Her new profile just miss being Lt imho. She can make a very good toolbox, being able to fulfill many roles: being Lt (so that we don't have to take another specific profile just because we need to take a Lt AND having a good unit who can actually use the Lt order), being a tough specialist, being a camo hunter, being a midfield fighter. She just needs that.
Basically she needs to have three profiles: Multi, HD+, Spitfire, with three corresponding Lt. options.
Not really, not everything must be spawned in front of your face you know. You can block possibly harmfull MSV units on one side so you can savely engage other units on the other side.
That is perfectly true. Also there is no reason to complain about tools we have. And yet there is a reason why the Asura does not get fielded. That is because a model in that point range should be able to perform well on itself. You can place white noise to block LoF from MSV units, but a Danavas can do that for cheaper. And she can even shoot through it. Or let's say a HMG Dakini since we still got 47 points left. The Asura has benefits of her own, but the equipment doesn't mix well right now. With KHD she'd fill the same niche but better. Infinity lives by the credo that there is no useless troop, just one whose purpose you didn't find jet. That still stands true. The Asura has its niche. But it is really hard to justify bringing one to the field as other troops do the job usually as well as she does for lesser point cost. That is just sad as she really is the icon of the fraction and a model that made many players start playing Aleph. So yes, give people the option to play her with a HD+ and be happy doing so. But an option that doesn't feel like "I field her because I adore the model but... meh" would be much appreciated.
I'm actually happy with Spitfire not having Lt. That one is a fighter first and foremost. I'm also fine with them leaving Combi HD+ profile in therem for that one person that made a conversion. Personally, I only care about these two profiles: Spitfire, HD+ Lieutenant with MULTI Rifle. I don't even care if they are overpriced, I'd play them just because Asura's lore is so freakin' awesome. (I still reserve the right to complain). However, without the Lt profile for Hacker, the lists spend too much points on wasted options.
So why do Achilles and Ajax have an lt option ? Are they not fighters firest and foremost ? The problem is that you are taking a very pricy miniature that would make good use of that order. Instead you have to take a Lt. So either you take Machaon, or if you want to go vedic style, you have to take a pricy and rather useless deva (since you have an msv3, sensor is a bit underwelming). Wouldn't you rather take a CoC instead ?
Oh, I don't disagree that Spitfire Lt would be great. But I don't need it, as she takes the place of heavy in the list. I'm used to running Machaon with her; I have no idea if Vedic will provide anything worthwhile (so far - no). MULTI HD+ unfortunately cannot do the heavy lifting of a primary fighter - weapon is simply too short ranged and too low burst. This leads to problems constructing lists as even if I do take Machaon or Deva, so many points spent and yet no heavy hitter, much less a backup. Also, lorewise I do see a difference - Achilles and Ajax are leaders (not necessarily commanders); Asura Spitfire is precision weapon.
Hmmm... do we know the cost of the new NCO skill? Maybe that's what she is missing in her new profile.
The mathemagicians in the Forum, the ones that deconstructed the points formula, cannot explain the cost of the HD+ Multi Asura, so the guess is that she is missing some skill. As we haven't been oficially shown the new NCO rule yet...
Just wishful thinking. It's the cost of the combination of MSV3, MULTI Rifle, and HD+. She can throw up White Noise and kill MSV troops, don'tyaknow... On a side note, based on Charontid (so a very similar profile), MSV3 is worth 12 points. 12 points.
Bipandra has the same problem, 2 points too expensive for no apparent reason. There are a few confirmed cases where a troop pays extra points for added synergy, for instance the Zayedan Breaker Rifle pays 2 extra for MMS L2. Unless someone considers Bipandra and the Asura MR HD+ to have some advanced synergy we humble players just don't understand, it's a safe bet there is a new Skill coming for them with the upcoming "Rebalance Patch". For the Antisysnergy of HD+ and MSV3 I'd actually expect the Asura to get the new and improved discount we can see for Aragoto Combi+LSG. The good news is that something good is happening there, The bad news is it's gonna take another 3 months to see a release.
You don't know what is happening there, so you don't know if it's gonna be good news or bad. Here's my prediction* for Asura: prices will go down a few points, but they will also lose something (Nanopulser? Or maybe go down to WIP14). Spitfire might stay the same points. I also see, for OperationS Aleph more generally: Devas get a token discount (one point, perhaps not for all profiles), Dakini either go up in points or lose Mimetism, Nagas stay the same, Dasyus go up in points and/or lose something (point of ARM or WIP, maybe Multiterrain), Sophotect stays the same or goes down by a point, Garudas stay exactly the same, Danavas get 2 point discount, and will get a new profile (KHD). Posthumans get a major point increase across the board. I suspect 4 points per, with Mk.II going up 6 points per. *NOTE: This is purely my speculation, I have no foreknowledge.
I m8ght be overly pessimistic, but I don't think it's going to be as big as people think. Maybe more in line with a new profile or two for 6 units per faction, bringing in some of the new skills to existing units etc, and may be the odd point drop.
At least for PanO it's going to have impact. Drop Bears and Combi+LSG dropping by 2 points each (as has been the case for new releases) already boosts one of troops everyone loves to hate by a lot. The last few extra Profiles that have been added are great. Spectre KHD with Cybermines, Ninja FO, Saito Specialist Operative, CSU Specialists, Raicho HSG, I'm on board with all of those. If what is coming is more of the same, yes please. Cheer up a little lad, the future is looking bright for once.
Am I seriously missing something here, if she uses white noise she can't see through it, is there sarcasm or a rule loophole going over my head here?
I actually made an account just to comment on this, as it really rustled my jimmies. The way I see it, she's correctly priced... for N2. Back when she could just point and click camo markers and before the Shock errata, a superhacker with two wounds, NWI, and the ability to ignore visibility mods with a MULTI rifle would probably have been worth 78pts. But nowadays, she's barely more survivable than your bog standard HI due to all the shock everywhere, and - and I think this is the big problem - MSV3 is severely overpriced for what it does. In practice, it rarely does anything other than grant immunity to Surprise Shots, and it requires order dumping to really get anything else done. I'm hoping the N that shows up on CB's timeline is an edition change and we'll see MSV3 and NWI made good again. I don't think there's an easy fix because I don't think her toolset is a good one in the current edition. At the very least she needs Shock Immunity to be a viable option, because 78pts is absolutely insane.
The way I see it - CB has spent the least effort possible to add profiles into Army for the models available in Coldfront/GenCon exclusives. We have seen the full Yadu profile - but they only gave us 1 (2 if you count Lt version). Same with Shukra. The Asura had a pre-existing profile, so they didn't need to create a new entry. The least amount of effort is to add a line that comes with the new gear and leave it as is, irrespective of any changes the profile is (likely) going to get. I'd be blown away if, come OS release or the November updates, the Asura profile remains identical to what it is now.
