Basically the Intruder has been only an ok unit since HSN3, but as far as internal balance goes it was still a good option for Correg. Correg getting better pushed it down further. Before it was like "The Intruder feels costly, but he's the only one that can do this and it NEEDS to be done." I don't think that it's useless thou and a changing meta might make it an attractive choice again. Just like Wildcats Intruders are more valuable on terrain heavy boards as well.
Im finding it really difficult to give up my intruder sniper in lists, she has so many high profile kills from the last league i was in, double critting pano knights, cutting down dayoki and enough counter sniper kills that eventually TO was never taken against me, Im trying the wildcat hrl instead just now to see how that goes instead as ive never used any type of the cats much, The lt intruder is a profile i really miss and alg lt and wildcat lt are so bland compared to other lts out there, ive been using the boarding shotgun mb lt as by the time my link is in the midfield having a burst 3 weapon thats hitting on 22s just wrecks everything and im not too fussed abour losing them at that stage in the game, and with the new morans in o need that last 1 swc, wild cat lt just seems to squishy and too expensive to be usefull
I reckon the Sniper is still an option in reactive. Get smoke on him and he royally screws with anybody who doesn't have MSV attack pieces, granted that now includes MSV1 + Sixth sense. So gotta be even more careful now. Could be his death knell I guess, have to test.
So long as he's higher than the target and set back from the edge he functionally gets to choose when he engages, so you can wait until they're eating a Jag Panzerfaust ARO at the same time. #justbrokenLOFthings
The MSV2 is kind of essential in my opinion. Every time I make a list without an intruder I feel vulnerable
I didn't find Intruders a particularly good response to that, because unless you got Smoke down properly in ARO they'd get removed relatively easily. Which seems likely to be more of a problem in N4, and - as you point out - the threat is much reduced.
Ironically, the Intruder SMRifle really shines at hunting down troops with Dogged and Smoke Grenades. Maybe that's why they're there, as an insurance against your own Jaguars.
Yes, to keep a potential Jaguar revolt or riot in check ... And while they are doing it, they are ... "Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check" edit: f*ck I'm old.
Yeah, this is why they usually made it into my lists vs. CHA or other Nomad players. The MSR is fun, but also need a smoke trooper detailed to cover him (usually a Jaguar). With 15 troop slots, 2 slots to perform smokeshot sniping or AR duty is actually a bit of a millstone around one's neck.
I'm still fitting in Morlocks in Vanilla, so perhaps in Vanilla where Morlocks can provide the Smoke efficiently and he's not competing with linked AROs I can see the MSR being more interesting. Grrl ML, Sin-Eater, TR Bot and Spektr MSR are really it's competitors as AROs to contest a Firelane with.
Especially Now the Riot Grrl can see through smoke, and Morlocks don't run off if you don't want them to.
I got to have my first N4 game in. I have to say I'm not a fan of Spotlight AROs so far. Anyways some quick things I've noticed. Getting Tinbot on the Brigada hacker makes it much, much more useable. I like this unit. Hellcats getting +3 on their AD is just... crazy. Might be too strong. I'm going to take advantage of it while I can. The counter-AD was actually nerfed IMO because they need to spend an order to activate it. Quite often it won't be on. Koalas lost some utility in not being able to clear other deployables with movement, but also gained a lot going off in ARO. Moran are awesome. I still don't know how they got so cheap. I really need a second one. Booty on Bandits has massive potential. Big buff on them. I've come around on and like Wildcats now (with use of Wildcards). Core MSV1 HRL has a big impact on the board (no pun intended). The rest of the link can be hacking and DZ defence focused. Plus it can fulfill the annoying Lt. requirement.
said it earlier in another thread but I'll throw it in here as well. Gromoz is an amazing profile especially when combo'd up with any repeater delivery system be it morans, AD Dep. Reps., or linked pitchers, as she will ruin your opponent's day from accross the table with their own tag before walking in front of your linked feuerbach and turning it around (possessed a jotum multiple times in my last game, admittedly this was in show of force). Following on the tsyklon will ruin anything hackable that your opponent puts on the table. You need at least 2 sources of trinity so as to not get completely rolled by enemy hackers. Not entirely sold on booty on the Bandits, kinda gives a way which is the bandit and not the sombra or camo moran. Unless you need an aggie or a Wildcat for what ever reason just wildcard everything into a Jag team.
To visual mod and smoke heavy armies pretty much Had my first game of N4 this Saturday and the intruder definitely pulled his weight stopping smoke throwers in their tracks. Not only that but my opponent also spent a ton of orders trying to remove him. Were I to not take an intruder I would not have a strong response to say Steel Phalanx, JSA or NCA. MSV2 is a tool that I feel I need in every list.
Gromoz is important because it helps you with the ability to build a counter to a meta. Corregidor is clearly not designed for shell game. If it's important to hide a Sombra you're better off using a Moran and sacrificing the Minelayer. Loosing Booty and full Infiltration range is too much on the Bandit. In my experience it isn't worth it to go out of my way in general, but it might be with the Sombra RF.
its more when I can I like to hide the incoming bandit vector untill I start running orders through her to go massacre a fireteam.
I find it really hard for me to deploy a Moran in a way that isn't obviously not a Bandit, even without Koalas and Booty. And then Sombras don't get full Infiltration. it just doesn't work out.