Oh I have but still it’s not easy in any way. I’ve given up on Shaolin. I think I got the into CC about 4 times in the last few years. Ninja a couple times but not as much as I should have. Sometimes I really want to do it but most of the time it was just better to shoot.
In terms of pure odds the Ninja is almost always better off using CCW than their combi rifle. Even more so against enemies with higher BS (nearly everyone) or visual modifiers. This will often take more orders, but the effect of having CC>20 is much more significant than most people's gut feeling.
That might be true but most of the time I need him to just stay put and push a button or something. Why risk CC if you don't need to? More than happy to try and use it in Decapitation.
@Space Ranger I think JSA is where you want to be. CC happens at least once a game of most of the lists I'd run (shinobu/oni, saito, yojimbo). The cc 23-25 makes it worthwhile. Shaolin are more deterrent CC units than units you actively get into CC. and unfortunately I think Hulang also fits into this category in that it is very dangerous to high cost models, but needs them to over extend to apply that.
Yes, CC in N2 was utterly pointless. Wasn't lethal enough to make spending the orders to get there worth it, it was always more order-efficient to shoot, unless your choice was to shoot the Avatar w a combi or CC it with a monoCCW and you only needed to spend 1 order to get into B2B. N3 close combat is much better balanced, but still shows signs of it's 'everyone wearing full plate and swinging swords at each other' origins from the Pendragon RPG.
SP are probably one of the easiest opponents to get in close to and the Monks and Ninjas marginally outfight most of the models in CC.