NOVA Open List

First, you must be aware that the list lacks anti-armor melee solution apart of Stormwall. You have some ranged options so you can cripple a heavy before the engagement but after the enemy is close all you can do is send your Stormwall and repel them. So, protect it for all cost. The good side is, Sturgis have Arcane Shield which covers the theme's huge flaw - lacking Journeyman Warcaster to run the heavy to colossal.

Unless you can get free 3" advance to any direction before charge such as Brisbane2's feat, Trencher Commandos' melee attacks are no in use of anti armor problem, so unless you can ideally circle an enemy hard target and able to charge 5 to 6 troopers at once when you pop the officer's one shot ability you better use them to dispatch the enemy units. Perhaps, sometimes Feat: Dead on Arrival helps to do that, for it may pull some some unfortunated heavy into the killbox you are waited for. So keep in mind too. But... since Sturgis lacks POW buffs it may better to just thtow the grenades.

I assumed that you can't run your jacks properly. Stotmwall needs one focus point to boost the second cannon's damage roll(for its own focus can boost the first one) on range, and both Grenadiers needs two each to boost second and third damage rolls. It leaves you only one focus, but Sturgis have Arcane Shield and Snipe to upkeep. So if you want to use Grenadier to aid anti armor duty what about to take a Trencher Warcaster Lieutenant? I know he is not a popular choice but you will need him in this case.

Otherwise, you better drop Grenadier(s) and replace it to Hunter(s). You have some spare points so it is possible to do. If Hunter seems not fit with the theme but still you can use 11(20) points to elsewhere. A Grenadier seems not so bad, though.

I would like to chime in and refute the idea that Commandos are useless without a movement buff or that you lack anti-armor melee, and generally disagree with most of what the other guy said.

Speaking as an opponent who has played against this, and as someone who has played the Cygnar side too: I disagree.

The Commandos’ on-demand Prey makes them unpredictable and something that cannot be dismissed.

Likewise, the Trench Busters damage far above their weight class.

The only thing I’d say you’re missing is the Express Team, but that is up to you.

The Grenadiers are there for mid-to-late game carpet bombing.

Your game plan is going to be to use the Long Gunners and Stormwall to soften up the opponent’s armor from waaaaay downtown, thanks to Snipe. You can generally control the point of engagement thanks to AD on the Commandos. Set it up in such away that your Commandos threaten with advance+guns but can’t be reached by a charge or run. Force your opponent to make some bad decisions. Then, you’re going to rely on the Long Gunners to aim + Dual Shot (if at all possible) and clear out the chaff in front of the Commandos so they can dig deep into the enemy’s lines and wreak havoc with Mission Objective + Quick Work.

By this point, the opponent’s jacks should be noticeably damaged from a couple turns of long-range shooting. The Grenadiers should be able to aim, get fully loaded up by Sturgis, and drop a bunch of boosted POW 13’s on whatever heavies remain to be shot. Six boosted POW 13’s are likely going to help finish off one or two heavies, so long as you have been concentrating your fire and Shield Guard/Repair/whatever hasn’t been wrecking your plans.

Late game, you’re finally going to rely on sending Sturgis in himself with the feat to mess up any screens on their caster, and retain the potential for the surprise assassination. Stormwall should be in a solid position to bully the board with boxes and ARM at this point too.

Anyway! This turned out slightly longer than I planned! Gotta run!

Michael is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.

Mostly we can be confident of getting words. The content thereof, like the qualities of chocolates in boxes, is what varies. 

Well, this thread went off topic fast.

In regards to the list, I'm looking forward to playing pSturgis. He kind of sucks but is super fun to play.

Are Express Teams really that good unbuffed? Am I really going to miss grevious wounds that much?

The major “trick” with the weapon crew and Trencher Long Gunners is to use Marksman + damage reroll to blow out a critical system like a cortex or critical weapon system/branch and then tag the heavy with Grievous.

Doubly annoying if you blow out the cortex and get a crit knockdown with Thunderbolt, as you have all but neutered that heavy for a turn.

But, honestly, ranged Grievous with boosted attack rolls on a stick is just good, regardless...

Oh, and something people seem to miss: Cautious Advance can be used to retreat. I have seen people use this and feel like they have to advance forward, closer to the enemy...

You can 100% get in range early, then use this to back up while remaining safe in subsequent turns...