If you take a whole core of FD1, are you really deploying the whole team in a 4inch by 16 inch block? That doesn't seem like a great idea. Also remember that FD1 is granted by ITS and may not return next year.
Also, bolts are 4-2 move, and the machinist is 4-4... that 4" extra deployment disappears pretty quick once they start move-moving.
With 4-4 MOV, the Machinist can deploy in coherency and catch up easily. FD L1 isn't that much further up. Edit: @xammy got it. TBH I actually may prefer that Machinist loadout as a solo choice for rushing a defended objective. Use the Palbot to trip Koalas or Mines, use Veteran to ignore Jammer, and you have a pretty good chance of rushing through someone's defense to attempt at least one button push. New PanO support box soon? That'd be nice...
Yeah, but the option to tag an Engineer along can be useful, especially if you want to operate a TAG or some HIs together with a Bolt link (a fringe case right now, but who knows what's coming in the future).
Now the question is, does this new machinist profile make me want to take a bolts fireteam? Sigh, I still wish bolts had a haris option. This change would be amazing then. Still, this link now costs only 100 points: Neoterran Capitaline Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 BOLT Spitfire / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 24) BOLT Combi Rifle + Light Shotgun, Drop Bears / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 25) BOLT Boarding Shotgun, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19) MACHINIST (NCA) (Bioimmunity, Veteran L1) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) MACHINIST (NCA) (Bioimmunity, Veteran L1) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) 1.5 SWC | 100 Points Open in Infinity Army Or even cheaper: Neoterran Capitaline Army ────────────────────────────────────────────────── 5 BOLT MULTI Sniper Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 26) BOLT Boarding Shotgun, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19) BOLT Boarding Shotgun, E/M Grenades / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 19) MACHINIST (NCA) (Bioimmunity, Veteran L1) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) MACHINIST (NCA) (Bioimmunity, Veteran L1) Combi Rifle, D-Charges / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 16) 1.5 SWC | 96 Points Open in Infinity Army Regardless of its actual effectiveness, I am quite happy that CB has finally listened to us and have given bolts an "engineer" option. They actually listened after all these long years of complaining. And I much prefer having linkable machinists that are cheap rather than a more expensive bolt engineer. P.S. Oh yeah, I forgot to note that machinist are now ava 2 in NCA. They use to be ava 1. ;)
Sorry, but what? Link teams are formed during the game and deployment, not list creation. So if I form a link with a machinist with a palbot, what happens?
Both assigning Servants and forming Fireteams happens at deployment, you can do one or the other, not both.
Ah shit, the machinist is back to being ava 1 in NCA. So you can put only one machinist in a bolt link. THAT SUCKS. Nevermind, this changes nothing. sigh. We need to petition CB to make machinist ava 2 in NCA. It really helps out bolt links. As it stands, bolts are still not worth taking.
The difference between including a Machinist or BS Bolt are whole 3 points. It's a non-issue. The ability to advance with your Engineer at the same time you're advancing your assault link is changing a lot. Much better use for AVA 2 would be to include 1 in the link, and deploy second one with Palbots to increase coverage. And Bolts' problem is their lack of raison d'etre, or flexibility that comes with mixed links and Haris.
It's also a Mimetic Core Linked Combi... which otherwise only appears on Combi+LSG Profiles. Having a Spitfire, a Combi for Backup and 3 BSGs to keep the cost down (almost) makes for a somewhat decent Link. And the Machinist is a much better Specialist than any of the Bolt choices.
Sure, if you're hell-bent on including two specialists in the link. I still don't think that this is such a big deal. I'd rather see a Bolt Haris.
Oh Botls Haris would be nice. But would doubt on that as there is something alongside this already in Varuna (Machinist+Patsy+Kamau HMG).
Well, NCA missed the update bus this time, but might catch another next year. I fully expect some more fireteam variety to come.
