Eh, AP(BTS) isn't too bad if it's on something like an Interventor or Custodier. The danger would be if it made it onto the likes of Zeroes who can actually forward-deploy. Trinity also hasn't historically been that great in ARO, so it should be fairly safe to advance with a HI Hacker and do battle in the active turn, but you'll want them pulled back for reactive. Good Firewalls could also make it very possible to challenge KHDs since uncontested devices wouldn't be able to hit very easily. I'd be tempted to use stuff like Ekdromoi or a Dasyu Combi in an Asura Hacker list, to snipe enemy Tinbots and Repeaters, then press the hacking assault on turn 2. Having a spare Posthuman Hacker, Danavas or Deva Hacker standing by your Asura for turn 1 wouldn't be a bad idea in case of Pitchers, to slap an attacking Hacker with Oblivion and bust their device.
AP Trinity (is Breaker ammo gone, or was it just a simplification in the podcast?) is pretty much an equivalent of being shot by an AP Rifle (sans cover, but I think that we'll see Fairy Dust used more often). Which weren't actually a big HI deterrent. We don't know which hackers will receive upgrades and what exactly will they be, we don't know the exact modifiers for hacking programs, the most powerful upgrades will most likely be few and far between. Two days, and we'll know.
Okay got the full picture on base Tirnity (some people got their books early). Trinity is B3 DAM14, but also +3 WIP. KHDs are gonna shred stuff hard. Combined with Surprise Attack that's better FTF than any of the old Programs. High BTS+Firewall would matter a lot, since you're "expected" to lose the roll. Depending on who gets AP Trinity, HI Hackers are back to easy targets. Getting Upgrade: Trinity on the Asura to replace Redrum would make sense, not Trinity (AP) though. The more I think about better ammo types as Upgrades for Hacking Programs the less I like the idea to be frank. N3 Hacking was the big mess it is because KHDs were obscenely deadly and the only real safety against them was a Marker State (something they conveniently had built in). Don't see how introducing a Program with a better FTF, with Upgrades potentially more deadly than Redrum, Lighting and Maestro changes that. Looks like the same old N3 rock paper scissors. KHD is a cheap Specialist that works against other Hacking. No real downside or counter other than being limited to a Specialist with Cybermask against lists without any Hacking. Damn shame oh well, we'll see.
Depending on how going through repeaters works now, that +3 WIP on Trinity might simply be there to offset Firewalls. Plus, with Surprise Attack no longer granted by Cybermask, that helps a bit.
Unfortunately that just means Marker State KHDs remain worlds better than the plebs without it. Which has been another big Hacking Problem, Marker or Upgrade Program required, otherwise probably trash :/ To make a specific example: A Zero sneaking up to Mary Problems with Surprise Attack gets to roll 3x 16 (13+3) vs 1x 14 (14+3-3). Not a fan of how one sided a baseline Camo KHD is vs something I'd call an elite Hacker.
Yeah, looks like they exacerbated the problem with KHDs vs all other hacking, rather than fixing it. Damn shame.
Depending if Mary had Firewall, if the Zero is going through a Repeater, what Upgrades Mary might have, etc.
@Stiopa good catch on the points for LT2 on the HD+ LT and glad she did indeed keep that. I’ll be having some fun with the Asura in N4.
The typo is the Hacker profile costing 1.5 SWC, it should be 0.5. Both Lt profiles get a 0.5 SWC reduction because you're taking an expensive LT that will be target #1 for your opponent
Thanks for the explanation. Still a nice thing compared to N3 where our glorious asuras would use 2 SWC for a spitfire, even when being Lt.
