Pheasant Agent considered a good choice?

I play my Pheasants almost exclusively as later game button-pressers for scenarios that have multiple objectives, and the supposedly redundant skills actually come into their own in this light:

Fireteam Duo enables you to maximise your button pressing with a more order-efficiency. This isn't about using fireteams for bonuses, but almost as free co-ordinated orders on an objective-grabbing detachment.

Free Agent allows you to move your objective detachment to the combat group with the most orders, for late game reorganising.

Chain of Command is obvious - not just to take over from your Lt, but also allows you to activate, control, or even destroy objectives.

Martial Arts 2 bring Stealth as standard. They are also non-hackable specialists, which is also handy.

Even the equipment load out helps (albeit not always) - DA CCW also come with anti-materiel as standard. So, they can be last ditch console-destroying rolls of the dice (with PH10+3, using MA2). There are more reliable methods, but this is for the better-than-nowt last gasp order. MadTraps can be a quick way to tie up models contesting objectives; Stun Grenades offer another route to preventing AROs from tightly packed models, thrown speculatively (with an X-visor for additional range). Again, PH10 isn't high enough to work wonders everytime, but it's better than nowt for last turn options.

Granted, you're paying a premium for all these abilities, but in a world where Limited Insertion isn't automatically penalised (especially with Sun Tze to boost the order count), ISS can find that cost is no barrier.

 

As a minor note, Pheasant Hacker isn't a bad choice. Premium Hacker at the same cost as the Zhanying (i.e. 11 points more expensive than a Celestial Guard), lose the D-Charges, Shock immunity and the improved Rifle but gain WIP, greatly increased CC skills and Stealth. I find the Pheasant Hacker to be a much more interesting choice than the Zhanying, but with worse linking opportunities.

Open question: Has anyone used a Pheasant Core, and if so how did you find them? (I.e. Pheasant + 4 Bao)

 

I used pheasnt+ bao core and it worked pretty well ( notice my usual opponents go with Ariadna, Aleph's SSA, and Haqquis so baos are worth).

I use 2 sniper baos, one rifle+ shotgun , the biometric shotgun one and the mad trap pheasant ( the only time i feel it worth). The red fury one + 2 snipers is to many SWC in one place. Duringirst torn they work fine as ARO piece or for enemy ARO clean ( the smoke combo with all link bonus is really strong). In turn 2 or 3 i just move them to middle table to make objectives and map control. Thats why i pick the Pheasant ( and for burst 2 E-mitter). T

In core is where visor X earn his points and combined with some smoke is glory on mid field.

Conts:
-expensive as fuck + fragile.
- smoke in ISS is not cheap ( i never played more than 2 smoke celestial guards)
- never use them without a not cheap medic
- for his weapon ranges they lack a bit of mid field fire power ( from 40-60) and you suffer more than with other links the lose of +3 five man bonus.
-The pheasant acent will suffer a lot of attention being the only one specialist.


They aren't the best link ( some weak points) but aren't bad if you build a list to them. And if you go against a mimetism/ODD/TO focused factions they just are tol TOP xD

Basic Bao+ pheasant Core

Basic bao──────────────────────────────────────────────────10 4 TROPA BÀO (Visor Multiespectral N2) Fusil de Francotirador MULTI / Pistola, Cuchillo. (1.5 | 29) TROPA BÀO (Visor Multiespectral N2) Fusil de Francotirador MULTI / Pistola, Cuchillo. (1.5 | 29) TROPA BÀO (Visor Multiespectral N2, Visor Biométrico N2) Escopeta de Abordaje / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 23) TROPA BÀO (Visor Multiespectral N2, Visor X) Fusil Combi + Escopeta Lig. / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 27) AGENTE IMPERIAL FAISÁN (Cadena de Mando, Visor X) Fusil Combi, E/Mitter, MadTraps / Pistola, Arma CC DA. (0 | 36) GUARDIA CELESTIAL (Disp. Control de Kuang Shi) Fusil Combi + Lanzagranadas Lig. Humo / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0.5 | 13) KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 5) KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 5) KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 5) KUANG SHI Chain Rifle / Pistola, Cuchillo. (0 | 5) 3.5 CAP | 177 PuntosAbrir en Infinity Army

 

the only viable option is the one with red furry and haris.
make a haris and keep a strong attacking option in the pocket which can also push buttons.
other than that too much expensive

 

In a lot of the setups, the objectives are in some form of pattern, which is reasonably close. Tic Tac Toe is the ultimate example of this, but panolpies are usually spread along a line. Given that you can only activate one specialist support action in any order, I tend to send one to grab one objective, and move the other closer to the next. But, you need to have thinned out the over watch and waited for any other surprises to spring themselves...

 

Also, in those missions where either player is competing to claim objectives, there's a premium on those specialists who can take out other specialists (as both sets congregate around fixed points). There are better close combat specialists out there, obvs, but the Pheasant is no slouch against line trooper FO or hackers, or even skirmishers.

For instance, my last game of Comms Centre had a Pheasant switch the last objective and cut down a Kaeltar to win me the game (scoring both 4 points for the objectives and 2 for having killed more specialists within 2 activations). The victory conditions for each scenario make situational advantages far more important than general game play (another example are those missions where Chain of Command offers the +3 MOD to activating objectives). It's not always easy to quantify those advantages away from the table.