Very happy with the usarf changes, everything fits quite nicely. My only concern is the unsolved problem of limited insertion. Also black jacks now can score in show of force!
I am a little disappointed. I still think the UKR, DD, and MM still need some stat changes. MM core and MM haris aren't going to dominate the meta all of the sudden. You will mostly just see the ML or AP HMG leading groups of grunts. I also don't see the problems going away for the DD or UKR. Functionally, the only thing different is the grunt core and Marauder Core. Marauder's having cheap access to Rosie and Grunts having access to UKR, Bill, and MM mean those two links will remain the power behind the faction. Still, it is all a nice bonus and will at least be helpful.
Shame they couldn't give us a frigging Marauder character instead of this Wild Bill trash. OH WELL, ROLL ON N4.
He is doesn't like any of the western themed stuff and is usually angry about it. Though I do agree about the no Blackjack team thing. BJ are 4-2 and would fit better into a grunt or Marauder link than a MM. 1 MM in a grunt link is just a band aid for their crappy profile.
I would be more upset if I wasn’t already stomping people with USARF. All this is just a happy bonus.
If we're going to be more specific, I don't like any faction with lazily "themed" stuff. The Desperadoes, Hardcases, Rosie, and Bill tick all of those boxes for USARF because they're just that: lazy. Rosie was poorly thought out, as it's basically just a meme crammed in the(she's an engineer cause she knows bridges and riveting? wut?) lore side of things. Bill's lazy because, well it's the eSports crap jammed down the throat of the game at large again. Desperadoes and Hardcases both are just bad design and concepting. They should have been Mercenary units, at best, and fluff at worst. And what's more, it is rather obvious that they'd rather focus on the memey trash than build something unique and interesting. We've had ideas down the years over Marauder/Minutemen or even Blackjack characters that would add SOMETHING of value to the army. Not a single bloody one of those things materialized...except in TAK. Being brutally honest, we're not going to see any real fix until they get over their "ONLY ONE FIRETEAM! UNLESS YOU'RE TOHAA/STEEL PHALANX" hurdle.
Everybody should understand how good the blackjack is for 36 points. It's not meant to be a link troop. The minutemen in the other hand are clearly designed for link teams. The profile can be better or worse but the minutemen hmg is the only linkeable ap hmg with BS 13 of usarf and it's a great tool to have. Tak has some extra duos because that army has less cheap orders for making lists.
Horseshit. It's because they can't ever backdate anything worth a damn. Ariadna ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 4 RATNIK Heavy Rocket Launcher, Heavy Shotgun / Heavy Pistol, Trench-hammer, Knife. (2 | 44) RATNIK 2 Molotoks, 2 Panzerfausts / Heavy Pistol, Trench-hammer, Knife. (2 | 54) BLACKJACK AP HMG, Chest Mines, D.E.P. / Heavy Pistol, CC Weapon. (2 | 36) BLACKJACK T2 Sniper, Submachine Gun, Chest Mines / Heavy Pistol, CC Weapon. (1 | 36) 7 SWC | 170 Points Open in Infinity Army If you really want to sit there and try to pretend that there's some kind of real difference between 36 points and 44, you're making the point for me.
If you are not able to see how a 2 wound ap hmg with pectoral mines is different from a burst 2 heavy shotgun/rocket with trench hammer and 2,5 wounds then I don't need to make any arguments.
Ratnik is dogged and 4-4 movement. That is worth 6 more points. The Blackjack is a good profile for its price, but not radically under costed compared to the ratnik. More over TAK has the Vet Kazak is a far strong profile for its points that can link with the entire army. The US has always been no-frills relying on the power of its link, but TAK still has us beat there. That is mostly though because it has more profiles to link with.
8 points gets you: -an additional point of ARM on the Full Power -Minesweeper, base. -Access to Duo -Trench Hammer
I love the idea that USAriadnans are a culture in reverence to the nostalgic past of the US. Especially the age of the frontier and wild west, cause that's what they are re-experiencing on Dawn and they've fully embraced it. I don't think they've gone overboard. They got two units and a character merc.
Or a Ghazi and a half. And a bit. Probably a whole second one if it has an SMG and is a Journalist ;)
And yet, no-one takes them when the cheaper Blackjack exists or in TAK with the V.Kazak running around. And that's your opinion, man. They have a healthy mix of frontier units, military units, and jsoc themed units to make for an interesting sectorial. Where they fell off is the power creep of other sectorials. They (Ariadna subfactions) all have distinct visual styles and it works for them. On another note, I am surprised to see Blackjacks not being able to make a Haris ala Yan Huos by having it join 2 FTOs of something... like Marauders.
