Your points are all valid. Now go and compare him to Diomedes, for example, who costs the same, but has worse stats, a worse CC weapon, no immunity AND theoretically has a discount for frenzy. The problem isn't that the model is broken, he isn't. None of the O-12 profiles shown so far are really broken. But they are optimized to the balls, they look and feel better than equivalents in other factions, they get better stats, better gear all for trading out one or two things they won't use anyways (like Cuervo not having DTWs or a long/mid range weapon. He won't need those). This is annoying. I've said this before and I will say it again: I don't agree with the notion of power creep in this game. But there is a blatant and clear display of favoritism in the way they handle new releases, in the way they seem to take more time working on profiles for some factions and less for others. This is disheartening if you feel your faction is getting less love than others.
I find him meh at best. In comparison, I prefer Diomedes or Raoul because they don't live by their CC skills. Goldstein is expensive as hell and don't pack enough punch in firefights to be really interesting. I would even rate Singh higher than him because at least, Singh packs some interesting things and is a specialist.
Yeah, I think with Haqq's Nahab they screwed up more. Because they have stats of a Character without beeing Characters and Vanilla can take 2, RTF even 3 of those dudes. So Haqq has a whole army full of Raouls. Cuervo is really good, but also really expensive.
Diomedes has a MK12, Nanopulser, and assault pistol, that's 9 points worth of guns over a BSG, it also makes him hugely flexible in where he lands as he can reach out and touch someone at much longer ranges than your average 0 SWC drop trooper.
And here's the problem right here. You "don't agree with the notion of power creep in this game"...BUT THIS IS LITERALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED EVERY TIME THEY SHIFT A DESIGN MENTALITY! When we saw the first 'mixed link teams', I got flak for saying that it was going to be the 'lazy go to' for the future. When we saw the first SMG/BSG Specialists, same thing. It's not a question of 'favoritism'. It's that they don't ever go back and revise older items unless they need to flog models. The sooner you understand this, the better off you'll be.
Because he matches an Oniwaban in CC while using a very cheap and highly-optimised pseudo-second-wound that doesn't result in him being hackable. This, like most things over the past year, reduces YJ players to a frothing rage, since they're the only ones who have received absolutely no benefits- and indeed, several outright downsides- from the new design paradigms. However, I still think that O-12 might still come out balanced if they really are the one full Vanilla faction where Camo Markers and Mines aren't easy to get. Those two things, the first especially, essentially define the course of Infinity play in about half of all games I play, and lacking them is a serious downside on par with IA's Hacking and E/M vulnerability. If he gets into base contact with something, it dies. O-12 seems to have enough trouble with defensive firepower at the moment that a TAG or high-end HI HMG is a real threat, so being able to pick a guy and wreck his face could be key to ensuring your army survives until the next turn. Not to mention being a drop-trooper with 2W or NWI lets you drop in LoS of one enemy with a light weapon and be certain of survival, which is a big deal for AD. If an enemy's relying on one Rifle to guard a board edge Goldstein can take it down and clear the way for a Delta with a bigger gun, or completely butcher an underdefended LT relying on its own gun.
Cuervo is a worse (or an equal) Raoul in my opinion, no reason for panic. MA4 + monofilament may seem scary but over Raoul's kit it is an overkill plus it is harder for a drop troop to get into a CC with a juicy target - unless opponent is way too careless and does not cover his six. His only (and pretty significant, granted) edge is essentially second wound that lets him tank mines and not be scared of smgs. If you pilot Raoul well you can squeeze WAY more from his 33 points due to drop bears - Cuervo is less scary to simple fireteams while Raoul can decimate a full 5-man link with creative mine placement. Now Omega, thats a power creep personified, no fat on that bad boy. Balanced game!
I'm really liking the Omega. I can see myself taking this guy as a hammer piece pretty frequently. The Beta is alright – I struggle to find a place for him when he's up against units like the Epsilon and the Omega. All this really means is I'm probably going to take the Gamma less. Jose cuervo is alright. CC drop monster with 2 wounds. That's fun and all but very expensive for a guy who has to make it into CC or you're wasting your points. No smoke or Eclipse means he kind of relies on another engine to work properly. I like him. I'll certainly try him. IMO if I were to reach for a ~40 point CC monster do I take him or Hippolyta? Probably him.....
With all the flashpulses and E/M templates (not talking of the Jammers) we have now, I don't think that he is going to have a good time walking in. When you face O-12, you know that this guy can come in and you just have to get your back covered. He's just as good as an Akal BSG at distance for twice the price. And he has nothing to make a good use of this NWI excepted to drop in face of you. Wow! No DTW means he has to make his whole path through FtF. I play PanO enough to know how this can end. Liu Xing can do this trick better and don't even fear Viral like Goldstein does.
I think the Liu Xing comparison is pretty apt - having a tough troop be able to drop in certainally hasn't broken the meta, and that guy can take a god damn spitfire. Poeple are overly worrying about the CC I feel, but a Speculo can do the same job (remove a single big dude) better IMO. Stealth is admittedly nice, and will make this guy much more playable in comparison, but still.
To be honest the Beta trooper is probably the most interesting profile of the three for me. 6-2 move with climbing plus is going to make him absolutely golden for getting to objectives, and 2 nanopulsers and a multi rifle make him terrifying at close range.
Oh yeah thats a nice profile but I think he is waiting for his ball-busting HI 5-man core ala Hollow Men
