All I'd really like to see on the Bolts is getting the Combi+LSG price fixed and the Drop Bear price fixed. That'd save about 7-9 pts per army that could be reinvested somewhere more important.
Yes that's fair and largely what I've done/come to accept. And apart from the Aquila HMG and maybe the Hexa MSR, there's no NCA only model that I don't own or will miss. I'm also a prolific proxier so I enjoy using attractive models from other factions to sub in for uglier/older sculpts in active army (looking at you, Auxilia guard). I know the faction will be perfectly playable during the downtime. There's just an inherent sadness in knowing that nothing new will happen to your favourite army for X many years. Eagerly looking forward to the monthly releases will be just that little bit less exciting. It's a good time to love the other factions I've bought into, sure. But there's just a little cloud over the whole thing. That's why I'd love some dates. Date of when it'll happen and their best guesstimate of when its going to go away. ABSOLUTELY too much to ask for given the uncertainty of production and development schedules. But it would be nice is all XD On a slightly different note, I wonder what the fluff justification will be for NCA going away. I like to suspect Aida as being connected to whatever debacle occurs that cripples our army.
They're also one of only two (and the only non-TAG) units that pays for BTS 6 and the increased cost version of Bioimmunity resulting from it (the good ol' "PanO double dip" in action). Maybe that particular combination is worth the ~5 points per trooper they pay for it, but I have my doubts.
Why, because the internet told you it's totally suboptimal and you'd be gimping yourself if you played one? Not that Camo/TO Camo/ODD/Smoke come up in almost every single game... I rarely play my Aquila, but my issue is that, after trying him, he's just kind of dull. But the few times I did take him it was enough to scare Intruders into complete inaction.
The problem with the Aquila is that most camo hunting is done inside HMG range, making that option less useful, and the MR version is almost as expensive. You could get a Black Friar and a Locust for the same cost which adequately covers the camo-hunting (MSV 2) and long range reach (infiltration) aspecst while adding in area denial (Drop Bears), DTW (nanopulser), impact tempaltes (BSG, Grenades), spec fire (Grenades), visual mods (ODD) and an extra order that anyone can use. Sure you murder Intruders, and I'd seriously consider the Aquila if I knew I was facing Nomads, CA/Onyx/Shas (those damn Noctifers) or VIRD, but I'd probably want the extras that the HI doesn't bring more often than the guaranteed discover and improved survivability.
Also, just to be completely clear: when we mean "NCA update" we mostly mean "recosted Bolts + Haris", right? Everything else in NCA is pretty much in a good spot, with the exception of Aquila maybe not having a Haris when his ALEPH and Yu Jing counterparts have one. Though it seems like 3 x LI + 2 x HI is the current flavor...
The Aquila post N3 nerf I feel is a bit underrated. With HMG from 8-16, its still at BS12 while ignoring most mods. Getting into short range is dangerous for an Aquila with all the nasty short range counters to HI out there. I'd rather use the humble pathfinder with its senor to reveal camo tokens. Now the Aquila isn't strickly a camo hunter. With HMG its real role is obliterating the long range ARO of your opponent which will force them to hide their long range units. This allows you to more easily move up the board. This is important because Pano lacks smoke. Of course, a Nisse w/ HMG also fills this role so the Aquila isn't a necessary choice but vs some factions its very useful to have.
Most importantly, in comparison to the Nisse, it can tank a crit and keep on trucking. The issue is the cost, it's just too much to sink into something which ends up being pretty situational. And in the many games where your long range active killer takes out the AROs without eating a crit you really feel every one of those extra invested points.
Call me an optimist but I feel that the stock of 'situationally powerful' units like Bolts, Aquila, Yadu etc are going to go up as CB releases more sectorials. Previously it ariadna had nightmarish amounts of smoke and SP was ODD hell. Now CH:mim is more widespread, more HI and TAGs around - several with defensive tricks like mimetism etc... I feel like in a relatively diverse meta, the extra points you're paying for a 2W MSV model/e/marat/bioimmunity is going to have much more frequent use at an ITS event. Coming back to the previous cited example above, I'd much rather have an aquila on my side when I'm facing the ever popular VIRD MSV Sniper link team than a friar+locust combo. ANd people are rapidly discovering how strong OSS is with their mimetic fireteams. The toolboxes will rise in the end my friends.
You'd rather shoot the best ARO in the game with a Aquila than spec fire a drop bear and/or a couple of grenades onto its link team with a Locust?
Since selling models seems to be more important than balancing... With all the crazy stuff going on right now I'd just vote to give the Aqula MSV3 and MMSL2. There, hits everything on 18s in good range. That's a PanO troop alright. /sarcasm
If "best ARO in the game" is Kamau, duh! Aquila has a 45% chance of dropping him in good ranges. A speculative shot Grenade from a Locust has about 20% of landing. It did actually happen in the same game: the Aquila moved up and intimidated the Intruder into total inaction, he didn't even get up from Prone. Meanwhile Locust came up to grenade his Wildcat buddies, I spent like 5 Orders to drop maybe one (my memory is not perfect). In a more recent game I couldn't dislodge a single infiltrated Grunt with Speculative grenades using a Wulver. Again, spent like 5 Orders to no effect. Speculative Shot is pretty terrible if you're using grenades different than Smoke/Eclipse. Even if all that Aquila does is dislodge long range enemies he paid his points back. He's also great at bullying Ariadna. I wouldn't scoff at Haris (as mentioned, equivalents have it), but I don't think Aquila is as terrible as people call him.
The Aquilla isnt terrible, he just competes with the Swiss guard whose TO provides a mod in more situations than MSV which strips it in some
The locust is my second fav NCA unit. In all the times I've used it, I've used it do dominate the midfield without exposing itself. The ODD does good work but I usually lose it before the end of every game. If I've somehow managed to get a locust within 8" of an extremely dangerous fireteam who's main shitck is to keep enemies at bay with a MSR+MSV2, then I'm either quite lucky or my opponent is quite poor. Either case, it doesn't matter what unit I have because I'm probably going to win. Against a competent enemy with average luck, I'd rather the Aquila, yes.
I'm not holding my breath the Aquila will become "good" or even change at all. as it stands he's really not so bad – there's just more attractive, more interesting options.
