Now that we know the models exist, what is the usual time-frame between the first tease and the release of the models?
Usually a couple of months? Helots box could be a December or January release. Previous timing says that we get our starter in November, a blister or two in December (Zulu Cobra Jammer and hopefully an Echo Bravo!) and a box in January.
Definitely hoping to see the Echo Bravo sooner rather than later, but who knows. With the starter... Cobra Zulu Jammer... Helot... We're already seeing more than I anticipated within a quick time frame. Echo Bravo, ORC SWC and ORC character are question marks. The Hollowman SWC box was pretty quick, so that might be a useful indicator. I'm not holding my breath for a separate Kamau box though. I'd suggest we start planning for Combi sculpts now, folks. I have two unbuilt Kamau HMGs who will be getting Combi arms in the near future.
I could see the helot being a surprise November/December release. I think people, CB included, are very excited about them. Kamau box could be held off for awhile as well as ORC. maybe. I could see them giving us ORCs we're unexcited about.
Depending on link team flexibility we may not end up needing more than 1-2 Combi guys. I’ve got my old Hacker sculpt and with the starter including a Combi, I should only need 1 more. Honestly debating picking up the old Combi+LGL sculpt, even though I abhor the old Combi design. It’s an easy arm swap. Hopefully we see a new hacker blister? I’ll need to check how grossly out of scale the old one is when I get home tonight. My hopes for the complete faction release: Kamau: HMG (Beyond Icestorm) Combi, HRL, MSR (Starter) Hacker (Blister) Echo Bravo: Red Fury, Combi+LRL (blister) Helots: Red Fury, MSR, SMR, LRL (box) Zulu Cobras: Spitfire (starter) Jammer, SMR (blister) ORCs: Feuerbach (starter) HMG, Hacker, new profile, new profile (box) Character (blister) That’s a starterbox, 2 boxes, 2 double blisters and 2 single blisters. Not unreasonable and leaves room for new units or a resculpted Cutter!
Realistically, I may do what I did with Acon and just buy two starters. The first one gets built as it is, the second one gets used for conversion fodder. But as you say, if Kamau get mixed linkability, it may not be required. Wildcard would be interesting... Vet Kazak-quality gunfighting at significantly less cost. Though Wildcard for ORCs wouldn't be bad either. Having the durability and raw BS of an ORC HMG or Fuerbach in a cheaper link team wouldn't be bad. TAK are the professional army, with the flexibility of Ariadnan pragmatism. I wonder if Varuna as the Special Forces sectorial will allow for a similar degree of flexibility and pragmatism.
Nice list. The only thing I'd mention is that here, I reckon we'd get HMG, Hacker, boarding shotgun, then either Combi or New Profile (depending on whether new profile requires a different primary weapon or not... We don't know yet.) If the new ORC profile shares the same primary weapon as an existing mini, it may not need its own sculpt. That would let the repackaged ORC blister be discontinued while still providing profile coverage. I think the BSG being redone in the ORC box is a given, especially since it's tied to a Haris option for other PanO forces. With the MULTI Rifle in O:I and the Fuerbach in the Varuna starter, that's complete coverage. @kanluwen No way of knowing about linkability. I never would have expected Jammers, or standard Camo, or Red Furies, or AD Rocket Launchers, or some of the rumors I've heard for the Echo Bravo. Yet here we are.
I fully expect mixed links, as well as very expensive models and profiles. the theme of these recent releases seem to be "Limited Insertion–the sectorial" expect lots of visual mods
Forgot about the ORC BSG even though I just finished painting her! Yeah the BSG is a good fit for the box and hopefully leaves room for a cool new profile (none of that 3 model + Tinbot nonsense!) I actually wouldn’t expect any Wildcard members in Varuna. I would expect fairly regimented options that have inherent flexibility (3 Fusilier 2 Kamau core, 3 ORC 2 Kamau core, etc) rather than flexible composition. Think about it: you are high speed low drag SEAL Team Kamau, and all of a sudden HQ assigns a big loud stompy motherfucker in full on power armor to be in your team?
This is assuming that we don't have Varuna specific options, which was the whole thing they kept twerping about as being why we didn't get the box earlier. You're also forgetting that the MULTI Rifle profile has a Tinbot variant. The currently missing profiles for ORCs: Combi Rifle Combi Rifle(Assault Hacking Device) HMG MULTI Rifle+Tinbot A Boarding Shotgun I'm almost expecting them to just pull the MR+Tinbot profile in November and shovel in whatever shitty Varuna character they're fangasming over with the playtesters as having the Tinbot instead. Ehh...I expected Jammers or something like them to be honest. Once Tunguska got them, I figured it would be open season for them in a pet project Sectorial like Varuna.
To be honest I've never viewed Tinbots as being anything needed a miniature depiction. And given that Tinbots have always been depicted as separate minis or else with tokens, I don't think there's any need for a MULTI Rifle Tinbot ORC to be depicted. As for getting an actual Tinbot mini, my hope is that the mixed feedback about Tinbots in past boxes means CB won't stress too hard about including one for ORCs. It's certainly a possibility though. My hope is that SKU pressure's gonna encourage CB to make the absolute most out of every box that get released, and getting 4 actual ORC minis would fit with that. We can all live without a PanO tinbot mini.
