I voted for the " I like them! They are balanced and colorfoul" option, but would like to point out that they are only balanced and colorful if CB decides to revisit the old sectorials when they get back from their siesta. This IS supposed to be a living game where all sectorials receive updates, right? If the old sectorials like Military Orders [who need some mixed links and haris] or Assault Sub Section [who need core links now that everyone has mixed links and haris] don't get updated, then I would say that "I like them! They are colorful but not balanced"
Considering that the last book updating older sectorials (hsn3) didn't do much mixed Fireteams they aren't behind schedual if their plan is to update most or all sectorials with it.
I love them. I'd just like everyone to have them, rather than having them be exclusive to the new shiny.
The only current issue with Mixed Fireteams is the fact that they haven't been implemented game-wide. And where they do exist in some of the older sectorials, they're a shadow of what is now available to the new and emerging factions that have received them.
Phalanx still have way more flexibility through characters than most mixed links get. Still have no limit on how many links. I feel whinging about Phalanx is unwarranted. Mil'Ord - they already have mixed links with Santiago/Hospitaller plus Magisters (plus characters). These dudes are the equal (or perhaps cheaper than) Domaru/Tanko links. They may need some more variety (in the form of specialist options)... But your post implies they don't have access to them when they do.
Yeah, MO have the Fersen/Hospitaller/Santiago/Magister/Joan links, I'm not sure how people keep forgetting those. Steel Phallus are also still the only Sectorial that can do multiple links with more than 3 members, and they don't pay a SWC tax for it (the majority of Haris teams cost 0.5 or 1 SWC) and the level of flexibility, especially within Myrmidon links, is insane.
The majority of Fireteam: Eat-no-more-tacos profiles do actually have an SWC cost. A number of them also carry heavy weapons (Phoenix, for example) but this SWC cost is usually higher than the norm, probably accounting for a +0.5 to accommodate the skill. Myrm Officer - .5 or 1 swc Alke - 1.5 swc (Spitfire) Machaon - .5 swc Phoenix - 2 swc (HRL) Uterus - 0 swc Ajax - 0 swc Thrasymedes - .5 swc (with an lrl and odd. Yeah, this one is a joke.) Acmon - 0 swc Hector - 0 swc (Plasma Rifle) or 2 swc (Spitfire) So, arguably, yes they can build a list that has no SWC taxed Taco leaders... But that would fail to capitalise on some of the strongest ones. Similarly, they will tend to have multiple of these characters... potentially doubling up on Taco Team Leaders where a normal Sectorial wouldn't have multiple Haris leaders in a single Fireteam.
Phoenix is the same SWC as a Wildcat HRL, and Alke is standard for an MI Spitfire or HMG. I'll give you the Officer and Machaon though.
Costings, on the whole, don't make a lot of sense to me. Jaguars pay 0.5 swc for Panzerfausts. So do Daylami. Acmon doesn't... But a Dactyl does pay 0.5 swc for a Flammenspeer... When a Tanko doesn't. The biggest mind boggle for me in Phalanx is still Thrasymedes being 0.5swc when he gains ODD and the Fireteam skill... And a vanilla Thorakite with LRL pays 1 swc. The other ones with "discounts" can be argued to make some sense - like Ajax comes without ODD. Or Acmon only links with his specific unit type, who are mostly carrying ARO weapons that will run out of ammo.
There is no formula for SWC costings, they're done by hand to make profiles more or less attractive. Thrasymides costs less SWC because that's the way the designers wanted it to be.
Oh no! Something close to the cost of a haris team leader for unlimited 4 man links! SP hero links are pretty balanced and are flavorful. I can understand the want for a core link of thorakites without a hero unit, but I like how it currently works and keeps the unique, flexible and still gives them enough power to make it worth it.. For myrms, I'm not seeing any other unit with frenzy in the game that doesn't require a character to form a link, and none of those other links can have specialists in them, or am I wrong? Overall, most of these units are balanced with the 4 man link in mind. Just think of the fun of Phoenix with the +3 5 man link bonus!
Riot Grrls - in Bakunin, no character option, and there's a Specialist Operative profile. But people have been saying (rightly so) that something is wrong/undercosted about Grrls for a while.
Knight links. They were mentioned a handful of posts ago. Hostpitaller + Magisters doesn't require a character and can bring a Doctor. Daturazi links - no specialist, but still a core link with Frenzy (well, with Extreme Impet). Arguably, Oznats aren't "characters" so the Hungry link as well. Pretty sure Ariadna get some frenzy links... But I don't like Ariadna.
Tho its worth mentioning that the specialist profile was added in HSN3, along with the Haris option. Prior to that they were just a core pain train.
Good point @Leviathan, Grrls benefitted significantly from HSN3 updates. The ability to pop a specialist in the link is huge, and the Haris can be a nice option, although the 5-man (saying "man" specifically to make the Grrls angrier) is so relatively cheap I can't see the Haris being as huge in Bakunin. Still nice to have. Also, Bakunin was hardly struggling for specialists, between Zeroes, Custodiers, Meteor, etc.
Some other mixed teams arrived at the same time. Healers being able to join moiras and custodiers, for eg. But the others require kusanagi, so you're back to the special rules for named heroes thing again. (frankly I'd like a 2 Riot + 1 TM haris)
I would love a TM in a Haris with anyone. Would probably be enough to get me to actually start Bakunin. I love the TMs but regularly find them overshadowed by other options (specifically Kriza in vanilla). And yea, the mixed Kusanagi/Healer links were a nice update for Bakunin. Hoping to see some mixed links for Corregidor at some point (MBs in an Alguacil link anyone??). Quoted because I can't like this twice. So damn frustrating.
