Everybody has the basic remote package, Aleph's come with climbing plus, which is pretty significant. I find the comment on Posthumans interesting. I love the Posthuman lore, and the profiles are top notch. They are in most of my vanilla Aleph lists. However they only show up about half the time in my OSS list, for whatever reason I don't feel as compelled to bring them in OSS. Personal Anecdote, but there you have it. I don't think Posthumans are necessary for Aleph's balance. Delete the unit entirely, and I still think Aleph would be a powerhouse. They may be over-optimized though, edging out other options. I love the Shukra. Aleph has so many awesome, but obvious Lt's, a cheap CoC is amazing! He is responsible for permanently sidelining my Myrmidion Officer though. I mostly agree with @Devil_Tiger on Danavas, Apsaras and Maruts. But like I said, so many other good profiles, Aleph is still my favorite faction.
I'd be keen for a thorakitai officer; enomotarchos. Boarding Shotgun, +1 BS +1wip. Say early 20 points? Maybe CoC profile too for 0.5swc and extra points, gets that niche away from myrmidon officers who are gonna be bunkering the Lt in there anyway
For the remote, yeah Climbing+ is useful but it's not -cool- I don't disagree that Posthumans need to be tuned, especially since you generally only see the same three (MK2, MK1 and MK5 FO), MK 4 has its uses and MK3 may as well not exist (even if she's my favourite in term of looks, i just think she need something to stand out, my suggestion would be giving her nanoscreen) As for Shukra i don't disagree with the function either (I do happily use him as cheap CoC because that let me use my favourite pieces more freely, namely Asura Lt and the Marut) though they could have done the same adding a CoC Deva profile, which also would have made sense in term of "fluff" and made the Shukra a real impersonator/camo hunter, since as he is now, you don't want to risk him to those tasks because he's obvious Lt/CoC and also because impersonators are just guided missiles going to cause you losses no matter what (unless the dice disagree)
Hippolyta could really do with something other that superjump to differentiate her at that points bracket. She's supposed to be a great leader yet is a lone-wolf at the moment with no leadership skills. I'm hoping for more profiles and loadouts for her as she's currently superfluous which is a shame
Steel Phalanx needs some work. The characters either need a point cut, shock immunity or less MSV 2 or shock weapons in the game. A HD+ should also be in Steel Phalanx on Thamyris to make taking him or Scylla an interesting question. Some ways to use LT orders that are not Achilles or Hector based. There are 3 or more models with NCO in there name that do not have an NCO rule. New units: More amazon bikers. I would also like some EM based units, probably call them Gorgons. I feel some HI would be interesting but not needed unless MSV 2 is still common. There own TAG, either one that is a good cheap gun platform or one that is an armored juggernaut. I feel there is a lot of room to do models named after monsters that has just been unexplored. OSS, I want a missile launcher Yadu or Deva. General Aleph small TAGs or scout TAGs would be nice. Some new models named after Hebrew myths or Egyptian myths would be nice and lay a ground work for a new subsections force.
Asura as TAG is quite good until you fight Deadly Dance where you lose 3 points if not using Marut. So Aleph really need another TAG option, preferrably for OSS. But the real problem is that a lot of units (more of OSS) just don't feel as their flavor. Shukra. As a counterintel he is good sitting behind and giving orders. But I think he shouldn't have biometric visor as default option. More like 3 options: strategos, coc, or biovisor + sixth sense. The first ones work as now while the third confuses infiltrators and can hunt them if needed. Of course that option should be private info - I think CB should incorporate more private info and some intelligence play. Apsara. She should fill more active role in infowar. I think her dance shouldn't be ghost, but some limited hd with possess options. This way she could also possess enemy TAG's or even REM. Yadu themselves are good but clearly overpriced. As a multipurpose unit they should have some cheap options to compose a fireteam. And as an O-12 substitute give them riotstoppers. Arjunas fill their role suprisingly good but they have horrible models. Just make another model without this "the whole world burdens" feeling. As for danavas she is pure hacker so her problem lies not in her profile but in the whole concept of infowar that should be redesigned completely. P.S. Oh, and nothing but +2 speed would save Andromeda.
I would like to see some cosmetic changes: For whatever reason, all the new Troop's logos are not in line with the beautiful old ones: Compared to Deva, Asura and Dakinis, the Shukra, Yadu and Rudra do look totally different. Would like to see them change when everything changes to be at least of the same kind; even if it is the sanscrit versions. Another change is the name of the (new) Dakinis. Dakinis are female creatures. And the new ones do not look, like I like my females.. *cough* Male versions are called Dakas by the way.
As someone who really appreciates post humans I think you can fix a good portion of the concerns by requiring each model to be deployed seperately. That 3 model drop in reserve is BRUTAL.
Interesting note. It sure seems to me that, based off some design choices, Aleph self-identifies as female. Somehow the robo-boobs made it on the Marut and yudbots, but not the dakinis? That is weird.
If that's not Cyberpunk, then I don't know what is Speaking of Posthumans: I'd like to keep the current version of G:Jumper - even with the massive boost it provides - because it's easy to remember and play. The previous iteration was a mess. Unless there's some kind of compromise that can be reached. There's also the internal balance problem. I do find Mk.3 useful, but her niche is indeed slim when compared to Mk.4. Same goes for Mk.5 loadout, it's a known issue. FO is a toolbox, Mk12 is a solution in search of a problem. And of course Mk.2 squeezes Dasyu out too much. About Yadus - don't think about them as overpriced MI. They're essentially cheap light HIs... which are also unhackable. Asura shares a problem with Aquila Guard - MSV3 is expensive as hell for little gain over MSV2 (autodiscover is nice, but not so nice to warrant the price tag). If MSV3 cost will go down, she'll be in a better spot. So in my opinion it mostly comes to how some weapons/skills/equipment will change, and how will it affect us, not about how to tweak things on our side.
Pat is actually really good, and really only needs shock immunity (like most of the heroes) so he doesnt go down like a scrub to every other weapon out there. As lazy as it sounds if Dactyls were wildcards it would pretty much fix them right off the bat, and give Myrmidon teams greater flexibility with their specialist options. I'd be happy if the Ekdromoi hacker picked up an assault pistol. I'd love to see some HI rocking the Hoplite armour, I agree on the Thorakitai officer, it will make them easier to fit into a list, and for the love of Aleph can we please get some mines somewhere.
I too want the N2 MSV3 back. Whether it as intentional or not your comment was exactly how the MSV3 worked in the previous edition. You were allowed to shoot at camo markers and it was glorious. Facing off against camo spam was not nearly as annoying when you brought an Asura along.
I want to chime in and throw some support in for some old rules. I do miss MSV3, it doesn't need a full reversion, the old I auto discover everything in LOF (including hidden deployment) but being able to declare attacks on camo markers would go a long way towards making MSV3 worth it's steep price and allow LI style lists to deal with camo spam with decent order economy. Another interim rule I miss is for a while in early 3E post humans were comms equipment. So they were hackable and could be disabled/isolated. That would do something to give them a weakness for their steep point discount, and IMO makes sense from a fluff perspective as you can't jump between bodies if that system is broken. I do think there are still problems with info war. From a cyberpunk perspective I can imagine 3 uses for hacking, turn stuff on/off take control of systems, steal info, or fry hackers brains. I rather see hacking programs like assisted fire as odd and unfluffy, a BS 11 hacker can piggy back onto a purpose built combat remote and it's fire control gets better??? Really? There are a lot of system control type programs, and even countermeasures in the game. Likewise killer hacking programs exist that's covered as well. So what about stealing info? One of infinity's unique machanics are hidden info and markers. It seems to me that hackers SHOULD be able to hack into enemy comms units and potentially reveal hidden info, such as what's under a camo marker etc. It could work like a single target sensor sweep or something, maybe at a penalty? There could also be programs to reveal hidden info like who the enemy lt is. Maybe you could drop a repeater near any enemy lt, and start milking him for hidden info and reveal markers as he's in contact with his team? Or back in the day I believe you could hack enemy transport and force them to deploy early, which could also be interesting. Anyway I would like hacking to get some dirty tricks, and less be based around buffing remotes as it doesn't really make sense to me. (I also generally would like a rebalance of hacking devices and programs as KHDs are too good and too cheap, while others especially IMO AHDs are not very good).
Kappa are there for the cheapo hacker with SMG XD I agree a lot of Aleph units iin OSS are that way: deploy safe, use them as cheerleaders who also happen to be "enchantments" for your faction/part of it... kinda boring, even if you play double with what you play. So do Nomads, yet they have about three special remotes to Aleph's single Rudras... Funnily enough, IRL Aleph would have ALL PanO's remotes as well, and would have copied the Perimetral weapons design a long time ago. Been asking for a non-SWC Alke profile, or turning her miniature into a "subofficer" wihtout name, with a precision combi rifle and call it a day for about 20pts, yeah... that has quieted some after the last changes to Campaign mode (losing thrasimedes means benching him for the next battle at worst, and you can change between vanilla and sectorials, so...), but damn... I NEVER deployed Alke since I bought her and painted her years ago :( The biggest issue is that Aleph has those on WIP 15 models... The Aquila is WIP13. And while the Charontid is WIP 16, he has profiles without MSV3 and has Mnemonica (that being said, it's -3CC and -1 PH on the Asura, plus S5 to her 2). frankly, I think giving profiles without the MSV3 to the Asura would have been good. And giving her Lt2 in vanilla (like the Invincible one...) would be fair. And giving the OSS Marut (ONLY that Marut) MSV3 for free so she is at least inmunne to surprise shots would be warranted, since we are paying already that much without being able to make Smoke combo with a lone model that can make said combo in vanilla.
On SP. I love them but they feel very limited. Same kinds of lists, and to optimize on enomotharcos yo have to take 2 fireteams and that leaves incredibly low manoeuvre margin to add more stuff since it's almost impossible to go beyond 10 order lists. So all the cool heroes I bought like Diomedes, Penty, Hector, Aquiles, are almost never used or not optimal and have lots of weaknesses on current state of affairs, like too many shock weapons so NWI is overpriced and not useful at all. The same with ODD... too many things that bypass, more visors overall, fire etc. Regarding the Proxies... people often forget that you are paying 20 something points usually 41 for 1 order. That in itself is already a weakness. They are so cool right now it's a pity if they change it from pressure from the rest.
Oh I dunno mate, thats 20 points for almost 4 wounds of mimetic wip15 engineer and flashpulse FO if you go Mk5 and MK1 only. That's an absolute steal compared to every other faction's 20pt troopers. Hell, you can barely get a decent Bolt for that cost lol
It's one order that is probably never going away since all the bodies need to be eliminated and even then with a single netrod still functioning it doesn't matter if any bodies are left. That's working through around 4 wounds and 1 STR to eliminate a single order. So it might only be a single order but it's an extremely tough single order for the points you are paying for it.
Compare Proxy Mk2 + Proxy Mk1 hacker to other TO Infiltrator Snipers. The Proxy combo is 44 points compared to a Croc Man multi sniper for 38, a Spekter multi sniper for 41, a Dasyu multi sniper for 42, as is a Ninja. For an extra few points you get a mimetism nwi hacker, and compared to every one of them apart from the Dasyu you're gaining NWI on top of the fact that you aren't losing out on the regular order he's providing while he's in hidden deployment. You do lose out on antipersonnel mines, but they aren't worth that much on a sniper anyway. I'm not saying they should be much more expensive, but a small nerf would make them slightly more balanced.
This might be the most quoted post today. 20 points for 1 order is not really a weakness. Comparing to my other faction, 23 points buys a similarly armed (combi rifle, light flame thrower, d charge) engineer to a proxy 1, with the same BS and Arm buts only Wip13, 4-2 move and lacking NWI and mimetism. I love post humans and don't want them to change, but they're seriously wrong when compared with similar points in other factions.
