Strider. By default, it's a monster in melee, slapping AP(4) and AP(2) on its attacks and the ability to buy Impact(6) so you can dominate on the charge. It can also act as a weapons platform by purchasing either a Harpoon Launcher to kill monsters or a Spear Launcher to nail heavy infantry.

• Long Neck: While only average in speed, the Long Neck is a heavyweight monster that comes with an absolutely devastating Heavy Energy Cannon that can obliterate any heavy squads like Battle Brothers or Destroyers. This gun is your selling point and will define what you'll likely be targeting as you can replace that for either a Heavy Missile Array if you intend to nail aircraft or a Heavy Rail Cannon for an extreme-range monster killer.

• Mastodon: The superheavy monster and a literal walking gun fortress of a beast. Not only do you have a good set of AP(4) and AP(2) attacks up close, but you also carry a bundle of Pipe Rockets to handle most enemies and your option between either a heavy artillery Scatter Cannon or a Piercing Cannon that can trash Destroyers and vehicles with ease. On top of that, you can also pick up Heavy Machineguns to have yet another thing to fire at the enemy.

List Building & Tactics

General Advice

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Tactics

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See Also

• Jackals
• Jackals Quickplay Armies
• Grimdark Future Tactics
• Grimdark Future List Building
• Grimdark Future Strategy
• Grimdark Future

Jackals
Overview - Tactics - Firefight Tactics - Miniatures - Quickplay Armies - Firefight Quickplay Armies

Grimdark Future tactics
List Building - Strategy - Special Rules
Alien Hives - Battle Brothers - Blessed Sisters - Custodian Brothers - DAO Union - Dark Elf Raiders - Dwarf Guilds Elven Jesters - Eternal Dynasty - Havoc Brothers - High Elf Fleets - Human Defense Force Human Inquisition - Infected Colonies - Jackals - Machine Cult - Orc Marauders - Prime Brothers - Ratmen Clans Rebel Guerrillas - Robot Legions - Saurian Starhost - Soul-Snatcher Cults - Titan Lords - Wormhole Daemons