Shinobu and Oniwaban are more than just TAG-slicers, Superior Infiltration gave them an 80% and 75% chance respectively of pulling off an infiltration past the half line. This allowed for aggressive and successful backfield deployments in the same way as an impersonator (but with a bit more oomph after being revealed). Still risky, but potentially very worth it, and incredibly potent. The kind of thing that effects player plans when facing down vanilla. A hidden killer in the back field was a big deal and it is gone. The Ninja cannot handle this role, certainly not as reliably. Even less so because the ninja's only real worthwhile profile is the KHD one that folks basically just use as a button pusher. The Oniwaban and Kitsune were are proper infiltrating attack pieces. Keisotsu are another big one. Sure, we took them because Zhanshi are overpriced, but the points they saved could often pay for extra specialists or even whole extra models considering the low-end cost on some units. The Keisotsu FO is also by far the superior ARO piece to the other line trooper options we have available for that low cost. I made heavy use of these in most of my vanilla lists and was waiting for years for a resculpt to replace the aging minis. Oh well. Tokusetsu were taken for much the same reason (because extra CC on an Engineer and Doctor is super useful). They were just straight up superior specialists. Gone now. The Raiden was one of vanilla's most potent defensive pieces in its brilliant HRL+minelayer configuration. This thing could screw links, provided back-field defense, and made for a great shell-game piece in the early game. Nothing we have access to does this. Aragoto hackers are brilliant specialists, fast and efficient and great in any highly mobile vanilla forces that need a flexible specialist that can scoot to where it's needed. The Spitfire version is itself a pretty good attacker for a great price. Worst of all, there isn't even anything left that we can proxy these things as in vanilla Yu Jing, so they're paperweights to anyone grabbing a full JSA force after the split. Though those are the main ones that will hurt vanilla, losses like the Karakuri and Shikami (two unique HI specialists, one we only had a model for for a couple of months before the split occurred) will hurt as well. So basically any aggressive list that used Shinobu/Oniwaban to threaten their opponent, any list that made use of the point savings or ARO potential of Keisotsu (and the more efficient costing of the Tokusetsu), anything using a uniquely awesome Raiden as a defensive piece, and anything utilizing an Aragoto to provide mobile specialist support is basically out the window. None of these roles are adequately filled by anything else in vanilla and the roles are basically lost completely, possibly never to return. The loss of JSA units will be felt keenly since out of our two sectorials, they provided the most meta-relevant units to vanilla (ISS is great, but most of its awesome stuff is basically only good in-sectorial, so it remains pretty closed in). Basically, vanilla Yu Jing has been carved back to its pre-Human Sphere state absent a couple of ISS units (Su-Jian maybe the Crane) that HS brought along. Getting put behind a full book doesn't exactly do wonders for unique tactical options.
Raiden HRL easily solves the problem of a lot of cheap defensive links (especially those Unidron motherfuckers) by forcing them into a very bad trade or a low-PH dodging session. Now we have only Wu Ming HRL or brute force, and the former is a big price jump in points/SWC while the latter is something I hate risking. Raiden also has the distinction of being a pretty solid defensive piece when there's no link around, which is cool too. He'll be what I miss the most, even above glorious Karakuri. Losing Keisotsu pushes people even more towards Kuang Shi and 8pt bots for their cheerleading. I like using basic riflemen for the coordinated supp fire, but Zhanshi simply cannot compete with the other options the same way Keisotsu can. I don't foresee Tokusetsu being much of a problem though, that's 2 extra points maximum and usually only 1 for something that doesn't value cheapness as highly. Aragoto spitfire is ridiculously efficient in both cost (SWC1 for a mid-tier troop, baby!) and orders. It goes real fast, shoots well enough, has no need for cover, can optionally pop an order of its own and in general doesn't fuck around. Simple, but cheap enough that you don't risk much by playing it balls out. Other people seem to love the hacker, but I never really got the hang of it. You know how Su Jian is kinda busted now with the unnecessary NWI? Karakuri are almost exactly like that. Nobody remembers they exist, but they're fucking ridiculously good mid-cost combat specialists. 3-4 wounds, mk12 or heavy shotgun, total immunity, BTS6 so they can actually hang out in the midfield, chain rifle/DEP/flash pulse as secondary guns, and it's oh shit it's a specialist. They're a hidden gem especially after HSN3 buffed them unnecessarily, and I have no idea how they've managed to stay hidden. I have no idea what you're talking about with Domaru. Wu Ming CR is kind of similar I guess, but not really. Those guys are more about defence with the SMG with a side of hit trading with the chain, while Domaru are born to trade. Assault+berserk+MA3 with an E/M CCW means that if they want to bring something big down and you got them into the midfield (they need to be babysat a bit to get there admittedly, but then again so do midfield Wu Ming and Zuyong), then they can stop that thing in its tracks. And if you want to knock someone out of suppressive fire or make a midfield link cry, they can do that too with PH14 E/M grenades. Frenzy lets them do even more suicide charges without wasting your orders, but unlike Haramaki they don't start the game with a death wish. Shikami I haven't used much, but he seems pretty sweet and appears to be well-liked. ODD meta-agility specialist CC monster with an assault pistol isn't exactly a recipe for disaster, even for the price. I've even seen people touting the benefits of the combi profile, which caught me a little off guard. Ninjas are nothing like Oniwabans. Ninjas are cool, but they're only assassins opportunistically. Same goes for Kanren. Oniwaban and particularly Shinobu are built from the ground up with superior infiltration and mono CCWs to go hunting, and they're damn good at it. If they didn't do a bunch of stuff that Ninjas couldn't then nobody would ever use them, especially since they're so risky and expensive. I don't think Haramaki or O-Yoroi are any good and dirty Kempeitai filth-scum should've left years ago, so I have less to say about them. Haramaki and disgusting Kempeitai were for linking, and while O-Yoroi wasn't really a sectorial troop since it was also rare in JSA, it probably would be if it was improved. There's still a lot of competition among elite solo units in vanilla, but not so much in JSA. I still maintain that the primary reason JSA units don't (soon to be "didn't", I guess) see as much use in vanilla as they should is simply because they're JSA. People see a white and red logo that doesn't appear to belong to a Rui Shi, so they skedaddle the fuck out of there. Even then they often end up getting attached to one or two of the Japs, and there's almost no consistency with which of the Japs those are. They're just picked near-randomly from the list, with the exception of Keisotsu > Zhanshi being recognized by nearly everyone and Domaru players being very rare.
I think Karakuri flew under the radar because their models are pretty hit-or-miss, depending on the person in question. I personally love them, both aesthetically and in terms of gameplay, but I've heard a lot of people express disappointment in their models.
That and gameplay wise they have to compete with a lot of other good choices in Vanilla Yu Jing. In JSA, I love them and usually use them in objective mission. Personally I love the models, but I'll say they were a pain to put together at times.
Because that word is as a racial slur. Granted you may not be intentionally doing it, but it is also equivalent of using the N-word to a black person.
I played Karakuri in every one and each of my 10 JSA games But that's because I love the models and I only had 10 JSA miniatures. Played the same list in all 10 games, still trolled everyone. 6 bike list is key.
What? I've never heard that as a racial slur before? surely its just a shortening? Edit: just Wikipedia'd it. Apparently its an american thing, becoming derogatory after ww2.
American thing yeah, but it is the best to try avoid using it since there are a good amount of Americans who play that are on the forums (and more than likely some Japanese players). From that response, I take it that you are non-American so it would make sense that you would not know that off-hand.
And regardless of it being an "American thing," most Japanese people are going to take offense if you refer to them that way.
The splitting off of JSA isn't going to bother me. Most of the JSA units had alternates which were better or at least equal in vanilla. Some units had a use but it was far and few between in vanilla. Now how CB handled the PR aspect of JSAs split is where they made me go "ooof". It was kind of a point and laugh at the YJ player base. Haha, JSA is gone. Haha, you guys should just go and play IS now. Haha, let me drink your tears. Some got rubbed the wrong way by this and some didn't. I feel for those that did though. Really the JSA split should of been announced and then to placate the rest of the YJ player base give them a reassurance of some cool stuff coming down the road. Maybe a hint at IA coming out in a few months or at one of the cons. The opposite happened. Now vanilla players are wondering when they'll see the JSA replacements. Maybe this year, maybe next, who the hell knows? Hopefully IA is coming soon. I would like to start playing again...
Yeah I'm British so we shorten everything and we're always referred to by a shortened term in some way or another so its normal for us. Well I'm wiser now anyway chaps, cheers for the heads up.
After today's announcement of "nop, no Tohaa this year neither" I'm quite afraid that Yu Jing doesn't sell enough (and will sell less without a omgspaceninjas) and it's gonna get kinda canned in gamesworkshopesque way. Not as canned as Tohaa seem to be (I really feel sorry for Tohaa players) but I think we are not gonna be the second power on this game anymore and for me it's pretty obvious CB doesn't care much about the faction.
Except that IA is basically all-but-confirmed and CB staff have shown favoritism to YJ for the entire life of the game. The reason ISS kept the Ashcroft hunting party and still has the Wotan era Sforza despite nearly a year having passed is because it is the army Bostria prefers to play.
Maybe it's because these being irregular was fucking stupid after instruction creep came in the form of regular Armand and Krakot Renegades. We should be grateful when the company makes decisions that make the game more balanced and consistent with the lore, not dismiss it as favouritism. Both Armand and Krakots should be made irregular, today.
Cool, where? The only thing that even comes close to confirming IA is the leaked artwork that we only got because an artist fucked up. There's been nothing from CB from that front. In fact, they've made people doubt that IA will even be out this year with Bostria's "dark year for Yu Ching" comment. Then they've been doing a real bad job of it until very recently. ISS may be one of the best sectorials around now, but that's a brand new state of affairs. It took until N3 for CC to stop being completely borked and for the emphasis on HI to really pay off. And if favouritism was able to ensure new stuff, then I think Tohaa would not be complaining about a lack of new releases.
