I really dig TJCs defensive core: This covers pretty much anything you want: scary ARO piece, virtually unhackable, plenty of templates and even a BMV to help further... TJC looks a lot more appealing now and with a link like that, will easily dominate the hacking game. Add Mary, TJC will be pretty much uncontested on the hacking front. Otherwise still some great strikers with Szally and Kriza. Puppets are very relevant now. The most difficult gap to close will be to get to 15 orders.
Cheerkillers look like they can really help with that gap while still being useful. There's always Transductors and baggage bots too. And even the Vertigo isn't terrible as a lower-point filler unit, especially since counter-hacking vs. Smart Missiles isn't a thing anymore (RIP interesting gameplay mod that, even if it was hard to remember you could do it).
I think you're better off running 2 Interventor HD+s, mostly because otherwise you can bait breaking the link by walking a KHD into a Repeater.
Hackers in core links are definitely something you want to be careful about, they have some very particular strengths (Sixth Sense) and weaknesses (often wanting to declare different AROs to the rest of the link, but being kicked out if they do)
I just read again the fireteam rules in N4. Hackers only benefit from Sixth sense, they do not have Burst/Mod bonuses inside fireteam (as hacking devices are not BS attacks). Is that correct ? If so, why put interventors in Fireteam ? Adding securitates with repeaters could both improve hacknet / benefit from burst bonuses (plus their reliable orders;) ) while Interventors could be in separate places. I'm new to nomads / advanced hacking. Until now I essentially denied hacking game with few KHD and engineers
Stealth doesn't work against 6th Sense, so Achilles or Domaru Fireteams can't simply walk through your entire repeater net if the Interventor is in the Fireteam.
As @colbrook pointed out it will allow your Interventors to ARO stealth units in Hacking Area (Repeater's ZoC) once CB gets around to clarifying that Stealth is applicable in Hacking Area. This is a pretty strong reason to do so, but there is more to it than just that. FWIW I have played 8 games with an Interventor in a Securitate core now in N4, usually two of them; one KHD and one HD+ Lt. Interventors are not weak to hacking because BTS 9 and high WIP. They don't end up being an Achilles Heel for the rest of the fireteam due to KHD, and sometimes turn into an order sink for your opponent. They often bounce Trinity even through hostile Repeater's firewall mods, and if you get the chance to lay Repeater's 1st then they are very strong to most KHD, and hacking in general. Sixth Sense helps with this survivability by removing the opportunity for Surprise Attacks. More conventional assassins going after the probable Lt with guns will have a harder time getting him to Dodge on a -3 PH and the fireteam also provides a meat shield for the Interventor. Another reason is you will often want to have one or two Interventors in your list, so why no also have those units help to provide fireteam bonuses for you Grenzer MSR in a defensive link. Alternatively, they are fantastic specialists on a more aggressive fireteam, being the highest WIP we can get into a link as well as bringing along the utility of hacking. Securitate Repeater profiles can extend the range of the Hacker on the same activation that he uses a Hacking Program and can give them a pseudo-tinbot -3 with the firewall mod. There are some downsides, mainly being that Interventors can't Cybermask and be a part of the link. Cybermask is an excellent way to keep the unit alive, but frequently you are going to want to ARO with the Interventor, so I have been finding that I'm not using Cybermask as much as I did in N3. There are many reasons you may not want to put an Interventor in a link, like maybe you just want them in a hard to get to location that makes no sense to set the fireteam up in, or sometimes when you ARO it may make you want to do split AROs with the link. The thing I'm finding is though that in N4 ARO hacking is sooooo good and the Interventor is the best at it. So you want to stack on the protection so you can utilize those AROs. Like I said earlier, I have been putting a KHD in with the HD+. That Trinity -3 is all that in the Reactive, and it's the closest thing to the now removed Lightning Program in the game. It's a big deterrent for a Pitcher + KHD attack on my HD+ Lt if I position them correctly. I'm not really saying that Interventors belong in a link, there is plenty of merit playing them solo, but in my experience they do well in fireteams and haven't played out as an easy way for my opponents to take away the 5 man bonus. Edit: After reading some more I have probably been playing two different hacking devices in a link incorrectly. By not using the same programs (ie Trinity and Oblivion) from the two different hackers, I would have been breaking one or the other hacker out of the link.
I think you get more value out of a Marker state Heckler covering Repeater placement vs your Interventor HD+ than a KHD in the same link as your HD+. With a >1W Hacker, taking the KHD on the chin and attempting normal rolls vs your HD+ is solid. Or for a Surprise Shotting KHD going B2 vs the Interventor and B1 vs the KHD has value (B2 16s +3 BTS vs B1 15/12s and B1 13 +3 BTS vs B1 15/12). Certainty something doable for say a Naga KHD.
I have never considered the fact that 6th sense could be profitable to hackers, probably because the whole "BS only bonuses" in the fireteams. Really nice tip !
I am hoping someone here may be able to provide some modelling advice for me. I bought Puppetactica box (among others). I have everything assembled, except the rabbit Puppetbot. That one is driving me up the wall! No matter I how long I hold the top and bottom together for the glue to cure, the heavy top-half falls straight off the moment I let go. It seems quite badly designed to me, but I am sure hundreds of others have managed to do this. How can I get this one to stay together?
Scoring the gluing surfaces with a knife always helps. If you've failed to glue the surface a few times of also recommend giving it a good clean with acetone or alcohol to remove dried glue.
Sorry, I realised what I did wrong. I was cleaning-off the dried glue to prepare it for another attempt and realised that I had glued the legs onto the base back-to-front, therefore when I added the top I had it facing the opposite way to the legs. It is not surprising that it would not fit together this way. I just tried gluing it with them facing the same way and it was effortless. Thanks for the advice nonetheless!
I think in aro if you have two hackers in a ft they can launch 2 differents programs In active turn only one can launch program (« support skill ») correct me if i’m wrong :)
They need to declare the same skill, each different Hacking program is its own skill so they need to be the same in a Fireteam or the one that didn't declare the Fireteam ARO will drop. "In the Reactive Turn, all the Fireteam Members gain their own separate AROs. However, any declared AROs must be the same for all of the reactive members, which is called the Fireteam's ARO." https://infinitythewiki.com/index.php?title=Hacking_Programs_Chart If you click on each program you will see that each is its own Short Skill / ARO.
It's totally not intuitive and it kind of sucks that it was done this way in N4 even after they cleaned up the Deployables mess. It should be Short Skill: Hacking Program and then the program would be analogous to the Weapon in a BS attack.
You could honestly make those 2 distinct skills: Hack (Short Skill / ARO) Use program (Entire Order Skill). I think it's a balance thing. Which is annoying but probably not unreasonable.
I suppose, but that might be more confunsing or problemathic for some people. I think there is not a "better solution" until fireteam rules are touched directly to have a better interaction with hacking
I mean they work around it with BS Attacks that are a long skill (Spec fire, Intuitive attack). Making Hack equivalent to BS Attack (and programs equivalent to BS weapons) was something definitely on the streamlining wishlist for N4. Problem now is that hacking is so good in N4 (and it needs to be to counteract armour) that removing that handbrake might make it too strong.
