Thank you for your sacrifice to the CB release gods! SMG/DEP, the one everyone actually uses! Professional probably means they care about logistics. So, whatever they can get ammo for reliably!
I wish the Kaplan Spitfire unit used the PanO model. Yu Jing's is not my favorite. The ADHL one is nice though.
Those models DO look very nice. I think the important thing here is that Yu Jing clearly provides high-end weapons at a mid-range cost. When you need to equip people for the toughest jobs in the Sphere, State Empire goods will get you there and back again.
I was going to say something about "if you know someone with a decent light polymerized 3D-printer" but I can't actually find a Pan-O Spitfire, only the Shasvasti (which looks dope)
I used a spitfire from another unit before for good result. I just wish more units had the PanO spitfire because it's my favorite design.
ALEPH and O12 actually buy PanO, their arms trade is apparently a little more advanced, competetively priced and less restrictive. My guess is that the Yu Jing stuff is a little better at surviving in harsh environments, judging by the Haqq and Druze mercenaries that typically use them.
I'm pretty sure I read Nomad guns are also made by a Panoceanian company, but I can't remember where.
Maybe not specifically the guns, but doesn't Aleph and O-12 buy the high-end Pan-O stuff that's generally speaking too expensive for Pan-O's military services other than their special forces? But yeah, I expect Yu Jing stuff is a bit like today's Kalashnikovs. That particular design is designed by Yu Jing but it isn't made specifically by Yu Jing, it's made everywhere because it's cheap and easy to make.
Let's be totally honest here. There's no appreciable performance difference between the two (according to game stats). If you're paying more for the "Made in PanO" label, it's likely solely for appearance sake. PanO arms are for collectors, Yu Jing arms are for people who have to get a job done. From a practical standpoint, as mentioned previously, Yu Jing guns are probably nearly impossible to break. Either that, or it's super easy to replace components that do break. Or it's super easy to maintain. Or even the ammunition is cheaper or more abundant. It's all about the supply chain. Also super happy I could be a part of this off-topic diversion :D
For the wargame, there is no different. A Spitfire is a spitfire, a combirifle is a combirifle. If you look at it from the RPG and lore though, the specs are different. Models from the faction books will have some differentces that actually matters in your choice. I don't have the books with me, but if I remember right, Yu Jing stuff is lower quality (to an extend), but cheaper and easier to acquire, while PanO is high quality, but costlier. Each faction has something they are the best at though. I think for Yu Jing, it's their heavy armors. I feel that Haqq's guns would be the one that can resist anything, largely because of their environment and the terraforming expertise (meaning they would make weapons that work regardless of where they have to work)
I imagine that PanO, YJ and Haqq all have large domestic arms industries, and for security reasons all use those industries to supply themselves. Probably when it comes to small arms they are all largely interchangeable outside of doctrinal differences as well; a HMG is a HMG. Your divergence is at the level of Quantronic tech, Vehicles, Remotes, larger scale weaponry, sensors, stealth systems etc. Personally I think the reason Haqq doesn't use the combo-rifle is because of atmospheric conditions on Bourak leading to them being ineffective, so they found an alternative which requires a more complex manual of arms and more in depth training, but has a payoff. Other nations don't need to consider the downside of atmospheric performance for combis, they just look at the cost effectiveness of the training requirements for rifle+lsg and think it isn't worth it. Seems reasonable
PanO stuff is actually really varied in capabilities and cost. For instance Nomad, Aleph and O-12 Combis are all PanO designs and most Nomad weapons are designed by FGA (FrancoGermanique Armements) which is a PanO company. Whereas YJ weapons are all state manufacturer (Yungang) or their knock offs. So it makes a lot of sense that 'Nomad' or 'Aleph' weapons show up on Mercs As these seem to be the least restricted designs available in bulk. This applies less so to YJ designs. Haqq and Ariadnan designs seem to be the most robust, but both come from a relatively small manufacturing base relative to PanO, and are primarily used by locals. So it makes sense that they aren't heavily used by Mercs. The ADHL actually really nails this: canonically it's a Nomad design sold to Haqq with modifications for local conditions. Tl;Dr a mix of Nomad and Aleph weapons would probably have suited the Kaplan and weapons manufacturer fluff better. ----- As models go, the YJ Spitfire is probably the best current Spitfire. The new Nomad Spitfire lacks gravitas, the PanO one is just ugly, the Haqq one is bulky (and the point is to differentiate Kaplans from the rest of Haqq), and the Aleph one isn't memorable. So from an aesthetic POV going the YJ weapons route was probably a good move.
Just for reference. Two modern guns, one being Swedish and the other being Indonesian (because of proximity on wikipedia page reasons), but both manufactured on license of the same gun. Spoiler: The "same" design of assault rifles So those are two FN FNC, although arguably I don't think there's enough difference between even a FN FNC and a US Army M16 or even a French FAMAS to merit a difference in properties in game even though they respectively have qualities that has made their respective adopters choose that model. Even an RPG might not be granular enough where the difference of 50m/s muzzle velocity or 100 RPM matters As spoken by someone who isn't a gun nut, so if you've got huge insight that I missed, well, that's the reason.
