The Flamia Files: Part 1

So I wanted to apologize to my faithful readers for being absent for so long. This is my busiest time of the year because of Celtic Festival season so I don't get much time to anything else during my summers as I squeeze in Infinity games when I can. Add onto this the fact that we have the Wotan campaign going on from Beasts of War and all my writing time is taken up writing battle reports and diplomatic talks since I was elected to Haqqislam High Command instead of getting articles out for you fine people. 

Which gave me a good idea. I want to give my readers something to read as well preserve the battle reports that I have written because I do put a good amount of effort into them so I came up with this idea: publish my battle reports here so that my writing can be preserved. To start this off, I will be publishing my old battle reports from the Operation Flamestrike campaign that preceded Wotan. I am calling these the Flamia Files. I am going to publish a couple or so every week so everyone can find out where I, Commander Envihon, was up to during Flamestrike and then what I did during Wotan. I won't publish the Wotan ones until after Wotan has concluded so that the spirit of the campaign can be preserved, also, I want people to read my reports there and rate them while the campaign is still going on. 

As far as getting back to actually writing once again, I have an article that is about 2/3 of the way done about the Azra'il and Al Fasid, I just have to sit down and finish it but I want to make sure I get my reports out for Wotan because they have an actual time limit for when they are suppose to be done. I hope to have it out soon but with everything going on, I don't want to give an expectation that I can't deliver on. Once Wotan is done, I can give my full attention back to the blog and get you guys regular content. Thank you for your patience and support! Anyway, here is Part 1 of the Flamia Files: 

The Narooma Incident

+++Incoming Transmission from Narooma+++

An unfortunate incident occurred today at the Narooma Advanced Hospital Complex after a Haqqislam convoy dropped off medical supplies to the Tohaa facility. Soon after the convoy had unloaded, PanOceania forces were detected in the vacinity. The Kaplan Tactical Services under the leadership of a Husam Spec Ops with a detachment of Qapu Khalqi forces went to investigate the intentions of these unexpected guests.

It was a Military Orders strike group determined on raiding the facility of valuable medical supplies. After assessing the situation quickly, the Qapu Khalqi forces took it upon themselves to not let the Military Orders get away with such a heinous act and formed a plan to secure the medical supplies in order to deny the PanOceania forces such a boon.

The Yuan Yuan Mercenaries were first into the fray laying down clouds of smoke that allowed the Kaplan Tactical Services with the Husam to move into the complex to secure the medical data. This was achieved efficiently and swiftly with the team able to leave the complex and secure all the medical data before the Military Orders even knew what happened. They secured all of the medical data and then began to take defensive positions in order to keep the Military Orders from accessing the consoles.

They were successful in doing so but not without a few casualties. A couple of the Kaplans were taken down in a fire fight as well as a Ghulam solider and a Sekban. The Djanbazan sniper was well placed, sniping several military orders including one of their valuable hackers. The Djanbazan was also kept alive by one of our great Ghulam Doctors to continue to provide harassment to the Military Orders forces.

The Qapu Khalqi forces provided enough interference that the Military Order were unsuccessful in retrieving what they wanted. They received far less than what they wanted but I have a feeling they weren’t expecting a full armed contingent of Haqqislam to be standing in their way when they got there. The men were proud to have helped keep PanO from throwing their weight around.

Personal Note: I can’t believe that PanO, let alone the Military Orders would commit such an act against such a target. They went after a hospital! How does this serve God at all? Taking precious medical supplies and data from the innocent…it disgusts me and reminds me why I serve Allah. We can not allow PanOceania to behave in such a manner. They may be a hyperpower but that does not justify such actions. Stealing from the sick and the injured…I still can’t believe it but we kept them from getting the medical data which is all that matters. This war on this island is getting out of hand. I fear that Haqqislam might be caught in a crossfire we did not wish for. No matter, we will fight the enemies of Allah and bring honor to Haqqislam. The Silk must flow after all.

+++End Transmission+++

In the Defense of a City

+++Incoming Transmission from Tianxian+++

***Large force of Military Orders headed straight for Tianxian. Deploy the Azra’il protocols. Eliminate with extreme prejudice. Defend the city at all costs!***

The forces of Qapu Khalqi were tested again in the city of Tianxian. The city has become nothing short of a war zone with Haqqislam loosing territory quickly. When a large contingent of Military Orders was next to try and take control of the city, Haqqislam was there to answer.

Command did not play around this time and deployed an Azra’il with full fire support of a Husam and Hafza Fire Team. The Husam even thought it well to bring his viral rifle with him. He had a vendetta to settle with the Military Orders.

The Military Orders advanced quickly but the forces of Qapu Khalqi gave them no quarter. Quickly the well place Djanbazan sniper made quick work of several Magisters and Order Sergeants with a Shihab Remote laying plenty of cover fire with its HMG. The forces of PanOceania was ripped apart by the superior positioning of Haqqislam forces.

Sadly, when it was time for the Azra’il to answer back, a lucky shot from a Magister Panzerfaust brought the walking tank down. The Hafzas and Husam quickly re-grouped to return the favor with the Husam showing the Order Sergeant and Indigo Spec Ops the potency of Haqqislam viral ammunition.

The Sekban Haris team moved forward to secure the advancement of the Military Orders but the valiantly gave their lives as they faced a surprise attack from a female Military Order unit. She was possibly Joan of Arc.

Even though we sustained great casualties, we far killed more of them than they did us and in this bloody battle we won the day completely denying PanOceania anymore territory within this city. Another victory for Haqqislam and glory to Allah!

Personal Note: PanOceania…they feel themselves entitled to everything. They do need not this city which we have ruled peacefully for quite some time and yet they show up on our door step wanting it. Their insatiable appetite for resources and land will be their undoing. They use this outbreak of conflict to do as they please and now they know that their actions will not go unpunished. The hubris that they have succumb to the same folly that lead to their rise in the first place. We will show them what it means to meet the Sword of Allah and the Men of the Gate!

+++End Transmission+++

Ambushed at Antela

+++Incoming Transmission from Camp Antela+++

The war PanOceania has been waging against Ariadna in Antela finally has affected Haqqislam. Our medical transports dropping off much needed medical supplies to the Ariadnan forces was ambushed by PanOceania forces, it seems they are worried what our medtech could do for Ariadna at this hotly contested for them. Thankfully, we have put heavy security in the form of Qapu Khalqi Defense teams to escort these medical transports. In this case, it has paid off to put such measures in place despite the constraints Haqqislam has been under.

The attack from PanOceania came swift and sudden but the discipline and training of our Haqqislamite soldiers won through as they quickly deployed in defensive positions to weather the tide of PanO forces. Despite the long arduous fights PanO has been fighting here recently, they were slowed down by Paradiso’s jungle landscape giving enough time for the Djanbazan Tactical Group, Shihab Remote and a Janissary packing a missile launcher to set up while the small team of Odalisques took point.

It was just in time a Seraph came storming through the jungle intent on the destruction of our Haqqislamite forces. The Seraph misjudged its accuracy within the dense jungle as it fired on separate targets, missing everyone as the munitions hit all the dense jungle growths. All the Djanbazans could do was smirk as they returned fire, their multi spectrum visors giving them an accuracy the PanO TAG couldn’t hope for. In a hail of gunfire from sniper rifles and HMGs, the TAG was brought down in a blaze of glory. Seeing the crown jewel of the PanOceania force brought down in such a manner, a team of Magisters sprung from the backfield surging forward but they too were stopped by Paradiso’s jungle and became sitting ducks for the Djanbazan Fire team and the Shihab. As the Magisters were trying to leap from the barriers, the Shihab brought down one of them with a hail of heavy machine gun fire. Another was taken down by the Husam Spec Ops armed with a viral sniper rifle in command of the Djanbazans, he forced the Magisters to watch as their fellow brother in arms convulsed in fits of spams caused by a well place sniper shot with viral ammunition. The Magisters eventually use the jungle to their advantage and take cover in the dense undergrowth.

Two units of Yuan Yuans advanced forward laying down smoke to cover the approach of the Bashi Bazouks. Both units advanced forward to bring the fight to PanO in their backfield. They engaged them but the Teutonic Knight took out them with ease providing some of the only casualties during the battle but that was not before they took out a PanO remote with a Total Reaction HMG.

The only other casualty was a Djanbazan that was taken out by the advancing Magisters who fired a well placed shot from a Panzerfaust. They had also wounded a Djanbazan but he was swiftly revived by the Djanbazan Doctor on hand which almost resulted in another casualty as the Djanbazan flat lined but the doctor was able to reboot the soldier’s cube to bring him back to fighting capacity.

An extra boon was acquired as an especially sneaky Rafiq remote snuck around to spotlight the enemy’s high value target for extraction after drawing two markers on the target, our transports were able to locate and detain the target to be questioned for further intelligence on PanO movements.

From there, it was a blood bath as the Odalisques advanced forward to gun down the rest of the Magisters and a Father Knight that had popped out to say hello. Other PanO forces attempted to fire on the Haqqislam defensive line but it was too little, too late as the Djanbazan snipers and Janissary missile launcher further wrecked havoc on the PanO forces. Not one active unit survived this foolish ambush.

Personal Note: The PanOceania forces were overconfident in their abilities and underestimated the power of the Paradiso jungle to work against a force. It was clear that our forces were better disciplined and better prepared for the fight on Paradiso. I wonder if PanO will ever realize that they are fighting in a jungle and not the tech urban sprawl they are used to.

There was a reason why I took an assignment that took me away from this hellish planet we call Paradiso and this infernal conflict. Not even one day back and I was dealing with the scum of PanOceania again! But Allah and Haqqislam needs me here so I will continue to fight and my division of Qapu Khalqi will be ever in your service. There are more medical supply runs to guard, Envihon out.

+++End Transmission+++

Broken Innocence

Well, it has once more been a while since I published something. Sorry about that guys, life has been a little more turbulent than I thought it was going to be, but, things should be calming down now, so I should be able to post some more in the future once a regular schedule sets in... maybe... We will see how things work out. 

We are going to change it up this time, though, because I like to write creatively from time to time, and I wanted to bring you a short story I wrote in the Infinity universe giving you a little more insight on who Envihon is and his duty to Haqqislam.

So, without further delay, I bring to you. "Broken Innocence":

***The text that follows is the personal accounts of Hassassin Envihon within his service in the Sword of Allah, Haqqislamite Armed Forces. The information is deemed classified and any public distribution of these documents would yield a severe penalty. Use of these documents must be cleared with the Hassassin Society. This report was taken from Envihon on his reasons for joining the Hassassin Society as inspiration for new recruits.***

We all have our defining moments. Those things that will go on to shape who we are. Mine can be summed up with a single word: Terrorism.

I was only a child when I learned that the Human Sphere isn't what it seems, and the image that O-12 likes to paint for us is just something they cook up to keep mass panic down. It isn't even the aliens you have to worry about, but the shadow war that engulfs the Human Sphere. We like to make it seem like the Combined Army is our biggest threat but one just has to look back at human history to see that we do a good enough job of wiping ourselves out. Humans need things like the Hassassin Society to keep our darkness at bay, to save us from our selfishness. 

I'm sorry, I know what this must sound like. I try not to be this pessimistic, but, when I think about this event in my childhood, I go to a dark place. One doesn't live through something like this and come out thinking that the galaxy is unicorns and rainbows. It leaves a scar, and no matter how much I talk about it, or get help for it, the scar is still there. It's a constant reminder of why I do what I do. Why I chose to go beyond just my service to the Sword of Allah, why I became a shadow guardian to humanity. It was this event that would light my path to become a part of the Hassassin Society. We must stand against the darkness, we must be the light, so that humanity can stand once again in a golden age. This incident didn't bring me down, it merely knocked me down. I stood back up, emboldened to become a protector of humanity. To protect the Search for Knowledge is the most noble pursuit a Haqqislamite can undertake. 

Now, I am getting ahead of myself again. Apologies. If you look into my record, you will see that I am of American descent. My family was a part of the American refugees from NASA when Haqqislam petitioned them to help find what we now know as Bourak and then to help Haqqislam get off Earth to settle there. Now my family are loyal and grateful citizens of Haqqislam. With what they did for American refugees after the collapse of the United States, how couldn't we be? Everyone was just trying to feed off the carcass of the U.S. and the Haqqislamite government were the only ones to extend a helping hand.

Though, this wasn't enough for them to convert to Islam, we had friends that did it but my family held onto the traditions they had from America. This is the reason why I am the only Muslim in my family. The reason why I eventually converted to Haqqislam lies in what happened on Acontecimento which is the real subject of this report.

My father is a Planetologist for the Bourak Academy of Planetology and he is extremely passionate about it. This is why he planned a vacation for us and another American family, that we were close friends with, to Acontecimento. If only I could express in words how much my father marveled Acontecimento. Even though it was a PanOceanian planet, you could not understand how important this trip was to him. He loves knowledge and the chance to visit the great jungle planet to understand it more was something my father could not resist. It took some convincing, but my mother finally gave in as long as my father made it an actual vacation and not just about my father's work. Something easier said than done for my father, but he reluctantly agreed to the terms. 

In the wake of the Commercial Conflicts, though, and since technically, my father would be on official business, our plans were slightly altered. The Bureau of International Relations on Bourak contacted Qapu Khalqi and had two Janissary bodyguards assigned to my family. We all thought that they were overkill, but there was no way for us to refuse, the Human Sphere was on an the edge of a knife even back then and the government did not want to risk it.

As we boarded the space elevator, Janissary Haluk and Janissary Sila flanked us; ever vigilant even though we hadn't even left Bourak. I marveled at them back then, their gleaming green power armor shining in the Bourak sun as we rode the elevator to the space docks. No cubes to speak of, willing to die for my family, for Haqqislam. To a child like me, they were awe inspiring. Many of them weren't even Haqqislamite... being either Delivered or Donated... it let a dhimmi like myself dream of being like them, but I knew my parents would never give me up to be the Donated. Too much pride in our American traditions. So I sat there staring at them. Sila noticed my gaze and she gave me a reassuring nod before resuming her vigilance.

There isn't much to say about the trip to Acontecimento. We took in many of the amenities that my father's position allowed and it was an uneventful journey. Our body guards even opened up a little. Haluk, we found out, was one of the Orphaned, his parents had died in the Silk Revolts. He wouldn't go into details but he mentioned that they were a part of the Sekban volunteers before they had been reformed into the elite unit they are now. It was only fitting that he served as well. Sila was a Donated American refugee and chose the assignment when their command asked for volunteers. She may have fully converted to Haqqislam but she liked the thought of protecting fellow American descendants. Her family wasn't as well off as ours when they sought asylum with Haqqislam, so this was one way for her family to show their loyalty, as well as her chance at a better life. My family was more than delighted to have her protecting us, myself especially. I almost felt that I was a burden to her with how much I hung around her. If I was, she never let on, indeed, I felt that she almost encouraged me.

When I wasn't acting like Sila's shadow, I spent time with my friend, Alex, who was the son of the other family we were traveling with. Like most ethnic groups, we were from the same neighborhood on Bourak, and our families had been friends for quite a while, so my father asked them if they wanted to join us on our venture, since it would give my mother something to do while my father was on official business. They weren't with the government so they didn't have any bodyguards like we did, but my father was able to at least get them a room at the embassy with us. Alex and I were quite excited for the prospect of an adventure to a foreign world since this would be our first time off world. For the first decade of our lives, we only knew Bourak, despite our fathers’ careers taking them off world many times.

I won't bore you with the details of our trip to Acontecimento. Now that I travel quite frequently, I know it was a fairly mundane transit even if it was the most exciting thing to happen to me at the time. Things didn't get strange until we arrived at the planet when I remember my father talking of heightened security measures for PanOceania and its only in hindsight that I really ever took notice of it. On our arrival to the planet's surface, we were picked up by official vehicles and taken to the Haqqislam Embassy on Acontecimento. Every so often when PanOceania finally decided to humble themselves, they like to collaborate with Haqqislamite universities on studying the ecology of Acontecimento, an opportunity that neither my father nor Haqqislam would take for granted.

Luckily though, my father booked our arrival for a weekend so that he could at least spend a couple of days with his family on the vacation part of our trip before starting his work during the week. Despite what happened, I remember that weekend quite fondly. Acontecimento was certainly a beautiful planet from their great forests to the blue oceans. We never saw the great agricultural expanses or the vast industrial complexes that were on the planet in our time there, only the touristy beautiful places that you would see on a travel vid. It was still stunning, I can see why there are groups dedicated to preserving the forests of Acontecimento. That weekend was wonderful, a false pretense to an event that would shatter my world and send me on a journey I could never have expected.

The week began with my father departing to do his work while we, along with Alex's family, had a day in the city planned. It was a sunny calm day as we went to a local park to have breakfast before we set out for the day’s activities. Our Janissary body guards were close by but they were no longer wearing their power armor since we were on foreign soil during an already tense time. Instead they wore concealed body armor and weapons. Vigilant as they had always been, I don't even think they were ready for what happened that morning.

I remember that Alex and I were running around the park and he had run near the park entrance across from the bakery where we had purchased our breakfast when a series of loud booms went off that made us all freeze. Then there was smoke in the street, people were screaming and chaos was erupting. Our parents were shouting for us when another series of blasts went off. I looked towards Alex only to see him swallowed in smoke from the next blast. The concussive force knocked me to the ground as debris from the blast hit me. I remember the ringing in my ears as I lay there on the ground. Disoriented, I started to move and I propped myself up on one arm to see what seemed like a shadow moving in the smoke towards me. I could make it out that it looked like a person, but I couldn't make out a distinct figure. The world was spinning and my ears were still ringing from the blast as the figure in thermo-optic camouflage crept closer.

I was looking around for my parents, for Alex, for the Janissary but I kept going back to that figure that was even closer now fixated on me. I felt the fear well up in me as I tried to get up, but my limbs just wouldn't function correctly. I desperately tried to get to my feet but before I could I was knocked down again by a swift kick to my back. I hit the ground hard, bruising my arm. I managed to turn around to see the figure standing over me. I could see it better now that it was closer as the light bent around the figure to make it almost completely invisible. It tilted its head before I heard the sound of it unsheathing its blade. It raised it up as if to strike, but before it could, I heard another blast from behind me.

It was from a shotgun, specifically from Sila's shotgun. She had come looking for me as Haluk secured our parents in a safe location. The blast hit the figure and knocked it to the ground. The force of the blast and impact from the BBs disrupted the TO camo of what I now know as a ninja, Yu Jing operatives that aren't supposed to even exist, or so the Yu Jing government would say. The ninja was badly injured, but not dead as Sila walked over to it, face twisted in anger. She picked the ninja up by the neck and I distinctly remember her yelling into the face of the operative "You would dare harm an innocent child?!"

My ear piece translator brought me the ninja’s simply reply: "Anything for the Emperor.” Sila threw the operative back to the ground before ending the life of the ninja with a final fatal blast from her shotgun.

She turned to me "Come Envihon, time to get you out of here, and back to your parents." She came and scooped me up in her arms, and carried me to where Haluk waited. It was a small alcove near the park untouched by the blasts. Haluk was on look out as PanOceanian Emergency Response teams were descending on the scene. I even got to see the Montessa Knights deploy to take control of the scene helping with evacuation as well as provide security for any lingering Yu Jing terrorists. Sila and I had barely arrived before our Haqqislamite state vehicles arrived to usher us back to the embassy. My mom held me tight as Alex's parents begged and pleaded with them to go look for Alex but we no longer could interfere now that PanOceanian forces had arrived. All we could do was go back to the embassy and wait to hear anything about Alex.

Except we would never hear anything about Alex. He was assumed to have died in the blasts. We were put on an express ship back to Bourak in the wake of the tragedy before we could find anything out. His parents were devastated. We eventually had a memorial service without a body to bury. I had lost my childhood friend to a shadow war I never knew anything about, nor asked to be a part of. We lost touch with Alex's family afterwards, they were destroyed by the loss of their son and eventually moved away to start a new life without the reminders of their late son.

Later through my military service, I would learn from Haqqislam intelligence that the attack was perpetrated by Yu Jing's Imperial Secret Service in retaliation to the ongoing aggressions between Yu Jing and PanOceania. We had been innocent bystanders caught between their rivalry, and paid the price for something we had nothing to do with. It was this incident that would spark a fire in me, that would build a resentment for Yu Jing's disregard for humanity in its pursuit for power. It would be this incident that would eventually make me break my family's traditions and become one of the Donated. I know my brother would especially resent me for it, but the rest of my family understood why I did it. My father was the most accepting, knowing exactly the reasons why I decided to serve. Sila's act of heroism convinced me that I didn't only want to serve a nation that had given my family so much, but I also wanted to protect humanity from those who would do harm to the innocent.

It was during my service as a Janissary, that I learned that Alex had survived that day, but not in a way I could ever imagine. That is a tale for another day...

***Audio file recovered from Aconciemento Incident. Conversation between two Montessa Knights combing through the rubble***

"Father Knight! You should come see this, I found something!"

"Oh my... good work my son. God clearly has smiled upon this child! I wonder where his parents are..."

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So I hoped you guys enjoyed that and if you liked it, I will certainly do more. With that though, just one more addendum to add to this....

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In a caravansary near the planet Dawn, a Caledonian intelligence officer meets with a shadowy figure wearing a face shield and hood in a private room in the many secret spaces found within the Haqqislamite space station.

"Always so secretive, can't even show your face in a private room. How am I suppose to trust someone when I can't even see their face?"

A muffled chuckled comes from the Hassassin operative. "It is through these means that the Hassassin Society is able to perform the services it provides, like the one we have done for you."

"Ha! And what have you done for Caledonia or Ariadna for that matter? We don't take part in your secretive services" the intelligence officer snidely said.

"Don't you?" the Hassasssin replies as he pushes forward a holo-vid depicting the death of the MagnaObra CEO, the corporation who was ultimately responsible for the slaughter of innocent civilians at the hands of the Druze and Scarface, the mercenaries MagnaObra hired to destabilize Caledonia and break up the Ariadna Federation.

The Caledonian lets out an impatient sigh "Yeah, the bitch had it coming, we could have done it ourselves if we wanted."

"Could you now? You may have been able to find out that the Druze were only proxy soldiers and MagnaObra a willing puppet of the PanOceania but could you have gotten close to her to do the job? You have the tools and training to be everywhere and nowhere like we can? I have heard that Caledonia is boastful, but I didn't expect this level of cockiness."

Now the Caledonian was losing his patience "What do you want then? I thought this was just what you people did to protect humanity or whatever you say you do, why come to me about this?”

"Yes, that is why we do this but we can't do it without the support of other nations" the Hassassin replied smoothly and calmly.

"What the fuck do you want then?! Money... resources, Teaseum? What are you playing at?" yelled the Caledonian, his temper on the edge of control.

"We want nothing so crass, and calm down, my friend. We just want to know that Caledonia will be there to help when Haqqislam calls for aid."

The Caledonian stared at the Hassassin agent, his temper cooling a bit at his response. He breathed deep before answering the agent "Ah, so that's your game, politics... I see, well, I will take this and show the Clans... I can't guarantee all of their support, some may even take this as an insult, but I will see what I can do... we do appreciate this, it won't bring back those lives but... at least those bastards see that they aren't untouchable... We'll help yah stick it to those Hyperpower pricks."

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That is my announcement that I have taken up the mantle of Caledonia. That's right, I finally break my one faction loyalty to finally start something that isn't Haqqislam. Haqqislam still will be my main focus but I may have from time to time insight on this Ariadnan Sectorial that I have looked at for some time, and thought about starting. It's something to break up and give me something different, plus I have always loved the Dog Faces and Wulvers, and need an outlet for that. Don't worry, this is just an Alliance. My loyalty is first and foremost to Haqqislam. I am the Sword of Haqqislam, after all.

If you enjoyed this, let me know and I will see what I can do about more short stories. If you want me to continue to do just things game related and historical context for units, tell me that to. I live to serve you, my audience. Until next time, my friend, continue to seek knowledge.

Captain Haqqislam: Lore and Tactics of Tarik Mansuri

So before we get into the main article about Captain Haqqislam, just wanted to say that there may be a slow down in how quickly I get these articles out and that is because the Sword of Haqqislam now has a wonderful editor who you may know as Terrordactyl over on the forums. I am a fallible human and I know my grammar isn't the greatest so you may have noticed that my last article was a bit more polished than the others and that is thanks to Haqqislamite Commander Terrordactyl so wanted to take this time to thank him for making the Sword of Haqqislam even better. Without further delay, let's meet Captain Haqqislm! - Envihon

Tarik Mansuri, Khawarij Amir, is one unit I hear a lot of people ask about, which is why I thought to write this article on the man who I have come to call Captain Haqqislam. The model itself is still one of the best Haqqislam models out there even with the newer stuff Corvus Belli has produced and he does have a great stat line on top of the awesome lore that makes him a compelling character within the Infinity universe. Just reading through the Haqqislam section of the N3 book, you stumble over a lot of his quotes that help characterize what Haqqislam is and how they make war. It is no wonder that a lot of people want to know how to use him on the table. He is an expensive unit but he puts those points to use. Now, let's dive into who Tarik is and why he is so important to Haqqislam.

Captain Haqqislam: The Living Ideals of Haqqislam

The similarities between Captain America (one of my favorite super heroes, by the way) and Tarik Mansuri isn't just in the fact that they both are super soliders and that both got huge after their transformation. Just like Captain America embodies the ideals of America in his character, Tarik does the same for Haqqislam. Just like Captain America, Tarik has become a symbol to his people, becoming something that everyone within the nation strives to be. The way he is characterized in the N3 Core Book from his description, and the couple of quotes found in it, he carries the Haqqislamite emphasis on the power of humanity over the reliance of machines and technology. To Tarik, the only way to truly win a war is through the courage and willpower of humanity. One quote attributed to him conveys the sentiment that you may have all the technology in the world, but if you don't have the courage and willpower of humanity, you don't have what it takes to truly win the war, which may or may not be a subtle jab at the Hyperpowers over-reliance on technology to do the work for them. Either way, just like Haqqislam, Tarik sees technology as useful tool for humanity to use, bu,t becoming too reliant on it can have a number of consequences, like laziness, and a lack of drive to actually fight. Tarik even goes so far as to lament the innovation of plastic weapons, because you lose the ability to properly bash an enemy in close quarters and, when you try to, you will more than likely shatter the weapon in the process. Although, that may just be something Tarik has to deal with because of his super strength.

By reading further into the N3 core book you will find that Tarik was one of the earliest participants of the Runihura program. He is also one of the most successful because the program turned him into the hulking beast of a man that he became. Prior to the procedure, Tarik was already quite well suited to receive the Runihura, because we are told that Tarik was not only in peak physical condition, but he also already had a superior metabolism, so he was seen as the ideal candidate. Tarik's results have never been repeated and from the way it is written, no one has quite figured out why. All that they know is that the process interacted uniquely with Tarik's body to produce the results that it did. Whether this has to do with Tarik's pre-conditions or something else is never disclosed, and with Tarik being the only one who responded as well as he did to the treatment, it's hard to nail down why Tarik's body reacted so well that it made him into a hulk of a man, able to stare down Ajax as a fellow S5 human without the benefit of power armor. The Runihura didn't just make Tarik into a colossus of a man either, it has also slowed down his aging and allowed him to stay in peak physical condition. He is an agile warrior, able to dispatch enemies quickly and efficiently.

Tarik's strengths don't just lie in his superior physical attributes either. Just like his fellow Khawarij, Tarik is well learned and a brilliant tactician. The Runihura, in addition to enhancing his physical abilities, was able to focus his mind as well. He is able to maintain a clear mind even in the most dire of situations and his senses are honed, allowing him to be an asset in the field and in the command tent. Between deployments, Tarik is often seen as an instructor for Haqqislam military training since he is the best that they have to offer. To say that Tarik is the most successful soldier of the Runihura is an understatement.

Tarik Tactics: Heavy Infantry Masquerading as Light Infantry

With a long list of accolades like that, you have to wonder if he performs that well in the actual game. Short answer? Yes. I often see many people asking how best to use Tarik in game. He's got an awesome model and an awesome stat line but people still sometimes come off confused exactly where he sits in the grand scheme of things, and whether the amount of points he takes is actually worth it. To start this off you have to realize one thing: Tarik is not actually Light Infantry. I know, you are going to say but Army lists him as Light Infantry! Yeah, and Army is lying to you. Look at his stat line and then compare it to other light infantry but then go take a look at Haqqislamite Heavy Infantry. You will discover that Tarik has way more in common with Heavy Infantry, despite what his Type is listed as. This is my first piece of advice for anyone wanting to use Tarik: Stop thinking of him as Light Infantry and start thinking of him as Non-Hackable Heavy Infantry because that is what he truly is. With that, let's jump into his stats and then break down the loadouts Tarik gets.

So, Tarik may be expensive, but at least you get a lot of good stuff for all those points. To start off, Tarik's statline is this: 6-4 MOV, CC 23, BS 13, PH 14, WIP 15, ARM 3, BTS 3, W 2, S 5 along with Martial Arts Level 1, Bioimmunity, Kinematika 1, Super Jump, Religious Troop and Poison. Before getting into the various weapon sets that Tarik has available let's just unpack everything right here first.

Right off the bat, that 6-4 movement is huge when it comes to moving Tarik up the board and getting him in range to do what Tarik does best, which is eliminating enemy opposition. In addition, it gives him a 6 inch cautious movement so it's a lot easier to get him up the board without taking AROs. Combine this with the fact that Martial Arts gives you Stealth along with all that and Tarik becomes quite scary for your opponent indeed. The biggest thing to watch about moving Tarik around the board though is his S5 profile. Be mindful of this so that you don't take unexpected AROs due to the bigger profile. It will take some practice in judging what gives full cover to Tarik, but once you get used to using him, his mobility is great at getting reliably into Tarik's threat range. Combine this with super jump (See my article on the Khawarij for super jump tips. Tarik has even better use of super jump because of stealth as well so take advantage of that!) and Tarik is one of the most mobile units in Infinity. If you take a reliable source of smoke, Tarik becomes quite dangerous to your opponent. (Mutts, Muyib and Al Fasid are all great options. The Al Fasid is my favorite to take with Tarik because of the hammer and anvil concept but it is expensive and the Muyib would save you on both points and SWC. Just remember though, this is for vanilla. Right now, the only smoke we know of in the Ramah Taskforce is the Al Fasid. The two in combo is expensive, but it is also a pain train.

Tarik's BS skill lines up with his fellow Khawarij so we know that he can hit what he shoots with that BS 13. Where Tarik gets better than your average Khawarij is that that he actually gets Martial Arts Level 1 along with a better CC of 23. Martial Arts adds +1 damage to Tarik's already impressive PH of 14 so when Tarik hits, he hits like a truck at damage 15, and that goes for his Poison as well. Add onto this that every profile of Tarik comes with a DA CCW. That means that if you are facing an enemy with wounds, they have to take a double hit to their armor but also a hit on the BTS all at damage 15...that is brutal. Tarik in close combat is a terror to behold and he can get there. I would not get stuck on only trying to get him into close combat, though, because he can shoot well enough and hit what he is shooting, but if the opportunity presents itself, do it and make your opponent pay for allowing him to get so close.

Unfortunately, Tarik doesn't get as much out of Bioimmunity as his smaller counterparts since he is both ARM and BTS 3 with 2 wounds but hey, only having to make one roll for viral ammunition is still pretty awesome. Kinematica 1 is nice for getting him up the board on your Reactive turn or getting him into safer places and having a PH 14, Tarik dodges pretty well when you need him to. Religious Troop is kind of invalidated by having Courage through Martial Arts but hey, it fits with the lore. Tarik also has a high WIP of 15 which only really comes in use if you decide to have Tarik as your LT. And that's it, Tarik has a lot to use just in his stats which is why I said he's not really Light Infantry, he has all the benefits of Heavy Infantry with none of the drawbacks like being Hackable.

Tarik's Weapons of War

In Army, it will show that Tarik has four different loadouts, but there are only two differences between the four. There are two different main weapons Tarik can take: AP Rifle + Light Shotgun, and a Spitfire. Each of those has an LT option, making the four loadouts. If you take the AP Rifle + Light Shotgun as an LT, you get +1 SWC which off the cuff may seem really useful, but Haqqislam has cheaper SWC costs compared to other armies. Not Ariadna cheap, but definitely not any reason to feel pressured to take this option. Honestly, I don't like taking Tarik as an LT option unless I have a Farzan with Chain of Command along too. Tarik is a high risk unit and if your opponent wants to take him down, they can. It’s not worth Loss of LT. I prefer the Spitfire version because it greatly extends the threat range of Tarik allowing you to use him as a toolbox of death to either shoot at a distance or take an enemy out in close quarters depending on how the match is going and Tarik's placement on the board. The only time I would take the AP Rifle version is for the LT version to get +1 SWC, but I have never felt the need for more SWC so Tarik is usually rocking a Spitfire. The AP Rifle is 0 SWC and 2 points less than the Spitfire, but if you are taking Tarik, he is there for one reason.

With the main weapon, Tarik gets a Nanopulser, Grenades, a Pistol and. as I pointed out before. a DA CCW. We already went over how devastating Tarik is at close combat. but what you need to remember are his Nanopulser and Grenades. With a PH 14, Tarik can reliably speculative fire grenades to take out units you can't see around corners. The Nanopulser is nice to help make your opponent make hard decisions by making them decide between wanting to shoot back or dodge if you confront an enemy in the range of the Nanopulser.

There is a lot that Tarik brings to the table and his job is the same as his fellow Khawarij; he is a hunter. As a hunter, he has tons of things that help him complete his job of hunting down pesky units that you want eliminated. To me, he is well worth his points and I have never regretted taking him. He lives up to his legend that is presented in the lore, Tarik "the Man" Mansuri is a badass who will terrorize your enemy because he is a durable unit with unbelievable killing power. If you haven't, take Captain Haqqislam out for a spin. Have him be that elite unit that you build a list around. I promise you won't be disappointed. Until next time, my friend, continue to seek knowledge.

Under the Red Turban: The History and Inspiration of the Khawarij

I have been quiet for a few weeks due to some things coming up but now the Sword of Haqqislam is back with something that I promised back in the tactics of the Khawarij, the lore and history behind the Red Turbans of Haqqislam. This post took a little longer due to the extensive history behind the Khawarij, including the historical Khawarij, the history behind the Mu'tazilah movement (the sect of Islam that the Khawarij of Infinity follow) and the fact that who the Khawarij are in Haqqislam is tied to the background of the faction because of the reformation that Islam went through to become Haqqislam in the Infinity universe. Without further delay, let's dive into the rich history and lore of the Khawarij. 

The Historical Khawarij

I thought we would first start with the actual history because to understand who the Khawarij are now in Infinity, it's important to look back at who the Khawarij were in history and see how Corvus Belli took this concept and made it into the super soldier badasses of humanism we know. The origins of the Khawarij actually goes back to almost the beginnings of Islam. They formed after the death of the Prophet when it came to deciding who would lead Islam now that the Prophet had passed on. Those familiar with this time period will know that this is where the main divide of Sunni and Shi'ite happens within Islam which revolves around mainly about who was to succeed the Prophet as the leader of Islam. The Sunni believing that the Prophet never designated an actual successor and a successor should then be chosen by the people while the Shi'ite believing that the Prophet appointed his son-in-law to succeed him as Imam. The group that would become know as the Khawarij agreed with the Sunni but disagreed in the way that the leader should be chosen. 

The Sunni wanted to choose the successor through arbitration, a method that the Khawarij opposed and they opposed it violently because through arbitration its the people who decide the successor, a decision that the Khawarij believed only God could make. How did they think God chose a successor? Through the outcome of a battle since it was God who would choose the victor. They believed that anyone could be an Imam and lead a community as long as he stayed pious and infallible because if they sinned, it was the duty of the Muslims in the community to rise up and dispose of them in favor of a new Imam. These beliefs made them more violent than other sects which lead to assassination attempts in their history. They also invoked takfir, a form of excommunication where a Muslim declares another self-described Muslim as a non-believer. Some said that any sin made one a non-believer while others said that it had to be a major sin. 

As we can see the historical Khawarij practiced an extreme version of Islam that wasn't well received by the other sects at the time. Their willingness to invoke takfir has actually lead some modern radical elements to have some of these doctrines rise again. Any fan of Infinity lore will know that this vision of the Khawarij greatly contrasts not only the humanistic ideals of Haqqislam but also the brotherhood of the red turbans. The fictional reformation of Islam into Haqqislam is a big part of this but the Khawarij isn't just this historical Khawarij because Corvus Belli did a clever thing by taking this historical account and combining it with another piece of Islamic history: the Mu'tazilah movement. The Khawaij of Infinity are not just warriors but they are scholars as well. 

Mu'tazilah: Logic and Reasoning Become Moral Pillars

The Mu'tazilah is a Sunni school of theology in which those who ascribed to it gave more weight to philosophy allowing logic and reasoning to determine morality instead of the rigid Hadith and Shariah. This movement had its rise around the 8th century but then declined into obscurity around the 10th century due to its radical and what many conservative scholars saw as heretical, beliefs. 

The Mu'tazilites had a preoccupation with the concepts of divine justice and divine unity. Traditionally, Islam not only draws its morality from the Qu'ran but also from the Hadith and the Shariah, from which many of the concepts of divine justice and, thus divine unity derive themselves in Islamic society. The Mu'tazilites' outright rejected this thought process. They believed that good and evil were not to be determined through scripture or divine revelation. In Islam, knowledge is considered divine and this is where the Mu'tazilites drew their belief that morality, concepts of good and evil, divine justice, etc could be determined through unaided reason. Since knowledge is derived from reason itself, reasoning should be the final say when determining whether something is morally good or morally evil. Their school of Kalam (Islamic theological school) put forth that God's authority could be reached through rational thought alone and not the sacred scriptures of the Hadith and Shariah which, to the Mu'tazilites, were not verifiable as true hence why they were critical of them. The obligations and what is just in a religion should be determined through logic and reasoning because it is the most effective means to do so under this precedent. 

As you may see though, this is what drew anger from many of the conservative religious scholars and Imams of the time. Such thought threatened their power and they actively spoke out against it. This would eventually lead to the decline of the Mu'tazilah school of Kalam in the 10th century and many of their writings were destroyed to prevent any others from ever resurrecting the school. Many of the modern reformist movements occurring currently, however, draw from much of the same ideas that the Mu'tazilites put forward during this time, and so those thoughts are slowly coming back as modernist movements try to reform Islam. Many of them have not identified themselves as Mu'tazilite but their ideas no less align with this Kalam school. There are a few though who consider themselves neo-Mu'tazilite and are actively trying to use this reforming to resurrect the school. It is from here that we transition from our historical account to the lore of Infinity because it is these ideas of reformation and the resurrection of Mu'tazilah that lay the foundation of Haqqislam itself. 

Before we go on though, I would like to say that there is a rich history for both these subjects that I could in no way cover in a blog post. If these piqued your interest, I would suggest researching them. For me, it has lead down a rabbit hole of intrigue. For my Mu'tazilah studies, the book that has been most influential is: The Defenders of Reason in Islam which is a fascinating book that tells not only the history, core beliefs but also the modern movements surrounding the Mu'tazilah school of thought. Now after that little aside, on with Infinity. 

The Rise of Haqqislam

To understand who the Khawarij are in Infinity, we first have to understand the rise of Haqqislam because as our historical depiction suggests, the Khawarij in Infinity certainly are a long way from the Khawarij of history. This is because with the rise of Haqqislam came a fundamental shift in Islamic thinking. Taking a look at the entry within the Infinity N3 Corebook, we learn that Farhad Khadivar, the founder of Haqqislam, expressly rejected all the former foundations of Islamic law, the Hadith, the Shariah, etc,  
to create a form of Islam that focused more on Knowledge as the precedent for Islam. He thought that they did not fit with the Qu'ran's humanistic values and allowed for corrupt individuals to seize power by abusing these laws in order for them to take control for themselves.  

As we now know, this sparks a fire within the Islamic world and Khadivar's ideas take root as people start to champion his cause. Eventually a new movement under these new ideals emerges: HaqqMu'tazilah. The HaqqMu'tazilites speak out against the conservative ideas that have wrecked so much havoc putting forth their rationalist ideals are more suited for the modern times. Conservative regimes fight back against this rising tide and even succeed in eventually assassinating Khadivar but all this does is create a bigger push back until they are defeated and the Islamic world unites under the banner of Haqqislam to become a global power on Earth thus allowing for a new Golden Age of Islam to emerge again. This is the environment from which new Khawarij emerges and the ideals that these warrior scholars will champion. 

The New Khawarij

Instead of violent extremists fighting for their strict view of Islam, these neo, Haqq if you will, Khawarij were founded by HaqqMu'tazilite Sages who were looking for a protective force to protect Haqqislam from not only foreign powers trying to destabilize the budding nation but also from those within who wish to reverse the Haqqislam movement. These sages created warrior scholars who strictly adhere to the principles of the HaqqMu'tazilah to form the Khawarij. To be selected to become a Red Turban, one must show their dedication to Haqqislam and their willingness to defend it to the death, a feat that is not easily done because they are highly selective in who gets this honor. After selected, they go through the Runihura program to become super soldiers augmenting their already considerable combat training. These aren't merely front line soldiers though. They are some of the best versed scholars in Haqqislam who study as much as they fight making themselves valuable not only in combat operations but also as leaders and advisers. They have a strict honor code bound in the ideals of HaqqMu'tazilah and will not violate these under any circumstance because they believe that as long as one does not stray from the Word of Allah, Haqqislam can not fall. This is how people have come to look up to them in the highest regard for their scholarly insights as well as their formidable fighting prowess. 

This is how we see the merging of the historical Khawarij with the historical Mu'tazilah movement to create an awesome unit within Infinity. Corvus Belli took a sect of Islam that doesn't have the best past in Islamic history to make it into an honorable warrior who is a champion of humanistic ideals, an aggressor into a defender something that I extremely admire which makes delving into the historical inspiration for these units so fulfilling. The Khawarij are one of my favorite units when it comes to their lore and background which is why I wrote a post finding ways to use them in game. A unit that has an awesome background like this deserves to be used, and shown off, to show why Haqqislam is awesome and why you don't want to mess with it's defenders. Until next time, my friend, continue to seek knowledge.