Druze or WuMing?

It's hard to say. The WuMing core is my favorite core team in Ikari, but it's definitely something you have to plan your list around and it's not great at covering objectives.

Druze really help with the classified spread, especially when playing Countermeasures. I've used them both as a core and haris, and I do quite like the haris. Overall, I find them more crucial than WuMing in the missions where you really need them, whereas WuMing are more versatile and can be the basis of almost any list.

 

Hmm, it’s hard to say. I recently been loving Druze. But I also love the Wu Ming. It might depend on the mission. Druze are pretty good mid to long range defenders. Wu Ming are good for moving into the enemy. I’ve mainly been been putting WM to the side for Karakuri.

We really should say Druze+Tanko, since you can’t do a core without him. My Druze i’ve been using mainly for defense. But also have more specialists as Fathyom said. Good for Counter measures. I like them with a Tanko Missile Launcher.

I like Wu Ming more in a haris more than a core. I’ll only do a core if it’s a limited insertion list. The WM haris troop is pretty good. I like to round it out with the Multi-Rifle and Clipper or a Brawler of some sort.

 

I hear you about aesthetically. I’m eventually going to use Hollowmen for my Karakuri eventually. Spitfire for M12 and comibi and shotgun.

Edit: I love Druze in duo so far too. A KHD or AHD with any other. Druze can be awesome in Suppression fire too. They are at 0 at the long range instead of -3 and the Fat1 turns a Combi into a spitfire.

 

I'd say ... keisotsu, so you can use other super-fun things in Ikari sectorial... :) But let me to share some thought and experience... Played two leagues with Ikari and two mini tourneys for 10-15 people. Didn't play with wu-mings a lot (once had a haris, once i've used a lone hmg wu-ming)...But played a lot vs ISS who used wu-mings all the time... several times played with druze...

Druze:
- Expensive haris
- Overall expensive one-wound link which is just a little bit cheaper (10-17 points) comparing to wu-mings
- 4-2 move... why this is an issue? Full 5member link is made from tanko + druze. When you will be moving link you'll be in constant stress if tanko didn't run too far from other members and if everybody is in coherency
- squishy for that price ;( .... you worst nightmare - warband with chain rifle and smoke. Arm 3 and low PH still leaves low chances for evading and surviving DTWs
+ Capable link to push enemy lines and reach enemy deployment
+ super-unique-option with E\M LGL (every game with druze is taken and all the time your opponent will be afraid of it. You may never use it .. as it can be pretty random ... but your opponent is scared all the time...)
+ looots of classifieds to complete (Veterans, D-charges, Hackers specislits, even HI tanko in link)
+ ignores loss of lieutenant (is super nice for Ikari, as sometimes it is difficult to make a list without obvious lieutenant), ignores isolation
+/- have looots of different weaponry, deadly one and dtw's and hacking and ... you still need an experience and knowledge of what weapon when to choose.

Wu-Ming:
- HI...hackable, afraid of E\M ammunition
+ Capable link to push enemy lines and reach enemy deployment
+ Easier to reform (as you probably always will have haris option...though if brawler\tanko haris is not there)
+ unique option of linked LGL (everybody is scared of weapon you can't hide)
+ 2 wounds on arm4\bts3... It is smth, that will forgive some mistakes, will add stubbornness and toughness to reach your goals.
+ have options, can be ARO, can have buffed bot who ignores cover completly!
+ easy to use? HMG enemy ARO, fortifiy positions with mines, do missions with FO specialists, speculative grouped 1w enemies, dtw in links... straightforward guys.
+ lots of weaponry, diverse but in my opinion easier to understand which guy for what situation comparing to druze...
-\+ Expansive comparing to other link options...buuuuut cheap for HI comparing to other sectorials (half of your roster 152 if you want to have all nice options included... but Ikari has lots of cheap and effective options...)

Keisotsu (core):
- Squishy ... low stats (10 ph, 10 bs, 12 wip ... )
- I think they just bad for pushing midfiled ... ;( I usually used them as one missle launcher for ARO, rest - are cheapiest guys to hide my LT
+ The cheapest link in sectorial...
+\- Source of cheap orders, place where you can hide your lieutenant among 3+ same keisotsu (though it will cost you additional 1 swc)

Keisotsu (mixed- brawler+tanko+keisotsu):
- Probably you won't push with this link...keisotsu is a liability
+ Cheap
+/- expensive but super aro with missle kiesotsu+msv2 sniper brawler+ missle tanko (which is still not so expensive...ok lots of swc...but low on points) ;)
+/- all-the-type-of-specialist on brawler (but probably one is chosen depending on mission, opponent...I'd take only msv2 snipe vs steel phalanx\ariadna ...so it is not obvious and can be hard to choose)
+\- Source of cheap orders, place where you can hide your lieutenant among 3+ same keisotsu (though it will cost you additional 1 swc)

Short sum-up:

Druze: super-fun, but super-difficult. All those tons of rules and weaponary on them.... You need to know when and how to place them (oh that nice forward deployment L1), when to dtw your enemy, are you going to invest orders for speculative e\m, keep distance to no be engade by some cheap enemy DTWs... just really... not easy... but fun...but difficult... but cool ... and the best unit Logo in game! ;)

Wu-ming: fun (not so fun as druze in my opinion, but still have loots of options), tough, 2 wounds sometimes help a lot - win games, forgive mistakes... I think they are easier and better choice for someone who do not have big experience of playing Infinity

Keisotsu (core): stupidly easy, provide cheap orders, easy to use...what not to like for some competitive gamer? You will still have lots of points to solve tasks with different units from Ikari sectorial...but link itself is not fun ;(

Keisotsu (mixed): easy to use...but not easy to build, constant doubts on if you've choose the right brawler\tanko for the mission\opponent... Link is mostly for guarding the deployment or distant shooting....well...and msv2 sniper can be very helpful... not so fun, but adjustable to mission\opponent

P.S.... Links in Ikari (except core keisotsu :)) are "one-use" (because of strange rules, if you're loosing someone from link, you won't be able to reform it...or need to have team-pro :() It is not critical, but sometimes can be a problem...

 

I'm not fan of Duo ;) never played that, almost never seen duo on tourneys...
Smth from expirience though:
1. ninja KHD should be in group 1 in my opinion. Most of your missions are going to be accomplished by ninja. And he will need orders for that.
2. I'd rather take keisotsu hacker instead of druze assualt haker, as he can boost rui shi. Maybe make druze assault - as another khd?
3. And the last thing.... sometimes you need some long range high burst HMG... sometimes you just can't put anywhere your imteous AD, can't come in with AD: infiltration, smoke doesn't help. Then you need straightforward dumb solution - hmg ...

 

And I really like Duo. It's great for order efficiency. My last tournament I did a KHD Druze+Druze Panzerfaust. Moved them together for a bit and then the KHD did cybermask which broke the link. the Panzer one went just up to midfield and shot up Ghazi saying Jam away! Duo is great if just happen to have guys with it and want to use it just to have some order efficiency.