I don't know yet because I didn't see the Mazebreaker manual, but I think the mechanism is exactly that: you fail and it gives you a +3 ARM
This is my interpretation too. It gives a viable choice: either try to damage the attacker, or increase your survival odds. I like it, and it might fit Hoplite well. All in all it's clear that SP could use a refresh of their own.
It has to bc it makes no sense the other way. If you sucessfully you don't have to roll for arm. Hoplite, Euderos and Thoras all have shields. While Arm +3 would be nice, I would like to see BS attack +3 Arm. Very helpful in ARO
That'd be an interesting mechanic, yes! Whichever way it would be good to have it. I would also like some roster expansion and I already said it at length
I was also thinking about BS Attack (+3 ARM), mostly in context of CA (imagine alien unit lining up a shot and nanotech buckler growing on their arm). Would make sense for Aleph as well. The issue is that it'd be an incentive to almost always stand and shoot, and - for me at least - good game design should present several viable choices instead of making one of them clearly superior.
They are very interesting mechanics, but in a way they force you (not 100% obviously) to a specific ARO: Consider the Territorial Dodge (+3 ARM) and a standard FtF behind cover (range 0) Coyote either shoots at BS10 or dodges at PH11 with the bonus on dodging... it will dodge. This brings in some additional mechanics like: shooting a Coyote is a way to, at least, remove him from LoS (when dodging into full cover) In the case of a potential Hoplite BS attack (+3 ARM) again FtF behind cover leads to a BS10 with bonus on BS or PH13 dodge. In this case against AP/K1 ammo the hoplite will return fire, but against any other ammo he will dodge. The same mechanic as before is a bit more complex in this case. I think also that a MULTI markshman rile for Hoplite, like for Asura, should be considered and probably a general +1SD which seems quite common at this point
The way things are going though, we are unlikely to see another Hoplite figure for 3-5 years and when they finally do, it will look totally different.
In the case of the Hoplite thats the point. He stands and shoots, even when his odds are worse (a bit) than the dodge, bc he hopes for the high ARM roll, if his shoot fails. With his IMM enhanced that would make a real rock in the water. Maybe too tough. Thoras could rise to reliable ARO pieces. Always seeing the bad things, eh? Sadly you are not soo wrong. From my PoV we need only the one with Multi Rifle. A Makahi with Red Fury would be a good additon for a box of three and the last spot could be filled with Agema ML or another Ekdromai. Some Thora with SWC stuff could fill another box. Apart from this SP has a lot of single loadout characters. But more important actualy: Did anyone noticed, that K2 have AVA 2 already?
They released them as a box of 2 to begin with, certainly there was the hypothesis that they were going up to AVA2 (or AVA2 in another sectorial anyway)
I'm not sure when it happened but Hoplite and Apsara are now in vAleph! The Hoplite can even form a duo. I'm not sure who to team him up with yet but Arjuna Tinbot seems good. Maybe a Artalis doctor? That's also now two more Lt. options.
I think very recently since they released the Aleph essentials with Arjuna, Apsara, Thireo, Thora, Agema, Hoplite and Kiranbot https://www.ontabletop.com/infinity/sun-tze-returns-new-expansion-infinity-players/ The tinbot is a good option and for healing you can always use a Yudbot with a medic of your choosing
I know most only think of the Hoplite HMG, but they have now gained a Veteran, HI, ENG, with drop bears and a Armed Turret. There's also an SO for that missions that uses SO, Doc, Medics.
In vAleph a Hoplite is a fine addition also considering FT options. It also gives you options if you intend to use him as an ARO piece monitoring sniping lines (HMG in a duo with +1SD). It is in SP that the Hoplite is a meh addition at the moment (Dactyles are better engineers) and sniping lines can be monitored with an Atalanta-or-Agema plus a Zayin thunderbolt (always good to have 1 MSV and 1 non-MSV ;))
He can't get a +1 SD in vAleph. He can only be in a duo and nothing counts the same as him. But their are some other advantages to forming a duo. Yadu tinbot protects him from hacking. The ENG can fix a Rudra or other REM he's with. Any hacker he's with can protect him as well. I think right now a favorite is a the Dayleth. It gives him repeater protection, a Tac Aware, Specialist. It's also good with either the HMG or Engineer.
I'm sorry this thing of FT composition is not stupendously clear to me or in the text... Arjuna is a Wildcard and while I can understand they can fit in any FT, I couldn't quite find anything regarding the "belonging to the same Unit". Seems like I've always been wrong considering them as the same Unit... I remember somebody mentioning a Marut +1SD in a Max team duo... evidently they (and I) were talking nonesense
You need to have two troops with the same name to be able to get the Level 2 Fireteam +1 SD. The only duos in vAleph that can get that are Yadu, Riksha, Dawon and Satrah. The only Haris that can get it must have at least two Riksha, Dawon and Satrah. So an Arjuna FTO/Artalis/Hawkwood, etc. with two Riksha will get a +1 SD. A Haris in vAleph can never get better than a Level 2 fireteam. In OSS they will have some troops with a Name in (). Example Deva (Dikpala). Everyone with that name counts as a Dikpala for the level of a fireteam. I think almost no vanilla faction has anyone with the (name). So it's much harder to do.
