Brief Faction Overview: The North is the second most populous region on Terra Nova and largely composed of populations following a religion called Revisionism, the three Northern Leagues operate their militaries separately, but also maintain a joint military organization called the Northern Guard (Similar to NATO).

Reasons to play the North:

• If square, blocky robots get you going this is the army for you!

• If you feel like striking down heathens, this might be the army for you.

• The Northern forces have ready access to an array of guided weaponry including Anti-Gear Missiles, Anti-Tank Missiles, and Heavy Guided Mortars. Combined with some of the best Recon Gears equipped with Target Designators, the North has some pretty potent pinpoint indirect fire options.

• Snub Cannons. Did I mention snub cannons? Yes. This is the BFG (for Gears) of the game. At x28 damage, if this gun hits it will do some damage. The North has plentiful access to the weapon and with the Dedicated Tankhunter Initiative (DTHI) upgrade, the Snub Cannon becomes an accurate weapon with greater range.

• Excellent Tanks: The Aller (Heavy Railgun) and Hardy Aller (Very Heavy Field Gun) both have some of the best guns in the game in addition to being the most armored units in the North. Along with the main battle tanks, the Klemm and its variants have a fantastic array of potent weapon options. The Jaxon with its twin Heavy Rocket Packs can lay waste to a broad area of a board.

Subfaction Information

• Norlight Armed Forces (NAF): The largest Northern League’s military follows the basic Northern army construction, but the force has a few key provisions that set it apart from their other Northern neighbors.

  • Pious Warriors: The inclusion of Chaplains and Warrior Monks are unique to the NAF and add the ability for one skill re-roll per turn in the unit it is attached to.

  • FO Cheetahs!: NAF players have the option to swap out Hunters for Cheetahs or Ferrets. This option lets the NAF player have an edge in ECM and Forward Observation capabilities.

• United Mercantile Federation Army (UMFA): Representing the economic powerhouse of the North, the UMFA has ready access to some of the excellent equipment upgrades.

  • Tigers!: UMFA players may swap out any Hunter for a Tiger, an aging elite model Gear, that still has superior performance over the stock trooper model Hunter.

  • Weasels!: Generally regarded as the single best Electronic Warfare platform in the game and the UMFA is one of the factions to have ready access to this superior EW Gear.

• Western Frontier Protectorate Army (WFPA): The poorest league, but most militant of the CNCS, the WFPA has limited access to the newest model equipment. The older model Gears and vehicles are generally serviceable and get the job down with a Threat Value savings to the player. Not to mention they gain access to some unique models such as the Bear and Razorback.

  • Swarmy: Since the WFPA can downgrade many of their models, the players can use the cost savings to have more combat groups or to invest in better model upgrades such as skills and field armor. The WFPA gives Northern players more options and flexibility due to the large array of swaps.

  • Dragoons: In low Priority level games, the WFPA has ready access to one of the best combat groups in the North: the Dragoons. A mix of trooper, recon, and mobile firepower allows fantastic versatility in one combat group. As a core choice, the WFPA can meet their minimum two core units with this option and out gun their opponents at low TV games. Combined with the downgrades, a whole lot of firepower with highly skilled models can be put to play against your opponent.

• Northern Guard (NorGuard): The blanket military organization of the north usually uses troops from the three leagues in times of war, but does maintain a few divisions of its own during peacetime. In the event of war, the forces coalesce under the command of the Grand Marshal of the CNCS, who is given extraordinary powers to execute the defense of the North. For gamers, the Northern Guard allows the player to add specialty combat groups from each of the other Northern leagues.

  • Member States: Being able to swap a number of Northern League specific combat groups per Priority Level gives players a great deal of flexibility by drawing on the strengths of the other leagues.

Getting Started with the Task Force:

• The General Purpose Squad (GP): Your big strength in the GP squad is the Snub Cannon with the Dedicated Tank Hunter Initiative added to it. By utilizing crossfire and coordinated fire with the rest of the squad, the Hunter with the snub cannon can maximize their ability to hit hard with their weapon. Be sure to set those shots up before unleashing your primary weapon.

• Recon Squad: Don’t bother with weapon upgrades with your recon squad. They look like attractive options initially, but go for upgrades that will help you forward observe and target designate. Remember the Recon Squad is your defense against EW as well so keep actions handy to react to ECM being used.

• Strike Squad: Medium Bazooka’s and Jaguars make for a nasty combination. Use the heavy hitting direct fire power like you would any other major weapon in a combat group. Use your Hunters to generate crossfire and coordinated attack modifiers before unleashing your Jaguar with the Medium Bazooka. With bonuses to defense and decent armor, Jaguars also have the luxury of hitting hard from a stationary position, which would net the Jaguars with an additional +1 to hit. If you have points to spare, consider adding field armor to your Jaguars for added durability to these expensive models.

• Fire Support: Grizzlies. What can I say about the Grizzly other than it’s a death dealing machine, but not from up front. Keep that model where it needs to be. In the back behind cover, where its just waiting to unleash a barrage of hell on an unsuspecting foe. Don’t forget to activate your Fire Support Squad first to put your Grizzlies on Standby. Being able to fire immediately on a unit that’s been forward observed is a crucial component for effective indirect fire use. One upgrade that you should always consider is the linked Medium Rocket Pods on the Grizzly. Making your opponent roll twice for their defense rolls is just too juicy to pass up, and catching a group of foes under a withering barrage that they have to roll twice for is doubly delicious.

• Infantry: What!? Infantry? Bah, I want my giant stompy robots, cause they’ll just walk over infantry… Right. Infantry are surprisingly inexpensive for their diverse capabilities. For one thing, equipping them with infantry mortars means they can rain hell on Gears in a wide area, and don’t forget you have excellent recon Gears to spot for you. Oh and infantry are the only models allowed into buildings. Uprooting entrenched infantry in buildings drains valuable resources from your attacker who has to make the decision of dedicating forces to destroy the pesky infantry or the juicy Jaguar rounding the corner. If you’re smart and playing with objectives, Infantry are perfect for seizing and holding objectives. Especially if they’re near buildings. Since the North makes heavy use of guided weapons, infantry with Target Designators and infiltration (preferably in buildings) make for a nasty surprise for your opponent.