At a 30% success rate, the chance of succeeding twice in a row is 9%. Quite low. And if a 15 order count loses 2 or even at a magnificantly low chance of 3% of 3 orders the massive order pool cares significantly less than a limited insertion does. 3 orders from a limited insertion list before they can even start doing something is debilitating. 3 orders from the second pool of a 2 combat group is annoying. But that is still 8 orders from that dakini/bulleteer/ruishi that will do all of the damage anyways. And simple for how to explain against the antipose, the werewolf has comms. Put an airhorn through that and you will screw up that dogs ears hard. An antipode is already susceptible to a flashpulse and jammers. It's just a hacking version of flash pulse, so the same systems that a flash pulse is capable of attacking is being done by the hacker. I dont like the previously suggested system because it hits the LI groups harder and I feel if the intended goal is make them more useful, give them something that makes them a place to lightly debilitate everything.
I've never liked it, but it wasn't anywhere close to broken. This thread took off again when I explained the interaction to my local meta as part of a discussion on why I don't really like the look of Liu Xing: their reaction was very similar to Tox's. Dropping on an LI hacker in a Fireteam doesn't bother me: you've got enough options to deal with it. Dropping on a Custodier or similar does. And @Alphz while I agree that mainly AHDs have issues, the vast majority of lists I play against don't have regular hackers: and when they do, it's usually seen as a tax to get Supportware. So it's possibly YMMV, but I don't think hacking overall is in a good place right now.
@inane.imp supportware is so crazy good how anyone considers it a tax I will never understand. You then get hack transport, some gotcha! or brain blast ARO capability in the mix. The only real downside is 0.5 SWC and how easy it is for a KHD to nuke you. In our meta, HD, HD+ where poss and KHD are common. All of those devices bring utility at a price that is relatively affordable. The only device I see which is trouble is AHD. But I think its just a little pricey compared to its cousins, and its a tricky one because a midfield AHD can be absolutely devastating or completely worthless. So making it better only serves to disincentivise HI and TAGs, who I think are in a worse place than hacking devices on the whole.
Nah. if the AHD is inside an enemy repeater, and gets out of camo to counter the supportware, then the KHD fries him next.
Assault hackers need a meaner program to use against enemy hackers; maybe a super-Oblivion with mods and/or increased burst?
Increased burst won't do them much good, since the enemy will attack in their active turn. An specialized attack that causes IMM-1 to enemy KHD negating, for example, all WIP mods and special ammo types to both hackers would be good enough.
AHDs actually need to be less effective vs TAGs and HI, have a role against normal LI, be cheaper and KHDs be less effective if you want to see more of them, but keep HI/TAGs viable. Drop them to 4pts increase KHDs to 4pts. Drop the DAM to 14 for all Claw Programs. Remove Possession, rework Overlord and Total Control.* Make Spotlight B2 and an ARO or make Spotlight work the same way as Satlock vs markers. Rebalance TAGs and HI on this basis (price in Hackable). Make it so that multiple different hacking AROs from the same link is legal without breaking the link. Drop all Sword Programs to DAM14, make Trinity and Skullbuster both B3 and remove the -3 OPP from Redrum. Nerf Maestro (B2 DAM11, ignores BTS causes UNC no MODs seems about right). * Something like EM damage at low odds or introduction ISO-1 and ISO-2 states and have it apply ISO-1 and IMM-1 vs TAGs.
Wouldn't that be Blackout more or less? I'd love it if Possession was only possible against G:Rem TAGs while for Manned TAGs you got to expel the pilot and kill it. The problem with leaping to your death would have to be "solved", however. That aside, what if Exorcism became and ARO skill?
Spotlight being able to target camo markers directly would be an amazing boost to AHDs. I would normally say expanding it to allow ARO would seem unlikely, but then they added Smybiobugs, which are the only way to apply the Targeted status in ARO. In fact, they can only do it as a reaction.
I literally thought it was for ages, doesn't really change much. But yes, if Possession wasn't removed I'd recommend that change as mitigation for reducing the price of AHDs. If Possession was removed I'd make Exorcism a remote method for clearing ISO-1and IMM-1 states. The main reason I think removing Possession is useful is that it reduces complexity. Hacking is overly complex. Fixing suiciding TAGs is an important but secondary benefit. @toadchild yeah, Spotlight working vs markers would be a massive boost. I'm not sure that it would be balanced (I think Spotlight in ARO would be easier to balance), but people have been complaining that Marker states are overpowered/undercosted for a while and that would provide the sort of soft counter that Infinity is known for (it also would synchronise the two skills, with the difference being one works through a Hacking Area and the other through a Sensor Area). Admittedly if CB went that route then dropping the cost of AHDs is probably not warranted. Admittedly, I'm biased and think that not having hackers should feel like a legitimate weakness, albeit balanced by other faction strengths. FakeEdit: I missed my Symbiomate nerf, which is part of this. "Symbiomates can't be used vs Hacking or Technical Weapons." Which would mean that Flash Pulse, FO, Jammer and Spotlight would all provide counterplay to Mates. I'd balance it by making Tohaa HI and TAGs Non-hackable.
I've long been one of the people who thinks marker state (especially when in quantity) is unbalanced. It's a bit frustrating to see that the new TAK army list not only has access to a ton of camo, it also has some of the best ability to remove enemy camo through the easy access to numerous antipodes with sensor. Even if HD and AHD could target camo markers with spotlight, it would still be less order efficient than a strelok k-9 starting halfway up the table.
CB is, as usuarl, of two minds regarding HI and TAGs: on the one hand, they want to see more. On the other hand, we see suddenly more E/M weapons and Jammers and... all around. AHD gets lost because of so many KHD, so CB adds new ways to replace the AHD... whops! XD
I wasn't really making a difference there, just nothing that stuff that Isolates everything non-veteran, or IMM-1/2 (E/M) against HI. While the IMM is very damaging, the Isolated can damage a lot a LI list, or one with expensive troops (for example, Achilles, or a TAG), thus the mention.
Jammers are proportionally more dangerous to more expensive models. If your ghazi jams my ghazi I'm a lot less bothered than if your ghazi jams my avatar.
It almost seems like they're saying they're amazing, but then doing their best to make them a sucker's play...
