It'll get a standard release eventually. And the only armies it can be in is PanO, YuJing, and CA anyway. So only CA is missing out for now.
Point was missed. JSA is now screwed, twice, with regards to a special Ninja release. Red Veil has nothing associated with them(even pre-JSA split) nor does this look to. All that said: Ew, two Knightly Order units. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Technically Saito isn't excluded yet. Especially since Vanilla apparently is also getting the Ninja, Sval might just get AVA2 on them and Saito as well.
That is presuming the merc ninja has the same N4 AVA as it does in C1, it's possible that the C1 AVA is just so any new players can use the fancy Preorder model they got with the big shiny box.
Am I the only guy here who doesn't want his PanO goons to get a ninja? I'm still waiting to see how this all shakes out, but giving PanO ninjas is just more evidence of the cluttering of factions' once-distinct design space that's been bugging me for a while now.
It might be Svalarheima Sectorial only. N4 might also bring changes in the way Mercs are implemented – my bet is on a flat SWC tax for Vanilla factions using mercs similar to soldiers of fortune. I agree with your general notion, but my hope is that CB are aware of this and have addressed it in N4.
Well, Mercs are already full of PanO profiles available to armies like Ariadna which don't usually have access to this kind of stuff. I don't think PanO receiving one Ninja will change anything. They are crap shooters and only good against low CC units. And I expect to see a downgraded Ninja, without the full power of a regular ninja.
I'll have to see the ninja's look and rules niche before judging whether they belong in PanO. I agree that it's weird, but it also doubles down on PanO's idea of a major corporate power, utilizing PMC-style resources to get their dirty work done. The tipping point one way or another will be the rules. I wonder if these ninja will bring a tool or capability that's very important in N4. What I think is unusual is that this is not a JSA-aligned ninja clan, but strictly the opposite. Having a JSA ninja would at least show PanO's support and alignment with JSA. This actually seems like something that would cause diplomatic friction.
That's why I'm not throwing up my hands ... yet. Could be there's something behind the curtain that addresses these concerns. All of which begs the question, why does PanO need a downgraded ninja? I note the fluff explanations above but, respectfully, the Infinity fluff is flexible enough at this point to support just about anything. This news continues the general trajectory of development we've seen over the past couple of years: more overlap between factions and consequentially less distinctiveness coupled with a proliferation of new units and profiles. Who called CB and said the game was just crying out for cut-rate ninja mercs and new ORC profiles? Anyway, I'm not saying these are necessarily bad things--I'm sure plenty of you will like them--just saying that I don't.
The Kunai Solutions ninja might be a tad different than your usual run of the mill ninja based on the RPG text in the YJ Sourcebook: Since everything goes by, is provided, and/or is cleared by Gutier for the RPG an actual long range focused ninja might be coming.
BS12, FD1, Camo, Mimetism -3, with options of sniper or MMR? Interesting, doesn't take away JSA's primacy in CC, but at the right price (and SWC) could be useful but not essential.
I'm curious how it will stand apart from existing Sniper mercs, or PanO's existing shooting options. Putting a long-range vis mod sniper into a Sectorial that already possesses and iconic long-range vis mod sniper is a bold choice.
Cheaper, marker state, but lower BS/ARM, and possibly some form of deployment skill is a different enough niche IMO. We might also see different weapon options, like the merc ninja with MMR or HRL vs the Nisse's HMG/MSR. Outside of the context of C1 we need to take Fireteam options (or lack thereof) into consideration.
@yojamesbo The ORC new profiles are good to bring uniqueness to the most standard HI in the game. So much standard that, excepted one sectorial, every PanO sectorial have access to them. But in their Vanilla display, they don't fit their sectorial very well, so they need few upgrades to make them more integrated. About Ninjas in PanO, well, I'm not sure we needed them. But it will really depends on what it proposes. In a lore perspective, it shows that even YJ have some of their citizens ready to fight for its worst ennemy. Lorewise, I would really prefer to see Yuan Yuan available in PanO (even if it's only a smokeless profile) but Gutier has decided otherwise. So, we will see.
