Well Nomads got Tunguska... While I would like to gripe that we didn't really get anything this year, we did get the Hakim...and resculpts I guess? I just really hope the ramp up to Ramah is very good, because it seems if your Yu Jing, Pano, or Nomads you get the Red Carpet. Haqqislam is just sorta...."Well here have fun. It's new." Which is not terrible but...a little bit of crier action would not be remiss.
Well yes... and no. Yes, Tunguska got released this year. No, Tunguska is apparently not included in the 3rd Offensive book. So I'd say the Nomads ar about in the same boat we are - some new troops (well okay, entire Sectorial worth of them). But still skipped in 3rd Offensive.
I don't really expect to see much of anything until after the book comes out. At best. I'd be guessing 2nd quarter for any real releases.
Were we skipped? I had the impression that Ramah is ready to go, more or less, but the Invincible Army was moved up because of the obvious reasons. I'd say bumped rather than skipped. Skipped or not, Haqq is in a good place. We have very few minis that need resculpting. There are not that many new minis we need, and those are for Ramah anyway (Khawarijs and Zhayedins). We just saw new remotes and a new support box. We'll see at least one new Odalisque soon enough. I expect a few profile adjustments ( the Mutts.) with or after the 3rd offensive release, and a lead up to next book with a few new units and minis. Perhaps for Adepticon at the end of March 2019. I'm not troubled if Haqq is in 'maintenance mode' right now. To me it means that CB is satisfied with where the faction is, in terms of balance and sales. We do not have major complaints like Pan-O or Yu Jing did, and/or still do. We are not the 'flavor of the month' faction. There is a certain peace of mind to be had in playing a stable, and competitive, faction.
Ah. But I'd call it semantics :P Fact is, we are not going to learn what is going on with Haqqislam in the era of 3rd Offensive from the 3rd Offensive book. Maybe -just maybe - there are some bits of information scattered around in the material, but that is about it.
We'll see 'reports' from various Haqq characters discussing the 3ON3 --almost L33t5p34k-- as per the usual format, a blurb for a briefing by captain so and so of the Al-khaafidif Military Academy, Funduq, Bourak sort of thing. However, I agree that the good stuff is not going to be in the book. Pre-orders end next week. We'll know for certain in 7-8 weeks. I may pre-order. Or I may get distracted by the new Vedic stuff and just blow the hobby budget on that instead. At this point, I think I'd enjoy the miniatures much more than the book. CB did a really nice job on them.
Haqqislam is currently in a good place. We are very well balanced, and our sectorials, while stale, and somewhat bland, are stable and robust. I cant say we NEED anything new, it is more a want. We still have the Gabkar Khanate, the Ramah Task Force, and the Paradiso Forces that we know almost nothing about (and I doubt CB has anything fleshed out for). Personally I have little interest in 3rd Offensive outside of the fluff. I will be buying it, but I have no reason to pre order.
one thing we can discuss though, is the Libertos Freedom Fighter in our Haqq lists. I think he's a perfect fit for vanilla lists, easily swapping around with our expendable irregular types which we tend to have a bunch of in non-LI play already. I'm leaning more towards the Minelayer version in my theorycraft thinking. More camo tokens to disguise Hunzakuts and Al-Hawwas, and I tend to have SWC to spare anyway.
Yep, it is awesome. Far better than a Daylami in many cases, especially since the combination of of skills and weapons makes it perfect for wasting the opponents orders. Especially Hyper Dynamics and Dogged are very good for that role. I would rather use the SMG loadout, becuase chaeaper in points and more important SWC, has a DEP for the heavy stuff and if it survives the turn in which it reveals, you can use Suppression. All in all an almost auto include for me.
The Libertos is not terrible, for sure. We already have such a plethora of good irregular troops and mercs though that its just another drop in the bucket.
I think the Libertos look spectacular. Both profiles. The 8 point is a great swap as a more reliably camoed daylami that gives up range for reliability and suppressive fire, while the 10/1 minelayer is a great utility piece that we otherwise pay at least 23 points for. 1 swc will make it situational for sure, but I see this guy as a near-autoinclude once he is released. ...probably gonna need a stillsuit to operate on Bourak though. I hear dried Helot is just...not delicious.
To be honest Libertos seems even too good. Maybe even better and more autoinclude than Krakots - which I don't use in Haqq, since I prefer our guys and gals. Definitely it will be hard not to use Libertos from time to time... PozdRawiam / Greetings
I might proxy it a few times, just for the fun of it. But in general I am like you, no mercenarys for my Haqqs, except for some special narrative reasons.
Since I play Haqq sectorials only, the Liberto is likely to become a proxy for a mercenary company for me... And QK has their share of mercs anyway :P
Try Vanilla...I know you most likely did it already, but do it again...Vanilla is just such a treasure chest full of diamonds. I play Haqq for three years now (okay two subtracting the time with only HB) and I am still not done with Vanilla because its so varied. On the other hand, Qk never appealed to me that much, because of the MERC flavor. Since the Azrail Link is gone, I dont see any reason to play it again...
I find sectorials easier to grasp. I've been trying to incorporate RTF-flavoured vanilla though (until there is RTF proper, that is). It was tough, I have to admit.
Using the Libertos, an aquatic creature, in an army from a desert world... I do appreciate the contrast. I can see sending the little freak on a mine-laying spree before going out in a blaze of glory. I think that it will become even more hated than the Mutts.
I'm not sure how to describe it, but I really like the pose of the new Odalisque. The way she cradles her weapon makes her really look like she means business. The perfect bodyguard indeed. It's easy to miss out the quiet care Haqq has been receiving the past year. No we didn't get any massive fancy flashy new sectorials/profiles/updates, but we were handed nice quality of life things such as Fatality L2, new Muyib and Hassasin Starter boxes, random new Hakims, new resculpts for the support troops, REMs, and the Asawira and Oda Spitfires that weren't really needed IMO but I'm grateful for regardless. I'm happy even if 3rd Offensive doesn't have goodies for us, if it means constantly receiving stuff like these throughout the year instead.
