There are indicators that the VIRD versions definitely function like NCOs (the real version, not the in-game rule) for the different units that compose Blue Sea and VIRD. The language sounds like it might include Stealth and obviously Aquatic or maybe Jungle terrain. Stealth is actually pretty great in a mixed link. It opens up some possibilities, especially if you need an aggressive datatracker but don't want to rely on VIRD's abundance of 1-Wound or Camo minis.
I think the role of ORCs is less "is this unit good on paper" and more "is this unit good relative to everything else in my list." An ORC Fuerbach may not be great on paper, but having that durable hard-hitter to help anchor the rest of your fragile, 1 Wound VIRD force might be excellent.
Honestly, I think this is the real discussion about Orcs. They're a great unit, I like them, they can be very effective. They're a super simple cheap beat stick. BS14, ARM4, BTS 3, 2W is pretty much everything I need in an HI unit. (What I want is something else) Boarding shotgun, MULTI Rifle, HMG are the weapon load outs I want on an HI beat stick. Add in HMG LT and MULTI LT if I want an aggresive LT. What has happened to Orcs is that they've changed over time by not changing at all. With yet another points drop to various HI Knights in PanO it becomes harder and harder to justify taking an Orc instead of a Hospitaller, Magister, or a Swiss. They're also probably a bit boring for forumites to discuss because we understand the game very well, so there's an urge to change the Orc and make it sexy again. I also wonder if CB is will to make any changes to the basic 40 pt MULTI Rifle profile. Right now I think that profile is the "Gold Standard" by which all the other HI are evaluated against. Not because it's the best, clearly there are other, better profiles, but rather because it's been so unchanging and basic. It makes it very easy to see exactly what being an HI costs. Then you add or subtract things to get all the other HI profiles. Similar to how the 10 pt Combi rifle Fusilier is likely the "Gold Standard" for LI units. Adding skills, even V: Courage, would make it no longer the standard.
If the HMG Orc gets Combat Sense and Pat Garret gets any weapon that is not a Combi, suddenly i will lose interest in the Feuerbach Orc and HMG Kamau really fast, or at least deciding the Core composition wont be as straight forward. Even for how costly the Orc´s are that is something i can get behind.
Combat Sense/Tac Sense would definitely be a good nudge for the HMG ORC. I kind of have my doubts... VIRD has already gotten more than I had even hoped for, from a design standpoint. ORC HMG w/ Tact Sense: 2 Orders, 2 Wounds @ 22 points each, BS17 HMG. 2 Kamau HMG: 2 Orders, 2 Wounds, 2 bodies @ 28 points each, BS16 Mimetism HMG. That's very comparable.
Expanding to 10+ orders in a combat group/ LI, there is good value for money there even if you loose mimetic. Also we didnt got any CoC whatsoever in a moment that they are gibing it up like candy. I´m not even expecting a Lt. L2, specially with the Camo Lt. we got, but a CoC and some way of expanding the order pool to 11/12 can turn the dial to eleven here (not asking to 16 orders like i read in YJ forum) Dont know how probable is this to happen, but dont think is THAT MUCH over the top.
I expect an ORC HMG with tactical sense, hell, even the Morat guy got it. There has to be some leverage to take him. Especially with the way CB is pushing more elite, smaller forces.
I dunno about Chain of Command for us, but NCO and Tac Sense would both be good for giving Patsy and an ORC buddy some appeal. 12 Orders for a Combat Group in exchange for taking two ORCs is pretty solid.
Do I really need to have a discussion as to why Stealth doesn't really function in a mixed link again already? Check out the rules forums.
...Perhaps? Which part... The article with the placeholders, or perhaps a previous discussion? It sounds like you have a perspective to share. Edit: I think I found it: https://forum.corvusbelli.com/threads/mixed-links-stealth-into-melee.25608/ The perspective seems to be that Stealth denies AROs. But if an ARO is triggered regardless (say, by a non-Stealth member of the link) than the ARO can be declared regardless, and Stealth doesn't grant "immunity" or target exemption from the ARO? Is that the drift?
That's certainly a perspective. But it's not one which is universally agreed. I'd certainly want to check what the TO has to say prior to assuming that was going to be the ruling in any event I was playing with a mixed Fireteam.
Yeah, it's certainly a perspective, but not one that's universally practiced. My first ITS with VIRD will have Trans Matrix, so I'll probably start a dialog about it just to be sure.
Of all the missions where it will matter, that one would be the most likely. But, to be fair, it can come up any time especially as different metas seem to be waking up to the significance of Sensor and Sniffer Remotes, increasing the presence of repeaters on tables where they might not have been so present in the past. ... I'm not sure the ORC HMG with Tactical Sense is that competitive, after all it's a fairly marginal reduction in cost alongside a fairly significant falloff in combat effectiveness. It is tougher against unfortunate Crits, however.
Feel free to necro the most recent thread on it. It's not that old. The majority of Oceanic metas play that way.
New information from the Spanish podcast Ora Critika. CB gave them a 3rd Offensive book beforehand and they explained the Sectorial chart linkability. Hellois was live in the podcast as they recorded this but, as always, take all the info with a grain of salt: VIRD - Special Core of up to 2 Orc troops and up to 3 Fusiliers. - Same Special Cores as above with Kamau instead of Orcs. - Kamaus are wildcards now. - Patsy Garnett wildcard NCO (has the new NCO rule and NCO order is spent as a regular order, so can be used in fireteams). - Bipandra counts as a Fusilier for fireteam compositions. - There's a special machinist profile (assume it's simillar as SAA's one) witch can be part of any Core or Haris Kamau Fireteams. - There's a special clipper SML wildcard profile. - Squalo has Zapper (it's unknow which profile will get it). MO - Magisters no longer links with Hospitalliers. - Magisters now count as Teutons for linking purposes - DeFersen still counts as a Hospitallier for linking purposes. - Konstantinos still counts as an OS for linking purposes (non Infiltrator profile). - Santiagos are now Wildcards. - Hospitalliers have a new "Crusade" special fireteam: Joan + any number of hospitalliers (and Santiagos because wildcards). - Joan can be part of any Fireteam: Duo in the sectorial. - Up to one OS can be part of a core link of Teutons or Hospitalliers except in the Crusade link - Albedo Dominico profile can be part of a core Order Sergeants link. - Up to 3 Father Knights can be part of a core Order Sergeants link. - There's a new Montesa Tikbalag profile that can be included in MO (pressumed w/o mines and AP HMG). The current Tik profile can't be included. - There's a new Seraph profile w/o Auxbot. - It's confirmed that Fusilliers no longer are in the sectorial.
