Wu Ming in N3!

When N2 was still taking its last gasping breaths, I wrote an article about Yu Jing's Wu Ming HI.  In that article, I basically attacked their worth as human beings, since they were unable to help out with the three major tasks that are important in objective-based games.

Quoting yourself is fun, kids!

It's N3 time now, though, and some of the predictions about the Wu Ming (and Heavy Infantry in general) have come true.  Let's have a look.

N2 Wu Ming

N3 Wu Ming (core profiles only)

Even a quick look at the charts show some changes - and some definitely-positive things staying the same.

Stats
Basically the same down the line, except for two significant changes.  The N3 Wu Ming lose a point of PH, making it slightly harder for them to Dodge.  Now that everything (including template attacks from out of LoF) is Face-to-Face, this may be more significant than it seems.  A few other Heavy Infantry lost PH, though (chiefly in Yu Jing and Ariadna), so this isn't a unique thing.

The second significant change is the upgrade from 4-2 Move (N2) to 4-4 Move (N3).  This solves a major problem I had with the N2 Wu Ming - namely, that they were sluggish as hell.

Not anymore!

Now your Wu Ming are faster than ever, and their link status (you're linking them, right?) is just as good as ever at making things speed up.  Now you can take full advantage of their closer-ranged load-outs.

Costs
The Wu Ming didn't go down in points in a significant way, but there's a bit of a discount across the board.  The biggest winner is the Multi-Rifle + Light Grenade Launcher, which went down by almost ten points.  We still don't know what their Combi-Rifle loadouts will look like, but they'll likely end up a bit discounted off their N2 versions too.  Link teams will be easier to put together, and working a few solo units into your vanilla list will also be easier - and definitely more justifiable, especially because...

I don't have six identical faces, sucker!

STILL NO CUBES!

Loadouts
As I mentioned earlier, we don't have access to all Wu Ming load-outs, but what we do have is pretty sweet.  Without Shadow Zones, the Multi-Rifle + LGL can be used to drop templates on those annoying models that decide to duck in and out of Total Cover - and Burst 3 (4 in link) Shock is pretty sweet.  The HMG is still around, and the Boarding Shotgun picked up a Tinbot B to help defend the link (.  Now your link filler actually does something, even when it's far away from the enemy.  The Panzerfaust/Light Shotgun loadout provides some great ARO capability (especially awesome as your link moves up), and hey, Nimbus Ammunition might be controversial, but now the Wu Ming have a way to get it wherever they want with their Nimbus LGL.

Best of all, though, the Wu Ming have a Forward Observer option.  As far as we know, that means that your link has a Specialist option - in N2, the Wu Ming didn't have a Specialist, which made it so hard to justify their exorbitant full-link cost.  Now you can take your link of fast, badass, cube-less heavies, and still count on them to achieve objectives.

If Forward Observers are still specialists in 2015, that is...

The Wu Ming have been vastly improved for N3, and they manage to hands-down destroy all my concerns about the unit in N2.  Just a quick summary:

1) They need to be able to take objectives.
Check!  Specialist option on a vicious close-range Boarding Shotgun load-out!

2) They need to be able to contest objectives (High arm but low BTS).
Check!  They're still ARM 4 and BTS 3, but now they have access to the Tinbot B, which buffs BTS against Hacking by 6.  Hot damn.

3) Need to prevent your opponent from getting objectives (4-2).
Check!  The Wu Ming is now fast and have a variety of +6 options at close range, as well as ways to attack models out of LoF.

Now go out there and enjoy your new Wu Ming!