I've only been playing--and mostly just collecting--since N3, but I do see your point. Certainly the massive explosion of links (Haris, Wildcards, special links etc...) has led to a bit of homogeneity in sectorial design. The leaner profiles of some new sectorial might also add to this perception, as bloat can add character. (Regeneration on Djanbazan, bioimmunity on Khawarij for instance. Rules that are largely [not always] useless, but fun and full of Haqqislam flavor). That said, RTF seems like it will have lots of Haqq flavor. The Hakim is an amazing Doc+ who can easily get upfield to help our skirmishers or attack pieces, then serve as a specialist or speedbump as needed. The Khawarij and Zhayedan have similar flavor. Yes, a few other factions have super jumping links, but not many. Marksmanship 2 is relatively rare as well and, on a wildcard, could be really great. A defensive ghulam link with Zhayedan would be wonderful.
And to add to that, other sectorials will be jealous at the amount of doctors (of the plus variant may I add!) RTF will be able to bring! 5 troop types, 3 of them linkable, 1 of them hidden and the last one appearing where he is needed the most for those last turn objective grabs or critical Tarik doctoring. And then there's the unknown, the stuff we don't know about yet. As far as I know none of the new sectorials as of late didn't get new troops. So there are still flavors yet to discover. Moreover, existing troops can get new profiles, like the upcoming MSV2 Khawarij. I'm not holding my breath but I'm hoping for a LRL/Flammenspeer Naffatun profile to explore the fire theme a bit more.
Good points. Overall I’m really excited for RTF, and curious to see how they pan out. Ieheard others talk about how CB is attempting to improve/increase playable HI, and wonder if they can/want to make it work for our faction.
True. I noticed that @MikeTheScrivener mentioned Jannisaries for RTF. Is this some secret, inside information? :) I do start to worry about cost though. Links of Ghilman and Naffatun may well be our only cheap options in the sectorial. Options for pseudo HI with various levels of Valor are also rough in a medically focused sectorial. We want to be able to heal our units!
I hope the thing with the Janissaries is not true. While I really like the models, I prefer a Ramah HI and apart from that, I hope to see Akbar on a different unit in RTF. An why is everybody saying since IA hit, that NWI units cannot be healed?
This sectorial will probably lean more to single combat groups due to its costly troops. Pseudo HI like Yadu would be lovely. You can patch up troops in the No Wound Incapacitation state with a doctor/regeneration/automedkit roll. This should keep them safe from hackers, which brings us to the sectorials weakness, other than cost: The distinct lack of hackers. Each of three common hacking devices, HD/AHD/KHD, are represented by Ghilman, Tuareg and Leila (assuming she's in because she counts as a Ghulam and is in both Qapu Khalqi AND Hassassin Bahram) respectively. Which is kind of sparse when there's the Al Fasid and Maggie to protect.
A small part in me is looking forward to the possibility that RTF is tailored for single CG. I am trying that with Hassassins lately and its not easy. Neither to build lists nor to survive the reactive turn without letting your opoonent have free reign over the board. Yeah, the thing with the Hackers is true. And looking at the biomedical prowess of the Caliphate it would be fitting that RTF lacks in the hacking department. But since one or two profiles can make a big difference, Id say its too soon to be worried about that. Okay, that explains why you said that;) But I read that several times in the Yu Jing forums and finally looked it up again in the rules, to check if I had missed a change, but nope...doctoring in NWI still works.
I'm pretty sure that'll get fixed. Not by much, but some of the new troops will surely have a Hacker available. Or one of the existing troops will get such a profile (I'm looking at you, Zhayedans! I know you already have the Doc for a Specialist, but it ain't a viable excuse! And I'd say a Khawarij Hacker would be a popular choice, being able to Superjump to get ZoC while keeping out of LoS @ therefore from ARO shots). Of course - QK has 4 HDs (Alguacile, Ghulam, Djanbazan & Mobile Brigada), 2 AHDs (Druze & Al Hawwa), and 2 KHDs (Leila & Druze), HB has 3 HDs (Ghulam, Govad & Barid) 2 AHDs (Ragik & Barid) and. 3 KHDs (Leila, Govad & Barid), so 8 total in each. I don't think the "most technologically advanced Haqq sectorial" is going to be left far behind!
Having used a Rodok Core quite a few times they are as unwieldy as any 5 man link. I don't think I've ever used the super jump on the entire link at once (this however is quite a board dependant skill) but the ability to traverse obstacles or put 1 or 2 members on top of building can be super useful.
Id even say, that this makes the link less unwieldy in some cases, because it makes it easier to not bunch up your link. Everything highly baord dependent as always. Btw...I have to take back what I said about the usefulness of the MSV2 Khawarij...literally hours later I built a Hassassins list and could have killed for that profile. And in the game I played it would have needed it so much against TO Infiltrators. Granted Hassassins have MSV 1 and that is usually sufficient, but the rangeband of the MK12 would have helped a lot to root them out in a dense midfield.
Yeah, while super-jump on link might seem less than useful, it actually gives you a huge mobility freedom. You can jump on, off and between the the buildings without declaring "long" jump or climb, which would not only make the jumping unit vulnerable to AROs, but also leave the rest of the link stationary. And you can also jump on/over short obstacles or off the buildings when declaring Fireteam dodge on ARO with your "free" 2-inch jump ^_^
Having cut my teeth on a faction with lots of MSV2+ but no access to smoke, and another with lots of smoke but no MSV2+, I find a lot of people are quite myopic about MSV2+'s usefulness outside of the smoke+shoot combo.
I looooove this profile. I really look forward to it. As was stated somewhere above, I really hope that Ramah is not going to be a single combat group Sectorial. Paying 31 points for a HI with 1 wound and NWI with 3 armor is infinitly better than a single wound, 1 armor LI model. I do hope to see the Khawarij get restated in the cost department. A MK12 with MSV2 will be amazing, but not if its 35-38 points and a SWC. Thats a bit absurd for a single wound model with ARM1 (sure bio immunity and BTS3, but thats an uncommon reaction). We also still have a 4-5 holes for units. I do not believe Taureg will be our only infiltrators, we have NO MI, and only 1 HI profile. Jannissaries do not fit into Ramah in my opinion, and CB have stated they would like to limit the cross sectorial units outside of the LI.
I’m a big fan of MSV2 regardless of smoke. ODD gets shut down. If you don’t have something that can do that in your list, it can really mess your day up.
One of main opponents factions is Steel Phallus, MSV of any stripe is a godsend against the horde of bloody Myrmidons.
True, but I hope to see also smoke grenades units in Ramah just to use the trick with MSV2 . The new box is really a godsend, 'cause Haqq needs new releases with the new year.
