My latest HB lists all had 15 orders (11 regular, 4 irregular) - and I felt very good with them. So nothing new to me here. Standard lists were like: 1x Barid, 2x Farzan, 2x Fiday, 2x Daylami Infiltrators, 2x Muttawiah
So far the changes for N4 just seem like "asymmetrical warfare is bad, you're bad for playing that way, you should have 15 models 17+ orders". With a focus on elites and the middle.
15 orders if the "standard ITS play" and I've been around the block enough to know that "standard" is what the game becomes. Niche and house rule doesn't get your games. So you adapt or drift away. Personally the 15 max standard play has put a super damper on even my urge to paint. I would love to be excited, I have been excited for months, but that change is a super downer for me. I want to be proven wrong, but in the very broad circles I've been in since the release its been a "you are terrible for playing 20 models, no one can beat it, its unbalanced and I'm glad to not see it again". The new Haqq tag looks cool, just don't see the point in a HB tag, it doesn't do anything cool or synergize with anything that I can see. It doesn't play like the faction, its a large, hard to hide gun platform.
I've always been high model count with Haqq (and most of my armies really, outside MO and SP) by using daylami, kum, naffatuns, and though pricey HALQA which I will be super sad if they are gone to do board control and force exchanges that were unfavorable to my opponents. Azrail I agree is a great model, though I was never able to make it work in n3, especially later when the fireteams became whack and solo HI couldn't hang. I tend to be between 16 and 19 models, with 19 to 25 orders counting LT and Impetuous.
But that is exactly my point, effendi: you can't see anything, because there is nothing really to see there - yet. Therefore, I would advise you the same I keep advising around all the time, o Father of Impatience: stop with your coffee, have a glass of mint tea. Excercise the virtue of patience, o brother. And pass the baklava.
I'm not sure anyone bothered to read to the end of the graphic, but... there is a tournament option that returns everything to the way it was.
Haqq and HB especially will need some changes to work in N4 tactical window standard, but CB seems to be handling this, i'm not worry at all
I guess the burden will lie on the typical attendees then. Just like how I had to lobby for Tactical Window. Point is, at least on a local-ish level, players can have that discussion and resolve.
Not attending is often not an option, if there are no other groups in the vicinity. And convincing the in last years built up anti spam faction will be very hard. It would have been so much better, to just make the cheap orders more expensive. That would have resulted in either less orders or the same amount, but overall weaker models. With gradual changes over the last years, CB could have already found the right balance right now.
Which people would still complain about. ;) This is for ITS. It can be changed. Or modified. Or what have you. sorry for slipping in the edit
Man, I would love the chance to play a casual game with you someday. Unless this was always just a forum persona but hey either way would be fun.
Likewise, but unfortunately unlikely - I'm halfway around the world away... Partially, it certainly is. You'd have to ask some folks form my local meta to tell how much of myself is included into it ;)
Dont know if this is the right place to post this, but how come everyone is getting aristeia characters in their armies but us. Like hell, tao wu is in infinity now, one of the characters id least expect. I know wild bill is in rama, but its not like hes a haqq related character. Id love Hammerhead, like please a power armored super soldier. And to make him a valid choice over tarik, make him tougher, less mobile, and attach bachman to him like how you get scarface and cordelia. Besides maggy haqq doesnt have anything else in 70+ point range. Could work.
I've found the new Hassassin changes made them far less reliant on Daylami and Mutts. Asawiras in a core of Muyibs or Govads is amazing, giving Haqq access to PanO level BS on a model with a Spitfire with access to amazing in-fireteam doctors or just a simple Ghulam doctor with Nasmat. Yeah maybe the new model cap at 15 stops what I'm picturing are lists that always begin with 4 Daylami and 4 Mutts, but between the Ayyar, Asawira in core teams, and Govads being able to see through smoke now I think HB's in a fine place. You can still take 2 Daylami, 2 Mutts, and have plenty of options to flesh out the rest of your points while still taking very effective asymmetric trading pieces alongside some very competent gunfights, infiltrators, and impersonators.
