You can like and use whatever units you like, but you should be cognizant of their strengths and weaknesses. As of now, Moira seem to be designed for fighting at long distances. If they become wildcards (which if Observance takes greater leadership over Bakunin, may happen), it would help them a lot. Or getting NWI to represent the Nails. CB also seems realize the value of multiple wounds/structure in N4. Look at the Blackwind update: they added more multi-wound units. I would not be surprised if Sineaters get multiple wounds.
I think this is tied to them artificially reducing the order count. After all with 15 orders per side every order is more valuable, so losing an expensive 1W unit hurts much more. Doubly so, if its lost not due to a mistake, or clever play from the opponent, but on a fluked roll. Additional wounds and NWI make game more resistant to this, while also reducing the ability of cheap, sacrificial units to trade up. Change to crits - an outstanding move, by the way - did the same; it's harder to lose your unit to a roll you cannot respond to, while at the same time making ARM/BTS more valuable. I wonder if a good move on CB part wouldn't be for N5 to make most if not all MI sporting NWI (with only some having Shock Immunity), with HI starting at proper 2W. This would give more incentive to bring those models out. This could be accompanied with dropping the 15-unit restriction, because the equation between increased order count or increased quality would be more balanced. Which doesn't invalidate the point - midfield is a dangerous place, and advancing there with an expensive fireteam of 1W troopers will probably see them killed. As I've commented before, I don't agree with people dismissing such units just on the account of their fragility, but I understand. For Moiras to see more table time they need to be designed with more thought being put into what is their role and what tools they get to perform in it.
I think they really want to keep the game to under two combat groups. Narratively, it makes sense as this it a supposed to be a game on covert ops missions. While the 15 model cap is clunky, it seems appropriate. Maybe soft benefits like your command token or LT order count could be linked to the number of models?
I'd like the limit to be two full combat groups, because right now it feels more artificial (yes, I know both are artificial, but if we have 10-troop combat groups - why not utilize it?) I like the idea of tying the abilities to command them effectively to the size of the force, instead of only the Lieutenant. Single combat group - two Lt. Orders, five CTs. Two combat groups - single Lt. Order, four CTs. Better Lieutenants could get skill mods to allow them to retain some or all of the benefits, being able to lead a larger force just as effectively as if they'd command a smaller one.
So far we have only Bakunin in spring and a book in autum confirmed. No new Battle box. For me it sounds a little bit, like the main game is toned a bit down in 23. Making room for Warcrow TT. Sure Bakunin will continue over the year and the book will feature some more factions/sectorials with more or less small uptdates. Bakunin and Steel Phalanx could be the main actors. If the designers read the full briefing she is on shedule in C1. If not, maybe Haq gets a random male character by surprise (refering to the Krit case here ;-). True thing. At least both armys have to advance there because its were all the fun, the objectives and the ZOs are. But if you carfuly remove the DTWs you can advance more savely. Its about how to make good use of an elite 1 W Mime-6 squad. And how will the remake thread them? I used DTW with Kuang Shi against Moiras some month before, but I was not lucky, my opponent managed to dodge most of the attacks and saved what gets through. But the last Kuang Shi locked half the fireteam so he had to get help from somewhere else, which cost him orders ... thats Infinity Sure. MI are very expensive compared to their durability, but a flat NWI makes troops like Yadu look normal. If this will get the new standard, we complain about elite LI and so on. I just wish they get less costly.
I'm not so sure. We've been in a similar place back in N2 and early N3. I feel it is a combined matter: the number of Wounds (staying power), the number of Orders available, the amount of tools you can fit into your list, and the simple amount of models on table, who can ARO. And, I guess, a few more aspects I can't really see. You have seen it in our last few games: a small, single-group list losing a handful of models, and not really being able to do much afterwards. Or we don't know everything yet. Though this would free a number of release slots that were taken over by a battlebox and following C1 releases in the last few years. So a chance to catch up with missing releases. I'm betting on Yara. June or July '23. We'll see. Mimetism -6 is a big deal, especially if it is on a full fireteam. Yes, not so much if you manage to work around it - but forces you to work around it.
Well, the fact is we don't know if other factions will get new units or CB is gonna focus in Warcrow so, with the info we have now, it seems adventurous to say it's gonna be an entertaining year if you don't play Nomads.
End of Days will come with updates for several factions, though we don't know which yet. Warcrow has a separate development team (V, Alberto Abal, Hoopoe), so doesn't interfere with Gutier, HellLois, Ian, and the rest of the Infinity rules team.
Mostly likely Nomads, Haqqislam, Aleph. I have the feeling next year is Nomads and Warcrow. The rest will have to wait until... But it does effect the people that produce and package the figures. They can only do so much.
I fully agree that it's a more complex matter. If balancing games would be easy, everyone could do it ;) Bottom line is that I'd like both approaches, quality and quantity, and every point on this scale, to be equally viable choices. I'm not complaing, though, we're in a much better spot than we were a few years back. These days problems tend to be more localized, with indivindual units rather than core game mechanics. NWI + Shock Immunity could still be rare, giving Aleph an edge when it comes to durability. And there are other issues in OSS, too, like Parvati making Sophotects almost obsolete.
Bakunin update is at Adepticon, so isn't going to be in the End of Days updates at Gen Con. ASS and Hassassins literally just got updates and expansions last Gen Con. The effect of Warcrow on production will be interesting, it won't affect their metal casting capacity at all as the new game will be 100% Siocast, packaging is one of the easiest departments to expand however CB are also starting to run out of space at their HQ. Being a second game line potentially allows them to increase the number of releases per month as you'll have separate customer bases. Definitely going to be interesting to see what happens.
Oh that's good... that's really good. I've been maining druze more and more. Despite them working so well with tags I've yet to pick one up because I always feel we're a month or two away from an anaconda or a scarface resculpt. The Shakush is a great standin for either mini, and well. I think the big cleaver fits a bunch of heartless merc eve more than the Hassasins.
Ja, but fluffwise there will be plenty of new stuff for Bakunin and SP/HB could also need some pages of new entries. There army uptdates will be finished by then. Depending on the main actors in the new book (EoD) we will see a bunch of new mini and some updates, small and big. PS: I think its about time to move to army books
Um...hell no! That's the day I find another game to play. Re: Moria's I can only say I haven't played them so I really don't know how they are on the table and no one I play against uses them. They just seem fun to me regardless of the kill or be killed abilities.
Raveneye was in some ways an army book for Morats, Kosmoflot, MO, and Corregidor, with a Narrative section added at the start and a mini campaign at the end. Not a terrible way of doing things IMO.
Even if they don't have new entries, ASS and Hassassins will be in End of Days to add all the fluff linked to them (Third Offensive being about OSS and Daedalus' Fall about RTF). So, with Bakunin, it's already three chapters covered. As I said previously, the RoadBot could point to an O-12 chapter and Bixie could mean a Yu Jing chapter (or a place for her in the O-12 chapter like other multifaction characters before).
you need to explain why Thamirys, Diomedes and Patroclus are gone. That for sure will be in End of Days book. And all the new ASS, HB and Bakunin troops fluff must be somewhere... So army update in march and fluff update in august is totally plausible.
I don't think a new one with Bixie. She's, I think, for White Banner. Her backgrounds is tied to Huang Di if not directly to White Banner if anything. I think her being in O-12 was more of a off-hand choice to have more than Yu Jing players wanting to win the figure.
I main Bakunin these days and the following takes on Moiras are accurate. TLDR, they are too vulnerable to cheap DTWs in the midfield to be able to serve aggressively, and too expensive to sit back as support units. Then there is the opportunity-cost reason they are rarely seen (outside maaaaaybe a Haris occasionally for fun): Riot Grrls are amazing and versatile, with Avicenna and Fiddler joining in. Like fari said: There is an obvious and good solution to both the Moiras vulnerability and the balance against other unit choices: allow them to mix with other troops, especially basic troops like Moderators. Brokenwolf said it well: Well said, and that is -exactly- what CB should do if they want to fix Moiras with the least intervention (or new profiles) needed. Mixing is the answer IMO, not adding more wounds. Since Riots can mix with Moderators currently, 2x Moderators 1x Riot ML team is my favorite ARO turret in the game. They are also killer pointwomen in an assault team. However if Moiras could do the same thing, an HMG Moira or Kusanagi Spitfire would probably top Riots for a good mixed attack piece. And that would be true even without a second wound or NWI. I feel like “put NWI and a template on it” is way overused. Mixed units is the more elegant solution.0 Also the ability to lower the cost of a link overall while keeping Moiras as pointmen (maaaaaaybe even an ARO piece) would be a fix without any new profiles or sculpts needed at all. HOWEVER, I really, really, REALLY hope that Moiras gaining ground doesn’t come at the expense of a nerf to Riot Grrls (or Uberfalls for that matter). Riots are 60-70% of why I play Bakunin. They are an excellent base for a toolbox linkteam, or addition to an otherwise squishy utility link. My current fave linkteam is Pi-Well, Zoe, Riot Spitfire, Riot BSG Tinbot, Moderator paramedic. Second fave is Riots with Avicenna and Fiddler for objective missions (if you haven’t tried it you -really- should). Meanwhile Uberfalls are a really useful tool. Eclipse smoke and a very scary scalpel or threat vector, with unique and fun rules. They’re a throwaway unit that is actually worth the order expenditure, but stop well short of being overpowered. They really make Bakunin work well, when balanced with a decent utility core and a couple skirmishers. Honestly Bakunin is already great in several ways, which are focused on Riots, Uberfalls, cheap skirmishers, and some badass mixed units that are -really- well balanced right now. The only thing that is missing in the army is Moiras’ poor point cost for their role, which can be remedied by making them high-quality leaders for units of other troops (cheap filler or very different utility). I would be pretty disappointed if the faction lost what is good for them now in favor of some new hotness. Really hope CB comes through with a “yes and” rewrite rather than “we took the old cool stuff out, try this instead” solution. I have faith in the dev team, especially after the good job they did transforming Military Orders. You can do it guys! Can’t wait to see the cool new stuff! [Also I -JUST- finished painting mine, OFC! Oh well can’t wait to paint the new ones too. : D ]
