Quick and precise as ever:
Strengthes (in terms of powergaming):
- They have imbalanced close combat units that are as cheap as Warrior Bugs and MUCH better (Brutes)
- They have the most overpowered unit in the entire game (Cabal)
- They can dodge nukes and flamers (the "partially exothermic" rule is just silly, especially since it is explained by their "high body temperature" - they are not lava creatures)
- The Leader of Slaves army is the most overpowered army in the entire game - the slaves will recycle through the entire game if don't manage to nuke the army leader (killing him in a normal way is almost impossible since all the removable slaves pop up around him)
Problems:
- The Factions are not distinctive enough (most of them can take the same units anyway)
- The entire army book lacks an overall race-specific warfare concept. There are many things that really have potential but not one of them has been done to the end.
- They are no Skinnies as they should be. They are unable to shoot on the move like jumping MI can, which turns Raiders and Soldiers into cannon fodder as they are automatically caught in the open after a shoot and die as soon as the enemy is acting.
- Some traits are absolutely imbalanced (extended jump is one example)
- All Skinnie armies are WAY too dependent on their army leader (except the Cabal which is WAY too expensive)
- The entire Cabal army list has no - NOT ONE - weapon with the AA trait
- The Cabal Fluff is really not good (there is no place that mentions how they travel between the star or how they can get their hands on weapons like Mass Drivers)
- Some rules have no obvious reason and are just irritating (the Speeder's weapon range limit is one example, the bid for escape rule another, and the advanced targeting array rule could be easily dropped as well)
- The Soldiers NEED jump movement
- The Guard aren't the elite assault troops they should be
- Brutes are barely able to carry a Mass Driver how can someone get the idea that a SLAVE could carry one? On his own! (this could be solved with a weapon team rule)
- The harmonic shield rule is poorly designed (imbalanced against small arms, almost worthless against heavy weapons). It should either work as a shield or raise the target in one specific Arc.
- They lack transport vehicles and aircraft
- Their is a weapons chamber or armoury missing which would make skinnie equipment methods unique and distinctive from other races
Conclusion:
Back to the design board and give it another try. There is so much potential lying bare.
The best thing in the whole book is the Heroic Traits section (with one or two exceptions) - there are some really good ideas, hidden between all the other unfinished ideas.
Basically Skinnies play like "strange chaotic MI". There needs to be much more done to make them truly unique and give them their own gaming style.
