I can see you all trying really hard not to name drop him, but I agree that it would be cool if Crosshairs was the next stingray tag...
I would be super down for another Stingray tag! AP Spitfire, 2 Heavy Shotguns, Eclipse LGL, Forward Deployment L1. Standard stingray stats. Gives the faction something new - a platform for reliable Eclipse smoke - at a price point that is likely appropriate for something that powerful and also useful for gunfighting. 2 SWC, probably in the 85-90 point band depending on how generous you are with the Eclipse cost.
This would also be a good Varuna Stingray. Hell, I'd take more Eclipse grenades in trade for the lack of the ability to do Smoke+MSV 2 for the fact it can give PanO some way to get up the board safely.
In the generic "Human Sphere" thread it was discussed some kind of Industrial Powered Diving Suits as improvised Mecha Troopers for Varuna and I repeat there the idea, along with some other musings. . . Is easy to imagine "Repurposed Labor Frames" to be something quite possible in Varuna; many Cartoon / Animes and Comics / Manga support all of this ideas in a typical Cyberpunk Universe such as the one of Infinity is. . . . . . . . Also, from the Helot standpoint, in their small descriptive section in the Planet Varuna in the R.P.G. Manual is said that the more "Loyalists" between the Amphibious Natives employ a special Pressurized Suit, not to be able to operate on the surface (where they could stay relatively well, if they are not Elders, often confined to Benthonic Depths) but because they "Feel" more smart and well-balanced as brisk changes of Air / Water atmospherical pressure make Helots going almost mad. . . So it could be possible to infer that while "Libertos Terrorists" would be akin to naked "Swimming Bombers with Grenade Harnesses" maybe the more grateful to the Humans wear specially Armoured Suits and maybe also be trained to employ Nonlethal Weaponry (Epoxy Guns, Stun Pistols, Flash-Bang Grenades) to capture and subdue their wayward brothers and sisters. . . This is especially true as the "Libertos" somehow employ as Suicidal Kamikaze Shocktroopers some "Red Madness Natives" that suffer from a very weird "Mental Illness" that make some of them Crazed Berserker; it is a worrying trait that baffles BOTH Pan-Oceanian Biologists and Helot Elders (it is an unfortunate byproduct of Tohaa "Illuminati" meddling as they tried to "Morph" the Natives of Varuna into "Chaksa Styled" Anti-C.A. Troopers and then went away before stabilizing the process !!). . . There is a description of the poshest, trendy Cocktail Bar of Varuna where well-trained Helots perform duties not only as Waiters and Barmen, but also as imposing, massive Bouncers, so the pass to "Active Duty" could be no so far fetched. . .
Heh I was satisfied with our current range of TAGs so completely forgot about the option io expand on what is already working. Altgough I wonder how to balance a Stingray that is attractive next to the Tik, doesn't make the Uhlan obsolete and still manages to be an attractive choice next to a Seraph. Rather than a Heavy Shotgun as main armament how about a TAG sized "Combi+LSG"? Multi MMR+BSG or something along the lines. Remeains uncertain it won't be undergunned with just that. Would love to give it a Mobility Skill or some other unique trait on top. Holo 2 remains the most obvious choice there.
After seeing the NA2 I could imagine more mixed links like "Special Fireteam: Core. 1 Orc +1 Kamau + up to 3 Fusiliers" but only with AVA 3 on Fusiliers or "Special Fireteam: Haris. 1 Fusilier + 1 CSU + 1 Kamau" or "Special Fireteam: Core. 3 Kamau + 1 Machinist + Pathfinder" Maybe they become a really small elite unit section like DBS. With limeted AVA on fusiliers but AVA total on Kamau to keep the feel of a highly professional Navy Seal team like army. I could also image they get some Aleph support like Dakinis and Garudas.
So, some people claim that Varuna was hard confirmed to be one of this year's sectorial releases at Cancon. Is that so? What else do we know?
@Phayton I'll be curious to see if Varuna gets any mixed links, or any ALEPH support. Those are both big questions, and one we just won't know until information starts filtering out. The question about unit count for the new sectorials is a big one. I've been trying to assess what kind of unit count we can expect for all these new sectorials, but honestly it's just hard to know. JSA isn't a good indicator because most of their miniature line already existed, and they have so many characters that it bloats the unit count up to odd degrees. Hopefully Tunguska will paint a clear picture of what Varuna can expect, since their range of existing units and rumored units is pretty close Varuna's range: Spektr, Grenzer, Securitate, Kriza Borac, Interventor, Szalamandra + Hollow Men, Hecklers + REMs, generic doc/engineer 6 existing, 2 announced vs Croc, Kamau, Fusilier, ORCs, Cutter + Echo Bravos, Helots, AD unit? + REMs, generic doc/engineer 5 existing, 2-3 announced @Barrogh If anyone knows for sure, they're not allowed to say. But if you piece together the Las Vegas Open seminar, the Cancon seminar, plus Q&As from Adepticon and Rumble, you can actually paint a pretty clear picture of what the likelihood is for different sectorials getting released this year. I think Varuna has just as good a chance at release this year as anyone else, and a higher chance of release than many.
It was said at the same time Tunguska and Vedic were annoucned (and my bet is now on Varuna for Christmas - since i find it more unlikely that they will stick PanO in another 2-player starter than rescinding the statement that Aleph wouldn't feature in a two -player box)
I agree that it's more likely that they'll do an "Advanced Starter" Vs box including Aleph than that PanOceania would feature in two starter boxes. 'though perhaps they might discontinue and replace Icestorm?
that was my original guess. Aleph in q2, redo of icestorm in q3 with varuna and Tunguska. (or a slim chance of varuna in q2 followed by tunguska/Vedic 2 player in q3.... Tunguska dropping in q2 was most surprising.
Only vedic was confirmed at cancon. Those saying tunguska and varuna arent really paying attention or a wishful thinking. Tunguska and varuna were mentioned in the same statement however so its a pretty good bet that varuna is one of the 5. Especially with tunguska dropping in may and vedic being confirmed. Which probably leaves IA as another of them so yu jing isnt completely boned
Unless you have information to the opposite, I'd disagree with you. All three were confirmed. Carlo's statement was. As to the releases.
I was watching the damn thing. The context was a question solely on vedic, in which tunguska and Varuna were mentioned but werent really the important part of the statement. Read into it what you want but its by no means "confirmed" anything but vedic
The video is available to all, we've all seen it (may be even too many times... xD.) you're right that the question was about Vedic however his answer (see transcription above... that is exactly what was said on the video) covered all three factions. each to his own though.
Having recently discovered the wonderful phenomenon of Bermuda business wear this is my hope for a Varuna HVT:
