Buffing garudas, white noise, and standard AHD (through mk2 should be able to do the job, he may be a bit far or unable to reach the opponent's rear). But i agree, AD deployable repeater would also do the trick, with more flexibility and more durability (repeater would still stay working even if AD model is shot) Would be great as a mk6 if we have AVA2 posthumans, else it would be such a difficult choice to make.
I sincerely doubt we will have AVA 2 Posthumans. Ghost: Jumper would be too wonky and hard to keep track of if there were two.
I doubt it too, but if we end up with a good mk6, choosing which posthumans to field will become really hard. The only one not really worth is mk3 (and even then it's debatable, mk3's problem is that it's not bad at all, but swc expensive and other minis does the same job better without taking one posthuman slot). Think of it: mk1: very good and inexpensive specialist, close to a must have mk2: very good infiltrator, very very close to a must have mk4: good active piece (HMG) or aro (HRL) mk5: inexpensive but very strong fighter and specialist mk6: ??? I usually take mk1, 2 and 5, sometimes 1, 2 and 4. Which one should i discard to field mk6 ? Hard choice, really. Unless vedic can take 4 posthumans bodies, which would be a balancing problem in many ways
I think you're not giving the mk3 enough credit. Sure we have better pieces that has similar loadout, but I find that the mk3 has a much different function. Models like the Asura, Pat or Big ''A'' are a heavy investment and needs to be used with caution and no little amount of forethought. They are the centerpieces you build your army around. The mk3, however, i consider an "elite throwaway" unit. She's inexpensive, tough, and even if she goes down you don't lose an order. A great unit to make a risky move with high potential reward. I do agree they could lower her SWC though.
I'm not saying mk3 is bad, but rather it's not worth given 1. it's 2 SWC and 2. you could have taken a better, cheaper, and overall more useful proxy instead. Plus mk3 is plain, it has nothing beyond it's speed and spitfire. Deva has msv2 (camo hunting, smoke trick ...). Pat' has ODD, holo and smoke. Big A has ... err many assets. Myrm spitfire is cheaper and has ODD and smoke. Asura is debatable considering her problems, but she is sturdier and has MSV-3. Better take a mk5 and one of our many spitfire.
Mk3 is a fast, cheap, durable Spitfire carrier. This in itself makes it worth taking for particular lists and tactics. Sure, Mk4 is more durable, but 6-2 speed is useful when I want to push the HI deep into enemy territory, to leave it there in Suppressive Fire. MOV 6-2 with ARM 4 is a bit more useful here than MOV 4-4 with ARM 5.
Hackable suppressive fire without any visual mod in the enemy territory ? In my opinion, you're just throwing 2 SWC. With HRL mk4 you're at least using long range ARO with +3 rangeband, even if you don't have visual mods.. If i want a fast killer, i would rather go with Pat', he is not hackable, he has some defense in reactive turn with holos, he can deal with mines, and can smoke his way if needed. Plus he wont get stuck/killed in engaged state. And ODD is far better than having 2 wounds and ARM4 since it helps winning face to face.
I'm not throwing it away. I'm paying with it to force enemy to deal with it, spending a few orders without even taking one of mine away. In PanO you can use a similar tactic with a Bulleteer; they have ODD, so standard weapons are less useful, but are also fragile and fold easily when finally hit. Mk3 is more survivable. Hacking threats can be blunted in a number of ways.
2 SWC plus several orders of your own (it does not appears in suppressive in your opponent's table side by magic) is a great cost for something that will take on average 2-3 orders to be killed, that's just what i want to point out. Once again, i have nothing against mk3, we just have better choices. Mind you, mk5 will do the same with the scarier shock ammo and is cheaper. And probably around the same order costs since it starts closer. And is more versatile, being FO/flash pulse. And not hackable.
Mk5 is also more fragile. NWI is not what you want to rely on with the amount of Shock ammo flying around recently. Of course, I'm using my own orders to reach enemy DZ or at least get close, but I can hope to take down at least 1-2 enemy units on my way in. It all boils down to what tactics we prefer and what tools fit those tactics best. It can't be measured exclusively in terms of point/SWC values. Mk3 is certainly not a be-all-end-all kind of unit, but for me it has its uses. For a bit less maneuverability but greater firepower I'd take Mk4. For versatility I'd take Mk5. Either way I'd probably have a Dasyu hacker somewhere, certainly a Mk2 - loadout choice depending on my overall plan and other units - so I'd have options.
I tend to think of the MK3 as a 'ballistic missile', as you send her fast forward against the enemy. If she survives the onslaught, she might have killed enough minis to hinder my rival's next turn. If she doesn't, well, at least I have more nasty things in wait. However, I usually field either 1 or 2 nagas to help her control the mid field, so she doesn't have to do it all alone behind enemy lines.
The Mk3 needs a Multi rifle profile with 0 SWC cost, or a MK12 0.5 SWC profile... But that would corner the Asura even more, sadly.
Well, Asura gets even more durability, MSV3 (which is probably overpriced right now), and severely undergunned hacker loadout. She could use an update.
Also she is the only PB6 hacker of the faction, where none has PB9 (aside from the Marut, I think...). Granted it would be broken to have a PB9 HI (PB12 with Fary Dust, weeee), but her weapons loadout needs a revision, the same way the Marut could lose 4-5 points from the Nanopulser...
It's frustrating/obnoxious how you always seem to have spot on ideas for ALEPH. We are on a forum and you never let me disagree with you. But, could we get back to the repeater discussion ? I was wondering if Devas could be updated with a deployable repeater profile.
Thanks ^^ Limiting myself to current troops: I wouldn't give the Devas a Deployable Repeater profile, those tend to cost SWC if placed on really good troops (and in simple ones, but those are seldom used), and the Devas are also too far back... Not to mention they are already the gear toolbox. I'd consider a Dakini for about 15-17 points (and 0 SWC) with a deployable repeater, however, since they are faster and "cheaper" (in-universe) disposable troops, kinda like a bot for the bomb squads. Another option would be the Nagas, giving them a Deployable repeater profile would be good (even if it places them closer to "expensive Zeros" from Bakunin), or if we are allowed to go on another direction, giving a Pitcher to the EVO for +1 point would be great (considering the EVO could "self recharge" itself rulewise, and that the EC EVO has a Combi Rifle). Finally, the Mk5 with Mk12 could use the Deployable Repeaters so it's not so outclassed by the FO profile.
Dakinis would be interesting point-wise, but would let them open to many hacking oportunities if an enemy hacker moves into this repeater's coverage. As for the Mk5 Mk12 : ironically, I would put a deployable repeater on the dual SMG profile, since he is usually much closer to enemies / hackers / tags / objectives etc. I would not mind a 2pts increase for that, but then it would probably go from "really good / almost auto-include" to "too good" . I don't see a situation where the Mk12 would be that close to the enemy to drop a repeater.
That would increase MK5 cost by another 0.5 SWC. Also a repeater deployed only 10 cms forward from you deployment line is not my idea of useful. I'm with the idea of increasing the FO MK5 cost by 2 points (3 would make it on par with the FO Torakitai) to give him deployable repeaters but without the minelayer skill.
Not always, troops who already cost SWC and get minelayer without mines tend to get a discount in SWC... But I don't see the proxy with mk12 as a troop that stays back (the Agema Mk12 is another story, the X Visor changes that weapon totally). I might find as a better compromise give the Mk5 Mk12 a Pitcher for some extra points, however.
