Units Spotlight: Caprice

Caprican Models
Bashan Mount
Found in: Caprice Patrol Squad (RtCE pg. 41)
Compare to: North Bobcat, South Iguana, Peace River Skirmisher

The Bashan is the ‘scout’ mount, featuring a decent speed of 7/14 and a +1 DEF modifier with armor 14. It has good Detect and Comm ratings, and comes with a LAC, HMG and SKG. The combination of traits puts it firmly in the light trooper mode, as it can tangle with most lighter Gears pretty reliably, though it isn’t a slouch with recon either. With various upgrades that allow them to field ECCM or a TD for relatively cheap, the Bashan can provide a CEF force with much needed dedicated recon without breaking the bank. Just keep it’s relatively slow movement in mind; compared to the hover units the CEF typically fields the Bashan is rather slow and can be accidentally left behind. That is not important if they are doing recon for fire support units, but if you want them to tangle with lighter opponents you have to time their advance carefully.

Aphek Mount
Found in: Caprice Patrol Squad (RtCE pg. 41)
Compare to: North Hunter, South Jager, Peace River Warrior, NuCoal Chasseur

The Caprican equivalent of the common trooper Gear, the Aphek has stats that mirror the Hunter but exchanges the LAC for a MAC and loses a Sturdy box in exchange for armor 16. The Aphek also clocks in 5 TV higher than the Hunter, thanks partially due to its slightly higher speed of 7/13 and turret arcs on all of its weapons. In its base configuration it is not a terribly useful model; you can do better for the cost (or very close) for something that can be brought low in a single LBZK attack. There are several options for the LRP however that give it a second life; most CEF forces lack reliable fire support and the Aphek can be configured in that role. They are not optimal (you have better choices for these roles in colonial troops) but if you need to add just a dash of rockets to your army mix, the Aphek might be a reasonable choice.

Kadesh Mount
Found in: Caprice Support Squad (RtCE pg. 42)
Compare to: North Hunter, South Jager, Peace River Warrior, NuCoal Chasseur

The lightest jump capable mount, the Kadesh trades a point of armor and the LRP of the Aphek for the Jump Jets:3 perk along with improved Detect and Comm values. It also upgrades the SKG to a HSKG, which makes it a fearsome melee opponent (thanks largely to the AP trait on the HSKG). Unfortunately the Kadesh gets only mediocre weapons upgrades and pays a premium on them in the bargain; while the LPA or MRP/18 can be useful the Kadesh tends to work best (IMO) as a Recon Drone carrier. The respectable Autcomm 5 along with the decent speed and excellent movement perks of the Kadesh allow it to put Recon Drones in many difficult to reach places. Yet in the end, the Kadesh often feels like a Model that’s perhaps outclassed by other competitors that are available to the CEF; especially when stacked up against the only slightly more expensive Meggido.

Meggido Mount
Found in: Caprice Support Squad (RtCE pg. 42)
Compare to: North Hunter, South Jager, Peace River Warrior, NuCoal Chasseur

The Meggido is the heaviest jump-capable mount which sports armor 17 and a respectable weapons package of a HAC and LGL. It has HSKG and like all mounts has the Improved Off-Road and Climbing Gear perks, which gives it an excellent maneuverability. Unlike the Kadesh the Meggido has access to some very solid weapon options in the form of the HGLC, AGM and even a MRP/18 if you are a fan of rockets. These options do increase the cost of the Meggido to between 70-90 TV which is roughly the cost of a polar fire support Gear like the Grizzly or Spitting Cobra. This price premium puts the Meggido squarely in the ‘glass cannon’ category unfortunately; the low DEF modifier and lack of a sturdy makes a fully equipped Meggido something you must use carefully. The stock Meggido is a decent Gear hunter and is often a decent addition to a CEF army thanks to their generalist nature - just don’t expect them to carry you through to victory alone.

Ammon Mount
Found in: Caprice Heavy Mount (RtCE pg. 43)
Compare to: North Jaxon, South Naga, Peace River Coyote, NuCoal Hussar

The Ammon is a hiddden gem of the Caprice list, bringing a very solid amount of indirect firepower to the table for the relatively low price of 105 TV. With two HRP/24s and the actions to use both the Ammon can hide safely behind the roughest cover and still retain complete mobility thanks to the Improved Off-Road and Climbing Gear perks that it shares with all other mounts. If your tastes run more towards direct assault the Ammon has the ability to swap its HRP/24s for LRGs; with 21 armor and -1 DEF it can serve as slow, sadly under-gunned Spitting Cobra. You also go can for broke and load the Ammon with a single ATM launcher; its expensive but frees up the Ammon’s second action for either the “We’re In Trouble” action, or to increase the ATK roll by +1D. My bias should be obvious at this point; I think the stock Ammon offers IF firepower that is often lacking in the CEF list. The other variants certainly are flavorful but tend to be better served by other options in the CEF list.

Moab Mount
Found in: Caprice Heavy Mount (RtCE pg. 43)
Compare to: South Sagittarius, Peace River Coyote, NuCoal Hussar

The Moab is something of an enigma; its not a particularly bad model because of any specific trait, but tends to fall flat because of a combination of many different factors. In the default configuration of two HGLCs it carries some very fearsome anti-Gear firepower; but it has a below average speed of 4/8 and very mediocre armor of 19 coupled with a -1 DEF. By default the Moab would seem to be destined to be a knife fighter; in very rough terrain it can make use of the Improved Off-Road and Climbing Gear perks to stay safe until it can close enough to tear something apart. The options available for the Moabs don’t change it’s profile that much; the LPA is a significantly inferior choice to the HGLC while the AGM is a good, but rather expensive, upgrade for an already pricey model. No matter how you outfit them though, Veteran Moabs won’t want to miss the linked option; this allows them to use their weapons one per action and then linked with a command point, greatly increasing their total firepower.

Hammath APC Mount
Found in: Caprice Infantry Platoon (RtCE pg. 39, 40)
Compare to: North Badger, South Caiman, Peace River Hoplite, NuCoal Sampson

Surprising nimble for such a thick looking model, the Hammath is a rugged transport that clocks in a very reasonable 40 TV, placing it on par with most other APCs. Unlike the polar APCs though it is as rugged as the model looks, packing heavier armor than most Gears (armor 19) and a reasonable +0 DEF modifier to boot. While it only has a MAC for offense, the dual actions allow it the same flexibility enjoyed by most APCs, able to go from Top Speed to a crash stop in a single turn and disgorge it’s infantry. Coupled with the inherent Improved Off-Road and Climbing Equipment traits this gives the Hammath great speed in difficult terrain. However the Hammath’s biggest drawback is its low squad carrying capacity; each can carry a single squad of infantry which requires a hefty 160 TV investment in transport alone if you want to give your Caprican infantry the rides they deserve. Because of all of these considerations, I tend to think that the Hammath works best in a mixed role; let it carry a squad or two of Rocket Launcher infantry forward, using one action for Top Speed and one for Forward Observation for squads of Light Mortars in the rear. But always keep in mind that the CEF can already run assault infantry by fielding a HPC-64 filled with GRELs - you generally have to really like the Hammath model to find this option better than the CEF alternative.

Caprican Infantry
Found in: Caprice Infantry Platoon (RtCE pg. 39, 40)
Compare to: North Infantry, South Infantry, NuCoal Infantry

Caprican infantry falls into the same roles that most polar infantry does, with a wide range of capabilities from assault when fielded as ORVs to spotting as ATVs and support roles when given infantry mortars. They even can co-op CEF hovercycles to get even better speed than the stock ATV (10/20 plus Jump Jets 2 versus 8/16) when made Veteran. However they compete directly with GRELs, which come with better skills, higher armor and the ability to move and fire on ATVs and hovercycles, but at a slightly higher TV cost. In my opinion Caprician infantry tend to be better suited to recon roles thanks to their lower price point and equivalent EW ratings; Veteran Caprican infantry on hovercycles with a Recon Drone as cheaper than GRELs with a TD and hovercycles by 10 TV, which can be used for some very useful upgrades elsewhere in the list. Unfortunately in the assault role the GRELs are probably better thanks to their higher armor; but for a just a cheap firebase save the points and field Capricans with Light Mortars. Either way they give you additional ways to flesh out the cheaper side of your force, within the limitations of the Conquerors rule.