Agreed. But we could be completely wrong. Myrmidons as Line Infantry would be...interesting. As is, I cannot see how you could balance them in a starter box.
An interesting possibility is 1 point Thorakitai vs 1.5 point Muyibs, with the other 4 Haqq models being less elite. It'd be quite representative of the factions IMHO
The problem with Hassassins is that their bench of less-elite models is painfully short. Nb. Myrmidons with their ODD - sorry, Mimetism -6 - are pretty powerful, too... Perhaps squaring off Myrmidons vs Muyibs would be aninteresting idea, but it would work only in a standalone scenario. Once we have to take the entire C1 context into account, I don't really see how CB is going to balance it. And balance it they will. Somehow. Though I'm not sure it will be done by setting Muyibs and Myrmidons as the "basic infantry" of Op: Blackwind. If I were to make a theory here, I'd guess they are pulling the models because both Myrmidons and Muyibs will be additonal troops, maybe present in a Beyond Op: Blackwind or Alpha / Beta Pack. Though I can be, of course, wrong.
Guys, you really think that just because Myrmidons and Muyibs are going OOP now they're going to be the line infantry of C1 Haqq and Aleph? Why on earth would CB take an elite MI and an elite Warband and turn them into line troops? The most obvious answer is of course that Ghulam and Thorakitai will be and stay the line troops (because that's what they are right now), and everything else will simply get a makeover in time, like dozens of units before them.
No, but I'm taking such a possibility into account. Both Hassassin starters up to date had a Muyib (though a single one), 2 or 3 Daylami, and a selection of other models (Lasiq, Ragik and Fiday in the old one, or Ayyar and Farzan in the newer one). Given the Daylami are Irregular, they don't really make sense as-it in a C1 starter. So, unless CB is about to introduce Regular Daylami (something that never existed since N1), there's a good question about who is going to fill the Line Infantry slot in Haqq C1...
An all too obvious soultion. A rather plain and boring one, don't you think? Which is why we are there looking for a more complex one ;) I mean, Ghulam are out there in the Haqq Action Pack. Which is, AFAIK, not being discontinued, contrary to a few other choices. So we would have them double up (and this isn't interesting at all). Just looking for interesting options :) ...perhaps, indeed, CB are going to introduce new unit of rank-and-file Hassassin... Please keep in mind that what we do here is - at least for me - merely a guessing game. An intellectual pasttime. The matter itself has been long decided by the CB themselves, they have the troop for the role chosen, the models designed and (at least test-) casted. Nothing we do or say here is going to affect that! So we could only wait fr the result to be revealed. Still, in the meantime, we might amuse ourselves with a little guessing game.
Agreed and in the change to N4, some troop designations got tweaked: for example, Lasiq switched from MI to LI. I can definitely see the upcoming rework to switch up things again.
It could be real, but I'm more with you in the Ghulam and Thorakitai thing, if not, it would be a hard change to the Muyibs, because they should go for a heavy downgrade, which I hope not. Probably. The thing about Daylami, maybe in this box they don't come, leaving then for a "future daylami box". Even it could be possible one new infantry troup for hassasin, leaving ghulams outside, as "crossier" for OM. What surprises me at most for this "OOP" is not seing the govad box, because makes me wonder if CB hasn't a plan for them, and they really need one. I'm really scared about the new box, I have the feeling that hassasin will be the "ugly duck".
That's my most likely take as well. If it's not new Ghulams, HB will get their own new line troop, like MO last year. It would honestly fit the fluff somewhat, since the Old Man of the Mountain kinda already runs his own army, and it always surprised me he just gets to use the basic infantry of the Haqqislam army.
Muyibs technically were the line troops of the Hassassins in N3. It's why they are the Spec-Ops option for Hassassins instead of Ghulam. Personally I think it's going to be Ghulam with some Hassassin decorations sorta like the Kaldstrøm fusiliers, or some new Rokot-ish line trooper, but I could see Muyibs as a distant third option. With a slight stat and cost decrease they could be basically Dogged Ghulam/Zhayedan.
Probably because they represent sympathetic members. Or dupes. It's not like daylami are lower level members in general.
Same in N2. And they were way more basic back then, IIRC. Except for the cost. But "4x Ghulam in Bahram" were a thing since HSN2, too. So I wouldn't cross them out. Nor expect an increase... Could be. We could be seeing some Hassassin-only Ghulam profiles - that could be interesting. Not that I can imagine any... but they might happen. I've always thought of them (can't recall whether it was based on some N2-era fluff text, or not) as being a part of the limited resources the Sword of Allah assigns to the Hassassin Bahram (partially to keep the HB under control. Definitely that's what the Asawira do, however. And I assume the drone complement, as well as (nowadays) Shakush TAGs make their way to the Bahram operations.
Something to consider here is that while Blackwind may be the HB starter, it's ALSO the Haqqislam Code 1 starter. I think it's definitely going to be Ghulam.
Sooo.... New Lasiq? S5 Myrmidon? And a new jump trooper because of course there is a new combat jumper. Not sure, but it could be wielding a Haqq Red Fury.