Morlocks in Bakunin are another. I literally wouldn't know how to run the faction without them (admittedly I've played a couple of LI lists that don't... but LI isn't really Bakunin's strong suit). I think Helots are only auto-include because of the way that Varuna is structured: they have effectively no decent competition for that sort of second line ARO. In not-Joan vanilla PanO... yeah, ok... I realise what I'm saying: Helots aren't auto-include if you're riding a unicorn. Jaguars come close because they're almost perfect 'corner guards' (they really need SSL1 for 'perfection') and in CJC provide the most convenient way to flesh out a list. What's notable about all three of those units is that they're not 'centrepiece' models but are rather 'sinew' troops: you include them in the list because they're necessary to allow your stars to do their thing, not because they're the star of the list. So it's kinda fine that they're 'must-takes': by taking them you don't feel constrained to list build only in certain ways. It's when 'must-takes' represent significant investments that they constrain list building options (Core-linked Kamau in Varuna is one example). This BTW is where I think Libertos is a problem: they're optimised and have a combination of abilities that make them an actual threat. For example, you can reliably replicate the performance of a Bandit with a Libertos in Vanilla Nomads across a lot of the Bandit's target set; and for the cost of 0.5 SWC you can do this while also mostly replicating the performance of a Zero Minelayer. It does this while being 1 order cheaper. So it starts crowding out actual choices.* * The perception of unlinked-Jags crowding out unlinked-Algs isn't really an issue. Algs only really exist for 2 reasons: to form core links in CJC/StarCo and as a Lt + Decoy option. They don't exist to be cornerguards, the fact that they were occasionally used in that role was simply a result of CJC not having a good low-cost option for that role prior to Jags.
