All we really know is that the sculpting has begun. No ETA yet, but I'd expect them this year at least.
I've been waiting ever since VIRD was announced. Still surprised at how long CB has held them back sine you'd think they'd be one of the most wanted purchases for the sectorial/faction.
Well that is good news at least. I shocked that they weren't even sculpted yet but lets hope that it is worth the long wait.
This is why I think they have come out with too much too soon. And now they are coming out with a new faction? How about they do the figs that have have had profiles for years abut have only one old one! Of course I want a new shang ji, unfortunately i'll probably never use it because he's very meh. But still! They also haven't done a Hulang. It's not like Yu Jing got many new things.They are still no where near what they once had.
@Space Ranger I agree with this logic. I think the releasing of a new 2-player box set every year is not the way to go. Focus more on a sectorial (USAriadna, Spiral Corps) if you must release a box set. But now that we have 2-player sets featuring (PanO+Nomads, Yu Jing+Haqqislam, Ariadna+Aleph, O-12+Combined) I see no new Operation boxes coming out in the next few years. Unless CB has something else in mind. I too wish CB would make/release duo blisters & boxes for all of these older loadouts/units. At least have the sculpts & molds made so it can re-release them in a simple manner whenever they feel that their suffering form SKU bloat.
I’m generally concerned, that Army and 2 player box sets becoming the new status quo. Since the release of the JSA Army pack no one of the new would-be starter packs or units exclusive to the new sets has been released as an individual set and with the astonishing speed of new redesigns of old sectorials and new once, CB could spend the next 1-2 years without releasing new sections and spend this time releasing everything introduced until now.
Shasvaastii being a sectorial opens up a lot of new territory for double starter boxes, and with the new design terrain, token sets, bases and enormous popularity of those boxes (& profitable with it I assume). I would certainly expect more of those in years to come. You are dead right about the excess of mercs in the vanilla factions blandifying the game (we have entire merc factions now, come on limit that stuff its been at least 3? seasons of cumulative additions) but dammit Space Ranger IA brought in like 6 new ISC units and 2 new characters thats approximately 8 new things and some of those new things came with new rules what did you even want
I agree that I think CB is releasing things too quickly. I think they were better served when they were doing Operation:whaever boxes every 2 years, maybe with a 300pt Army box in the off year.
I agree with all of you as I forgot about how CB could just choose two sectorials to create a new Operation box every single year. They could very well make a new box every year for the next decade. But as Section9 stated it would be better for CB to just release 1 box per two years instead. I don't see why CB can't focus on reviving the old, now, OOP sectorials with the speed they seem to be utilizing these days. I just hope that the new decade brings good things for all faction involved in this game. Especially the Tohaa who seem to be put on life support for the time being.
The thing is, CB is now competing with itself! This is not a time (I think) were people can buy everything they put out. We are going to pick and choose. This can be bad for them because we can’t buy everything they produce. They spend the money on production but beyond the ability of people to buy it. And not everyone will proxy. For me it’s a must if I want to play anything but for some that I know, they won’t play it if there’s not a figure. Which is a bit of a Catch 22 for CB. If they put out a bad profile and make a figure, it might not sell. Personally I can’t afford to buy a figure just because it looks good. I’d have one of everything then! I’m curious as to how many people put their money not say Spiral Core, or Varuna, or Dahsahat but now can’t afford to buy the new Shasvastii or O-12 even thought they really want it. Out of how much did we loose? I’m not thinking just of IA but all of YJ. YJ gained some new stuff but I feel out of all of them, only 2-3 of the new ones are really good, the rest meh. And one of good ones is the Liberto! They did add some new good rules to existing troops like Tac Awareness but that’s were it stopped. i think we will be lucky to see the Hulang or Shang Ji within a year. Mainly because they are not going to come out with something nobody takes, and then it is also competing with all of the new stuff coming out. I’m willing to bet O-12 will have everything in it’s sectoral before any of those come out. And the Hulang is only AVA1 or 2! In 2 Armies even! Notice they came out with both versions of the Daoying right away? They knew we’d love it and needed it. And the figure is only ok. I personally feel a figure that has a great profile, will always out sell one that’s ok but a fantastic figure. Edit: I should amend that Lt.2 is also good but not YJ exclusive. This is why the Daoying is also one of the good ones. Along with, in my opinion, the Mowang, and Haidao. Zhencha is close 2nd, Liu Xing and Hulang are meh. Tai Sheng fantastic and Krit is meh. If they had kept Mercenaries as Irregular in Vanilla, it wouldn’t be so bad. Even then I’d still always take the Liberto and probably Lunah. But they need to start moving some of them to NA2.
Really makes you wonder why they make a Hacker version of everything first. From what I've seen Hackers are the absolute least desirable variety of specialist due how expensive and vulnerable it makes them, but nearly everything with both a Hacker profile and sculpts has its hacker made while key SWC weapons or desirable Forward Observers are missing.
I can't tell you why. Because they know it wont sell if they came out with the other version first. Lets say they came out with the FO version of Zhencha first. Then actually came out with the Hacker after that, would you get it? Besides, they know people are going to proxy the hacker as a non-hacker.
While possible, certainly, there's a good reason to make hackers clearly distinguishable on the table: namely, they can be hacked and can hack, but otherwise their kit is usually pretty plain. It provides an obvious visual reminder, which helps with gameplay in reducing gotcha moments.
I agree with all fo this. While there is and have been models that I'd like to buy for conversion work the constant high amount of releases makes it that there is always a "wishlist backlog". Models I'd like to buy but being unable to due to price plus a newer sculpt always seemingly appearing out of nowhere. This is a hobby where you bide your time waiting to pounce on a good deal or release that you really like. Still it does seem that CB has shifted into overdrive and it is hard to keep up. Best to take it slow and focus on what purchases are more important to your projects, forces or fancy.
