So it looks like a lot of the errors with the builder are being corrected which now leaves us a better idea for lists. What’s everyone’s go-to, must always take units? So far I’m still a fan of Yojimbo making all my lists...
Edit: Whoops. Wrong subforum. Thought this was in Access Sorry about that, haven't built JSA lists yet :(
Forum listbuilding is currently way less fun without the ability to put nice lists in here. I think the Haris with Karakuri/Yoriko/Domaru is my current go-to starting point in list building. Japanese Secessionist Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 10 1 KARAKURI Mk12, Chain Rifle, D.E.P. / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 45) YURIKO ODA Combi Rifle, Panzerfaust, D-Charges, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, CCW. (0 | 23) DOMARU Chain Rifle, E/M Grenades / Pistol, DA CCW, Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 21) KUROSHI RIDER Lieutenant Combi Rifle + Light Flamethrower / Breaker Pistol, AP + Shock CCW. (0 | 29) KEISOTSU Missile Launcher / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 14) KEISOTSU Paramedic (MediKit) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 11) KEMPEI (Chain of Command) Boarding Shotgun / Pistol, CCW, Electric Pulse. (0 | 20) KEISOTSU Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 9) KEISOTSU Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 9) SHINOBU Combi Rifle, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (0.5 | 44) GROUP 2 2 2 1 RYŪKEN (ODD) HRL, Antipersonnel Mines / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 25) RYŪKEN (FD L2, ODD, KHD) SMG, Shock Mines, D-Charges / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0.5 | 29) YOJIMBO Contender, Nanopulser, Smoke Grenades, CrazyKoalas (2) / Pistol, DA CCW. (0 | 18) WARCOR (360º Visor) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) 4 SWC | 300 Points Hacked together with Army6 and 7
@zapp that Haris sounds very fun, how do you use it if you don't mind me asking. Also, with JSA being pretty light on SWC, and the Rui Shi not being an auto include, is the HRL Ryuken another auto include now? I am yet to build a list myself, but the Ryuken and Kuroshi are what I am most excited about. Granted, everything in JSA seems to have been powered up!
The Karakuri Haris is pretty tough (on paper, anyway, haven't had a game yet. Stupid pandemic...) I usually start my list with the mk12 Karakuri, MULTI rifle Karakuri, and Yuriko. Durable (Total Immunity is crazy good!) , hard hitting, multiple weapon options, and Yuriko can hopefully fix them back up if they fall. Agree with Catspaw, Ryuken KHD is amazing. The EVO is now a solid option as well, 10 points cheaper, and comes with Baggage. With so many units in our army with Koalas, Panzerfausts, and Blitzens, you can fire them off and get them refilled from the EVO from within ZoC, it doesn't even need to be base to base anymore. The now linkable Daiyokai with a mixed unit of Domaru and Tankos can be fun, and whole group of angry Samurai charging up the field. Last but not least, the humble and often ignored Lu Duan. MSV1 got a boost, Holoechoes can now be up to 8" away, and +1B on the HFT, he got a lot better. Throw marksmanship on him from the EVO, and he is a genuine threat.
Seems like the Domaru/ Yuriko/ Karakuri will become a staple in many lists with its synergy and linking but is there a good O-Yoroi combo for those TAG dependent missions?
It's also theory crafting for me, but that Haris comes with an ok and extremely durable gunfighter (TI, 3STR, 2 unconscious states next to a WIP 13 engi? Wow). two specialists, a CC expert, template weapons and E/M grenades, B2 Panzerfaust on a mimitism platform. Seems good to me on paper. ;-) I like the HRL very much, because I love the model and I think JSA was lacking some defensive capabilities. I'll try him out for sure.
I used the Ryuken SMG and Ninja KHD in N3 in almost every list and this won't change anytime soon (now with KHD). For me the most improved profile is the Ryuken HML. Before N4 I often used two Ryuken SMG. Maybe I will try two of them and one HML. But I think mostly I will use one of each. Oddly this means that the Ryuken SMG is the profile that I will be using less than before despite the upgraded version. The only other addition to my army pool in comparison to N3 will be the Evo Drone, likely.
I haven't had a game of N4 yet. Where i live can't seem to get it's act together...BUT, I can't wait to try Kuroshi Rider out. A much improved specialist with smoke. If she dies, i'll have a CoC. If she's halfway decent, she'll be in all my lists because i love the model and will look for reasons to use it.
The most likely autopicks for me: Shinobu Ever important Smoke, no more Sniffers and less Orders for Sensors, C+, massively buffed MA5, BS12 Upgrade, Combi is pretty good in a DTW's world and she got cheaper. Yuriko Wildcard Engineer in an edition that makes Engineers very very useful. If not for that her kit is imho just a well optimized buddy for the Ryuken SMG, +3 Rangeband out to 16" is important against templates yet again, E/mitter doubles down on that. Dodge +3 is very nice and so is being unhackable for a midfield Specialist lacking a Marker State to deploy in. Just Mimetism -3 and no X-Visor just keeps her cheap. Domaru(Neko) Can finally kill things efficiently not just disable +1 ARM roll. 5 points cheaper, E/M Grenades with Fatality and free E/M2 upgrade. Expanded Link options to make sure you can fit them into other places than a Core Yojimbo Koalas can now used on offense to help clear Fireteams and other things and he's exactly the right guy to deliver them. Stealth only on foot, lost Koala triggering AROs shenanigans, different Rangebands on his Smoke GL (and still has regular Smoke to make a choice), less reliable in CC, but DAM17 now, Crit Immunity, which comes in very handy in CC, upgrade on his Kinematika, +1B on his Contender can be rather useful and of course Impetuous is a lot easier to handle. All that for 3 points less than before. Ninja FO Just gained a DA CCW for free as well as a upgrade to DAM14 in CC, yet again the ever important Combi to do some work because we're JSA and we gotta take what we can. Very minor upgrade that makes all the difference. There's a bunch of other good changes new Koroshi is more than solid with Smoke, Forward Observer, CC Upgrade & D-Charges Tanko are amazing if you run their Core Kempetai is cheapear and got Wildcard Oyoroi with MA2 and new Koalas is a menace Daiyokai can join the Core and got NCO Shikami getting 6-2 and Forward Deployment (and being able to link with all Yuriko and Kemp Profiles) Karakuri being in a Haris with loads of choices But the top 5 find their way in about every list I click together and that says something.
5 games into N4, 3 with JSA, can confirm the following: The Karakuri MK12/Yoriko/Domaru haris that @zapp and others mentioned is HARD AS NAILS. It's really amazing, and even when an opponent manages to off it it takes a whole order group. The KHD Ryuken is super useful but you need to remember to cybermask whenever she's not in supp fire, if you can. She's still pretty vulnerable forwards, even with the mines etc. Yojimbo, still awesome. You can fit so many cybersamurai into a list now, with room for an O-Yoroi, a fast striker pair, or whatever else. It's great! I tried Kuroshi Rider out but didn't give her enough credit/focus: I can't wait to try her out again with that badass Dodge she has now. Definitely a Datatracker candidate.
Oh, and not being able to use koalas to clear mines suuuuuuucks. I'm thinking I'll bring a Lu Duan to my next match against TAK specifically for mine-clearance duty.
Lu Duan also encourages the EVO Pangguling (surprise HFT is always a fun one), which also encourages Cybersamurais (together with lady with Visors that see in the dark). I think the most optimized JSA list should be something along those lines with our midfield skirmishers to top it off. Perhaps. But I dunno for sure, between that or a list around the Haris of Yuriko-Karakuri-Domaru, or the O-Yoroi...JSA feels a bit spoiled for choice this edition. I like it.
And JSA -deserves- it, after the uphill battle that was the end of N3. it's far more resilient in the reactive now, which really helps with the glass hammer issue.
I usually go with two of them: MK12 and Multi Rifle (AP always welcome, and DA in AROs) + some Domaru. I keep Yuriko/Engeneer somewhere "hidden" and try acting using Yaozao
