I was mostly managing my expectations with that SMG profile, valuing the different ammo types while getting a point break from the Combi. A Spitfire or Marksman profile would be fantastic, and definitely ideal. Agreed that staying outside 8 inches is key for ideal gunfighting success. I ran the GdA for Hunting Party at Rumble, and got to set up an almost-perfect run for it where it would get to kill multiple models in sequence and achieve success in a very close-fought mission. It failed me hard at the very first opportunity, making me scramble to eke out a minor win. Yeah, the JSA game... I might do a writeup in general, but I'll PM details on that round so we can postmortem that game. Interesting one.
Like, I hear you, but I also think that people who don't like mixing Marines and Guard need to pull their heads out of their own arses. For me, it would be better if ALL our Sectorials (except MO for understandable reasons) had some ALEPH presence. 'eh, I guess. That still leaves Varuna without a MI (which I think is a bit weird), but could kinda work. I just don't think it's very likely.
I always assumed that Kamau world fill the "MI" slot. Yes, they're LI, but in price and role they're closer to most other MI links.
@barakiel made a good point on the MSV2, guess that does mean we arent likely to see the Black Friar in Varuna. What about the FK, AVA1 or 2 FKs would fit nicely mechanically wise with a core of ORCs or a Core of Kamau. The Tough, Heavily armed and Armoured door kickers. Dcharges on the FO profile, Spitfire, BS, AHD with BTS9 All would appear to slot into the breaching roll rather nicely to me
The way i see it, it makes more sense to rework existing units and old sculpts than to design brand new units and leave old underused profiles in the dust.
Maybe, but Varuna isn't exactly rich for units at the moment so there are going to be some coming from somewhere and it makes at least some sense that one of them will be a MI. To be fair I didn't ever expect to see the Black Friar, but I DID think that Agema and Atlanta were super likely. Now... ? I don't know. Yeah, in at least some cases.
I doubt extremely that varuna is getting a "MI" not only do kamau fit that role, but fusiliers themsleves are expressly the line troops of the sectorial
I guess we'll see. I'm not sure that we really have much evidence either way at this point beyond the conjectures that we have each made.
Sure but it wpuld be odd in the extreme to have fusliers (originally varuna fusilier) kamau an unknown MI and the ORCs within a single sec. Where do you envision such a MI line troop fittong?
That's pretty... I dunno, rude, considering we are talking about visual and fluff preferences. Perhaps 40k is a terrible example considering an overall tone and model range. Still, I can understand people wanting to play the game with their friends, but at least collect something that looks like a believable gritty army as opposed to almost comically looking (to them) marines. It's probably less of a concern in Infinity as two factions in question with their unit designs not being that far apart as they are in the example above, but when I see people citing their preference, I can understand it. And of course, I don't mind some Aleph thrown in. But I am pretty sure that some people would prefer purely PanO alternatives to avoid using what they don't like. Granted, you can say that about any particular mini someone might not like, but Aleph is different in that they are consciously designed in different style and were always advertised as a separate faction to everyone, including people that decidedly came to play PanO and not some other faction with their minis. As of fluff reasons, this is a game that is supposed to be fun. Fluff is a good tool to enable something people would find fun (like allow mixing in question to those who would like to do it), but not so much when it's used as a justification to make them bloody swallow something they'd rather avoid.
Well, in game design term, it gives the possibility to strong up the sectorials a bit and cover an overwhelming weakness (see Deva and Garuda for NCA) without making Vanilla even stronger. Toolbox troops are a Aleph thing more than a PanO thing so just adding some in each sectorial (because the band aid in PanO is not belonging to this sectorial) makes the sectorial playable and balanced while Vanilla doesn't move in its own balance. Aleph is kind of the Merc of PanO. Nobody seems to find weird to see Avicenna in Bakunin but she is in the same bag as Aleph units in PanO regular armies sectorials.
As I've said, we've already got two MI which half-heartedly embrace CQB (Bagh-Mari and Bolts) without actually going all-in (largely due to the long range ARO pieces which both units were given that work against the rest of their armament). So I think that there's design space for an actual CQB MI for PanOceania. This would also fulfill the "door kicker" paramilitary/police style unit which I had hoped we were going to see Kamau slotted into, with SMGs, Shotguns, Stun Grenades etc. This. And, furthermore, while there are some asthetic differences between PanO and ALEPH, it's astonishing how similar the units from both look once you slap a standard paint scheme on them.
Forward Deploy 2 MI with SMG, Shotgun and Red Fury options, plus a GDA Auxbot. Starts close, good for kicking in doors, have a specialist option (Paramedic?). Slap on a Biovisor for fluff/bloat. I'd take that for a decent price
Well said, ALEPH are very much the Mercs of PanO. A great point. Aesthetically, I think ALEPH looks awesome alongside PanO units too. My Swiss Guard next to the Asura Spitfire that I use for my MSV2 Deva is just visually awesome. Forward Deployment's a good rule for MI. I'd look to Marauders as the template for what constitutes successful Close Quarters-oriented Medium Infantry.
You had me at "what about the FK" in a Faction where he is not yet doomed to collect mold in a Duo. PanO doesn't really have that new wave "mixed Links everywhere!" Sectorial yet, so banking on that seems like a plan for now. Would instantly get rid of many problems that could potentially appear.
