MSV1 can now see through smoke, albeit at a -6 MOD. Not so great for our Shaolin, however very interesting news for our Guilang, Hundun and Ye Mao EDIT: Engineers are getting their own version of Paramedic guns to pick up stuff from range
Don't forget the Lu Duan! Being able to counter Smoke might get the poor thing brought along instead of its MSV2 cousin once in a while.
Isn't it bad for aro? Now with msv1 you can't shoot on your own but if you get shot you can aro at -3 right? Shooting through smoke on active with msv1 also seems bad. Opponent can shoot back with the same -6 as you have. Well unless they change that balancing smoke that way, weaker against any msv but broken against no visior, and I don't think they would do that.
MSV1 doesn't currently reduce that penalty at all. It's shoot back at -6 for no MSV as well as for MSV1.
I already use the Lu Duan, it's pretty good as it is. I don't think this will affect it much for people that overlook it already, because in their mindset they're purely looking for a brute force object and the Rui Shi still fits the bill better in that regard. This change is going to have a greater effect on models that can provide better surprise value or sit on overwatch more frequently. So now Guilangs can sit in SF mode and prevent people from sneaking specialists onto antennas uncontested, someone might try to smoke their link team through an opening only to have the Hundun pop out and deliver flaming rockets of sadness to their grouped up link etc.
Keep in mind that the Lu Duan also has a Heavy Flamer, which will not suffer the -6 through smoke... This seems to be strongest on MSV1 units armed with direct template weapons conceivably tasked with counter-warband protection. While there's quite a few MSV1 units out there, most are kind of expensive and low ARM to throw trading with potentially dogged warbands, but a Lu Duan both has a potential to burn through the dogged state as well as at least being easy to repair. I do think this is huge for the Lu Duan. I find it currently to be fairly mediocre, mostly due to lack of S4 AVA3+ profiles to mimic, but this can propel it to be great.
I think the Guilang BSG gets a boost in close range too. Either shooting at +6/-6 or now template shots.
Yeah, I was going to mention that the BIG thing here for me is that MSV1 troopers now have acess to all AROs and BS Attacks that require LoF. Which is huge for templates, or dodging out and preventing that skimisher getting close. EDIT: I am especifically thinking about being able to Dodge as an ARO that will put you OUT of the smoke LoS, so you can now shoot the smokethrower (or force him to throw another smoke, thus wasting orders).
Oh my. I had such amazing time with guilang bsg in n3. I can't even imagine how busted it will be to just template in smoke without any rolls :0
On a side note, I wonder if smoke dodge will be working against msv1. Technically it still affects the used of visor, but it no longer prevents shooting.
That's a pretty good point I overlooked that. If the mechanics stay the same it won't, on the basis of Nimbus currently doesn't.
Side note number 2. Neither lvl of msv mentioned anything about low and poor vis zones. Considered they mentioned every other use of msv(even the ones that don't change) could this mean that no more poor/low vis zones.
I am focussing less on the buffs on MSV1 units and more on the nerfs on cheap warbands that are too widely available and made a mockery of MSV1 units. I like that nerf to be honest with you, it's not too much or too little.
Actually to come back to this for a sec I just remembered @Bostria spoiled that engineers are getting gizmo kits which make them act like paramedics for STR models. Threatening a trade through smoke with the Lu Duan is pretty safe given that it's unlikely to die from the ARO, and it's way easier for an Engineer to pick them up now.
True, it's way to easy and efficient to spam things like daturazi, varyngian or myrmidons. Sure we have shaolin, but they still do their main jobs: provide smoke for hsien/rui and protect dz with chain rifles. But we also have decent amount of msv1 that gets buffed. Not mentioning lei gong. Considering his own msv1 will be stronger, and possibly people will field more msv1 that his albedo counters, he should be even better than now. But boy oh boy riot ft sounds scary, unless point formula and frenzy cheating get fixed.
I do also think that this is a pretty useable change to MSV1. With White Banner we have 2 (okay one and a load out on the second one) new units with MSV1. Better protection agains Warbands and some useable active move - especialy vs. Chain-Rifle wielders. Not to forget about Lei Gong. Sadly, only the Hundun with Marksmen Rifle has MSV1 (I forgot about that in my first game with her vs. an Avatar, but she didn´t hit anyway in that ARO, in active mode I remembered it).
I'm excited for being able to put a troop in SF when going second. My top troops for this will be Liberto Guilang Zhencha But I think the Long Ya might be great too. Especially if have the ability to use another token to mod it's SMG. Edit: Now that I think about it more, I'm not sure I'd want to do that camo troops because I don't want to loose the camo state. I think the better troops might be ones with mimetisim or ODD. It makes Aida Swanson more interesting with her SMGs, Mimetisim, and Forward deployment. It could actually make me take the Hulang again. Miranda Ashcroft is also good with her ODD. I think just being able to put your Lt. in the back on SF would be fanastic too. I'd rather spend a command token than an order to do that.
Hulang for sure gets a great nod from the strategic suppressive fire option. But he'll still need either a cost reduction or rework to be put in that position over a Zhencha.
