I am going to guess that unless they change Shaolins significantly, they can only form a Fireteam with Liang Kai who makes them Regular (like a unit-specific Inspiring Leadership)
Special also indicates they could only form fireteams with an FTO profile. In either case, how that fireteam forms is mostly moot with Shang Ji and Lei Gong being wildcards. I'm interested to see how Gao links. If there's even a single NCO in White Banner, I'll probably end up taking him in every list.
Edit: Sorry thought I read something else. But I doubt there will be only two Core. I think Shaolin will get a core in some form and Jujak Special making me think they can make a core with a wildcard. Yes it does suck there's only 2-4 core teams compared to PanO 4-6, and 1 Haris compared to 4 or more PanO. Not unless they make the Shaolin Special team very specific on what can be in it. Sort of like Ikari. For example Special team of 4 Shaolin + Liang Kai would mean it must be exactly those figures and nothing can join. Or they can even say exactly 5 Monks. Then nobody can join.
my absolute worst case is a monk FTO with a combi, but CB's smarter than that. I fully expect there to be several counts-as troops like Qiang Gao or the Jujaks to give the Zhanshi fireteam a bit more reason to exist, but as far as the Shang Ji is concerned, it's got a place in White Banner even if it has to wait until N4.
Even if it is a Shaolin Combi FTO, if he is Regular and the same points of a Zanshi, I would totally take them over a Zanshi for a Cheerleader Fireteam (with a heavy weapon wildcard). They dodge better, smoke-dodge even better, are a CC beast that protects the heavy weapon... As a Corregidor player it would be my wet dream to have Jaguars that can be joined by a Brigada, and this would be even better.
New ARMY is out, Shang-Ji is changed: Invincible Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 2 SHÀNG JÍ HMG / Pistol, Shock CCW. (2 | 44) SHÀNG JÍ (Tactical Awareness) Heavy Rocket Launcher, Light Shotgun / Pistol, Shock CCW. (2 | 42) 4 SWC | 86 Points Open in Infinity Army And not for the better. Spitfire is no longer available instead they got HMG, the Tac Aware profile is the HRL not the spitfire/hmg version, the rest is unchanged.
Not for the better? And you have a PanO avatar? Looks like picking up a fight... Now seriously, you tell me I can now use the ShanJi HRL in Invincible Army with an extra order, where the Spitfire was stepping in the toes of the Zuyong HMG TA? PLEASE YES. Also, that is needed to give WB a linked HMG, you have spitfires somewhere else (like in the new Jujak). I see this as a net positive.
What can I say? I love HI in every shape and form, but the hyperpower is the hyperpower ^_^ . As for the Shang-Ji: I wrote that in the context of this topic, aka shang-ji vs Zuyong. Now the shang-ji is even more overshadowed by the zuyongs in IA. Spitfire at least gave the shang-ji a short range advantage over te zuyongs but now even that has been taken away. The HRL is nice but it competes the same range band as the HMG and we all know that "burst is king" :( .
You can go finance those Japanese then, all glory to the Emperor!! Well... I don´t really see the HRL competing with the HMG, they are different tools in my mind. For the Spitfire, the Zuyong have an HMG and if you get closer you get shotguns, if you REALLY want that rangeband the unpopular brother of the HaiDao MSV is there (Redfury). What I know now is that we have strong ARO linked options in the SonBae, the HaiDao MSR and now it makes sense to get the ShanJi HRL for me. All different ammos, all different ways to handle long range ARO, one delicius link. Now, how to proxy it...
Burst isn't the only king. Shang-Ji Spitfire filled the niche of being +3 compared to the HMG in the 8-16" range band, a range band that was easily filled by Tai Sheng at one lower burst but with higher DAM, NCO and being a competent specialist, or by simply accepting the slightly lower BS while saving a considerable amount of points and using Zuyong HMG for that range band as well. HRL on the other hand severely limits target mobility if you're AROing a group, plus it can give your opponent some pretty hefty over-extension potential that a Spitfire never would simply by threatening 1,5 bases away from the target. Impact Templates are a very strong tool versus Fireteams. This is a small buff to IA and Shang-Ji, and in my eyes Shang-Ji have three profiles worth considering; HRL, Tinbot, AHD. They are all grossly expensive for all the wrong reasons, but they provide tools that's needed. Shang-Ji HMG is a paperweight.
Paperweights can be lethal if thrown with accuracy, but they're still not considered purpose made weapons ;)
Shang Ji HMG is better for IA IMO, mainly because you can put a HI HMG in your Zhanshi Core now. My to-go-Core is now 4 Zhanshi + Haidao MSV (for defence) + Shang JI HMG (for offence). I would actually argue that the Haidao Red Fury is better as a mid-range Core linkable HI for it's cost and the weapon. Again, this is just my personal opinion.
That is a 6-man core. Try 3 Zanshi + HaiDao RF + ShanJi HRL. Then laugh at your opponent and say "well, this could be White Banner with a linked Jammer, so don't cry".
I think the intention with it is to leave the MSR behind after it AROs everything bold enough to attack it.
I know, what I meant was that you reform the link if you want to go on the offensive. The same way you keep something arround for when the Haidao eats the dust now (like a second RF Haidao).
I was teasing him, we are friends out of the forums jajaja. Typically for us is "after the HaiDao dies thou."
