First part: Well, yeah, a chain rifle SMG one would be pretty cool. Be about 28 points on current metrics since the Wu Ming are around 3 points cheaper? Second part: That'd be cool too.
An SMG and/or Chain Rifle does seem to be the fashionable low cost weapons loadout these days, so the Wu-Ming having that was the first thing that sprang to mind. The Brigada could really benefit from a Large Teardrop IMO, and making it Chain means the light flamethrower on the MR doesn't become completely obsolete. And other than that, IMO there's little the Brigadas could have added to them that wouldn't make them a bit too bloaty.
a few oddball ideas from around the place: Maakrep Tracker - give them a variety of "tracker"-like options. A variety of visors, a variety of loadouts, maybe even a sensor. Caliban - more of these guys need to get the engineer profile, and they could also use a bigger weapon variety. Why don't they get mines, or maybe upgrade some of their nanopulsers to pulzars or e/marats. Skiavoros - Boring. Either double-down on the mobile command-and-control schtick or give him more options please. Moderators - I'd like these guys to get more non-lethal weapons. Stun pistols / rifles would be really cool. Prowlers - A bit more weapon variety. These guys are supposed to be advanced ambush troops, but apart from a single overpriced spitfire they don't really sell this idea. Mobile Brigada - If nothing else, these guys could use a rule like Veteran just to underline that they're supposed to be the elite of the nomad armed forces.
I'd just like everything in the game to be using the same points formula please. No hand adjusted discounts for anything, or compounding variable costs either. And do something about CC (over) pricing. That'd be nice. But then again, I play PanOceania... and you know what they say about PanOceania and "nice things". This is where I'll insert my regular complaint that we don't have Comic Sans as a font option so I can make the bit I'm being sarcastic about clear. So I guess you'll just have to guess. Go on, guess which bit I'm serious about.
JSA: Shikami. It just needs some buff to make it competitive with Saito or any Ninja. Mech deployment, forward deployment L2, 6-2 or 6-4 movement, a multi rifle (or one of those fancy MMRs), a spitfire, there's tons of stuff we've discussed ad nauseum to fix this guy. My current favorite would be a very topical SMG+KHD, which would still be cheaper than the Combi Rifle version. Daiyokai Dengekitai and O-Yoroi: both need their CC buffed to be reasonable, and they're fine. Right now the CC is just good enough to be bloat on both of them -- both should have at least CC22 and MA3. Karakuri: a heavy weapon option would make Karakuri see a lot more table. A spitfire would feel great, an HMG would be borderline OP for JSA
Well, comparing it with super optimized unit like Ayyar makes for sad PanO players. Spitfire profile is ok, though. The only big problem is the other loadout, arming elite, non-linkable HIs with a Combi is nuts. I just had little time to write the original post, and I'm not as familiar with Tohaa and Nomads :P Nomads: 1) Riot Grrls. They're so nicely optimized, that other units, both in vanilla (MBs) and sectorial (Moiras) suffer for that. They could use some limitations, like losing Specialist access. 2) Geckos. They could use some additional firepower. What I've said about arming HIs with Combis is even more true for TAGs. 3) Moiras. Extremely pricy for what they bring to the table, even before comparing them with Riots. Tohaa: 1) Kaeltars, duh. SymbioMates are probably too strong, and including CoC makes for one overoptimized unit. 2) Gorgos. I like the idea of making it a Symbiont with STR, and maybe Fire Immunity. TAGs struggle to get included in the game as it is, no reason to make it harder for them. 3) Sukeuls. Probably. I don't have any issues with the unit (no Tohaa players in my meta), but it's just as big an autoinclude as Spetznaz HMG, without the weakness of being a 1 W unit.
Losing specialist should be reserved for cheap warbandy links I think. I think losing the Missile Launcher would have been the better choice but it's too late for that. Geckos are armed fine, dual combis on 14 DAM hits plenty hard. Anything that costs more SWC hurts their niche as well.
Well, thanks to Ironclad, even the two Combi Gecko can match a Spitfires damage and burst, albeit with a rangeband that's meant for closer range. Only improvement I could imagine being made for the Combi profile is to make them MULTI-Rifles. Mk12 profile is fine as is IMO.
As for maybe three units from other factions that might need a look at IMO... CA: Calibans, Cadmusi and Aswuangs. For Ariadna I'd say Minutemen and Moblots. I know bugger all about Aleph, so no idea there. Haqq seems kinda fine ATM to me, maybe taking a look at Odalisques and Halqas might be warranted?
Point taken on the Geckos, though if they'd get a MRifle... or two SMGs... Most of the Shasvastii, actually. I left them out of this because they're being reworked right now. I'm really curious how will they work afterwards.
To put it another way, Geckos have as much firepower as they can take before it would feel like bloat for their role.
IMO... Nomads: Geckos: Give them ligh flamethrower instead of chaincolts (for more corregidor flavour) and increase the points and/or Swc of combi gecko to give him Breaker combis rifles. MB: give BS to tinbot profile, some skills like vereran1 and interesting link options like Star CO. Prowlers: this guys need something
ALEPH: 1) Andromeda: DUH! Give Guardian L2 a 360 Visor or something like that, maybe give her ODD? i'm not sure that would solve the problem of the S4 but at least she could be a really annoying midfield model that's hard to dig out and impossible to flank. I dunno, just thinking out loud there. I mean... For the same price as Dart, what the actual fuck? 2) Devas: They're great, they're just outshined by cheaper/more specialized choices in the rest of the list. Deva hacker is made pointless by Danavas hackers, Deva Lieutenant will be obsolete in OS with access to Shukra Lt Strategos for basically the same price (but no FT access), i feel they just need a bit more spicy loadouts or something. Or maybe make Danavas and Shukra more expensive and even more specialized options. I dunno. 3) Asura: Plz help muh waifu, when i make a list with one i kinda feel like i could as well just go for it and take a Marut instead, she sit in a awkward place where she's too expensive for what she do but not enough of a powerful presence to really build the list around her
Nomads 1. Riot Grrls. -1 BS, +1 Phys. 2. Prowlers. Wildcats with Camo/Infil. 3. Carlotta. Tomcat CC and ARM. Add Free Agent. PanO 1. Bolts. Feurbach profile. Swap Combi for Breaker Rifle + LSG (@+1pt). 2. Orcs. Apply to all their peer HI (MB, Suryats etc): Duo on all profiles, Tinbots on the Hackers. Specifically for Orcs: 1SWC HMG Lt. 3. Bipandra. Make. Her. Interesting.
Ariadna: Minutemen. Unknown ranger. Traktor muls. Voronin is out because if they want to change him they are going to do it now. And yes mormaers need help too. Tohaa: Symbiomates Haqquislam: Ghazy