Mech Deployment is literally the difference (and lacking Cubes). You don't have to spend orders to have them start up the table. If it takes a Ghulam 1-3 orders to get up the table from deployment, that's you having paid 3 points to save yourself 1-3 orders to get to the same spot and do it without risking AROs. Is that not enough for you?
Yeah, Mech Deploy is very useful, especially now that you have a 17" circle to deploy in. In N2, all your Mech Deploy troops had to be within a round blast template of each other! I just find it interesting that the mechanized infantry Halqa models have backpacks, while the leg infantry Ghulam do not have backpacks. That's backwards to US practice, mechanized infantry usually leave their packs in the transport while leg infantry carry everything with them all the time.
Halqa will get a redo, probably with Forward Deployment L2 is my expectation, and slightly increased stats and cost. Basically becoming an elite assault LI team, similar to Marauders maybe.
As I said, for 3 points it seems steep. While it's true you're further up the board, it also means that your opponent doesn't need to advance as far to get you. Infiltration works on models with a marker state, since being a marker makes it harder to just shoot them, something the Halqa lack. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. So just to be clear, I think Mech Deployment is currently used by one model in PanO, the Peacemaker REM, I don't know why it's still around. (Yes, I can see the Halqa profile, but without available models I don't really consider them to be an active part of the game).
Priceless in missions where you have to control zones. They do that with only one order or even none. Prone on a building they are quite safe and if something makes it to them...they have shotguns. In other missions they can play third turn button pushers. The doc is a sanctuary for Tarik and sits on the opposite flank of the Tuareg, which lets you decide after deployment where you wanna go with Tarik. A flanking Hmg on a rooftop is also a pain for the opponent. The Lgl starts in good range of a big chunk of the board. So Id say, yes there are plenty of uses for them.
Halqa is the first Mech dep unit of the game. Peacemakers and old Montesas came after him during HSN2 (and made Haqq and YJ cry a lot at that time). In N2, Halqa was seen as one of the most OP unit in seasons that emphasised a lot on specialists and orders. It was a time where NCA was laughed at with all the WIP 12-13 specialists beginning in the DZ while everyone could have specialists just next to half of the 5+ objectives each scenario could contain. So, now Halqa might be seen a bit old but you should know there was a time where they were golden. And they still are in any scenario that promote Specialists spam like we had in ITS6 or 7.
1ed Ghulam sculpts didn't had backpacks. 2ed and 3ed Ghulam do have them. Light Infantry is anything but "light" ;) Halqa were stylistically closer to 2ed Ghulam sculpts IMO. As for tactical doctrine - well, if you expect to be close to yor assigned APC/ IFV, then certainly disembarking without your pack makes you lighter, more mobile and more comfortable. But if you need to carry extra stuff - and in MOUT you usually do - there are few better solutions than a backpack. Also, in MOUT, I'd expect getting separated from your transport vehicle to be a non-zero chance. Another reason to have your pack with extra stuff with you. Also, the packs the Ghulam & Halqa carry seem to be in the 15-20 liter range, so daypack / assault pack sized. The stuff you'd take to have spare ammo (inc. some MG belt for the SAW, if that's the way your squad rolls), grenades, breaching equipment, water bladder etc with you. Keep in mind they look to be very lightly kitted by modern-day standards: Halqa carry only a tigh holster, a tigh pouch on the other leg, and a small belt pouch (on the male model only as far as I can see). Yup, I'd be carrying that kind of a backpack into MOUT, though it'd be secondary to a rigging (balllistic vest, most likely, though I'm usually a fan of low-profile chest-rig setups myself) of course (side note: beltkits don't work well in urban environment: they make you wide on oyur hips, and this in turn impedes your movement through tight spots... or doorframes. Both of which tend to be aplenty in MOUT).
The French also have a much deployment unit, zouaves. And of course vanilla Ariadna has them, too. A friend of mine used halqas to hide his infiltrated and holoed yasbir. the trick did work on me. But in the end it did him no good, though, as my CRAP SAS accidentally murdered the real yasbir from behind with his assault pistol...
Not really. Why would anyone want their cheerleaders in a spot them makes them easy to reach and kill? I'd rather save those points by using Ghulam and remotes and use them on a Hawwa or a Tuareg. And if I wanted speed bumps I'd use Daylami. Half the cost for a Panzerfaust. I like Halqa models and they are a fun unit in theory. But it looks like their time was in N2. But now they seem like a good way for a Bandit to get his hands on a Rifle + LSG or an HMG. Yes, it's faster than moving Ghulam up the board... But why would anyone move the Ghulam in the first place.
Because the Halqa are not primary cheerleaders, those would be the Ghulam or other really cheap troops. Halqa are more akin to a Zero specialist or kamikaze than an alguacile.
I think anyone that has played enough TTMGs would acknowledge the value one gets by having their troops further up the board. From Gameworkshop to privateer press I've had models move to the middle of the board to lock down a area. In these games was I fielding heavy infantry with cannons o'doom wheedling the legendary Excalibur and enough stats to make an accountant grab another cup of coffee? Hell no! They were light infantry with pew pews. You know what those pew pews did? they gave me breathing room! And, because of those pew pews halfway up the board I was able to win most if not every game I've played minus one person who never rolled below a 5 on every. single. dice. roll...These are my personal experiences and I've learned to like the advantages I gain from fielding them. But again, I'm not here to debate Halqa value within Haqqislam or other factions. If that was my question I would have asked that. I'm here to bring awareness about the lack of a metal miniature unit hoping a CB staff member may see this. That is all. :)
Except Zeros have camouflage and mines as well as true Infiltration, while Halqa are asking to have their heads bashed in by one.
That Zero or Bandit is going to have a hard time getting onto that rooftop. It will be coverd at least by one ARO piece and if there are several Halqa up there, I am going to put a Farzans Mine up on that roof. Also keep in mind, that there might be no ladder or stairs on your side of the building and it could also be quite high with multiple stories. That would be quite a big investment to get to some Halqa. They know already, its not the first time we are talking about them. And they will take quite a while to be resculpted. Bostria said something like this the last time the topic of Khanate units came up, because RTF is next in line and they havent touched the Khanate yet.
All those resources could be spent on something more productive than protecting a Halqa you know. And if it's a Doctor Halqa (which seems to be the best profile), he'll want to leave that rooftop and expose himself to beefier or Camo'd midfield troops. Not really making a case for them instead of several Ghulam in the back and points saved that way spent on a Hawwa or above mentioned Farzan. The difference between a Hawwa hacker and a Halqa hacker is 3pts, which is incidentally the same difference as between a Halqa and a Ghulam.
All those ressources are going to be spent anyway in most missions. A Minlayer Farzan, Panzerfaust Daylami and a Djan Sniper are staples of my listbuilding. Sometimes I forego the Djan or the Farzan but I always have a load of Daylami and its easy to deploy them in way, where two of them can cover that roof and something else. And especially when I play with Tarik, I am going to cover a rooftop anyway and since I want a Doctor upfield for him, so its going to be the roof with the Halqa mostly. Usually I have a FO with him, to be a kind of bodyguard and for last turn objective duty and at that time, the midfield should have been cleared. I rarely use the Doc for that, only if I have to. Also like I mentioned earlier, that HMG can be quite a headache. Think of Frontline or Supremacy etc. where you want to park your models in the central or far zone. That HMG has a good chance to deny your dudes cover. Granted, this is the most table dependant profile, because on a shitty table that doesnt use the height appropriately, he might not be able to stand up and shoot without facing multiple AROs from your DZ. In genral for Halqa, if there is no spot where they cannot be spotted from higher buildings, they are also screwed. But on an average table they are quite nice. In the end it comes down to preferences, because Haqq has such a plethora of options. But Halqas are definitely not a bad choice...well except for the Hacker, because that guy is an easy target for KHDs.
