Do you think the addition of strong MSV2 sniper models to cheap core linkteams was a good decision from a game designer perspective? Its half a year now since the Kamau and HaiDao are available, so we all should have played with or against such a linkteam. Try not to argue too much from a factions standpoint but rather from a perspective of how that changed the game. Feel free to express your thoughts about your decision in the thread below.
I'd lump the MSV2 Khawarij to that list too. He's just as egregious an offender and worse his link can supply their own smoke via Ghulam. I'm glad only the 'multirifle Aquila' can join links, cause he sure didnt need any more bonuses. MSV2 has no business in cheap mixed links. Unless it's the junk troops carrying it. (Points to Brawlers) the elite killers dont need to be made even better. The msv2 should be an incentive to take a link of those good but expensive troops, not just cherry pick the best one into a squad of easily replaceable mooks.
I think giving armies without smoke the abillity to effectively aro vs armies that trivially put down smoke was a good idea yes
This is a good point. MSV 2 in cheap links isn’t just given to any army, they have clearly been given to a few armies that have definitive weaknesses.
I'd like to see a third option, "it depends". I choose "no", but mostly because the current lineup is pretty uneven, often overly complex and counterintuitive. Additionally, what strong linkable units with MSV2 actually block, is the brute force approach. You can't simply force your way through a unit with MSV2+, good BS, SSL2, maybe Mimetism or NWI, and a decent weapon. You need to use actual tactics - sneak around, eliminate weaker links in the team, whittle the threat down.
Every army has available counters to MSV2 snipers. Most players just haven't learned to employ them yet. A year ago, MSV2 was considered by many to be overpriced.
Exactly. Swings and roundabouts. New thing comes along, “it’s the end of the game!” Time passes, people adapt, etc.
Couldn't agree more. Every army has answers to the linked MSV sniper – forcing players to think a little harder is never a bad thing
"Totally fair and balanced" insist the PanO players haha. What a shock! Guess we will see you two playing CHA into VIRD at up coming major tournaments then. Show us how it's done ;)
Easy. Two Caterans, Scot Guard missile coordinating with Wallace every turn (that's an Australia special btw, no credit to me.) Uxia suicide run. Work a Cameronian up the table. Or all of the above. The coordinated order is something every army can do. Coordinate 3-4 guns with decent ammo types and get it done, even vs a Kamau.
Lol and i know who came up with the idea haha. Personally I was more a proponent of other techniques, but cant argue with his idea ;)
Lol Oh sorry it really is that easy though? Silly me. Tell you what maybe @barakiel can send me a selfie with his satellite winners trophy playing into VIRD top table with those strats to remind me of my shame. And if you like you can play your CHA into me playing VIRD this week to demonstate how easy it is? Should be trivial since I've literally never played VIRD and its so easy anyway. Loser admits they're wrong and buys beer. Actually, or how about CHA for inter then?!?! Brilliant!!! Lol
MSV2 in fireteams is ok, it just shouldn't be a matter of padding out a fireteam with Fusiliers to support a Kamau. And actually I daresay the problem is the combination of Mimetism + MSV 2.
I opted to leave out that option because "it depends" is the answer to everything. I wanted to force a decision and hopefully some thoughts and discussion. I for myself voted "No", because I have the opinion this kind of linkteam is too dominant for its costs. I mean its never bad. Yes, some armies have reasonable priced options, in both point costs and orders, to mitigate the strength of these linkteams, but many armies sometimes need to build their lists around these kind of enemies or need to avoid them completly. Which is, depending on table setup, not always possible. I voted "No", because there is no skill involved in forcing your opponent to play around your linkteam. So I ultimately I find it kind of boring to field such link. You can argue that this is my personal problem, but if many people feel the same, this would be bad from a game-design perspective. This is why I put up the poll. If no one feels like this, then its fine and I have to cope with it.
Yeah MSV2 links have been a thing for a while, the Mimetic MSV2 core link is new though and probably a bit much. On the other hand though I'm also in the Dakinis are borderline stupid camp too so take what you will from that.
I'd agree with that, too, to a limited extent. They're both math-breaking fireteams; one subtle difference with the Dakinis is they don't have pistols and so you can win FtF rolls if you get close, and can be hacked, and are generally overshadowed by the midfield camo crew that OSS brings to the table.
Dakinis don't have MSV2 (unless we count Devas), can't go prone, they're in general easier to bypass than Kamau sniper. They're outright nasty when supported by Apsara and/or support hacker, but still, they don't provoke as much protest as the Kamau does. There are more units that fall into this category and don't show up in complains. Devas can have a linkable MSV2 as well. Djanbazans were out there for ages. Even Haidao isn't as problematic. Kamau is the main problem, because - as @zapp said - it's so easy to block a fire lane with one. Granted, we could always do so with a TR remote, but those are much less of a toolbox, have obvious vulnerabilities there to exploit, and their deployment requires more thought. But, again, it can be played around. Flanking, AD, Coordinated Orders - the tools are out there, for those willing to use something other than brute force.
