"we make rules until we no longer feel like following them", again CB bactracking on something they say, specially after getting backlash. I'm not saying that they are making bad decisions for correcting a problematic decision, but could it be possible for the company to think things through a little more before making strong, "definitive" declarations they have to reverse afterwards? Maybe, dunno, using some sort of dialogue line between the company and the customers? One they can control, focus or pay attention to in a regular basis? As for the Specops, frankly I think they should stop recycling and start assessing and play-testing new things seriously. The whole campaign system grows from a problematic nature (making those who score more to have an easier time scoring even more, generating a snowball effect), but the "shenanigans" in the specops system comes directly from CB's selection of gear, weapons, skills and base troops. I have, however, very little faith we will see a complete redo, instead at best an overcompensating nerf to existing options to the extent that they will turn non-options at all.
For me, I think the increase in price over the Hulang (who comes with two of the newer crazykoalas and is a much cooler model) makes this a pricey blister pack easy to leave on the shelf with the other expensive single model packs (even with their little bots). Besides, he's easy to proxy and there's plenty of other profiles in the army to have fun with. I hope that now they have 2x K2 model pack, they will increase AVA or something, or it's going to be silly priced for a single person to collect.
Yup. That's my main reason as well. Yes, Xi Zhuang is a legit buy, but like Shenji I am starting to feel the sting of inflation. I'm also at a point in my model collection where I can easily proxy any similar profiles. I already have an engineer and a couple turrets. Do I really really really need another engineer sculpt? It's the same case with Xi. I guess it's aimed at new players since the old DF box is oop.
But thats pricing only. Not what Weathercock mentioned. The Sting of Inflation is already here and it drills deep in the flesh of the customer. In deed Hualng was the better deal. Its priced now 18,50 in CB shop. My online shop list it at 17,95 and sells it with 20 % off. The Guilang Hacker - without any tin-tokens but he is wearing a coat - cost the same. So when Hulang comes out now, it will be over 25,- or same at least. But boxes like Shenji or Drummer are clearly missed the target because they only give you a replacement an not two actualy useable S2 minis with different loadouts. The old Yaozao is the cherry ontop.
The price is the reason I'm NOT getting the Shenji. $50+ for an essentially a single figure is stupid. I like the figure, but not enough to not proxy it. I didn't get any of the new IS troops other than the Long Wang. I can't even remember the last YJ figure I bought before that. After writing that I remember buying the last Doctor/Engineer box and that's what I'm using for my Shengji. If they are selling to people that have no YJ it might be doing well but they are not selling to veteran like me. Almost all of the IS box set are troops I rarely use and if i do I'll proxy them. The Gamma box with Jenwei for some reason has not shown up at my store. The only troop I use is the Vanguard, and the figure is very boring to me. The Jinwei I’ve lately been not taking them. Especially in missions that need dead enemy. What I’m trying to say is that so far, they are not getting me, a veteran player, to spend money. The price has gone up, the figures have been meh, and rules for the new troops are ok. I will NOT be getting the Shenji (too expensive), Feiquan (rules suck, not worth the money), Alpha box (already have older figures), Xi (meh rules and figure is boring AF). The last figure I bought at full price was the Firebat. Looks cool and great rules. I got the O-Yoroi because it was on sale mostly but it’s good too. I will say where they are getting my money is in Warcrow. I have yet to play a game, but I’ve been buying up the elves because they look cool AF. Even if I never play Warcrow I can use them for my Frostrave figures, or any other fantasy game really.
Something I think CB should do, if they do some more Essential type boxes, is to do more basic line troops. For example: Celestial Guard, Zhanshi, Fennec, Keisotsu, Kappa, and the list goes on. Each of these would be three of the same troop with 1-2 SWC guns, and 1-2 Specialist. These are boxes I can tell new players to buy to fill out their forces. Personally, I’d like sets like these: Keistotsu Hacker, Thunderbolt, AP Rifle. I would possibly even buy two of this box! Celestial Guard, Hacker, MMR, Smoke Grenade Launcher. Other examples: Ghulam Smoke Grenade Launcher, Hacker, HMG or ML. Thorakitai Light Rocket, hacker or medic, Feuerbach.
Are you seeing lots of line troops with SWC cost in your meta? They're pretty dead in the 2 metas I play in. Maybe a hacker, but MSR, HMGs and missle are gone, at least here. There are much better ways to spend SWC in N5 than line troops. Mostly what I see is 1 basic line troop that's needed to form a duo or harris, then add in the real swc shooters. Hard disagree on this one. Sorry, but the last thing I would do in the N5 landscape is advise new players to fill out thier force with line troop SWC.
I agree that shooters are usually dead, but some specialists are not. And there’s a few key troops that are needed like the Ghulam/Celestial SGL. You must take the Celestial to get Kuang Shi and I don’t know Haqq players that don’t take the Ghulam Lt. Personally, I’ve been putting Keisotsu in lists but only the hacker, Thunderbolt, and 2 AP Rifles with one as the Lt. Obviously, none of these are good for Generic factions. Though I would take things like SGL troops on occasion. An alternative could be a troop that can also go into a fireteam of them. 2 Keisotsu and Taguraida for example. Unfortunately, I think we will never see the TAG Pilot Support Troops. Just like we never saw REM Racers. I think a key thing for them to do is also make these boxes cheap in price as well.
To be fair there was a Keisotsu SWC box with hacker, the fact they repacked it for new players is another story (I have the swc box contents so in this case the repack doesn't bother me unlike it massively does for wanting the Morlocks in the Nomad pack that's mostly Tunguska models which I own, such a stupid repack). However, it'd be great for a Senku SWC model with both SWC weapon arm options in a blister, or with other models such as Jiza or Raiden etc. I'd appreciate a CG w/SGL and 2x Kuang Shi together. Perhaps another 2 can be loaded in a different box down the line (or I just proxy). Ghulam with SGL would be an excellent model to put alongside a second Shujae and perhaps an Asawira or Sunduqbut (with it's own box decoy version as a bonus tinbot model!).
I feel like the basic infantry troops need some love. They should be able Haris in Generic Armies. I don’t even take them at all in when I play O-12 or YJ. I’ll take a Keisotsu hacker in JSA for the CK and if I have the points.
Dead or not, these troops are available and some people use them. Often the SWC is better used elsewhere, but also often there are options to "cheat" the SWC system by taking guns like MMRs, Thunderbolts, and such. and somethimes having a heavy weapon line trooper wwith a buddy or two is exactly the kind of Plan C for which the points are there.
Weirdly, the couple of times I've gotten to play Infinity in recent years I've started heavily favouring Fusiliers, even unlinked, as secondary gunners. Fast close-assault characters, Superior Infiltration, Impersonation, Parachutist (DZ), Hacking projection and other tools have grown so available and powerful relative to shooting a target with a HMG that I've found my opponents usually don't have a counter available to "one Fusilier with a Sniper Rifle watching the objective" after they've expended their assassins on my heavier units. A lot of the sneakier gameplans really don't like having to chance having their expensive Camo Skirmishers turned to paste, especially if they fail the WIP roll on the objective.
Yup. As you note; you take the Kei hacker because it's actually pretty good for its price, but Zhanshi don't have any loadouts that are actually worth the price. The combi rifle is a big offender here, but also that a lot of similar units don't have these "tech pieces" like Kei Hacker, Fennec FO, or Metro panzerfaust.
I also would like to see more attractive Line Troopers. Giving them a special bonus like +1 BS in a Haris etc. Some boxs to bring the new profiles on the table would be welcomed. At the moment CB seems to push us into proxying. The newest additons in Line Troops like Fennec and Senku are only available in the big boxes and feature only combi rifles. CG in ISS also (they are 3rd gen btw) whit an exception for NW, they including a hacker. Good boxes could be: Fennec TB, LRL, Hacker - Senku SMMR and HMG maybe togeher with Taguriada, as they don´t have so much non-combi options, CG with MMR, SGL and Hacker. I think CB staff had a lot of fun, sitting around a table and rolling with D20 on a tabel called: Keisotsu random options why roll for some other types of line troopers. Mostly non-leathal weapons, Myrm teams can not take them, only keyword is Dactyl. Yes they could be super annoying emarat your troops and not going to die fast while tossing mines around. When I write lists I usualy can´t fit one in ...
I’m not sure about something like a +B because that would add to their cost. I think them just being able to do a haris and get the +1 SD would be good. I think it also reflects how they are the most common troop in a faction. Just by being able to Duo and Haris will give them the bonus they need to be bit better.
Please do remember that the essential line boxes are cheap because they have old miniatures that have paid for their cost some time ago expecting essentials boxes with new minis will probably not be possible, at least in "essential" prices. As for the LI SWC models, I rarely see them, usually they are used in low points games, but rarely in 300 tier games.
Personally, and considering the proxy rules, I prefer to have 1 combi or SMG (capable of pulling paramedic and/or FO duty), 1 hacker (hand and pistol, in case their main gun changes in the future), and 1 heavy weapon (HMG, sniper, etc...) in the basic boxes instead of 3 combi. The problem we have nowadays in N5 is quite simple: the basic infantry has kept their cost since N2-N3, Medium Infantry has been getting extra sweets one way or another (more skills, more gear, better weapon options, improved statline, or slight points discounts), and Heavy Infantry has been getting both heavy discounts and extra gear/skills (not to talk about TAGs, those have been a mixed bag and you are hard pressed to line more than one anyways). So more often than not, there is little to no reason to even consider "basic" infantry, aside from possible filler for a really cheap Fireteam that's there just to give bonuses to a hard rock. It was mentioned that Infinity would need more value options to avoid rounding errors, so we keep the same number of troops but playing at 3000pts instead of 300, so a Dakini may cost 134pts instead of 13 or an Avatar 1228 instead of 122. This would also allow for the Warcor to cost 32pts while a Morlock may go to 68, a Moderator 91, and a Riot Grrrl 244. This would allow a wider gap in cost between basic infantry and more equipped ones.
There was an interview in english with the Corvus Belli sales representative with Q/A for the future.
