So I noticed we can no longer take Saito as a specialist. Do we think that’s a glitch or an intended nerf? He still has his specialist profile in Druze.
They finally realized (and could ascertain with gathered ITS data) it was a bad idea to allow the specialist operative option in JSA as it automatically became auto-include in all lists and made normal ninjas obsolete.
He is still in the Profile PDF, which technically trumps everything else. Seems likely to be some army copy paste error from adding Dashat.
Since when anything trumps Army? You're saying if CB updates a profile stats / cost in Army you would still play the profile that's in your book? Not saying Saito is or is not a mistake. Just that nothing trumps Army as it's updated on the fly and the most recent combination of lists / profiles / stats / costs of the units.
Most recent Profile PDF trumps all, that was established several times. Last time I remember was when it wasn't clear if CSUs could DUO because NCA didn't have it on the Fireteam list. Certainly not talking about the physical books. Army is known for having bugs that need a couple weeks or months to get rid off. Doesn't help that the PDFs had their fair share of typos etc as well, but it technically has the last word.
Oh, OK, didn't realize they release PDF sets of profiles. That could work as a proof of intent if Army is bugged, true.
Or not. Army has the correct Maggie profiles they fucked up the PDF ones and gave it the wrong equipment.
Yeah, just today @ijw stated that Army was right and PDF wrong in one of the discrepancy cases. It's not as clear cut.
Just to confuse things Saito actually appears twice in the PDF, once in the JSA section with both specialist and non-specialist options with no restriction, and again in the generic mercs section with the note screenshotted in your post
It would be a pretty piss poor move to bait people with the pre-order of the new Saito mini and then switch him out of JSA (see what I did there with bait and switch ;)
I seriously hope this is a mistake, I always felt bad paying for Saito just for the smoke he just felt like a worse Shinobu that I was forced to downgrade to if I lacked the points and I always ended up regretting it later, but with the specialist upgrade I started loving the unit, he had his own unique place in lists as an upgraded ninja.