I made a list with almost all Mercenary characters. For YJ even Ninja are kind of Mercenaries. Is it getting to be a bit much? I guess then they wouldn't be have a need for exclusive/pre-sale figs then. Mercs ────────────────────────────────────────────────── GROUP 1 7 3 1 BOUNTY HUNTER Sniper Rifle / 2 Breaker Pistols, Knife. (0.5 | 21) AÏDA SWANSON 2 Submachine Gun, Viral Mines / Viral Pistol, Shock CC Weapon, Knife. (0 | 24) JÄGER Submachine Gun + E/Mitter / Pistol, Monofilament CC Weapon. (0.5 | 18) KNAUF MULTI Sniper / Heavy Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 32) KRAKOT RENEGADE 2 Submachine Guns, Chest Mine / Pistol, Shock CC Weapon. (0 | 17) MAJOR LUNAH Viral Sniper / Pistol, Knife. (1.5 | 29) MIRANDA ASHCROFT Combi Rifle, Nanopulser / Pistol, Monofilament CCW. (0 | 19) ARMAND (Minelayer) MULTI Sniper, Nanopulser, Antipersonnel Mines / 2 Breaker Pistols, Shock CC Weapon, Knife. (1.5 | 42) LÙ DUĀN Mk12, Heavy Flamethrower / Electric Pulse. (0 | 21) WARCOR (Aerocam) Flash Pulse / Stun Pistol, Knife. (0 | 3) GROUP 2 4 1 1 ZHANSHI Lieutenant Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 11) ZHANSHI Hacker (Hacking Device) Combi Rifle / Pistol, Knife. (0.5 | 19) NINJA Hacker (Killer Hacking Device) Tactical Bow / Pistol, DA CCW, Knife. (0 | 29) Libertos SMG, Chain Colt, D.E.P. / Pistol, Knife. (0 | 8) SHAOLIN Chain Rifle, Smoke Grenades / Pistol, Shock CCW. (0 | 5) 6 SWC | 298 Points Open in Infinity Army
So far most mercs are pointless enough that I rarely see them on the tables. If we start seeing Libertos bloody everywhere, then maybe CB should reconsider the unit and probably take stock of who they're actually friendly with. (Same for all mercs)
So far, and this is because I've been playing Ikari, I like Krakot and I haven't had a chance to do the Jagger yet, I love Bounty Hunters though. Mainly just because they are fun with the booty roll. But that Libertos is going to be fantastic in my YJ. For 8pts. how can I not take it?
Now that might just be for me and YJ but the other factions can do that same thing and really get something out of them. That same force I made is actually pretty good in Nomads by chanign out Zhanshi for Alguaciles. It does seem that they make sure the Mercs are just as good or less than other things in the forces but it's getting to be a bit much I think. I think I'm trying to say is that they are almost a whole merc force themselves!
I've thought about this myself, as the game gets older and older more and more mercy are introduced and subsequently fill up ARMY more and more. I don't think we're at critical limit right now, but sooner rather than later we're either going to get mercs who blur the lines of faction identity, bloat ARMY, or simply overlap with one another. I hope the liberties goes the way of Bit and Kiss and is awarded to one sectorial or faction at the end of the third offensive.
I can see like Kauf going only into StarCo., Swanson to CA/Shasvastii, Luna I'm not too sure. However, it's going to make some people mad if they figure they won or got as a pre-order, is no longer available t them.
I don't see any of the characters that have been out for awhile going anywhere. knauf and luna are safe atm. Luna is also already extremely limited. Swanson will probably return to shas at some point, iirc she is a shas double agent posing as a smuggler infiltrating the human sphere. Libertos I'm on the fence about, I could see him going exclusive, or staying general.
True but we have Merc factions with Druze, Ikari, and StarCo. Ikari in particular has no Characters other than Le Muet. But even if they moved then what are they going to use for an exclusive? lol
I can honestly see Libertos staying available to everyone but PanO, just because they're fighting against PanO to become a recognized nation. I could almost see the Libertos being available to PanO, but that would require something like the Kit Carson Scout program from the Vietnam War (where VC troops could surrender and get put to work in US forces. Sometimes the surrender was even legit!).
I think its ok to have the mercs in the faction, but I really don't like it that they are the best option for a particular job (like Major Luna) or simply so good that you always take them (like the Krakot or supposed the Helot)
Lunah is currently about as Yu Jing exclusive as Wu Ming are. Altering mercs to her standards of proliferation is eventually going to be necessary I think.
CB feels they need to entice people to pre-order their books or stop by the booth, etc. so they do that with limited ed., exclusive, pre-sale figs. As much as I like the figures and all, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think at this point people will pre-order in spite of a figure. If they keep coming out with these merc figures, they are going to glut the armies they are in. Yes you can limit them to specific factions but it still adds up. Now it makes even less sense because there are dedicated Mercenary factions. They can come out with figures that are specific to a faction, like the Brawler or Crane Agent, but then they could lose those that don’t need/or want that particular figure. How many have no use for the Brawler they got with Uprising? Personally I think they should be coming out with other types of exclusive stuff that doesn’t effect game play. Dice Rollers, templates, Special order tokens.
Being slightly more selective (limiting new options to 3-4 Vanilla and/or Sectorial armies) would make things better. But given the total number of units in most Vanilla lists it's not like the Mercs are dominating.
Plus extra camo markers, never a bad thing. Oh, one of the things from the interview with Gutier/Interruptor: IA to be full HI, with as few cheerleaders as possible (or even none). He despaired at first because testers would use an expensive pointman (or lance) with all cheerleaders everywhere.
