About the information that a new Operations box is coming with "hint; they really hate each other". In the immortal words of Blight, "Do you have any idea how little that helps me?"
My real Guesses: Nomads versus Aleph. Ramah versus Ikari My Fantasy Guesses: Caledonia versus Druze Sygmaa versus Tohaa
A priori, it shouldn't be Usariadna in the two-player starter set. As for fierce enemies, we don't really have a choice. The only factions that could clearly be rebooted were ALEPH and its Steel Phalanx, Haqqislam and its Qapu Khalqi, and the Tohaa, who are waiting for their lore book. Then we have the discontinued factions, which should remain so. This would mean that a faction that has already been redone will be rebooted. So that would leave us with: Tohaa vs. Combined Army ALEPH vs. Nomads Steel Phalanx vs. Combined Army Haqqislam vs. Druzes Unlikely: Pan-Oceania vs. Yu Jing Ariadna vs. the rest of the universe Nomads vs. Pan-Oceania
For haqqislam part, It IS qapu the sectorial expected to be redone. Qapu has druze mercs, so i think it's unlukely haqq VS druze.
While I think QK may be in the box, I really can't think of anyone they really hate. Now, since Scarface is technically a QK and Haqqislam model and QK includes yuan yuan and Druze, Caledonia would want them dead. But most things I feel are one sided with the exception of Nomads versus Aleph.
There are few factions that hate each other. PanO – Yu Jing (more of a rivalry than hate) Aleph – Nomads Aleph (Steel Phalanx) – CA JSA – Yu Jing Ikari – everyone. But YJ in particular. I think but it could have been moved to JSA. One of the Ariadna factions has issues with Scarface. I don’t remember who. Merovingia? I think Haqq is going to get bent over again this year in favor of yet more CA. We know CA sells. So, I think that if they are doing another 2-player set, it’s going to be Aleph and CA. I’m not sure if it would be any sub-factions but it’s possible to be SP and Onyx. Right now, all of Aleph needs some help and Onyx could use some tweeks. Yeah, I know Next Wave just came out but I don’t think that will stop them. Speaking of selling, it’s also likely to be Aleph and Nomads. Nomads hate Aleph but Aleph I can’t say hates them. More like thinking they are just deluded and will come around eventually. But Nomads are popular. Though again I can’t say if it would be a sub-faction or not. JSA obviously hates Yu Jing. I’m sure the feeling is mutual at this point. However, they just had the IS box and Yu Jing is always low on the list of priority figures. Not to mention Shinden just came out. Just throwing this out there. Haqq is the most deserving of new figures in my opinion. I don't even play Haqq! But Aleph is close too. 2020-2025 Total new figures per faction. Combined Army: 92 Nomads: 89 O-12: 80 PanO: 81 Yu Jing: 64 Ariadna: 60 Aleph: 59 NA2: 52 Haqqislam: 37 JSA: 35
If Wave wasn't already a thing, I could see ALEPH vs them, but seems pointless. ALEPH getting a third sectorial is a possibility. Another ALEPH vs Haqq seems iffy though, and I don't think they hate each other at all, unless of course something ELSE happens when they eventually get their book entries. Now, Tohaa vs Haqq would be amusing...
I was betting for Aleph vs Nomads, since PanO, JSA, CA and YJ got box last year, but i would love Caledonia VS Qapu. We HATE so much those Druze genocidals... but is highly improbable, USA goes first. Will Aleph bring back to life another legendary hero, now Achiles is gone? Maybe a hero called Hercules?
Hoping for OSS vs Onyx, for some old-fashioned sci-fi black ops action. Also, both sectorials could do with a little maintenance.
They could always do Paris with special Achilles piercing bullets. Isn't Odysseus still a thing somewhere? But, ALEPH lacks a third sectorial, so could be something completely new.
I still feel like Next Wave was Supposed to be that third sectoral. Most of the rules have that feeling of a mix of Aleph with Humans. But they decided it would maybe sell more if they twisted it to being CA instead. Which I guess worked.
I'm gonna go with OSS vs Onyx as a possibility cause, although I feel like Coldfront was recent, someone recently pointed out that it wasn't lol. Why are people guessing SP when we had Blackwind? I get it, I'm always wrong when it comes to guessing with CB. As for a new character for Aleph, they could do William Marshal, born circa 1146,, then MO could have another knight to play with :)
Haqqislam was mentioned before by them. Actually Aleph was not. It's assumed it's Aleph because they lost troops and didn't really get good with changes. Also, there's no rule against repeating troops in a box set. At some point it's going to happen if they keep doing them. I'm thinking Aleph vs. Nomads. 1. i know at least Nomads hate Aleph. 2. Nomads, while they have gotten a lot in the last few years, they did not get much this year. 3. They obviously have not been in a set together. 4. Aleph has not gotten many new figures in the last few years (still more than Haqq though) 5. Aleph does need some help for rules. They are not as bad as some but not great either. 6. Nomads sell. Personally I don't think they need new figures or updated rules. They are already pretty good but there's no doubt they sell. 7. CA does sell as well as Nomads but I think it could piss off a lot of players if they get CA after just getting Next Wave. Blackwind Aleph-Haqq Coldfront Aleph - Ariadna Crimson Stone Nomads - Ariadna Icestorm Nomads - PanO Red Veil Yu Jing - Haqq Kaldstrom Yu Jing - PanO Wildfire Shas - O12 Sandtrap JSA - PanO
Aleph and Haqq are annonced to appear in a new book (among others like NW I think). They do not hate each other and there is no must, to put them both in a box to release some new stuff. Usualy both factions of the battle box gets a tail of sales after the initial release. For the hate thing I would think Nomads vs Aleph. Bakunin was already updated (but has the highest level of hate, fueled by the Morias). Tunguska had no dedicated update so far - only some new units that nobody realy need, even if they upgraded both relases. So Alpeh (OSS or something new) vs Nomads Tunguska could be a possibility. But Tunguska is more or less complete. Sectorials that awakened from retirement are: NCA, Merovinger and QK but I see not much hate here.
What I would love to see someday is an NA2 vs. X. or just a plain update box like ISS. Adding some more troops to all NA2 armies would be great. White Company doesn’t need it but the rest of them do. What I would see them doing: 3 Brawlers 1 Druze 1 Digger 1 Wardriver (and change them to be good) 1 new S5 troop Beyond box Ninja Yuan Yuan or Bashi Something new
First off, Wardrivers are great. They don't need any changes. Dirt cheap stealth-nulling hacker that also gets a disco is amazing value. Bonus points for Zero Pain. Secondly, I don't see a set like that really working because you just can't really expect to get 300 points out of it. Most of the Merc stuff is made to exist ancillary to more notable toys supplied by 'real' factions. A 10-man playable combined starter just doesn't come together too admirably from the mercenary filler bits.
Most of the starters now don't reach 300pts. But, I'd actually prefer all new troops that are available to Most NA2. Maybe exclusive to them like Brawlers. I kind of used the list as an example. It could also be all new troops for Druze with a few going to other NA2.
If one of the armies in the box are QK, the rival can be CA navy (exrah o shavasti) or even samo nomad pirate (i exclude corregidor). Cheers
