Targeter Probes


Isorian Targeter Probes

Combat Level: Auxiliary

Where: Antares Rulebook

Targeter probes are common to many factions in the Antares universe, so we have produced a single article to help with them all.

In general, probes are small hovering unarmed drones surrounded by a cloud of nanospore. They are simple machines with limited and specific intelligence – by Antarean standards, that is. Many exude nanospore (nanobots) that feed information back to the unit’s combat shard, as well as using whatever types of communication is possible (given much of what we consider advanced communication methods would be blocked in an Antarean battlefield).

Probes like targeters tend to operate in shards – independent groups of drones that scour the battlefield and carry out their assigned roles. A typical shard consists of four to six probes. For most purposes each model (targeter probe) in the shard is treated as a unit in its own right, but the entire shard contributes only one order dice to the dice bag.

Probes normally have a Res of 5 but are susceptible to the Ghar’s disruptor cannon. Being shards, they cannot receive the Distort dice as they can only be given a Run order. Probes are nimble, so also bob out of the way of units trying to attack them hand-to-hand, so cannot be engaged in an Assault. Further, models in a sharded unit normally have to be targeted individually unless they are attached to an enemy unit or are within 1″ of each other.

Tip: It is worth checking  a scenario before playing, as some scenarios and environments block the activities of particular probes.

Targeters’ Role

Concord Targeter Probes

Targeter probes are fast, zooming across the battlefield on their suspensor beds and completely ignoring most terrain. Their aim is to identify target units, attach themselves to the enemy unti, and relay their exact positions back to their combat shard. In effect, they acting as target painting devices, increasing the chances of hitting enemy units by +1 per probe, up to a maximum of +3.

By the way: targeter probes dodge out of the way of friendly fire!

Targeter probes offer numerous tactical options, apart from the obvious one of flooding an enemy with probes to gain a signifcant bonus to the chance of hitting them.  For a start, targeters are very cheap in points (20), but provide an all-important order dice – and that’s worth taking them on its own!

Some players take as many shards as possbile with six targeters in each shard.  This swarming of targeters makes them very difficult to aavoid, adds two order dice for 60 points, and typically means that many enemy units are under threat at any one time, making it a strategy that is very difficult to counter.

Another approach is to place targeters along an enemy’s route so that they cannot help but contact the targeter, effectively target-locating themselves. This forces enemy units to slow down or speed up, ensuring they are out of position if they want to be free of highly accurate, incoming fire.

The Concord, Isorian and Algoryn all have their own style targeter probes, whilst the Freeborn typically use Concord style probes but could just as easily use Isorian or Algoryn designs – depending on what they can buy and reproduce!

Targeter Probes in store

If you wish to purchase your own probe shards, click on each to be directed to the store. Freeborn often use Concord targeter probes, but if your freeborn House is buried deep inside the area controlled by the Senatex, then use the Isorian types instead!

WGA-ISO-26-Isorian-Targeter-Probe-Shard-a WGA-CON-26-C3-Targeter-Probes-a WGA-ALG-27-Targeter-probes