To be honest, that link is kinda big deal. That said, my point was that introduction of TAK improved Ariadna by making it even more Ariadna, so to speak. TAK themselves also got that steamroller link, but then again it seems almost everyone has them these days. On the other hand, if we look at, say, Haqq-related developments, incoming HB update develops them by making them less HB, so to speak. Same can be said about how RTF introduction affected Haqq for the most part.
I'm curious about the RTF opinion, but I don't necessarily consider the new Hassassin profiles to be too bad for identity (the Wildcard nonsense withstanding). The budget TO guys fit with the Lasiq's job of elite sniper with a new twist favouring ambush tactics, and the notLocust is the sort of semi-elite that could help the Irregular nutcases actually break a line in the face of prepared foes. On the topic of Steamroller links, I hope Wildcard Sheskiin goes. Completely. I have no idea what the designer was smoking to get the impression that the bastard offspring of Tariq Mansuri and Achilles belonged in a cheap Fireteam Core in the subterfuge and hiding Sectorial, but I sure as shit do not want any. That crap doesn't belong anywhere outside of maybe one or two of the more spartan PanO sectorials and Morats, the sheer power creep is insane.
Links and especially mixed links used to be and could have continued to be a tool to get subpar troops to work in their Sectorials - without fallout to Vanilla. Wildcards became an atrocity the second they graduated from toolkits and Dire Foes (who would have already strained things by i.e. supplying Smoke to any link in the army) to mixing and matching universal cheap fillers and high caliber SWC guns. When is the last time you saw a plain old Linetrooper SWC ARO piece? Nowadays the dude sitting in your defensive Link is a HI/MI with at least +2 BS or MSV/Mimetism of some sort. For mixed Links done wrong you can take most of the last years worth of releases. Varuna gets to supply one (or more) Kamau MSRs, ORC HMGs/FBs with Core Link boni for 40 points. In case of the Orc that's cheaper than the whole guy. And then there's i.e. JSA vs Ikari or IA vs Dashat, where the Mercs get significantly more value out of the same troops. Wildcards and "counts as" also killed the 1-2 & 3-4 of X + Y, see the "Teuton Link" for reference which hardly anyone would run with any Teutons. Looking at the 3 new Sectorials that are exclusively available in N4 and their Link options being less restricted than ever, the ship has sailed though. There's no reason to run anything less than optimal (although figuring out what that is might take a bit and have more diversity), N4 doesn't look like in-Sectorial balancing is much of a focus. Well time to move on, it's gonna be busy for a while either way.
Wildcards were maybe a good option to make vanilla HI dumbasses (Suryat, Orc, Shang Ji (Zuyong in Dashat), Mobile Brigada) more playable than just running a ~200pts Pain Train that dies to a Krakot anyway, but it got into powercreep territory just way too fast. Funny how in our community we considered StarCo "fixed Corregidor" for a bit with a better Brigada train (and better Riot Grrls core than Bakunin!) and extremely good Alg core and then new Corregidor blew it out of the water.
@Nuada Airgetlam The Volkolak also got a T2 rifle, and with +1 damage too. ^^ Seems they are sticking around and getting extra mods on some units.
Last thing I'd want CB to make is "the new thing is this old thing, but +1", but looking at O-12 I have little to no faith we'll avoid power creep.
I think it gives them way more options tweaking weapons a bit without having to give blanket rules like full auto or fatality which apply to everything. (Though now those are just +1 damage or burst in the skills area instead of weapons.) But still it's nice they have better options for applying those mods now.
It's interesting how T2 Rifles so far seem to commonly come with increased burst or damage. I'm hoping that is a sign that T2 has been nerfed, because my god does T2 punish you hard in N3, crits or no crits, and they're ridiculously cheap for their performance.
Especially with the -3 MOD from Full Auto L2 finally not being gated behind behind +1 Burst anymore. Don't think they changed. That ammunition type is so straight forward I'm kinda surprised it didn't get merged with DA. Not a lot of room for any sensible changes there.
Not really sure how you would nerf them. DA already exists for two hit ammo. I think having a type thst deals 2 wounds in one hit is fine. (No Ariadnan bias here) against most units its mostly performing as shock+
They thought it was too strong on Multi Snipers, a gun that's almost twice the cost and 1,5 SWC. A T2 Rifle seem to have the same cost as a Breaker Combi, same burst, and marginally worse range bands. If all you play are 1-wound unit spam, then T2 isn't a big deal, but when you're playing with a few NWI or 2+ STR/W units, it's a huge deal. Those stats are pretty large investments and we're going to see more people being encouraged to play those, so arguably it's going to be a lot less of shock+ going forward.
Ah yes, you have convinced me. I was under the impression that AP HMGs, Autocannons, massed camouflage, Antipodes, adhesive ammo, Total Immune werewolves, excessive amounts of AP guns, and so on were capable of doing it, but it's true, T2 ammo is clutch for Ariadna to compete.
Now that FT rules will be written apart from main rules, maybe they take a further look at the crazy powercreep of the Wildcards. My hope or suggestion - at this point- would be to have the bonuses apply exclusively to the troop type that is used to form the fire team, while the wildcards remain as they are. They just add +1member and their basic skills, and get a buffed bodyguard group and a means for order saving as a return.
I think T2 costs compared to DA could be a leftover from times when more of things that mattered had 1W period, and so T2 meant one chance to put such stuff down while DA of similar caliber offered two.
I cant find the Source right now, thought it was in the fluff text from the N3 book, but its not. But I didnt pull this just out of my nose, I can swear I read it somewhere or heard it in an old podcast or video.
I can confirm - there definitely was an info about Tuaregs not having TO camo technology but being so stealthy, that it works the same in the rules. Now I also don't see this, maybe it was even in N2, not sure. The current fluff says only this about their "technique": PozdRawiam / Greetings
