I aggre with this, but also remember that multi rifles got shock at the same time the other shock choices, this n3. In previous editions it was even more expensive than now, so even with the b3 DA ammo their user were hardly seen (the -6 range was a thing, and HMGS were nastier than they are now, I know). But then, on those times, shock was not so over the map, and NWI bended the meta drastically. Markmanship in supportware was a needed tool to compensate thas situation. Maybe, they overcompensate, but I don't see a problem in having a counter. removing shock would only make aleph a heavier hitter than is now, so it would be far from a solution
That's a problem with Posthumans (and specifically the NWI profiles) being vastly undercosted, not NWI being too good. Don't get it twisted.
The problem is when the counter is something you don't have to pay for (SMGs, supportware) so it's not like you're deciding to include counters to NWI, you get it for free.
I think that's misleading. Supportware isn't necessarily free for all armies: if you're running around with a Shock-toting REM, you're buying a standard hacking device and possibly an Engineer for full support. These are not easy choices to include for all armies, but instead are a significant investment that takes the place of other valuable troops. Additionally, particularly in the case of SMGs, the price you "pay" is typically in Order expenditure and risk. Your SMG doesn't magically teleport within range of an NWI target, then automatically win the f2f roll. That short +3 band requires Orders to get there, and walks into harm's way of mines, direct templates, jammer, hacking, shotguns, and a lot of other threats that a long-range shock weapon can easily avoid. When you evaluate things purely by army builder, ignoring on-table risk and Opportunity Cost, the picture isn't very clear.
Multi rifles never had B3 DA ammo. They always halved their shots rounding up when using special ammo (Snipers excluded). Which is why they were never or rarely seen B2 DA was almost always worse than B3 Normal in the active turn.
IIRC, it was worse than that. MULTI was typically full Burst at normal, Burst 1 with DA, and half Burst with everything else. MULTI weapons being able to fire AP and Shock at full Burst was their big N3 improvement.
My point is that the supportware is taken primarily for Marksmanship L2, not for the Shock functionality. It's functionally a free bonus. I really disagree; the point discount of an SMG over a combi is basically the cost of an AI Beacon; if I could drop my combi troops to SMGs to gain another regular order a turn it'd happen almost without fail. Moreover, certain troops (forward deployers, infiltrators, etc) can be almost certain of starting next to targets that are within that range band. In general, I think that exposure to combi rifle fire is an insufficiently harsh punishment for the points discount and ammo types they receive.
Yup, that's correct. N2 Multi was a waste of points to take (why the Shang Ji 'superior' power armor has a Combi instead of Multi as the basic weapon)
Yes, I might be mistaken there, but DA or AP used the same rules for burst, they came to 2, and +1 when linked (the halved applied before, the same as AP and cover). You were forced to B1 only with combined ammunition (AP+DA) but could not be done in ARO
Looking at him versus lots of things. Hawkwood's a kitchen sink, but pretty much all of it is useful. I looked at Patsy and had a similar sinking feeling. Not to be a contrarian, but I actually feel her SMG hurts her usefulness compared to a "real" weapon. Units at that pricepoint really benefit from a Marksman Rifle-style rangebands. I wonder if Hawkwood will be linkable with anything cheap.
Maybe. I mean obviously a TAG with an SMG would be lackluster; there's a certain price point at which you're like "Nah, give me the expensive guns." Where Patsy is on that scale I have yet to come to a conclusion on. Regardless, it's yet another donut steel with NWI + an immunity skill. I'd like to see them stop that.
