Cutters in Varuna: can we already make some lists, from what we know?

You tend to stop being a terrorist after getting hit with an explosive round.

 

Cutter
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10
ORC HMG / Pistol, Knife. (2 | 44)
FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18)
FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)
FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)
FUSILIER Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 10)
MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
TRAUMA-DOC Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)
CROC MAN (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
CUTTER Lieutenant MULTI HMG / . (3 | 115)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()
CROC MAN Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)

5.5 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

The shotgun Crocmen is a place holder for the Zulu Cobra Killer Hacker, so the list clocks in at 299. The fireteam could definitely change up depending on what our options are but the guts will mostly stay in the same.

 

If you drop the ORC and the Fusilier HMG, you can get two Kamau HMGs and enough points for another palbot and a Fusilier FO upgrade.

If you drop just the Fusilier Hacker, you can make him a Fusilier HMG (never bad to have...)

What role do you have in mind for the Fusi Hacker?

I like the list overall.

 

I'd second barakiels call to drop the ORC, but I'd turn it into something like this:
Cutter
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10
CUTTER Lieutenant MULTI HMG / . (3 | 115)
CRABBOT Flash Pulse / Knife. ()
KAMAU (Multispectral Visor L2) MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 32)
FUSILIER Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 18)
FUSILIER HMG / Pistol, Knife. (1 | 18)
FUSILIER (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
FUSILIER (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 12)
MACHINIST Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 15)
PALBOT Electric Pulse. (0 | 3)
TRAUMA-DOC Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 14)
CROC MAN (Forward Observer, Deployable Repeater) Combi Rifle, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 32)
CROC MAN Boarding Shotgun, Antipersonnel Mines / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 29)

6 SWC | 300 Points

Open in Infinity Army

Kamau gives an optional ARO but isn't half-bad at active turn either. Fusilier HMG for easier targets where extra burst goes a long way. Fusilier FOs as bonus specialists, but also possible for mid-range ARO Flash Pulse, and Deployable Repeaters give you extra range for that Hacker to be able to better save Cutter via Exorcism.
If they do give Croc Man a KHD, I'd try and dig for some points to allow for that.

 

Yeah I wasn't sure what options we had overall so I stuck to what I knew for sure. Hacker is there to give the cutter assisted fire mainly, but having access to exorcism is a big one too. Also having a button pusher in a fireteam is a must for me.

 

Assisted Fire only affects REMs, the Cutter is a TAG

 

I cannot imagine what it must be like to play in a meta where TAGs get Assisted Fire. Holy crap.

 

Is any of this known for other PanO units? The descriptions given in the Human Sphere book (largely identical to the online catalogue texts) are rather vague. I assume, that all Infinity-scale teams/troop compositions are directed by JSOC and as such are handpicked from the cream of the crop. On a larger scale I imagine the forces on each planet need to be able to engage in conventional warfare within their respective terrain, which gives a complete new set of operational demands and easily explains the presence of heavy gear imo.

 

I'd replace the crocman w/ BS with a Zulu Cobra with sensor or KHD. Zulu Cobras are too good to pass up.

 

Vet Kazak in a core of cheerleaders is a thing now, so maybe the world would survive?

 

Having been in the service, sometimes you really need whoever is closest, not whoever is most badass (but can't get there for a couple days).

Though I'm still surprised that they didn't fly a plane out to Midway rather than turn us around to Pearl Harbor. We were 10 hours from Midway and 3 days from Pearl... Guess it was 'just' a deceased parent of one of the crew, and not an onboard medical emergency. The medical emergency was earlier that same deployment, we spent a week sprinting straight towards the West Coast (balls out, we only slowed down every 12 hours to come shallow for messages), poor Dempe got medevac'd from so far out to sea that it took two C130 tankers to get that Pave Hawk helo out and back. One tanker to get the helo out to us, the other one to get the helo back. And then we spent two more weeks sprinting back to where we needed to be... most time I've ever spent going that fast! Freaking crazy.

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Anyway, TAGs are light enough that just about anything could carry one. They're technically light enough that a Huey could carry one as a sling load, and an Osprey could carry 4 internally. They might be cheap enough that you can afford tens, if not hundreds of thousands of them, which you'd need to keep TAGs available for any random emergency op spread across a couple dozen planets. I'd honestly expect most warships to carry a squad of them. At least 4 TAGs, plus a couple platoons of troops and associated REMs.

Also, TAGs and HI are probably really useful for humanitarian missions, in addition to combat. Got flattened buildings after an earthquake? Powered armor or TAGs make it really easy to pick up large pieces of debris to rescue trapped people. Or to bend metal back into shape after some non-catastrophic collision in space.

 

I like this point, and I can see VIRD doing a certain amount of this on Paradiso befause of their Rapid Deployment role. Clearing and securing sites or CA attack, then assisting humanitarian response probably echoes the role they fill on Varuna too.

 

Who is to say that there isnt a Cutter on every roof in Varuna? Can't see it if its hidden deployed. *taps head*

 

I don't know if the EVO is giving enough of a perk for the cost. I mean.. I love EVOs, but... needs more overlap of bonuses for it to be worth taking.

 

I agree with that. 25 points carries you up into Snake Eater point range, which means you could be getting something additionally helpful or versatile for the cost.

 

I do too,

But it's still a list I wouldn't mind trying on the table.