The Institute: How to Start
The Institute was birthed from the ruined corpse of the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, the surviving staff digging deep underground to find salvation from the radiated hell above. Generations later, a nest of scientists work beneath Boston to further their shadowy goals of "redefining humanity." Nothing is off limits in accomplishing this goal. The Institute created a new generation of Super Mutants with FEV experiments, replaced survivors above with humanlike Synths, and murdered those that knew too much. Coursers are the Institute's most deadly weapon, having few – if any – equals in armed combat. [Battle for Boston pg. 66]
All models in an Institute crew must be chosen from the Institute Crew List. [Battle for Boston pg. 66]
Crew Limits
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrade Limit per Model | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Champion Limit | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Total Control Limit | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| Facility Limit | 2 | 4 | 6 |
[Battle for Boston pg. 66]
Playstyle
The Institute is a swarm-and-scalpel faction built around expendable synthetic troops fronting for a handful of elite operatives. Gen 1 Synths are the cheapest Grunts in the book, starting at 8 points with the Disposable Perk — you throw them forward to soak fire and grab objectives, and their loss barely dents your Reputation. Gen 2 Synths are sturdier line troops, while the Courser is a genuine powerhouse Leader: P7 A7 with Natural Leader and Stealth Boy, priced from 57–64 points. Synth Infiltrators carry the Hidden Perk and specialize in flanking and objective play. Every model in the faction has Rad Resistant except the Gen 1 Synth. The two faction Ploys shape your whole game plan — Molecular Relay teleports two Synths past enemy lines before the first Round, and Boogeyman of the Wasteland forces every enemy model to make a Confusion Test to open the game. Note the roster constraint: no more than half of your Grunts can be Gen 1 Synths, so you cannot field a crew of nothing but disposables.
Starter List
A suggested starting crew from Battle for Boston (total: 248 pts). [Battle for Boston pg. 70]
| Unit | Weapons | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Courser ★ | Synth Relay Grenade & Focused Institute Pistol | 57 |
| Synth Infiltrator ★ | .44 Pistol & Stun Baton | 29 |
| Synth Infiltrator ★ | Syringer | 33 |
| Institute Scientist ★ | Scattered Institute Rifle | 30 |
| Institute Scientist ★ | Institute Pistol & Shock Baton | 28 |
| Gen 2 Synth | Institute Rifle | 20 |
| Gen 2 Synth | Precision Institute Rifle | 23 |
| Gen 1 Synth | Shock Baton | 8 |
| Gen 1 Synth | Institute Pistol | 9 |
| Gen 1 Synth | Institute Pistol & Shock Baton | 11 |
| Total | 248 | |