I believe SE will hit right around there, with a (I hope) Kamau Core or Haris being the starting point, but with lots of fun space to build around ORCs and likely at least one other Fireteam: Core option. Maybe no SWC Haris ORCs?
Mixed links make speculation a bit more difficult, since aside from single unit Haris or Core we can end up with - for example - mixed ORC/Kamau link. Gameplay-wise I expect Varuna to land between SAA and NCA. Just as mobile as SAA, but with less forward deployment options (or rather Forward Deployment L1/2 taking place of Mechanized), probably less robust hacking, but more firepower on light and medium units and access to hi-tech solutions. At the same time more flexible than NCA.
I suppose asking for Echo to get Super Jump on a (typically 4-2) airborne troop is too much. Always struck me as odd that they don't just jettison the wings if they're weighing them down so much. Perhaps if CB throws in an Auxbot that can't airborne deploy.
If I am honest, I feel like this is the Sectoral that will make PanO work in terms of theme. They'll finally have that SEA/Oceania/South America/India corporate economic block's special forces feel to them that they always needed. There's a lot there that does already create that feel, but the MO was too much proportionately of the faction. With this? They'll feel much more fleshed out in the sense of their original flavour with the MO then being an interesting and diverse element rather than the main thrust of the faction. Hopefully on top of these troops they'll get a couple more unique Varuna troops, and then maybe a couple more unique Aconcimento troops for that Sectoral, and then I think they'll be very nice indeed.
The Red Eye would be interesting. The new Sectorials are featuring REMs quite a bit, so a new PanO REM certainly isn't out of the question. I think we tend to gloss over the possibility of what a new PanO REM could do, because our bots are great and there's never the feeling that we "need" additional roles filled there. Certainly we'd like mixed links to include REMs, but PanO remotes really do a ton of heavy lifting and provide great support. Getting an entirely new REM would be exciting though. The Red Eye, as an airborne recon drone, would be right at home in Varuna. I imagine its rules would function quite a bit like its Nomad cousin... AD, superjump, Sensor + FO for Sat Lock capability, Repeater. If we want to mix it up, ,drop the AD and throw in Forward Deployment and/or Camo to help differentiate it. That would provide a very interesting, support-based intelligence-gather unit. I like the idea of the Echo Bravos clearing a path for it, letting it scoot to an objective for the button push. @Solar Very well said. I agree, I think Varuna is the facet of PanO that many of us have been waiting for. Tech, special forces, and certainly the "Oceania" component of PanOceania.
An idea was mentioned way back in the day, about an "eye in the sky" airborne recon REM for PanO. It was colloquially called "The Red Eye" by CB. It joined the ranks of the Kazak lo-tech TAG, the Kriza Borac, the Blue Wolf, etc. as a unit concept that had been mentioned in passing, but wasn't immediately made into a unit. I don't know that it was ever as substantiated as those other units though... Those units were all mentioned in books published by CB, but I forget where the Red Eye concept originated.
Well we are 2 for 3 on those making it into the game! Maybe there is something to this after all. Having a hyper efficient Sat-lock bot would be absolutely amazing from a gameplay perspective and really fitting from a lore perspective. What if it had Sniffer equivalent for Pitchers or Mine Dispensers, a gun that could launch Sniffers all over the board. Throw in an on-board EVO device to bump the cost way up, and make it a bit more self-sufficient. 3-4 orders to litter the midfield with Sniffers, Sat-lock a poor camo infiltrator, and then let the fun begin. Even with no Spec Fire capable weapons in a list (so far we see none on Varuna dossiers...) marking targets and efficiently discovering Camo is worth its weight in gold.
The slight difference being that the Ariandan "archaic TAG", old school Kriza, and Blue Wolf all appeared in books, whilst the Red Eye was once upon a time mooted someplace. Would be cool but probably unlikely.
Was about to disagree till I remembered the Ratnik is called Armata 2 (which is a Russian tank). It is the Kazak TAG although it lacks the classification. Wouldn't have minded to see it become the first TAG with wounds, immunity to possession and ejection. Now it's more of a TAG the way people consider Achilles to be one. No -6 penalty to Dodge might not be a bad thing either. The Ratnik definitely breaks ground into Anaconda/Scarface territory for Ariadna tech. Last time I heard of the Blue Wolf was that it was discarded in playtesting. Light TAG with Frenzy and HRMC or something, turned out too powerful. But I will bet money there will be some version of the Blue Wolf in White Banner.
It was a two part thing if I remember right. The bit that I recall was there was a part on the ground that 'designated' targets for the aerial component to hit with a missile strike. The aerial component wasn't represented, but the designator component was.
Yeah, all good points. I think the bottom line is that the concept exists... And (as mentioned by @MrNailbrain ) these old concepts do often become real units. Certainly, it's not as firm a concept as the other examples I mentioned, which have been formally established in print and not just word-of-mouth. It would be a very good fit for Varun, no question. That kind of surveillance, which helps Varuna/Blue Sea plan targeted operations/interdictions, would be a very good fit for the Sectorial. I'd even like a recon/infowar REM that also has an Auxbot. I'm not even sure it would need weaponry... If both the parent bot and the Auxbot could deploy or launch sniffers, or if they both had Repeaters, or if they were both Forward Observers (like the Auxilia FO of old, with double FO and double Flash Pulse) that would be very interesting. Auxilia used to be the most consistent Specialists in the game, because both the handler and the Auxbot could both try and synch objectives together, giving them a staggeringly high probability per Order of aligning the console. I wouldn't mind seeing that come back. I can't help but imagine this thing as Guilty Spark, from waaaay back in my gaming days.
PanO has the Peacemaker, which is very nice in the role of REM with Auxbot (Mech Deployment too!) I dunno if I'd focus on REMs for PanO. They have a lot of those already, and REMs tend to be a little less culturally thematic than another human troop type. These are what the faction needs. Now, a special forces ISTAR team codenamed Mata Merah (Indonesia/Malay for Red Eye) as a SAA troop, maybe an airborne infiltration unit with forward observer, assault hacking devices and deployable repeaters whose job it is to drop in and mark targets for the heavy firepower units in the main line? Now you're talking!
There was a resent picture of the CSU in Varuna, i think that it was in the RPG book, where you can see this rem hovering around. Will try to look for it but im at work, so dont expect to get it fast
I think the focus on REMs is perfectly fine. PanO's schtick is purportedly their tech. Why not go the tech route? ;) Also, I really don't think SAA needs another airborne unit. I really would rather see it go NCA if it has to be a 'sectorial specific' non-REM unit. Airborne Infiltrators with ties to the Hexahedron would be pretty thematic there too...
cant find the one i was looking for, it was like a dron with a turbine in the middle (fixed, thanks @eciu )
