What if we replaced the Shock Mines on the Ryuken Killer Hacker with Deployable Repeaters... Seems like shock mines and DepReps are a point a piece so cost stays the same. While the range and use of a repeater is more than a mine, the JSA player would still have to pay for a regular hacker elsewhere in the list in order to get the most benefit from the repeater. This one source of midfield repeaters would give JSA an actual hacking presence, even if only starting the game with 1 8inch bubble of threat per Ryuken. But that's 29/.5 points/swc a piece which means 1 less Ninja or Oniwaban, 1 less Domaru Spitfire or Tanko ML, one less Aragoto or even opting not to Yojimbo (I doubt but), this could allow a JSA player to change up the focus a little bit and even make the Keisotsu Hacker a little more useful. I know some people would have concerns but this is probably the easiest way to improve JSAs hacking game without giving access to stuff they don't already have. I mean, do people want to give JSA Fast Pandas or Pitchers or suggest Cybermines or E/M mines to threaten big tech enemies? Plus, this way, Spotlight can be a little more viable for JSA. Overall I see the change bringing JSA more toward the top of the middle ranking.
That's a neat idea and all except one problem here, we have like 3 hackers and 2 are KHD. A repeater would basically be useless except for very fringe cases. The Ryuken deploying mines helps it at what it's already really good at being a defensive midfield presence and it helps both the smg and hrl profiles where the repeaters would only really help the KHD profile. If you slap the repeaters onto her then who is gonna use them? Maybe, maybe the khd profile could use them then waste your own orders to run to the others side of the field so hackers wouldn't be able to advance. But that begs the question why you want to box in opposing hackers when they probably have a much better pitcher/repeater network already to bypass it. The keitsotsu hacker is there for fringe cases and to be a button pusher occasionally. In the weird lists using them you just throw a rem in there for a repeater we really don't need to throw useful mines away for useless repeaters. Edit: My bad we have 4 hackers. I seemed to have forgotten to mention the one that also doesn't need repeater range cause its on a motorcycle.
The KHD Ryuken adds to the Major Kusanagi fluff and provides JSA with a pretty great FD'ing anti-hacker which we can use very well. The big thing is giving up the mines for repeaters gives up great defensive area denial in the midfield to give her slightly more hacking range which feels redundant cause she is already up in the midfield and in good range to hack things. Not to mention that would swap the mines that "Batou" would get to defend himself in what ever sniper nest you place him in. Maybe and I mean MAYBE it would be worth if it were an extra profile and didn't replace the option for mines, but honestly I do not see DeReps being taken in JSA. A hacking centric list is way too fringe and doesn't play to the factions strengths to warrant forcing hacking support
I said replace the mines on the hack profile only, not the Ryuken unit. And I also pointed out that other hackers would be needed to get full use of a DepRep. I wasnt being oblivious to it at all. I also thought of suggesting possible alternatives but sometimes people get upset when a weapon is suggested that is not already in a factions arsenal. The truth is I dont think Ryuken present a big enough threat to Alpha HI and TAGs. I do not expect JSA to outshooting anyone in reactive turn and only to outshooting some in their active turn. JSA active turn strength is being able to deliver a sword to hard targets and shoot soft targets. Their board control is weak against those 2 named threats because a shock mine just isnt strong enough. What I thought of also suggesting, and if I'm being totally honest, what I would prefer instead of DepReps (again because the faction already has it) is CyberMines, E/M Mines or most preferably MonoMines to suit the factions unconventional deadliness.
