On the race angle, it's important to remember that the Human Sphere has 300 years of interstellar colonisation affecting its demographics. From what I remember, Acontecimento is predominantly Indian and Brazilian, Varuna was settled by many different Pacific Island cultures and Neoterra got much of the immigration from Europe. I can't remember what Sval was ethnically. There actually aren't too many visibly caucasian people in PanO's army, but that may have a lot to do with the lack of exposed skin- we've got a ton of helmets in PanO, something I am thankful for as a rather poor painter. I'm pretty sure Rao and Singh were supposed to be Indian anyway (Infinity's art style makes it hard to tell what ethnicity people are), where they come up short is in their profiles. I do like that suggestion to upgrade poor Singh to Superior Combat Jump.
Ok my opinion on MO is rather obvious and known but lets start with some things that I think even @daboarder would agree with: Cleanup Order Sergeants. Srsly those guys are prime example and dumbster history of various stages MO was in. While it's obvious that you should not take Auxbot (under N3 rules) in link teams there no reason why HD is excluded from linking (except for a big "screw you" sign). Similar thing goes for MSV2 spitfire, it's cost and whole reason to exist in a sectorial with Black Friar MR/MSR and Konstantinos. Cleanup Konstantinos ? Right now with Santiagos and Black Friar joining OS links he seems as not that usefull element. His infiltrating version must compete against really aggresively priced TOFOOS so it's not a spectacular choice either. Go on with making various orders more distinct/different from each other. And now my own thing: Fix the Teutons or just kill them.
Singh reworked into Superior CJ CC specialist. Weapons update. Rao reworked to incorporate two different concepts: linkable commander with Lt/CoC options, and unlinkable stalker with FD2. Weapons update. While both Akalis and Crusaders are perfectly fine, they're also almost a copy of each other. I'd like to see them made more different. Montesa having a Spitfire/Red Fury option would be great, but simply because it'd make the awesome Acon starter mini usable. The unit is fine otherwise. MSV and hacker Sergeants being linkable. Konstantinos having something to do. Black Friar MSR being simply reworked into something else. We don't really need another MSV2 sniper, but could use another toolbox. Maybe an infowar specialist to support his more combat-oriented brother? Santiagos getting their shotgun back. Honestly, this change was completely unwarranted. Father-Knights getting an actual raison d'etre. They look like a perfect secondary combat commander unit. I'd give them Number 2, some Tactical Awareness options, Lieutenant upgrade into Lt2, and Wildcard. Also, weapon upgrade. Elite Combi loadouts must die. Teutons were discussed ad nauseam. They simply have almost no niche for themselves. They should be a HI warband, with SMGs, Heavy Flamethrowers, Vulcan Shotguns and Eclipse Grenades, EXP CCWs for all. No long range weapons, just a world of hurt for anyone within 8" Hospitallers: just allow them to link with Magisters again, so that player has a choice between CQB-oriented Teuton/Magister link, or more general Hospitaller/Magister one. Sepulchre weapon loadouts unification. No Combis for elite HIs. De Fersen needs different hacking device options (or AHD needs some upgrade). More Auxbot types in general, and for Auxilia in particular. Auxbots were PanO signature units, our way of having access to large DTWs, and a balancing act against not having standard warbands. There's a shitload of ideas for those. Recon Auxbot. SWAT Auxbot. Sniper Auxbot. We should see them given to a larger number of units, and Auxilia should have access to the whole roster. Aquila should finally get some Command&Control skills (Lt.2? Tactical Awareness? Strategos?) and maybe that damned Panzerfaust :P
Funny interesting stuff. Especially this "stalker" appraoch. Just even simple thing as Superior Combat Jump and something else than crazy expensive and not that usefull on AD trooper as CoC skill. <3 Cool idea, but we already have Fersen/Santiago KHD problem ;/ (by problem I mean that Santiago KHD+Tinbot is soo good/cheap that it puts investment into Fersern really questionable) Though a toolbox is an great idea (MSR+Minelayer so that MO can have some mines but cannot spam it?)
I've had this idea for a long time. I doubt we'll see anything like it, but one can dream, eh? BS 13, PH 12, Multiterrain, Stealth Combi Rifle+LFT (Lt., Wildcard) Combi Rifle+LFT (CoC, Wildcard) Combi Rifle+LFT (FDL2) Vulcan Shotgun (FDL2) This. I'd really like to see something other than a Combi here - SMG/MRifle, Nanopulser? - but you're right that simply exchanging CoC for SCJ would make him useful. FD1 (FD2 if current ITS bonuses will keep), Sensor, DHD (if it'll get changed into anything actually useful)? Minelayer would be nice, but I'd rather see something different. Like Wildparrot.
And in 300 years, mixing people should be more a thing. And this is more accurate with the inclusive behaviour PanOceanians are proud of. Sval is supposed to be Baltic people. Well, I love the fact that we have so few skin too as I really hate to paint it but from those we can see: Singh and Bagh Maris have really light Indian skins. Bipandra and Croc Men are right in tone and I like the decision for the Trauma Doc. Rao is in a grey area to me. But Fusiliers (all of them except maybe one in the starter), Kamau Hacker, Regulars, ORC Hacker, Zulu Cobras, Tech Bee and Machinist are all white guys and gals. Anyway, it's a personal wish so I won't be surprise to see it dismissed.
You're absolutely right ay. I mean tagging me to say that surely even i must agree with your complaints.... But no my boredom at you and your attitude makes me the one acting in poor form. Thanks bro, community building and inclusive attitude is on point. See you next tuesday
TBH, I don't support all this complaining at MO and all those reworks asked. There are a handful things I would see small changes to myself but you guys are asking where I never felt a problem from the beginning. Like combi rifles on HI specialists is something pretty usual. And I think that putting a MULTI rifle with the LGL would increase the cost for few effectiveness as skirmishers tend to be 1W or 1W+NWI+Shock Immunity anyway so...
PanO is in the state Ok faction. The only change wee need, is to bring NCA, MO, SAOA in Varuna like state. I have too many examples (like guy who play MO fo few years, but once he change to VIRD - he become super strong player) proving that older sectorials suffers from beeing forgoten by their creators. All of this sectors have more than enough units to resculpt (Auxilia!!!!! Montessa, hexas and many more) and boost sells. A lot of cheap aro, nice attack units, wide range of usefull toolboxes. This what VIRD have and rest now lacking. It's strange to see pioneer in remote tags lacking any sort of remote infantry Unlike Yu Jing (check IP factions, that funny) pano have more that enough fun base.
Could just be my interpretation but it felt like Carlos was pretty frank in some of the videos earlier this year that made it seem rather strongly that they were mostly spending development time on things that would generate sales. So either new stuff or resculpts mostly. Their profile updates so far on older things have been in NA2 which is a nice way to motivate existing CB cult members to deepen their investment with cross-factional purchases of existing models. N4 is a nice opportunity to theoretically boost older items without needing to shift boxes (as they'll make their money shifting N4 books and pre-order models). However, I'm currently unconvinced that there's enough financial incentive for them to redesign a whole faction unless their also going to reboot all the sculpts as well like they did with Shas. Arm-chair economics of course. Who know what CB is thinking...
This is the main thing I'd like to see happen in MO. The Montesa being converted to a biker was a cool change and I'd like to see that design mentality of seperating the orders out happen across the whole faction. IMO: Sepulcher knights are in a decent place, you could argue for them being a bit cheaper, or maybe getting X visors on the combi rifle profiles. The chain of command is great. I'd really like to see a lieutenant specialist option that could be used as a strong datatracker to reinforce the concept of "strong solo knight". Hospitaller knights should remain as the "Big scary death link" order - give them a bit more access to rules that encourage playing hyper agressive LI lists, I.E Tactical awareness or NCO. Also please fix the crusader link so it's actually worth taking and doesn't crumble when you lose a single dude thanks. Magister knights should be changed to cover what is currently being done by both them and the Teutons - that is, budget HI link team with a more defensive focus than the Hospitaller knights (I feel that this fits their fluff of being the "poor knights", cheaper but with worse stuff). All they really need is a decent active weapon and a specialist profile, maybe you could also give them an LGL option. Santiagos are in a good place, they're the wildcard specialists who you can use to add extra utilitity to your teams. If you want to go deeper into this theme, maybe give them a CoC option? I don't really have much to add here. Teutons are beserkers in the lore, just make them an HI warband with eclipse grenades already. It'd be cool as shit. They're not bad in their current state, but the aim here is to make the orders feel unique and right now they're not different enough from Hospitallers in the role they perform. I know people have strong feelings on smoke in PanO, but if there's anywhere that it deserves to be, this is it. It would also add some value to the CC abilities that the knights all pay for beyond getting stealth and detering the melee attacks of opponents - letting MO actually go on the melee offensive would make the army much more fun to play. Heck, if you really need to give these guys the Gwailo treatment and make them them playable in MO.
Here's a really bad idea: PanO are a faction that contains Australians, and are known for sticking dudes in big suits of heavy armor. Therefore ALEPH should recreate Ned Kelly. Make him a camo skirmisher to represent the whole "bushranging" thing and give him the engineer rule (he was the one who made the armour after all)
what to expect from "TAG is ok Cutter is powerfull" guy? Also, some pano tags well underused. While Squalo HMG remains one of the most OK TAGs (use him very effectively for 2 years, with HGL, he was perfect DT for certain missions and Lt killer, thx to spam meta) But other lack it's usablity. Uhlan cost too much, yeah, he can win FtF better than Squallo. But Swiss guard do it better and cost 30 point less, occupying this role. Cutter, thx to removing flamethrower, just dead, any camo idiot with shotgun will just kill him. Dragao i guess ok, there more problem with SAOA than with Dragao, and Tik is nice killing machine. Extremely Mobile, fitted with all range weapon and even mines to screw up camo guys. But both Cutter and Uhlan is no more that overcosted Swiss guard. The are now unique feature (like tik climb\flame\mine, Squalo HGL or Dragao B5 weapon) that will truly distinct them from others. In Modern Infinity, Armor become so useless, thx to ap domination, when every infiltrating yoler have smg.
You can't do the same things with a Cutter or a Uhlan than with a Swiss. Once you pay a Swiss, you pay a HMG which will have difficult times with MBTs (not to win FtF but to do real damage), will be slower and won't have the mobility of a S7. Add to this that you don't have 3 STR and 2 unconscious states but only 2W and 1 unconscious state, that you can't recover entirely, you don't have specialist aboard so when you use some orders on your Swiss, those are dead orders for objective grabbing compared to a Cutter. And Swiss Guard is just crap in long range ARO against 2W models while a Cutter is going to cut down a FT in half with just one EXP round. When played well, a Cutter can do the work of a Swiss HMG and a Hexa Sniper much better for less SWC and barely much points and still have a specialist aboard. I find TAGs much more interesting than Swiss Guards to the point that I now have to relearn how to play them because they just are useless in my meta compared to Aquila and TAGs.
