I'll give my opinion about where I think this is going. Base line trooper remains the same for both factions: No new profile. The fusilier is meant to be your basic LI for PanO. Acon regulars and MO Order Sergeants would not exist if MO or Acon were to be released today. My hunch is that: I expect those profiles to be retired with N4. People will be able to play with the models standing as fusilier. "Basic" Heavy Infantry: the Orc is named "WinterFor Orc Troop", they will expand on the work that started with Varuna. Profiles common to several sectorials get a sectorial flavouring. It helps improving the balance between sectorials and the vanilla. Remember that CB has an issue with its SKU, Hellois mentioned that again in the last white noise (EP.123). We are now contemplating a larger group of minis being shared between sectorials. On top of the remotes and the support packs, there is now a common LI and HI sprouting. The expansion from Varuna to Svalarheim will require fewer minis to collect from a player point of view. And let's be honest here, we tend to enjoy painting the more flavourfull units rather than the fillers that are your basic LI troops, so a win in my book. If we see this happening for PanO and a time skip happening, one of the conjoncture I will throw here is that most of those line troopers will be consolidated into one profile. Alguacile/Moderator/Securitate: consolidated. Wuming/Zuyong: consolidated. More examples could be thought of. Once again, you will still be able to play with your sectorial LI troops but their profile will be identical and gradually as CB removes old SKUs they won't be replaced with new sculpts (goodbye moderators?) I am really looking forward to some streamlining.
It works for some factions and not for others. That makes an interesting point of difference. Nomads and CA in particular work well with 1 different Line Infantry per sectorial. ORC and Fusis being "universal" to most/all of PanO is useful and fits their fluff as an organised military. OTOH in Nomads I'm hoping that they get rid of the Vanilla starter and move to repackaging the 3 Algs, Intruder MSR, Hellcat Spitfire , MB MR+LFT as a new CJC starter. This will give 3 distinct sectorial starters; it won't actually reduce SKU though as it'll necessitate a new Wildcat box, but it does make good use of existing models to build a solid entre into the sectorial without selling as 'Vanilla' models that never really get used in Vanilla.
I wonder a little bit, that the Zhencha SMG is not showing up in the CB store. If you search for Namurr or Kaplan, the new models show up, but on Zhencha, you see only the BSG guy. I hope its not delayed or something. Still wonder a bit, why my local online store hasn´t listed the march releases yet.
@archon I believe the Op: Kaldstrom will fill the March release slot. It worked that way with previous Operation: X boxes. I wouldn't expect any releases in the same monthly slot as the Operation box.
Kaldstrom is the April release. It’ll be purchasable in late March via adepticon, but by retail release in April, along with the dire foes. March releases are nox, Kaplan, zhencha and Namur.
