I love Shikami. I feel it's a great model, I love both sculpts, I love getting it up the table, pushing buttons, etc.. However, I almost ALWAYS take the combi profile over the contender, telling myself: I'd rather spend the 2 points for the combi and have the range to get shots off than the contender. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. And I realized I hadn't really figured out exactly what the Nimbus Grenades can do that come with the Contender profile. Sure, I had heard of Nimbus Grenades but I didn't see them used on the table very often hadn't thought much of it until I actually stopped and read what Nimbus Ammo can do: Low Visibility that effects MSV models AND a saturation zone?? Why haven't I been using this profile more?! The lives that could have been saved!! Instantly the value of getting a combi rifle over the utility and a survivability that the nimbus grenades can offer is unquestionable in my mind. What about you guys? Any JSA profiles that don't see the table as often as they should due to underestimating their strength/utility or just out of common ignorance?
I never use any of the bikes anymore. The Daiyokai never sees the table. The Ryuken HRL doesn't get deployed. The Lu Duan has kept his place on the shelf... and I don't believe I've deployed a regular old ninja since the May.... Shikami and Karakuri are great (mission dependent); Keisotsu power up the real ninjas (Saito + oniwabans); ODD Ryuken9 verge on being overpowered (though it could just be my Ariadna heavy meta...); the new Saito profile is a godsend....
I get way more bang for my buck from the Ryuken HRL then I do from the SMG. I'd like to see someone really try to get use out of the Ninja Sniper. THAT has to be the lowest rated profile in the army, and I've always been curious about it.
Shikami are very terrain-dependent, I've found. Bikes take a lot of practice. I'm having a hard time finding a good use for the Daiyokai, I keep reaching for the even bigger beatstick of the O-Yoroi instead. Paging @Daemon of Razgriz to the JSA forums!
@Section9 has summoned me successfully. Unfortunately I'm working right now. But @grampyseer . You shall be enlightened once I get home. There is much wisdom to using the best ninja profile.... That's right. I rate the sniper over the KHD any day of the week.
So i'll be brief. But you WANT to infiltrate the ninja sniper and use it as an active turn sniper. (Not necessarily infiltrate over the half way line.) Which you may think sounds bad. But you position the ninja to hit targets in the back, out of cover. (Or laterally across the horizontal fire lanes of the board.) So you should be on 14s to hit vs their change facing at -6. (Surprise shot mods. No vis mods.) The beauty of the ninja is that you really don't mind being so close to the opponent because of those sweet, sweet CC mods. And it also counters the classic, get close to kill the sniper tactic. Few people wantto walk that close to a ninja. Even a sniper equipped ninja.
That is pretty similar to how I use the Foxtrot sniper. (Foxtrot has no CC skills but rocks mines - and normally you don't want to get laid a good-bye-mine right in the face...) Just to toss my 5 yen in: instead of the traditional South-North you should think in East-West to get the most mileage out of an infiltrating sniper.
I think the single least-used profile is the Kempei Spitfire. Not sure why you'd ever take one, not when you're running a team like this: Japanese Secessionist Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 YURIKO ODA Combi Rifle, Panzerfaust, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23) KEISOTSU HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 17) KEISOTSU Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 17) KEMPEI (Multispectral Visor L2) Shock Marksman Rifle / Pistol, CCW, Electric Pulse. (1 | 25) DOMARU Chain Rifle, E/M Grenades / Pistol, E/M CCW, Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 26) 2.5 SWC | 108 Points Open in Infinity Army You could even bump that up to the Domaru Spitfire, but why bother when you can have the HMG?
Because a BS10+3 HMG one a 1W model with 1ARM and no cube is rather mediocre. If there was a model, I'd try that BS12+3 Spitfire one day. But you're right, the Domaru would be the more reliable pick.
Well, there is a quick proxy for the Kempei Spitfire, the old Raiden Spitfire model. Though I have a Kempei I converted into a Raiden way back in the day, so I technically already have a Kepei Spitfire model.
The Nimbus Grenades on a Shikami are great for dealing with links. I think the Shikami is pretty good tbh, it's more for objectives though. If it grabs an objective, I think it's a real pain to shift.
It's funny, I was putting a list together and started weighing pros and cons on the Keisotsu HMG vs the Kempei Spitfire. The big benefit is the jump from BS10 to BS12. 8-16" is +3 on the Spit vs 0 for HMG, 16-24" same for both (+3), and then the Spit takes a big hit at -3 while the HMG stays at +3 to 32" Since the HMG is the usual "first contact" weapon, it's pretty common to be outside of 24". The benefits start to show inside of 24". I think I just convinced myself that the HMG is still the better choice. Maybe the Kempei Spit for Number 2 choice in a link? Although the MSV2 SMR Kempei is so bloody good too.
That's why I'm saying it's a problem. The MSV2 Sharksman rifle is still only +3 to 24", but is B3, has a longer -3 range than the Spitfire and gives you MSV2. I'd argue that the MSV2 makes up for the lower burst, especially against TO camo or Smoke. So why would you ever put the Kempeitai Spitfire on the table? Under what situation(s) is it worth taking, when you could instead take a Domaru Spitfire in the link team?
I'm pretty sure this is the main reason that profile exists, the SMMR just seems like the better choice either solo or for a Fireteam.
My answer? Never really. As mentioned the Keisotsu HMG is a much more attractive option despite the lower BS. Then you can use the MSV2+Shock Marksman Rifle as a fall back or dealing with camo units.
