I made a post like this in a recent thread that was a bit of a hot mess and got locked. Basically I had been hanging out for White Banner Army since sectorial armies were introduced to Infinity and it wasn't what I expected and there's been very little temptation to play with it. To quote @Triumph in that thread: "White Banner is profiled as a guerrilla based ambush force that was built to resist a numerically and technologically superior force. Yet it's decidedly inferior than Vanilla at building skirmisher and ambush based lists. White Banner's power largely circulates around three units stolen or borrowed from Invincible Army, and particularly a less flexible and less effective version of a mixed LI/HI link borrowed from Invincibles as well. Of their SIX characters FIVE are borrowed from other sectorials or shared with non affiliated factions which badly limits what CB can do with them to help define White Banner, Liang Kai being a monk missing smoke because he's shared with Pan-O is the most obvious example there" Below is a modest proposal to improve White Banner Army list variety and faction identity. 1. Remove restrictions and limitations on iconic WBA troops that contradict expectation, reduce variety and add complexity. Remove AVA Limit on Zhanshi (White Banner Army is a a Banner Army and Zhanshis are troops of the Banner) Raise Jujak AVA to at least 5 Add Hac Tao at AVA2 (Hac Tao were teased as being part of the WBA for a long time, including on the N3 cover art and the Outrage Graphic Novel). 2. Add new link options to iconic units in line with other factions Add fireteam core and wildcard to Yemao (cf. Kamau, Muyib) Allow Zhanshi Yisheng and Zhanshi Gongcheng to link as Zhanshis (this should be a no brainer because they are Zhanshis with additional training, but cf. Mechanist) Allow Yaoxie Ruishi to link with Zhanshis (cf. Ruishi in Dashat) Allow Yaokong Sonbae to link with Zhanshis (cf. Sonbae in Invincible Army) Add core and haris to Jujaks (seriously, what's with needing to join a Shang ji core?) Make Jing Qo a wildcard (cf. plenty of other more powerful characters in pretty much every faction) Make Yaopu Pangulin FTO a wildcard Remove one-per-link restriction on Tiangou 1st Section wildcards Allow Liang Kai to join any fireteam of Yemao 3. Add flavor to units introduced in the sectorial and other iconic units Give Jujaks Immunity: Continuous Damage Swap Jujak Boarding Shotguns for Vulcan Shotguns Release a box of Jujaks Optional: Make Jujak missile a HRL instead Give Jing Qo some alternative profiles with rare skills/equipment in Yu Jing, e.g. SMG + EM grenades, eclipse grenades, strategic deployment Add Tiger Soldier profile(s) with Parachutist (Deployment Zone) available only to WBA. 4. Remove units iconic to other sectorials Remove Lei Gong Remove Qiang Gao Remove Shang Ji (sorry, it's for the best) 5. Limit Iconic WBA troops in Generic Yu Jing lists.
That is a serious re-work. Sure, it's not messing with profiles and stuff, but shifting the links around like that sure does a lot to the internal sector design. I do like it. I think the most important highlight here is the removal of Shang-Ji, which is arguably the powerhouse unit in both WB and IA which seems silly, and also the source of WB TacAware. I have a few concerns, though. 1. Rui Shi. I do not think this is the sectorial for a linked Rui Shi, if I had to pick one for that it would be ISS. 2. Qiang Gao was a decent fit for WB during N3 even when he was a complete dud in IA. Simply addressing his gross overpriced nature for N4 would make a realistic and decent LT. Veteran does a lot here, and in spite of him being an "invincibles officer" I think his gear makes more sense in WB. 3. I actually think the lack of continuous damage on the BSG is an important separation for the Jujak's different profiles. Would've liked to see the Combi+HFT (and corresponding LT profile) be an Engineer setup, though
The new attack Remote doctrine of Yu Jing’s StateEmpire Army was formally established in Campaign Manual 27-5 “Yáoxiè Units. Tactical Use. The manual collected the experience acquired during the NeoColonial Wars and developed an offensively-focused military doctrine: “There is only one objective for attack remote units [...] the destruction of hostile elements.” The entire text constantly emphasizes the need to make aggressive and vigorous tactical deployments: “The meaning of the name Yáoxiè (Remote Weapon) must not be forgotten […] and a good officer should use them in this way. [...] The Yáoxiè must be conceived as active combat units, above and beyond establishing defensive positions.” A special emphasis is placed on their speed and ability to tactically overcome enemy forces. This manual influenced the design of the different Yáoxiè models, giving priority to speed over armor. This conception makes them more than adequate for low intensity conflicts and urban combat. However, the Yáoxiè can also carry out different and varied conventional military tasks, such as taking terrain, striking at an enemy’s command and control structure, providing infantry support, locating and destroying hidden threats, or repelling enemy counter-attacks. In counter-insurgency operations, carried out with Imperial forces, its roles are considerably broader, including tasks such as protecting convoys and resources as well as other internal security jobs. The technology included in the Yáoxiè gives them a superior target acquisition capacity over ordinary troops. Their advanced optical systems and Multispectral vision devices allow them to detect enemy activity through extreme environmental conditions, such as smoke or darkness, which would usually limit the better-equipped infantry. As threat hunter-killers, they are the Yu Jing soldiers’ protectors, receiving appropriate code names. Rui Shi are the two lions that guard the entrances to Chinese temples and palaces, while the Lù Duan were beasts that could detect truth and guarded the emperor’s throne. However, they are not passive protectors: either Yáoxiè model can lay down a concentrated curtain of firepower, as certain as it is lethal, over a designated target, which is exactly how the Yu Jing High Command envisioned them acting.
looks good. I'd say AVA3 Shang Ji, wildcards. No one takes more than 2 anyway. Only because I like them lol.
Honestly even if someone with clout read this and their heart moved, I doubt they would get rid of Shang Ji because of Beyond Kaldstrom. I don't think anything else in the proposal makes Shang Jesus more powerful than he already is. Speaking of which, it would be nice to get some indication of a Shang Ji box, more Jujaks, Tiangous, a multi rifle liu xing, an SMG hulang, a generic yemao that isn't paywalled behind a giant limited run tournament pack, Lei gong, and I'm sure there are others. Thanks for the Shaolin blister though.
It took me way too long to figure out why it mattered and then I remembered how little difference there is between a vulkan shotgun and a flamethrower now.
I started getting my hopes up for the YJ action Pack but then realized it will probably be the Kaldstrom box + Beyond. I hope I'm wrong but they currently have nothing to put into an action pack.
Which existing Sectorial gets to put both their LI Doctor and LI Engineer into their LI Core? That and the Ruishi seem like pure wishlisting, but the general thrust of this is good. I've certainly always been confused about the limitation on troops of the banner in the only army of the banner.
If you want to be turbo specific by using the functionally worthless LI distinction, Bakunin can put Clockmakers and Avicenna in a moderator fireteam. Also it doesn't really matter what existing sectorials can put their LI doctor and engineer into their LI core, they're all trained Zhanshis and it would not overpower WBA. Sure it's on a list of things I wish for with my pure heart, it doesn't make it bad for the sectorial or the game. Take a look at the Vostok and its link options, this is downright tame.
No, that's not it (I actually thought Vulkan's continuous damage was on the direct mode, I never see that weapon); it's that the BSG + Panzerfaust profiles are more versatile and closing the difference between them and the flamer profiles means the flamer profiles are that much less worth taking.
Kaplans are the only link I know that can have a doctor and engineer. But a hacker can be wildcarded in.
Plenty of links can do doctor+engineer, if you take away the requirement of being LI Pan-O can make several.
NCA can do Fusi/Bipandra/Bolt Varuna actually can't do that Bipandra isn't wildcard she's a Fusilier counts as in VIRD, so she can't go in the Kamau link which is where the Machinist goes.
Lol well you fast I was just fixing that. Anyway, it wouldn't make WB OP if they could have a doctor in the link I think. That's for Haqq with not only linked docs but +3 to boot. Already 14 wip and then +3. Now that's OP BS.
