with the release of the merc rpg sourcebook there was a pic of the varangian guard members (highlander rifles and wulvers minis look like accurate proxies) which got me a bit more interested in them in an O-12 list. any advice on the effectiveness of each load out?
As I play them, the cost for smg vs. shotgun options is not a relevant consideration. If I am outside of template range, I am probably throwing smoke anyway. As such, the question is usually do I pay a point for two chain colts ca. One chain rifle. My recommendation is to do so when you can. The 13 point chain colts model is scarier for fireteams and two wound models. If they are forced to dodge, you are winning. There are edge cases for the light shotgun, so if you take 12 pointers, I'd grab a mix, but the 13 is usually my go to if I wanna do more than Chuck smoke.
I'd suggest looking into the Light Shotgun profile. It's been treating me and people in my meta well. The increased ARO presence really helps out more than an SMG's special ammo for N3 rule set. No, it seems they went with the late, post-Skansinavian era, Varangian. Vikings are holed up on Svalarheima... (For more info than you can care to have regarding said vikings, go to the Pan-O forums. I haven't checked if the flame fest has died down, but it wasn't pretty a week ago)
Varangian Guard are recruited from veterans of the Ariadnan Expeditionary Corps, so the picture certainly fits the fluff.
I know about their fluff but on this picture they looks just like wulvers and volunteers. I'm not saying they should look like Vikings. A piece of equipment that would refer to the name would suffice. Like helmets. And yeah. I have seen flame about lost space wolf.
This is also RPG artwork, so not necessarily what the final concept/miniatures will look like, Cuervo Goldstein for example looks completely different from his RPG incarnation.
Also, dollar to donuts they're taking a "no profile, no pictures" approach. Fluffwise, AEC was Scots and Merovingia.
So glad to see they aren't going for a viking look. If anything for the models I'd more like to see a blend of Ariadnan and O12/Aleph gear on them. Maybe legs and arms styled like O12, and chest armor, vambraces and pouches from Ariadna. Weapons could go rither way Alternate would be a more scots/mero like unit with O12 weaponry.
The 45th Caledonian Rifles box looks like it might be a decent starting point for some proxies: https://store.corvusbelli.com/wargames/infinity/miniatures/45th-highlander-rifles
See the aforementioned "no profile, no pictures" comment. Can you buy Merovingians? No? Since AEF was heavy on Merovingians and CHA, of course they're going to push the thing you can actually buy new rather than second hand.