Data Sphere

I love me some Aragoto.

I'm sporting a slew of the bikes and now with the new rules for motocycle I'm worried about two things.
1. Possible dismounted minis - which would be awesome! To follow suite with the most recent bike releases(ala the very slick Yojimbo)
2. Whole new minis of the Aragoto - which I think is not in the cards and make me cry. I'd strip the old bikes and use the bikes as scatter terrain. While I worked on the new minis...

Also, what do you fellow JSA members think of the N3 treatment of bikes? Will you use less or more bike in you lists? Do you see some new tricks you'd like to pull off?

While I can't speak to the possibility of new scuplts, if you were looking to make some conversions for dismounted aragoto, then Nomad Tomcats, if you squint, kind of look similar, but that's just my opinion. Their guns don't look yu jing, and the helmets aren't really the same even though they're close, so i guess if you wanted to be thorough and money was no object, you could rebuy aragoto boxes, steal heads, guns, possibly arms (if you were good at rebending and gap filling with green stuff), slap those on Tomcat bodies and then use the bikes as the markers for the dismounted bike and/or scatter terrain.

As for usage, I think that's going to hinge pretty heavily on whether or not they're impetuous or extreme impetuous. No cover sucks, but hopefully they'll still be mimetic. Limiting coordinated orders to command tokens means you're going to have to weigh where you want to spend your command tokens and if using them on getting bikes up the table is going to be worth it. I also feel like yojimbo and his smoke are going to be even more invaluable. Ultimately, while it might feel like their teeth have been pulled a little, I'm hesitant to assume the sky is falling. I think the changes to the rules will force us to be a bit more thoughtful in their use, which frankly isn't a bad thing, but I don't think the 6 bike list is dead and gone.

This is all wild speculation though, as I haven't had a chance to try anything yet.

My aragotos won't be fielded until they release updated profiles for the REST of the JSA army - so that will take as long as it takes and probably longer - and by release I mean "release in a non-army builder format" - pdf is fine, so I can print the ******* out because I hate reading off a screen. It makes my eyes tired - and means I need to put drops in - or I start grinding my corneas away.

That said, my entire JSA army is in the cupboard at this point with ONE unit in the rulebook. No keisotsu, no domaru.
I don't understand why the "new, more invinciblethantheoldinvincibles" weren't left for the Acheron book, personally.

chromedog wrote: That said, my entire JSA army is in the cupboard at this point with ONE unit in the rulebook. No keisotsu, no domaru.

I agree that my entire JSA force - since my only Ninja is my Oniwaban, minus Musashi is off book. I wish they would have just dumped all the new updated profiles into N3. I have hope that Corvus Belli will not wait long before the updated profiles show up. Even if they are at first only with Army Builder 5 - I can still print out my lists.

I just don't want to convert minis for dismounted Aragoto if they are right around the corner *hint hint* CB, along side some updated Ninja minis. I like the current Keisotsu but an update to the troops would be pretty slick.

If I did convert minis, I'm looking for a good set of bottoms that I can use Aragoto tops for.

Why not get Celestial Guards and replace their helmets with Aragoto helmets? They wear the same pants and the shirts are very similar, as well.

I eagerly await the Aragoto profiles, as well. There was only one instance of playing JSA at 300 points where I didn't field at least 4 bikes.

I'd also suppose CGs. Use them in pairs. Use Aragoto 1 as mounted Aragoto. Swap torsos of Aragoto 2 and CG 1. Now you have Aragoto mounted and dismounted and CG, mounted and dismounted. All with corresponding helmets. Treat with paint.

Thanks for the ideas gents. I'll post my finished product once I'm done.

Any news on seperate biker models, I have the first aragoto box but lack the models on foot?

Grauenacht wrote:Any news on seperate biker models, I have the first aragoto box but lack the models on foot?

There have not been any dismounted minis unless its for the Kum leader or the Yojimbo. I don't think CB will be making any dimounted minis when it's a rare situation and there are plenty more minis that need updating or simple releasing.

I'll be converting a bike and biker from a second Aragoto pack.

Claudius Sol wrote:Why not get Celestial Guards and replace their helmets with Aragoto helmets? They wear the same pants and the shirts are very similar, as well.

The back armor is totally different, but they're very close to the same from the front. So I'm more likely to do a full torso swap and re-angle the head. CG legs and arms, Aragoto torso and heads.

The problem is that I'd need some extra Aragoto bikes, since I really want to have some CG on bikes. I saw a couple Honda CBR1000s dressed up in police colors while I was in Japan, and that was really kinda strange to see. I mean, who the heck puts hard-sided panniers on a sport-bike!

Who else makes good futuristic motorcycles (for my motorcycle cops)?

Quite a few people. I had a set of 2 on my Across. Mate with a CBR1100XX had a gearsack rack though (though admittedly, it was only his "commuter" ride (74 minutes each way to and from work). The choice of storage on the bike differed from person to person in my group, but no-one used leather saddlebags - since they all wanted to pass their driver training (and most of the cruisers decorated with them were default fails on those tests).

Soft sided saddle bags belong on long-in-the-tooth nags bound for the glue factory, not bikes. :p

Or pigs.

Section9 wrote:Who else makes good futuristic motorcycles (for my motorcycle cops)?

Have you checked the Mirliton / eM-4 Miniatures (i.e. the old Grenadier range, IIRC these were called "Future Warriors")?
I recall theuy used to make both the dirt bike and riceburner without the riders, too, but can't see them now.

And give a look to the Zen Terrain, they've released a nice set of MDF bikes that could possibly float your boat. While only one of them (the blue one) looks to me like a possible police-type, I guess you could ask Zen Terrain to sell you a batch of this type of bike only?

Then add some stowage cases, perhaps a police light on a mast (that's an easy conversion!) and you'll have CG Bikers like nobody else