Let's talk about the two new profiles Aleph got shown so far! :) We have Riksha the armoured dodgy Dakinis: and Dawons, the REM warbands! I think both are interesting addons, though I'm more interested in Rikshas. Having a HRL is very nice as an option. Red Fury is not my favourite weapon, and FO for me competes with the Garuda. Still, if the linkability is nice, theyll be able to slot in Dakini Fireteams perhaps. Dawons are a bit too classic Warband. But it is a valuable piece. I think having one or two in a list will be a nice add on. I don't see myself using the Boarding Shotgun, but both of the other options have their uses. That said, we also have Artalis (MULTI Rifle) and Satrah (Hacker) incoming. Hope they will have NWI and Nanopulsers like proper Aleph OSS humanoid troops; other than that I'm open to new views. A wild hope is for a few new Apsara profiles that modify REMs in interesting ways; perhaps a BS12 + NCO setup. Or +3 WIP.
Riksah are only armored dakinis. At PH10, the dodge +2" is a trap. If they can link with Dakinis, The HRL might be a decent ARO piece (side grade to a proxy mk4), and I could see running the others in a reinforcement fire team, but noting really jumps out as exciting to me. Now the Dawon, that's a great profile. It's actually got the stats to dodge (Ph13, +3 Dodge, dodge +2") and the CC ability to stop warbands. It shores up a major weakness of OSS, and with multipistols can actually allow us to play L&S. I'm really excited about them.
OSS Could use a source of smoke tho. The reinforcements are nice and i am excited for what is to come to regular play dor OSS
The Rikshas (please no tri-wheels) are just upgrades Dakinis. The cost is realitve moderate, maybe the missing 2" in the sec. movement saves a lot. The extra dodge mov is weird. If they will be available in OSS it depends on their linkability (Dakini). If not they may be a haris alternative. The Dawons looks very useful and even playable on their own. Good CC upgrade for OSS. Antimaterial. And dodging on 15 4" is super! I only wish they would get the mim -3 instead of the Riksahs (or both:-). Both new REM bring hacking defense on their own. Combined with a firewall its -6 +3 BTS! Hopefully. At the moment she is a shelf sitter, even if she can boost a buffed Dakini to super shooter, she is the first to be kicked out of a list, if you need more points, and you always need more points. In Vanilla the REM racer is better.
I assume that's a typo? They have Dodge +2" so they'll travel 4" on a Dodge, still very mobile when combined with a 6" first move.
You mean Artalis having a MULTI Rifle and Satrah being a Hacker? The last slide listed box contents, and included this information (so you also know sculpts will be like that).
The more I think about it, ECM(Hacker -3) is I think just a Reinforcement bonus, that is, we don't get in normal profiles. That's my expectation. Dawons also seem too good at CC to be true, but then maybe I'm just flat out wrong.
It was stated several times in multiple places that changes may happen between reveal and release. There's a good chance that they won't be as good in cc this time tomorrow lol
Okay, so first impressions: Disaapointed new Tacbots are not available in regular OSS MAJOR disappointment that Artalis and Satrah do not feel like Aleph profiles. No NWI, no Nanopulser, these are indistinguishable from other factions' units Sophotects Reinforcements has a Eng-only profile that's 3 points cheaper and yet just as bad (if not worse) than before Regular Sophotect entry still only old one and still bad or worse Arjuna - major push, I guess it's not seeling. Tactical Awareness is nice but I'm not paying 30 points for 1W BS12 Mimetism shooter. Hard pass Dasyu: Reinforcement - wow-weee, the price drop makes it interesting, especially now that it has NCO!!! Regular Dasyus got NCO !!!!!! THIS IS AMAZEBALLS Dakini Commlink for 23 (!!!!) points and 0,5 SWC. Yeah it's Specialist Operative, but it's still just a Combi Rifle Okay, looking a bit into Artalis and Satrah and trying to ignore they look like your average Nomad / PanO profile: Satrah has MSV2 but honestly what is it supposed to do? Deva Spitfire is so much superior for the shooty version, while Hacking version pays ton for MSV it doesn't want to be using. Although I guess Deva is not available in Reinforcements... But so what? I just don't see use for a 1W 24+ point model with middle ground stats. Artalis... is basically a Dactyl. Like slightly more expensive Dactyl. What is the point of it? It's a Doc or Engi that can kinda gunfight (but it'll die), and that just makes it expensive for a 1W nothingburger profile. NCO is it's biggest advantage and that's saying much. Hard pass.
Solid, easy Smoke-shooting from an advanced midfield position with the rest of the Warbands in Steel Phalanx, but a crap fit for OSS and redundant in Vanilla.
What's wrong with just bringing Agema MULTI Marksman Rifle? Way better at doing the same job for a few points more.
Nothing wrong, but from what I see Satrah is designed to be much more mobile. Aside from SMR they have shorter ranged weapons, two hackers, Albedo to bypass any MSV guarding approach lanes. I do agree that at least some of new units don't feel like Aleph ones, but I see uses for them
Reinforcements drop right into the midfield where your Myrmidons will be with no extra Order tax for positioning, and their Albedo lets them synergise well with Smoke. Agema are still pretty good, but there is a use-case for these new guys too.
Aleph have always had humanoid units without NWI and/or Nanopulser, going back to the original Human Sphere release with Nagas and Myrmidons.
I missed Albedo somehow, my bad. It does make them ever so slightly more interesting... But I still don't see them hitting my lists, but I also don't play Steel Phalanx so that might be why. :D As for the Hacker profiles, they're not good at all since they pay for MSV2 that is at best of marginal use on them. Yes, also Thorakitai. However, I always felt Myrmidons don't have it to keep the costs down rather than lore reasons, and Nagas were originally made for Acontecimento first so it felt as if they had the downgraded "Dogged" version to the core Aleph's Dasyus. Anyway. I know it's my mental issue but why am I playing Aleph (OSS) if units are same as everyone elses?
