Nice to see an updated post with all the reminders of the next happenings. So what's happening with the O-12 pack ... Since we have Nightshade Sniper and Vidocq SMG models, but neither have valid profiles. Since they are actuallly nice models, are they sticking it out with an amended profile, or are do we have an updated redesign to see?
I think they were designed before the rules were made. Nightshades feel like O-12 ninjas. But of course better. They might still get them once the troops are available without reinforcements. But then it would be like when Ninja's had a sniper. It was such a waste of a good infiltrating CC specialist. But there's no guarantee they will have camo or infiltration later on. Not sure on the Vidocq. But again could be later on.
I prefer the new Lizard, ye,s the old one had its charm, but there is some practicality in visually distinct weapons on the models.
I do not like the new style that all robot-units have to have hands and therefore weapons held in their hands. Dakinis for example were a good upgrade, except that they now use hands. I liked the inbuild weaponary and it makes a lot of sense for tacbots. Weapons that are hold in a robotic hand require also handling like reloading which makes a robot build for gunfights uneccessary complicated and expensice. In build weapons are more practical, can have automated reloading mechnanism and direct aiming gear. If you argue, that the hand-held weapons are more easy to indentify on the battlefiled, than I argue why CB goes away from WYSIWIG? More and more units have only one model that you have to proxy for other loadouts until the alternatives will be releases. In most cases that are loadouts that people want to use but CB delivers models that they want to release. Take a look at the Bakunin Initiated. Relase: Hacker and BSG. People play: SMG - which is not in the box. It was so much easier to provide a SMG and a BSG/Hacker which could easily cover all loadouts - especially when you can use only 2 of them in a list (AVA). If their is a comercial idea behind this, I can understand this, but then: Deliver the missing loadout ASAP and not 5 years later when its time for another upgrade of the sectorial and the unit is either: Not attractive anymore or hot as hell but this time its the new combi rifle ... you get the idea?
I'm the opposite. Hands make sense. How else is a trooper going to climb, open doors, dig, and many other tasks that need doing? And do it without making extra arms and such. Some of the REM are actually controlled by human pilots too, Betas, Dokkaebi, Secudroids, etc. It gives them a frame of reference and make it easier for them to run them.
Why not both? The old Lizard was the perfect example of how to combine hands with in-built weapon systems. I'm also of the opinion that it's silly for a TAG and REMs like Dakini to carry around (giant) weapons they could easily integrate into the chassis itself. I tend to convert mine accordingly.
Personally I prefer a mix. Hands are a very modular hardpoint with a lot of extra uses at TAG scale, and primary armament that can be reconfigured in seconds is handy. Smaller secondary weapons and emergency options are great to see built-in though, and probably my favourite is the Szalamandra with its two heavy armaments mounted to joints on its back for easy swapping in the middle of combat.
The Szalamandra does give the prize to the Heavy Flamethrower being the most size variable weapon in Infinity. Comparing the +1 B Heavy Flamethrower on my Lu Duan to the Szalamandra's bigger brother is pretty amusing.
To be fair. The Lu Duan is an old model from a time, in which escpecialy the REM weapons tend to be tiny. The old aleph remotes for an example (still beeing older than the S4 fighting rems maybe, but ...) has the most tiny combi rifle whatever this thing is and the most tiny TR HMG, while its micro-missile systems was very high tech - nowadays they tend to be bigger. And the LD got the B+1 with the N4 upgrade. And Sally is a big guy in all ints parts ;-) But CB pretty well known in not beeing consistend with its weapons designs and sizes. Panzerfaust turned from shoulder mounted (Magister) to Ofenrohre (Teutons, Jaguar, etc.) to compact and foldable again (The 8 point haggislam PIA).
We'll see. I would gladly see something brand new (especially the Khanate - the last sectorial I'm keeping space in my sotrage boxes for), though I wouldn't be surprised to see a long-discontinued sectorial being pulled out of a freezer. Also, question is, what will they put into the freezer instead.
The video hinted it to be a totally new sectorial. That would imply is something we haven’t seen before. Let’s wait and see.
I'm 100% with you on "wait and see". What CB conisders "totally new", well, might not entirely fit what folks on the forums see as "totally new". So - I'm not stoking my expectations. As they say, if you are a pessimist, you can be surprised only positively ;)
I mean, if they want to expand Equipe Argent into a totally "Brand new" sectorial of Merovingian troops I'd be completely down for that :D
I'm going with the death of ISS and bringing in Daebak. Exrah is my second guess. Sorry flip that. Yu Jing can't have nice things . I'm hopeful that they do the minimum of things people want changed with reinforcements. I want the comms guy gone or reduced.