Do you know that there's no REM filler available? I haven't seen anything that suggests "filler REMs" can't happen. I think it's possible, perhaps even likely.
Not seen anyone talk about the Son-Bae / Pangulling fireteam options in IA - I've often wondered about using the huge sensor availability in ISS to use smart missiles, but the expense of adding remotes is usually prohibitive. This way there's efficiency savings... And, it casts new light on the recon unit, especially if they're planning to set it up as artillery spotter. Possibly also explains why it is deliberately vulnerable, to balance it against an otherwise powerful combo?
It's hard to talk about right now because the viability of these things is going to come down to exactly which link teams it can go in, which remains unknown. It has been noted though. This isn't the case. Guilangs are already better at this and you don't see this strategy being used much in Vanilla at all. The trick to missile lists is you need sniffer bot networks, or an absolute shitload of super cheap infiltrating camo FOs, like Ariadna Foxtrots etc. IA has a better chance of using the sniffers with 2 Chaiyi, but the Zencha do not fit the bill here.
Pardon me for being temporarily dense. With REM filler, do you mean Dakini-like Remotes? Considering the large gap of skills I think is missing (above all else something to deal with massed camo and something to stave off people armed with sticks and stones), I'm not sure I'd like to see one of the announced troops be a low cost REM. In either case, the damage is done. The purity is broken. Those filthy frail barely armoured humans are already confirmed! The humanity! (But seriously, having a heavily ARMed theme would've been nice, but I guess we'll live with ARM 1 Zhanshis.)
That's a nice thought but if that's the case the zencha is thoroughly mediocre as a spotter with Wip 13. The Son Bae does start at BS 12 though and 18pts isn't a lot if it's bulking out a full core team. Nothing guarantees the linkable options will be armed the same though.
Perhaps a brand new REM unit, but I was thinking about either flash pulse/sniffer or baggage. 8 points is about as cheap as it gets for filler... They would bring Repeater and maybe Sniffer for utility... That seems like a pretty decent filler profile without heavily disrupting a pure heavy infantry link? I may have misunderstood though. My train of thought here is "what filler profiles can be added to a heavy infantry link that doesn't break the HI theme."
Maybe, but I mean, the discussion was about the sectorial and not individual fireteams. Not sure anyone were discussing things like adding Panggos or Son-Bae to Fireteams back when, can't really remember, but at the time the debate was mostly focused on stuff like "how the nine hells are you going to be able to field 2 Guijia if Zuyong are your only numerous order generators!?!?" As for Repeaters... let's wait and see how that obnoxious unknown quality that is the current shortage of Killer Hackers comes along?
I was more thinking of comparing with Ikari, actually, with the Wu-Ming fireteam and ninja FO. And, the climbing camo marker might be able to trace line of sight from a building top, perhaps succeeding in a way that advancing a sniffer up the field isn't as viable. Point taken on the MSV1 Guilang, although with a repeater, I've found they don't always want to gain LoF if there's a hacking vector.
For the sake of speculation here is a list built using army and based around what we know. Things might need to change due to the fact we don't know what the haris profile is going to be and what certain models will cost but this certainly brings some heavy hitting firepower. Yu Jing ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 10 ZÚYǑNG Lieutenant (AutomediKit) HMG / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (1 | 39) ZÚYǑNG Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0 | 29) ZÚYǑNG (Forward Observer) Combi Rifle / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0 | 28) ZÚYǑNG Combi Rifle + 1 TinBot B (Deflector L2) / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0.5 | 30) ZÚYǑNG Combi Rifle + 1 TinBot B (Deflector L2) / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0.5 | 30) YĀN HUǑ 2 Missile Launchers / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 52) SON-BAE Yaókòng Smart Missile Launcher / Electric Pulse. (1.5 | 18) PANGGULING (Minesweeper, Repeater) Electric Pulse. (0 | 8) SHÀNG JÍ Hacker (Assault Hacking Device) Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0.5 | 43) LÙ DUĀN Mk12, Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (0 | 21) 6 SWC | 298 Points Open in Infinity Army Depending on the fire team composition options/limitations the son bae and pangguling can go into one team at least. The main hope is that both teams might be able to have a tinbot in them for protection against hacking. There's a little bit of leeway so the Yan huo could be carrying a multi-HMG if you want. Would be great to have an engineer but this does at least have a few specialists.
After making a list myself, I'm starting to think it would be better to do one 3-man core, one 3-man haris, and maybe a duo if possible.
Oh, yeah, because NOBODY came in and shat all over the idea of using Remotes in IA. lol The threads all still exist for anyone who has the time to waste. All the arguments against including LI and remotes have their owners attached. Flexibility around the definition of HI is one of the only logical outcomes of those conversations. Including both LI and Remotes as options as well is totally expected precisely because they weren't unanimous.
That may be true but I have to admit I like the concept of a full core, haris with a couple of loose pieces to fill out the combat group. (This ought to be where I try and fit in a zencha or Liu xing but I just can't bring myself to want them.) Point cost and link options for our remaining unknown pieces are going to dictate things a bit I fear. I ideal would be a full core, haris and a duo.
Must have been all the Japanese blood covering up the good bits. And no one would have thought or expected "flexibility around the definition of HI" to mean hackable MI.
You see? And suddenly Ariadna's low-tech HI makes sense, they miss on this crucial, defining trait of Heavy Infantry. What's worse, they don't have decent Hackers so they can't even put up Fairy Dust! Ha!
Something had to give. Nobody guessed this specific change, but it is one of the options which should have been obvious. None of the cost control options would have been universally popular, not dropping PH, not dropping ARM and not using cheaper Wounds options.
I think if IA got what were basically Vet Kazaks nobody would be complaining. Shock is so ubiquitous now that that shock immunity actually means something.
