[N5] Débat sur les changements à l'ariadna

[Wizzy]

Hello la Sphère,

Voici un sujet pour parler des changements qu'on apporter la N5 à l'ariadna par rapport à la N4.

[Wizzy]

The dice abide a fait un article sur le dark net des changements apportés à l'USariadna dans la N5.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VL5XA-y-5rIB8LIZyLk76y9vU-hZmZAKAxeLuVknuts/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0


USARF Changes
or, Screaming Into the Void, by TheDiceAbide
A Bit of Background
I want to start off by saying, I usually hate these kinds of articles or forum posts. I am very much someone who enjoys working with what they've got, and figuring out interesting ways to solve problems. With that said, the game itself has changed dramatically since USARF came out, and the army has remained static... it is an army made for an entirely different game than Infinity N5.

I've been playing USARF since they first came out, they're the army that got me into the game, and odds are, if you've ever wanted to read about them, you've read an article written by me.

When USARF came out, the game was very different. There was no cap of 15 models, and despite this, most armies in the game were around 12-16 models (12 was often considered the sweet spot, since you still had 10 after having 2 removed turn 1). Usually Ariadna lists, especially USARF and CHA lists, would end up between 16-20. This meant a CHA/USARF player had about 4-6 orders more than their opponent. These orders were important so that Ariadna could use less efficient methods of handling enemy threats. Coordinated orders, sacrificing a model to let 3 other models shoot unopposed, at a Total Reaction bot is a good example (not order inefficient, but it did expend a trooper). Another is using speculative fire against Mim (-6) models, or setting up Intuitive Attacks with flamethrowers through smoke. Fire based attacks used to permanently (until engineered) remove Mimetism, so you could burn a target, then coordinate more powerful attacks against it.

Since then, point costs across the game have been driven downward, while a cap of 15 models was placed. This means that Ariadna, and especially USAriadna, no longer has extra bodies to sacrifice, but also no longer have an advantage on Orders either. Ariadna overall is very much on the low side of NCO options and Tactical Awareness, if not the lowest, depending on sectorial (though some NA2 are in the same boat). Compared to N3, USAriadna has fewer tools, less orders, and the game has added more threats that they lack counters to.

It's also worth pointing out that Ariadna was always also the one-wound faction, dogs being the notable exception. This is another concept that worked fine when you could have more bodies than other factions to compensate. Now that isn't the case, so it really needs to be reconsidered.

I'm not going to say that we should uncap the model count (though I do think it could help), because the lower cost of models across the game has also made it so other armies would be able to take advantage. Even my old N3 army list with 19 models, is now about 30 points cheaper! I'm not sure you can put the genie back in the bottle, so instead, factions need to get updated with consideration for the 15 model cap, and the new order structure, and the expected power level of units. Ariadna (and Haqq) can't play the game of outnumbering and sacrificing troops to win, Infinity does not support that play style anymore.

I'm going to only really talk about this in the context of USARF, because it's the army I know the best, and it's the army that has had the least attention paid to it since release. You can go back and find the old N3 profiles, and aside from Ohio being changed in the totally wrong direction, Rosie being added, and the Unknown Ranger being buffed, you can see that there have been almost no changes to the faction, and none at all that help them with the 15 model limit.

Given USARF hasn't had a meaningful update since launch, they are now listed as out of catalogue, and I've been advocating for fixing them for years... I'm not very optimistic that anything will happen. But who knows, maybe we'll get lucky this time and they'll finally give them some proper attention before sending them off into the sunset.
USAriadna Army Concepts
The USARF units can broadly be broken down into two parts: Tough troopers and light skirmishers, or Hunters and Hounds. For a long time they were the only Ariadna with bikes, and the only army with 2 different bike units. Similarly, they were often characterized as slow and heavily armored. I think leaning into those two aspects, without having to change a single model, could make USARF a far more interesting army.

Using fast units, and infiltrators, they chase enemies out of cover, into the firing lines of the heavily armed and armored main forces. When I wrote these changes, I thought about where they could live in this context. Some units squarely tough firepower units (Ohio, Grunts, Blackjacks), others are flushing enemies out of cover (Mavericks, Desperados, Hardcases), and some are a bit of both (Marauders).
Army Changes
They were also the first army outside of Haqqislam to have Haris fireteams, so give them Haris 2, not that it is a big deal in N4 with the fireteam changes.

Make the Commlink models usable outside of Escalation games, and make it Commlink (+3)... +2 doesn't help that much. If you want some extra sauce, give Commlinks the ability to re-roll the contents of their Speedballs, or +3 PH for their airdrop (since not all armies, like Ariadna, have access to EVO for that).
Profile Changes
Ohio Minutemen
Change:
CC 17
WIP 13
Arm 4

Remove:
CC Attack (-3)
Combat Instinct

Add:
BS Attack (-3)
No Wound Incap. (or Regen)
Number 2
X-Visor
Warhorse
Courage
NCO to all profiles (maybe, I go back and forth on this one)

Add Profiles:
T2 shotgun, Grenades, Paramedic. Anyone with an Ohio HMG also has an Ohio with Shotgun, there is no need to remove them from the game.

Ohio Minutemen need the most help, so I'm starting with them. The changes that they've received have been extremely unfocused, and nothing they've gained has actually helped them in any meaningful way on the table, or helped solidify their role. They've always just felt like an over priced grunt.

Including some way to represent the medical bags sculpted onto every model would be cool. Giving them medikits could be interesting, but changes their role too much IMO. Regen was a thought, but too unreliable for a single wound model of that cost, so I opted for NWI. Maybe that medical kit is how they have NWI, just a bunch of stimulants to keep them going.

Regardless, the goal is to drive their points and effectiveness up. Yes they've been given a lot, but USARF needs more expensive tools. They have had no meaningful changes since the 15 model cap, and are probably the worst affected by it, due to poor distribution of mid-to-high cost units. This also puts them into an interesting place compared to other Ariadna HI units, with some unique capabilities.
Marauders
Replace Heavy Pistols with Silenced Pistols
Add Combat Instinct (or Sixth Sense)
Add Tac Aware to Shotgun profile

If any unit should get CC20 and MA1 (or CC Attack [-3]), it's Marauders. They operate deep in enemy lines, stalking the jungles, combat instinct seems important for hunting antipodes. Mimetism (-3) if you want to get spicy. Silenced Pistols seem fun for ambushing, and works with their Stealth to make it a bit more interesting and fun.

I don't think they need their points driven up, they're in a good spot for list building now, but could some more thematic choices (instead of just being a Grunt +1)

Blackjack
MOV 4-2
Arm 6
BS Attack (AP)
BS Attack (+1SD)
Immune (Arm)
Transmutation (2)
Dogged

Super tough walking tanks, when they go down, they go down, and there is no bringing them back. Transmutation (2) means they only use the weaker profile when Dogged. This feels befitting of their enormity, and mentality of the operator, just continuing to pull the trigger while the systems are failing, alerts going off and the whole rig is falling apart around him. I think +SD would be more interesting than +B here due to working in ARO, BS Attack (-3) could also work, but that's been given out too much already, and I prefer it for the Ohio Minutemen.

If this sounds like a bit much, then I'm doing it right... I want to push the points and effectiveness up to high 40s, maybe even low 50s. They should at least be on par with a Vet Kazak, and visually they're closer to TAGs. Blackjacks get extra pitiful when compared to other HI with HMGs in their current points level, check out the Azra'il, the Penitent Observant AP Spitfire, even the Mobile Brigada HMG.

If B4 AP HMG with a +2SD is too OP in a fireteam, just get rid of their fireteam option...
Grunts
Add profile with Light Grenade Launcher, Smoke Grenade Launcher, NCO

Grunts are fine, just bring back LGL profile... anyone that bought the Grunt box, has the model. Make the grenade launcher NCO instead of Lieutenant, and maybe give it a smoke grenade launcher too. Basically like the Ghulam.

Grunt infiltrator nerf is annoying, but I can live with it. Maybe give them Infiltrate (PH=0) if you want to keep them from deploying on the enemy table side, but still let them deploy half way up? I always hated to roll to infiltrate (anecdotal, but I basically never made that roll, I've failed every roll in a tournament using 4 each game... I hated it, haha). But honestly, they're still fine as it is.
Airborne Rangers
Add Engineer profile, people have been asking for it forever, and an airborne demolition specialist is cool.
Add Shock Mines or Grenades to BSG profile, losing its template took away some of its utility, but grenades or mines could make it more interesting.
Bring rifle + assault pistol profile back, give it NCO. This was probably my favorite profile, even if it was too expensive. Perhaps NCO could keep it at a higher cost, but just fix the points if that was the only reason nobody took it.

Stats are fine, it just needs some profile love.
Unknown Ranger
W2, Remove NWI
NCO
Chain of Command
Martial Arts 2
Nanoscreen, No Cover (or Arm 5?)
Add profile with T2 Rifle

I get the nerf, even if I don't agree with it. The shield as a Nanoscreen would just be kind of fun, but I don't think it's necessary.

NCO + Chain of Command, he's the super soldier, listens to orders and ready to step up and take command when things look dire.

Bring back the Rifle as T2, discontinuing the LE model is lame.
Van Zant
MOV 6-2
Berserk (+3)
CC Attack (T2)

Van Zant doesn't need a ton, but he has definitely lost his pizzazz. I'm not sure the Chain-Colt (+1B) is a step in the right direction, when he's so fragile, you don't want to be trading pieces when you cost 35 points. Higher movement and Berserk (+3) give him some tools for running around in the back axing things. Maybe Dodge (+3). I could also see trading Dogged for NWI, but not having Immune (Shock).
Hardcase
Add Minelayer profile with PARA mines.

Makes them a bit more into antipode hunters living on the fringes. Setting up decoys and snares to trap antipodes.
Desperados
Add Mine Dispensers with PARA Mines to all profiles.

Similar to the Hardcase, these are the cowboys using space lassos to take down fleeing antipodes. This will help both the Hardcase and the Desperado feel a bit more interesting, without just giving them more damage output.
Mavericks
Add a Lieutenant profile. Doesn't help anything, but it would be super cool.
Vystrel Mobile Artillery Regiment
Add AVA1 to USARF.

Makes sense to not be in Kosmo, they're not a space ready unit. Keep AVA 2 in TAK, since they made it first.