We had a better name for a multi-faction force since Campaign Paradiso: Ariadnan Expeditionary Force But they probably don't want to use that, since it was the French and Caledonians that did it--not their pet Russians.
The Ariadnan Expeditionary Force is tied specifically to the large scale deployment of a Pan-Ariadnan fighting force to the planet of Paradisio so maybe not the best thing to name a new sectorial with a very different thing going on. Kosmoflot appears to be a much smaller organization that is (obviously, by the unit names) Kazak led. But we don't know a lot aside from that, is every trooper who isn't a Para-commando Russian? or are they just named that because the Russians are in charge on Dawn and therefor leading the effort and get naming rights with what is otherwise a multinational effort. Currently I can't say, haven't seen those details anywhere, going to have to wait for the book to come out.
Information about Polaris Team by Bostria on Mayacast. The bear has Chain Rifle (+1 D, +1 B), Grenades, Smoke Grenades, APCCW, Trench Hammer, Climbing +, Vulnerability somthing (I don't understand what, Berskerk, Courage, CC Attack (+2), ARM 5, BTS 0. The handler has a light shotgun. With the handler, le bear is Regular. Without the handler the bear is Irregular and Impetuous. The unit cost is cheap.
Not really. Immunity may be the same as it was (Normal damage, single hit), but Vulnerability might mean "no Immunity AND a negative effect (reroll ARM, +3 dmg, whatever)".
Did anyone ever imagine anything other than this when we heard of Ariadna in Space? I mean, they are hurling old Soyuz-modules into space using giant catapults... I bet the modules used for the first tests in space weren't even airtight ...
Well, due to me having been a kid at the tail end of the Communist era, this is what comes to my mind when I hear "Kosmoflot"...
My bad, it's Expeditionary Corps rather than Force. But still the point remains: the lore is literally the same damn thing. It's just them renaming it because it haaaaaaaaaaaaas to be sphess Russians. Even though the sphess Russians got wiped out(hahaha!) on Paradiso and the French had to rebuild the AEC. Also fun fact, Varangian Guard are mentioned in that same article. It's a Caledonian Mercenary Unit formed by "sergeant major William McKellar". The lore is all right there in black and white. Pages 88 through 90 in Campaign: Paradiso. No mention of "Kosmoflot" until literally now. The AEC is mentioned as being the future of Ariadna in a snippet, as it's their way to attempt to get a seat at the table for O-12. In conclusion: Screw the Russians. This should have been Merovingia's glorious return, not more half-assed Russian garbage for a faction already bloated with them.
At this point I do not expect much effort from CB for the "by the end of the year in N4" factions. Calling it now, MRRF and Tohaa will be a mostly copy / paste of old profiles, just tossed into the new skill framework.
Why should be there anything about Kosmoflot in Paradiso book if they just created it? And what has AEC to Komsoflot? They are force send to Paradiso because O-12 asked for that. They are mix of ariadnan units but they weren created as one force. AEC is just mix of troops they had and were willing to throw into meat-grinder. While Kosmoflot is propably integral part of Ariadna and is second pan-ariadnan organization created whit that in mind. It is logical that power which have most industry, controls spaceport and have most influence will be the one creating fleet for Ariadna
The cultural esteem cosmonauts are held in versus US astronauts could also be a factor. And as you mentioned, STAVKA would without question call their fledgling space fleet by a Russian name.
Given that I ever so helpfully posted page numbers, you could go read it and find out. And no, AEC is not "just a mix of troops they had and were willing to throw into meat-grinder". They were volunteer troops for the first contingent. Mostly Merovingian and Cossack units, with the Cossacks being from the Tartary Army Korps(which is apparently considered an awful assignment). After the first contingent got heavily decimated? Cossacks didn't want to support a second contingent. Highlanders that got involved with the first were primarily outcasts with few links to a clan. USAriadna was having to deal with the fact that they got stuck patrolling the southern region of the Exclusion Zone so added very little. The second contingent literally would not have happened if the Merovingians hadn't basically said if nobody else supported it, they'd still be sending people to work for O-12. Also, Matr controls the only official spaceport. "Merovingia, Mon Amour" establishes that Merovingia is the only place outside of Matr that delegations from the rest of the Human Sphere are found. And that they have good relations with the Nomads and Haqqislam, that they keep hidden from Matr. The article is even written from the perspective of a Black Hand analyst talking about how if Matr tries to screw the Nomad Nation over, then Merovingia is ready and willing to accept their aid.
@kanluwen , I spent awhile here trying to address all your points, I felt it always came out a jumbled mess. so i'm just going to go with this: I also want FRRM back, i want them back very badly as they are why i started this wonderful game in the first place. Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the story CB wants to tell right now, what we are going to get is Ariadna reaching out into the stars and yes it has a Russian name, and a heavy Russian influence, just as it would have a large Caledonian influnce if they had the largest industrial base and political power on Dawn, or the USAriadnans or the Merovingians if they where in the same position, but they aren't its Rodina who is in charge. But the distinct presence of non-Kazak troops means they aren't making this journey alone, this isn't TAK 2.0, this is something new, something more akin to the dream envisioned by the AEC of a united Ariadna. so lets just see where this journey goes and when the Merovingian Epic is once more ready to be written then we celebrate and until then, lets see who's better at a spacewalk, a Bearpode or Lafayette Duroc.
I still think there's a bit too much Russian. Yes, they're big contributors, but this is intersystem space flight, the gate to infinite wealth. With the Ariadnans being so fiercely nationalistic, there'd have to be some serious guarantees of sharing in wealth and power (or Dawn being actively besieged) to not ignite a civil war, especially with every other power in existence benefiting from a divided Ariadna and the cheaper Teseum it would bring. And frankly, the Kazaks have not historically been very fair to their compatriots outside of the Stavka. On the bright side, maybe we can start the French Revolution Deux.
On the surface i'd agree, but i'm still holding off judgement until we get some unit descriptions because while the name might be Russian we don't know if all of the recruits are or if they're finally trying to turn this into something similar to the Invincible Army where its a trans-national/ethnic force. It'd be more like the fifth or sixth French Revolution. Took them awhile to decide between being ruled by an Emperor or being a Republic after they took down the house of Bourbon. Edit: well look what i found today, topical! Spoiler: I figured it'd be safer to hide the cartoon heads on pikes, you know for the children
@Bostria ... really?! ARM 5?! This is disappointing. More and more Tags and no one for us but a Alienbaer like this?! I hope you are wrong like the Profil of Kosmonaut-Soldat. With ARM 6 ..... Six!
