I love the design. It is a massive departure from the previous model, but I like that its silhouette is similar to the other Tags in the Combined army, and it looks like a predatory beast.
I like the new one a lot. It's a very different design, but I like it. To those who say the new Raicho doesn't mesh with the rest of their line, I don't really feel like the old Raicho ever really fit well either. Raichos just kind of do their own thing, it seems.
I, for one, advocate for the Raichos to have a JSA-style uprising during this BOW campaign, really shake it up and add some flavor with the new-new "Non Aligned Morats" sectorial "...Raichos?"
Paint job really really helps, its great. I really don't mind that its borrowing influences from EI too. Morats don't exclusively do their own thing as far as technology goes after all, it makes sense.
If I was going to update the Raicho I'd give it FAL1 or FAL2, and have it pay the points appropriately. A more expensive and useful TAG is more attractive to use, and actually rewards you for constructing a list around it. If it turned out to be a really expensive buff, I'd consider dropping the ARM down to 7, to represent aggression over defence and also the reduced plating needed to offset all that ammo.
Agreed, the old Raicho definitely was an oddity within the sectorial. Its being one of the first sculpts in that line might explain that a bit. What I am arguing is merely that, even if a weird model within the range, it still had a few uniquely Morat features. Not necessarily my favorite design choices either, but it still has them. :) Gorgeous paint job on the new sculpt.
Criticism of the new isn't invalidated just because the same criticism holds for the old. I think it looks less jarring now that it is painted - but I still feel it looks rather un-Morat. I get the argument that they would adopt EI tech, but all their existing stuff is starkly different from other CA stuff, and the Raicho is specifically their big mech for hunting giant gribblies for sport... It's a cultural/historical thing for them... Will sit tight and wait to see if the profile gets some new flavour.
It's definitely fairly distinctive, but also the Rasyat has some similar design elements. I'm open to the possibility that it may make more aesthetic sense as time goes on. For example, when sepsitorized Ko Dali was originally released she looked completely out of place, but once the Sygmaa models arrived, she suddenly made a lot of sense.
I may actually start collecting morat models to add to my combined army after seeing the Raicho. I dig the armored core aesthetic.
? No, Raicho was one of the last of the Morat models released. The current (big beefy) Morat models are all resculpts. The new Raicho... It's big and intimidating, and left-handed with a huge shield. But the head doesn't look like a Morat, which pretty much every other TAG manages (to look like the head of whatever Sectorial it belongs to, I mean). This looks much more like a 'big game hunter' rig than a war-suit.
For the record I love the new sculpt, personally I don't think that the EI tech osmosis argument holds, other than the CA issued rems and HDs Morats seemingly use zero voodoo tech. Back in the N2 fluff it mentioned that Morats should actually be more advanced than the human sphere and would be a major galactic force if they'd actually stopped fighting each other. And the EI doesn't seem to be handing out the mass produced plasma weapons to their primary assault force. What the new Raicho does look like now however is a predatory beast, fast, agile and dangerous, that's much more Morat IMO, bearing in mind there is no Morat armoured vehicle design language beyond the old sculpt I don't think it's out of place. I do think it needs to retain ARM 8 however as it's a "main battle TAG" and as a CA TAG should be superior to its human counterparts if also more expensive. It's currently CA's only TAG of the type but doesn't actually fill that niche very well.
This^ I really like the model and will certainly pick it up. The only thing that feels wrong to me is the pelt. Not that the pelt is a bad idea but i feel the execution was poorly done. It's looks far too basic and boring. Maybe it's a mistake on my part but i thought the pilots had to kill some terrible beast to be accepted. Instead it looks like they went to earth and killed some kitty cat. Is that impressive for a Morat? The Oznat for example has a unique looking skull with plenty of character and texture while the Raicho's does not. I'm going to seriously look into what I can do to change that. I want something bigger and grander.
The Oznat looks very tribalistic and that skull goes certainly well on her, while the pelt is so out of place on Raicho. Brand new, high tech, assault mech suit. It sticks out even worse painted.
It IS a Big Game Hunter! Raichos are mostly used to hunt megafauna, the MAF equivalent of shock TAGs are the Sogarats. Also, Update on using a Raicho and Aspect on the same list, I used the following last weekend: Combined Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 10 2 ANATHEMATIC Lieutenant Hacker (EI Hacking Device) Plasma Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0.5 | 88) Bit Hacker (UPGRADE: Expel) Submachine Gun + Pitcher, Deployable Repeater + KISS! / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 19) KISS! Adhesive Launcher / Electric Pulse. (- | 4) MED-TECH OBSIDON MEDCHANOID Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 23) SLAVE DRONE Electric Pulse. (0 | 3) RAICHO MULTI HMG, Heavy Flamethrower / . (2 | 91) RAICHO PILOT 2 Heavy Pistols, D-Charges, Knife. () Q-DRONE HMG / Electric Pulse. (1 | 26) KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 14) KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Chain Rifles, Grenades / Pistol, DA CC Weapon. (0 | 14) IKADRON (Baggage, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9) IKADRON (Baggage, Repeater) 2 Light Flamethrowers, Flash Pulse / Pistol, Electric Pulse. (0 | 9) ÍMETRON . (0 | 4) 4 SWC | 300 Points Open in Infinity Army Played Deadly Dance against Ikari and Supplies against Hassassins. First game was Deadly Dance and the list owned. between the Anathematic wiping out a Wu Ming link and the Raicho serving as an obscenely resistant data tracker, things went quite fine. Managed to snag a 9-0 victory. Second game was tougher, but I think that's mostly because of the mission. The Raicho still pulled its weight and killed a lot of models, but I was up against 16 blokes so even though I took out 8-9, the opponent still had me outmanned and managed to get a 5-0 victory in the end.
I will be getting a Raicho. I'm thinking I will cut the pelt off and fill the damge from that with GS and then add a plastic card shoulder that is of similar design to the shield. Then if enough of the pelt survives I will add it as a loin cloth. Or add the arm shield to the shoulder the pelt was on and go with no arm shields. Orrrr do a large shoulder, keep the arm shield and put the multi hmg on the shoulder so the Raicho can grapple his prey and shoot it's face off or block/guard while still being able to engage effectively with his gun.
That might be an idea, putting the shield on the shoulder. But I imagine there will be some strange slot left over on the right arm that'll cause issues. Shoulder mounted weapons are always cool. I was thinking of finding a large alien beast skull/head of some sort to put on the shoulder instead. I'm sure I could cover up the skull already there easily enough but I'm not sure about the pelt. That part looks more problematic to convert or hide. My other idea is to just add that second trophy somewhere else on the model. Hopefully it'll become more of a focus rather than that sad looking pelt already on it. Most likely I'd put it over the top of the ammo pack like in the profile art.
Well, that wasn't my big complaint about it, but it is a complaint. My big complaint is: It looks mean, it looks predatory (thumbs up on both of those items!). It just doesn't look like a Morat. I suppose that given the usual Morat armor levels, ARM8 might be the appropriate level for something that has ammo take half it's weight, what with ARM6 Sogarat HI.
Okay, fact. I missed the bold letters somehow. Anyhow, I like the fact the head doesn't look like a Morat. This is my own view, but I think since it's meant to fight megafauna, it is going to look more like said megafauna, so the teeth stylization and horn work fairly well. Then again, I swapped my old raicho's head for a tyranid gaunt to get that same predatory feel, so I very biased when it comes to this model, It is literally everything I wanted in a Raicho in terms of visual.
