I don't think the support is there yet, and our TAGs are getting worse and worse compared to rival factions who have been enjoying a degree of power creep while ours stay the same (or lose TacAware like the Cutter...). I'm struggling to come up with any categories where PanO still has a top 3 contender outside "Has MSV3". Best bet for now may sadly be to keep it cheap so you can shell out for the multiple redundant Hackers and scoring pieces you will need.
Now all profiles can join to the Crosiers/Teutonic K, no more FTO. Even when Fireteams aren't as good as they were in N5, they are still quite useful. Right now, the one with HRL have still same use as it had in N4. You can do a BlackFriars with two Teutonic K, or Crosiers, you will have a really good ARO piece, same as N4, better than regular in N5, and cheapest than N4 one. Only a few troops have now immunity to surprise attack and multivisor through smoke tactic, even is better than regular ones, because if someone can shoot ignoring smoke it will have a -3 to shoot this guy thanks to Albedo -3, which is better than N4 one. We lost the multisnipper, but have a better thing, burst 3 thunderbolt, visor+albedo, really good to bring down those ARO pieces with mime+multivisor. Again, you can link this guy to easily have the special extra dice, almost a no linked HMG for 0 SWC. Even, if you have the multi rifle choice, in a 3 crucifer link+blackF Multi Rifle... you will discover impersonators and camo markers almost automatically if they don't have covert. Maybe this is the worst version, but still usable. The others two now are great, n5 flavor, I think. We will see in a few weeks if I understood well the N5 melody.
Mulebot + cheap Teuton panzerfaust Duo makes for a decent ARO roadblock. The +1SD from the Duo makes them more likely to hit without blowing through ammo, and if you don't kill them they'll rearm by the next turn.
I have said it many times, not sure if I said it here but. N5 PanOceania is the most PanO, PanO has ever been.
I personally feel a lot more freedom in list building in all of our armies with the new edition and Fireteam changes. No need to chase the BS+3, so easier to stop at Level 3.
Now is almost, and only almost, a must. I'm really happy with many changes. Winter now is far way better. I already played (N4) an really really expensive boyg haris... but I did because miniature is cool. Now I think I could bring him on the table always, on every list. Boyg mk12+Nisse HMG are a terrible duo now, no bonuses but... what. Even you can add Shona, so if some hide too much you can go and walk in a "I will find you" way, like in the Liam Neeson movies.
I fully agree with both of these. Listbuilding feels much less restricted. Or rather will feel this way once I'll stop trying to fit every cool thing into a single list. What I particularly like is new options and ways to use old units, like expanded Engineer utility, or TA on Sensor remotes. I also see better differentiation, like Locusts getting 1-use Camo over Nokken. Units like Boyg fixed. Some crazy stuff, like Drummers and Crux Team introduced. In general, it feels like the lists and games will be much more interesting now. I still think that MO could see some more changes - especially Order Sergeants who were basically untouched - but I'm not complaining, the general net result is a big positive edit: 19 orders single group Kestrel list. I feel fine
They really don't need much. Some fireteam tweaks, Order Sergeants getting more interesting (and I will die on the hill that they should have ft purity with knights), Knight Commander getting Strategos and +1CT option... I hope that any MO CoC will be a full knight though. One, because it fits the army and keeps it distinct from others. Two, because it'll piss off people claiming that not having a cheap CoC makes army bad XD
Duos having an actual use now gives so much freedom. Level 4 Core of Crosiers + Black Friar, sprinkle in at least two Knight Duos, maybe three, Tertiaries to taste. Beautiful.
Is it an error or cutter really not going to have tactical awareness? Seems like that. Or very dirty attempt to make old units of abandoned sectorials less interewting. In Cutter's case it is not exactly like that. He is still ok. But tacawar lost is not nice at all. Other things are fine. I am waiting for beyond box, kestrel expansion and Priya so much! So, methioning all plusses and minuses I am happy for now. (not all in our community or people ai know would agree, but anyway.)
It's not nice but also not underhanded. Avatar, Salamandra, and I think something else lost theirs too. I'd say it's fine, they're still powerful and capable.[/QUOTE]
Lost tactical awareness gained NCO, so not that different and it can use its "extra" order from hidden deployment unlike tactical awareness.
Here's a post for indexing preliminary reaction articles and video, to the N5 version of the generalist and its sectorial armies. Articles : Generalist & Secorials - Videos : Generalist - Sectorial - Svalarheima WinterFor N5 Initial Reaction - Breaking the Ice - Infinity the Game N5 - Kestrel Colonial Force N5 Initial Reaction - Close Enough, Welcome Back Shock Army - Infinity N5 - Military Orders N5 Initial Reaction - We are so [Not] Back - Infinity the Game N5 - Tactical Awareness S3 Ep04 - ZEROES & HEROES Faction Reviews - Pan Oceania Part 1 - Military Orders Tier list global with a chapter on this faction - Infinity N5 All Factions Tier List - Deranged, Two Days Since Release, Hot Take Edition - Episode 132 - N5 Faction Tierlist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCf46MeSE84
New videos of reac for winterfor. Tactical Awareness S3 Ep05 - Avis sur les factions ZEROES & HEROES - Pan Oceania Part 2 - Svarlah...
Vanilla PanO Duos seem even better in N5. Now we get a special die with a Karhu Duo and the Bulleteer + Blade TacAware Engineer Duo is even better than before. Zulu-Cobras are now AVA 2 and I look forward to Surprise shot Trangulated Fire at 24" with an assault pistol. Anyone else having fun with PanO right now?
Yeah, I've even been painting. Pano now have an excellent midfield, some excellent firepower and good specialists. As an NCA player, I love the changes (other than the loss of the uhlan). I'm not seeing any downgrades here tbh
A lot to like for PanO Vanilla in here (Sectorials as well, but just out of scope for this because of the sheer number of changes). Best change first, build diversity. So many viable firepower primary and secondary pieces to include in a list. All TAGs do something distinct you might want. Joan is better then ever, with better support. Discoballer opens up tactical flexibility that previously had to be solved with guns, enabling objective runs and melee. Individual standout Troops. - Bipandra: Doctor Reroll(-3), +1B Medikit, Tactical Awareness. You're looking at 70-90+% to pick stuff back up and have a free Order every turn to try. Doctor Reroll(-3) also projects through a Palbot to get anything with Wounds back all over the board. - Teuton Specialist: replaces Krakots and Diggers for me. Coordinated PZF, stabbing things in Melee, clearing Mines, pushing buttons or just soaking Orders with Dodge on 17s at 2W (+freshly buffed by being able to claim the Cover Save MOD) - and we have the points now - Magistrate CoC: Flexible budget with MMMR or Combi, cheap for a Lt backup to free up the Order, get LoL security and Counterintelligence. - Joan: TA upgrade, AP Spitfire upgrade, Pulzar B2 upgrade, +1 Command Token upgrade. MA3 slaps now, can link with Helots and other things, but doesn't need to whatsoever. Still makes a ABH Bike, Warcor and Helots Regular and has all that Inspiring Leadership goodness. For 49 points. Bonkers. - Karhu Duo: Still unhackable, easy way to fit Firepower and an Engineer to fix all that E/M and Hacking added everywhere. FB is a great beneficiary for Speedball buffs like Vitapack and Nanoshield and rolls 4 dice on his Feuerbach. There are a lot more new exiting things to try in Vanilla. Tik Lt2, Patsy E/Mitter Fireteammaster (Helots) ARO castle, Crux HD, Blair KHD Parachutist DZ, Aquila FTO, Max MI/TAG, Double Blade Haris, Squalo Duo, to name a few. Meta overall shifts around increased access to gear everywhere, massively buffed E/Mitters and ofc Superjump in any shape or form. Guided is still alive and well, annoyingly Spotlight turned more powerful Active Turn, but at least Reset is now an option. Speedball is a big impact and so is the shift from big cores to multipe Duos and Haris FTs. Big wins are HD AROs. More Links, especially in Vanillas means our two template HD AROs are more likely to get multi target AROs. Superjump being fast and covering more ground means we're more likely to catch those troops out of cover in a vulnerable spot. All our Skirmishers have a reason to exist next to each other in Vanilla now. ZC brings the option that every Marker in their FD bracket could be a Jammer and are dirt cheap with significant damage output. Triangulated Fire at B4 is pretty nasty now and ZC's have Marker State to set it up and Surprise Attack to make it even better. At 13s without Special Ammo this is also a decent tool to bail someone out of CC again if a TAG gets held up. Locust gained Bangbomb,1-use Marker and Boarding Pistol DTWs, finally protection for their Hackers and able to conceal a Wildparrot. Scarecrows with the best stats, Hidden Deployment, Nanopulser and all 3 Specialist Options, but pay for that by being limited to very short range. Crocs bring an Infiltrating Sniper on a Discount and a unhackable Specialist with Deployable Repeaters. And it all gets rounded off nicely with freshly buffed Peacemakers. With the point cuts and extra tools you can finally fit tools into 10 of your slots and don't end up with basic fillers that bring nothing other than their Order. There's some problems, how couldn't there be, but it's finally fun to fit stuff into a list and you don't feel lacking tools every time.
