i took a look at it a month ago. now that other models has combat jump explode, i don't think this ability is as OP. Yet, it still is a TAG and just CJ by itself, no explode, is powerful, but is it worse than the Sphinx hidden deployment and Mimetism-6 ? Yeah, i guess. But I wouldn't mind facing him on the table.
Generally speaking from N2 to N3 there were points reductions and from N3 to N4 stats adjustments. So I wouldn't have a clue what the statline would have been. From N2 to N3, BTS-6 becomes BTS6. End of N3 it gains Tactical Awareness and Fatality L1 which is translated in N4 to BS Attack (+1 Dam). From N3 to N4, some rules affecting TAG got put directly on profile and stacked skills got split. So on top of Remote Presense, he'd gain Dodge (PH=11), Immunity(Shock), Gizmokit(PH=11), and ECM:Guided(-6). In N3, TAG gained a specialist pilot, but those are robot suits, for organic TAG I'm not sure what would happen. The Gorgos has Transmutation and Specialist Operative on the Inactive Symbiot Armor version. What would happen with the Caskuda ? Maybe he gets nothing. As for the other Exrahs, it is nice that while Exrah includes better movement, and super-jump, they actually did modify the profiles. I'd think the "no unconscious state" part of Exrah would likely stay. Since Shasvastii having a special Unconscious form also stayed.
A straight up conversion would be Caskuda type TAG classification Mech Deployment Regular, Not impetuous MOV 6-4 CC18 BS15 PH17 WIP12 ARM8 BTS6 STR3 AVA1 Equipment: ECM: Guided(-6) Specials Skills: BS Attack (+1 Dam) - Dodge (PH=11) - Immunity (Shock) - Remote Presence - Tactical Awareness - Gizmokit (PH=13) - Combat Jump (Explosion) - Parachutist Weapons: MULTI HMG, Heavy Flamethrower, CC Weapon SWC:3 C:111 And from there we would need to adjust stuff, but not sure what.
I'd love to try that, though I imagine it would be quite binary - stomp many things, get stomped by many forms of defense. I ran it a lot when I first started in N2 and the games were always like that... but the defenses are far better and the HMG has actual weaknesses now so its a different ballgame. Some suggestions to pick and choose from or ignore; Make it Combat Jump (PH=__) instead of PH17. Landing on 17 or 20 with an EVO is a straight up no. Consider removing Parachutist. I dislike balance options that remove consistency but I feel it may need it. No HFT. Land your bug in my DZ but it has no close range weapon and the HMG is no longer the king of all rangebands. Does a good job of keeping the Cutter in line. MHMG -> HMG as a potential firepower nerf. I am concerned that it can drop and just brick another TAG in seconds from an advantageous angle and that this could be one of the nastiest things about it. Give it an Exrah Pilot. I don't remember the lore as to if this is a suit or a REM but this is too cool to miss and lets some of us use our old Exrah Why is it WIP 12? Was that the original stat, or a cost adjustment stat removal, or what?
I think, CJ full-fledged TAG is too much. But if instead of MBT use light TAG stats it could be better. Like Caskuda type TAG Regular, Not impetuous MOV 6-2 CC17 BS14 PH16 WIP13 ARM6 BTS6 STR3 S6 AVA1 Equipment: ECM: Guided(-6) Specials Skills: BS Attack (+1 Dam) - Combat Jump (Explosion, PH=11) - Dodge (PH=11) - Gizmokit (PH=11) - Immunity (Shock) - Courage - Tactical Awareness - Remote Presence Weapons: Breaker HMG, DA CC Weapon SWC:2.5 PTS:85 (?) Pilot: Staldron remote ancillary unit It won't be good against armoured targets but nasty against everything else. Maybe even change it from original STR3 RemPres to W2 NWI and no pilot to really make it a cockroach :) Drop to 2 SWC and 75 pts then?
i found the fluff from 1st edition, while the caskuda is an insect, PanO gave that name to first Concordat Armoured Jump Operators they encountered. It don't say of it is piloted or REM but re-entry is at 6Gs and it crash-lands, so I think it would be remote piloted. While the jump operators Iskallers has improved metabolism allowing the strong stresses of re-entry, I'm not sure it would survive crash-landing inside a TAG suit. But having an exrah pilot would be more fun than a detachable remote anciliary unit.