Of course it always depends on the rest of the list, but one thing i stumple about quite often is the following question: For a mixed core fireteam (3 Keisotsu + 1 Kempeitai + ???), what would you prefer: the MSV2 Kempeitai or the Spitfire Domaru? The Domaru hat much more survivability and can even CC, the Kempeitai is much cheaper (1 SWC, 14 pts less) and has MSV2. I think the difference in the weapons is not too big, although the Spitfire is better. What is your opinion?
It really depends on the list, but I have traditionally gone with the 3 keisotsus, the MSV2 Kempetai, and the LT Domaru for that link. If you are determined to pick between what you mentioned though, I'd go MSV2 Kempetai. The spitfire Domaru I think does better in a link that wants to move forward (DoTanko Core, etc) and leverage their high CC, which the Keisotsu link can't really do.
Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to move link up the table? Then most likely Domaru, as a beefy pointman, who can wreck stuff up close. Do you want a defensive deploy link? Then Kempei is better, both because she's cheaper, and because she ignores smoke, and discovers camo better. Want anti-TAG? Domaru. Smoke and poke? Kempei. HI and REM-heavy opponent? Domaru. 1W with pesky Dogged and NWI? Kempei. And so on, and so forth. There are no 'best' profiles, only suitable to the situation and not.
That's true but you usually don't know what you will be facing in advance. I usually intend to use this link as a backup. So they might have to move out, either early when my plan got screwed, or just in turn 3 to save the day/clean up what's left.
The spitfire Domaru can't do anything in that link until your last turn. Moving them up to position where he can be effective is basically exposing 3 very weak Keisotsu to all of the dangers of the midfield. The MSV2 Kempei can shoot in her bad range through smoke and still come out on top of most exchanges, B4 at 12 while giving a -6 is pretty good for the cost. I think I've seen one or two people argue for the Domaru FO in the link, but I personally think the Domaru/Kempei/Keisotsu mixed link is a trap.
Why not both? In the course of a game, I might start with a Keisotsu link with 2 Kempetei, but at some point I expect to lose the SMMR. After that, I switch a Domaru into the link (maybe Neko) for a team capable of driving towards a late game objective. Albeit with lots of casualties on the way in.
I treat the Domaru Spitfire, Kempei SMMR, and Keisotsu HMG as roughly interchangeable attack pieces. They all plug in for different reasons. The Domaru is certainly more resilient, but if I need a high burst spitfire I'm more likely to Haris him with other HI that survive midfield better. The SMMR Kempei is a solid piece that gets a bit better if you make sure that you're thinking about laying smoke for it. The HMG is the cheap option when I can't decide between the other two. I think my best pick is usually the Kempei. Even if he doesn't move up, he's going to be shooting 4 dice hitting on 9s. If you can add smoke to the equation, your opponent is likely hitting back on 6s (that neighborhood).
I would agree except that I think it's a durable LT that doesn't cost me SWC, in a link that doesn't move up the field, which in some missions is pretty valuable. Most of the time building JSA lists I have more points than SWC to spare.
I would go for the Kempei. She is one of just two units (along with Rui Shi) rocking MSV2, and more often than not you will easily find proper targets (targets that pose problem for the rest of your list but the Kempei is effective against) for her. Granted, the Spitfire Domaru is much beter when it comes to survivability and sheer firepower justifying the higher points cost, but his weapon loadout (high-burst mid-range gun) makes him effective against targets that are fairly easy to engage with other troopers present in most JSA lists.
Approaching this from a slightly different perspective... MSV2 and Shock are both really nice tools against smoke-tossing warbands, which can be a pretty big problem for JSA. Cheap troops with Dogged that run around with Chain Rifles, CC, berserk, etc. can really jam up our ability to get TO units, Ryuken-9, bikes, etc. into the midfield. Being able to hammer them flat with Shock while seeing right through their Smoke is a really big tactical advantage.
I don't like that the Domaru is hackable, meaning a well placed pitcher or hacker can stop your whole link if you plan to shoot with the Domaru in that turn. He has stealth though. I had that link run with a Domaru once and my opponent managed to put a pitcher right on the opposite side of a building that this link was behind.
So as long as the hacker in question doesn't have some level of Sixth Sense, you're good to go. You're screwed as soon as the hacker has Sixth Sense.
While I get this, and she seems perfectly suited for the role, I have to ask how you keep her alive. I’ve found that if she’s on overwatch, she just gets wasted by a heavy hitter to allow the WB free range. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I primarily use her for active turn, though it isn't too tough to just pick a small area of the field to contest. You wouldn't stand an active turn piece in a place where the entire field can see him, right? Instead you pick an area of the table with beneficial cover, and limit how many enemies can see you at once. AROs can work the same way... Don't stand her up in a lane where an HMG can fire at her in 1 or 2 orders.
Just to toss in my 5 eurocents: You simply do not expect her (like any other ARO pieces) to live long and prosper. Her duty is to negate the enemy advancig covered by the smoke tossed by warbands. Most smoke-tossing warbands are impetuous. (Well, the best ones are.) If you do leave the Kempei open, your enemy will either waste a huge amount of orders on restraining his Galwegians or see them killed en masse. A lose-lose situation for your opponent. Been there, suffered that. If you want her to survive, however there are several tactics to do so. First not overextending her. (As @barakiel mentioned above.) Second you can put layers of defense around her. Jimbo camping nearby can toss smoke to protect her, a TR bot behind her can make hunting her down too risky (unopposed shots from a TR gun is not nice) or you can simply opt for a dodge and crawl to total cover (and pray that you do not fail the first dodge). None of these methods are fool-proof, of course. In this game if your opponent really want one of your troopers dead, he is dead man walking. The qestion is however if it does worth the reources (orders, deceased troopers) spent.
No I would never advocate a wide fire lane for an ARO piece. Maybe it's just my luck thus far, but I don't seem to get great mileage out of her. That being said, I had an awful go with my Ryuken 9 smgs too.
I'm starting to think that the appropriate sized fire lane for ARO is about the width of an N2 Suppression Fire corridor: 2" wide.
