It's just bizarre that people keep parroting this nonsense. It really is. I will never understand why people buy into CB's "explanations" about why PanO does or doesn't have something.
I would not mind a ultra light TAG filling the role of a S5 HI but I would not like to see S5 HI in PanO, it does not fit them.
There are a few TAGs that really blur the line, like the Gecko and the Xeodron, and even the Tikbalang and Uhlan have stats comparable to most HI (except for the high BS and the 3 str points). It would be cool to see more of these in the game as well, and PanO sure could use some different units on its lineup. I still think there's room for an S5 monster or two in the panO lineup as well.
"I like the recent positivity and want to make a positive thread!" "PanO sUckS!!" Anyways. Once again Geckos left out just because their little S number happens to be one off. Absolute discrimination, it's just because you know they're the best one.
Really, because creating a high tech bruiser sounds exactly like something they would do... But then again this is the faction who couldn't have Mine Dispensers, couldn't be given Haris, couldn't be given Smoke, couldn't be given more Auxbot links, and the list goes on and on and on. S5 HI for Svalarheim "Ettin" Auxbot with a HMG and Mine Dispensers
Hmm, so looking at the PanO roster I'm thinking through what an S5 HI might look like. I personally want to avoid a MiniTag so as not to blur the lines there, so we'll go for patching a different hole in the roster, namely commanders. We're gonna make this an Indonesian/Malaysian Muslim troop because A) there aren't any and B) some Sunni troops could be a fun counterpart to the Haqq troops already in the game. So, let's see: Ansar, S5 HI. We give it Arm 5 BTS 6 because it's PanO heavy infantry and of course it has that. Nanoscreen for defense, allowing it to walk into the open and use its bulk to screen for smaller guys. It's not a shooty unit but it is PanO HI, so BS 13, but it is a command unit so let's go to WIP 14 (as we will have a lieutenant profile) and, say, initial profile choices of CoC and Lieutenant (Strategos 1), filling in some rare or unfilled niches in the PanO roster. We've got 4-2 movement, say, Phys 14 as standard HI. So now we're fluffing out the load out, figuring out what our gun loadout looks like and I guess our CC. We don't need, and probably don't want, a particularly fancy loadout here because we don't want to overload it with features. So, say, let's slap a MULTI rifle, a CCW/Pistol on and, say, CC17 and a Repeater on to drive the cost up. We don't really need a special weapon profile here but if it turns out underwhelming we can slap on a Spitfire or Missile Launcher on. We end up with: Ansar Mov 4-2, CC 17, BS 13, WIP 14, ARM 5, BTS 6, W 2, S 5, AVA 1 Equipment: Nanoscreen, Repeater Ansar (Chain of Command): MULTI Rifle, Pistol, Shock CCW. 55 Points??? Ansar Lieutenant (Strategos L1): MULTI Rifle, Pistol, Shock CCW. 55 Points??? We've got a reasonably distinct S5 HI that fulfills a clear role in PanO both in fluff and on the table. Though obviously this was drafted pretty quick and may have it's own problems, I think it does Well Enough at at least demonstrating the point.
I'm not sure if chain of command in a frontline model you want to be taking shots is a good idea. However, I like the idea of an agressive lieutenant that basically works as a massive roadblock. However, one thing that CoC does is make the model a specialist, so maybe swapping CoC for something like FO would be better for this hypothetical model.
They do already exist and are called Sui-Juan. It's hilarious to think that it can actually fail all ARM rolls against a ML and still be operational, while a "mighty" TAGs cannot xD
Excuse me but what do fit PanO ? Combi+Assault Pistols combos, or Combi+LSG ? Or mayby a Mine Dispenser to actually do use PanO's stellar BS instead of medicore PH ?
PanO has no reason to make a S5 HI, given their technology is enouph to give S2 ARM 5 the only reason they would go for a large target would be mass for heavy weapons a TAG would use or armour a TAG would wear, given they have TAGs for both purposes, unlike Yu Jing who opted for a more massive HI instead of making another TAG for heavier weapons, defaulting to a mini TAG for such a silhouette seems more appropriate than developing a S5 HI.
So where the hell is the mini-TAG then? Yan Huo aren't new. We could have had dozens of "mini-TAGs". Or hell, Tikbalangs and Uhlans could have seen price drops to fulfill the role you're suggesting since it's heavily implied that is what they're doing already. Simple fact is, we need a S5 HI to make an appearance. Whether it's ORCs being reworked to S5 and Varuna's ORC Regiment is 'stripped down' ORCs or something of that nature, it has to happen given that seems to be the only way to get something that doesn't suck.
Agreed, but it is not my call to decide this, would not mind the Stingray series fill this role but they are a bit big for S5....
What does that have to do with dropping their points to make them fill the role S5s fill for others? You say we can't have S5s, now the suggestion of the 'light' TAGs being dropped in price to represent: a) Technological superiority. b) Manufacturing superiority. c) Availability superiority. is "they're a bit big for S5"?
Why drop their points? Tikbalang is great as it is, and Uhlan needs some love but is good as an idea. PanO can simply get new S5 cheap TAGs. Make them ARM 6, BTS 6 with 6-4 MOV, but give them shortrange weaponry and bam, done.
Obviously do not fit them, because "less hi-tech" YuJing (yes I know YuJing is supposed to be "the HI faction") has already S5 Sui-Juan, who is better than an actual S5 TAG. It has no TAGs drawbacks (going prone, hackable, no cautious movement, penalty to dodge etc.), has "S5 TAG level ARM/BTS", has 2.75W (if not actually more than a TAG, when calculated in number of wounds taken untill unoperational). It's actually pointless for PanO to have S5 TAG as probably it would still be quite worse than a chinesee murder-cat. There's nothing that the "TAG" tag brings "positive" to the equation (it actually only brings quite big set of drawbacks). And thats yet another problem how "PanO's design space" is heavily limited by every other faction (heck, even CA is keeping up if not surpising PanO in TAG department, and we already know that Zeta TAGs will be better (if they ever come to real life)). Apparently Stingray's can be S7 so there's little reason why they cannot be S5 ^^
Having a specialist and combat guy to take over the Lt. order on a later turn has been incredibly useful for me. There's no reason a PanO S5 wouldn't be 4-4 like the Nomads ones thou. PanO would have a hard time making a Gecko like unit, it would need some sort of cheat equipment because Geckos are far too weak and expensive for PanO players to take.
Man I'm starting to understand how other factions felt during the uprising shit. Never waste an opportunity to cry about pano I guess.
I'm of the opinion that when there's some event it's okay to gripe and complain to vent, even if it is unreasonable. I'm also of the opinion that if there's a constant problem it's bad to constantly gripe and complain, even if it is reasonable.
