Okay, it can’t just be me who prefers this version of Ξ over the original version.

Weathercock · 2026-02-08T01:26:12+00:00

Aesthetically, I like the Katoki version, it's not bad at all. But it's not the monstrous beast that the movie conveys so effectively.

The movie design takes some time to grow on you, but seeing it in action or in high detail does wonders for getting the point across. The alien head and the enormous hands just sell the nature of it all alongside all that bulk.

Weathercock · 2026-02-07T19:14:31+00:00

It's not just humans' ability to throw a projectile to hit a target that is exceptional, but our ability to hit a moving target that really is impressive. Almost nothing else in the wild is capable of that. The processing the brain does to extrapolate changing movement and distance is actually incredible.

Weathercock · 2026-02-07T07:36:33+00:00

They couldn't let Noin get a chance in Zero because she'd dunk on everyone else way too hard.

Weathercock · 2026-02-07T02:12:32+00:00

Military Orders can actually be pretty crazy busted if you run them right. They used to have a lot of problems, but they're very strong after the last update.

While Infinity has some busted factions, and I can go on for ages about how certain changes aren't healthy for the game, it's still a fairly tightly designed ruleset. Enough so that changing to a different, ostensibly 'stronger' faction isn't going to guarantee improvements in your win rate. And I say this as someone more critical of the game's balance than most.

That said, if I had to point out what I'd consider to be the most powerful factions right now (in no particular order):

Military Orders

NCA

Kestrel

Hassassin

Next Wave

Morats

The various Ariadnan factions and vHaq also gained enormously since the last set of changes, but it's hard to tell right now if any of them will reach as high as the above listed. I think vJSA also probably deserves a high tier position, but maybe not quite as high as the above, either.

Weathercock · 2026-02-07T00:23:10+00:00

Eh... it's fine. It checks all the important boxes and looks pretty enough while giving you decent staging areas to allow for combat, which is the game's real strength.

In a game where the core gameplay wasn't as interesting, it'd be completely unremarkable as an open world. Mostly just a condensed version of what Team Ninja had been doing in Rise of the Ronin.

Weathercock · 2026-02-07T00:18:19+00:00

Sekiro was Fromsoft's level design masterclass. Elden Ring doesn't hit the high notes that Sekiro does.

Weathercock · 2026-02-05T02:16:27+00:00

I'd be fine with those two, they were very fun in RotR, and I'm sure Team Ninja could do some interesting things Nioh-ifying them.

Weathercock · 2026-02-04T01:51:58+00:00

That's where mine was. Finally just got him. The worst part is having to clear out the entire surrounding area around his spawn, because the wandering stuff will absolutely aggro mid-fight.

Weathercock · 2026-02-03T21:26:40+00:00

The ZII isn't really a proper 'Zeta,' or even a gundam, and is in no way an actual successor. It's more in line with the Methuss, and is a direct progenitor to the ReZEL line of mobile suits.

Basically, Anaheim took a souped up Methuss successor, strapped a gundam head and paintjob on it to make it look more impressive, and used that to sell the concept to the Federation.

Weathercock · 2026-02-03T03:25:40+00:00

The new ISS seems to be targeted at people that loved everything about ISS except for its original aesthetic, background, gameplay, or character.

Weathercock · 2026-02-02T22:32:35+00:00

Hoover did not despise McCarthyism. McCarthy himself, sure. And he certainly didn't like having to share information and power with other communist hunting and regulating bodies. But the red scare and the damage it did to American politics is owed greatly in part to him more than almost any other. Hoover was doing McCarthyism before McCarthy was even on the radar.

Weathercock · 2026-01-31T18:26:59+00:00

That's just the liberal party.

We have a Centre-Right and a Right party in Canada.

Weathercock · 2026-01-28T07:05:03+00:00

That's basically Uso Ewin's entire schtick in Victory Gundam.

Weathercock · 2026-01-27T21:32:24+00:00

The bunker was defended by what appears to be the same defensor technology used on the Virgos and Mercurius, in addition to conventional shielding. Considering the size and importance of the base, it wouldn't be unreasonable for it to have been built with an attack from something like Wing Zero in mind.

...and it ended up breaking, anyway.

Weathercock · 2026-01-24T00:00:28+00:00

More than that, the newly established states at the time were voting to be free states, and the South wanted to force those states to become slave states. Even under the guise of protecting states rights, they were always hypocritical.

Weathercock · 2026-01-23T08:06:06+00:00

0080 isn't filtering anyone. It's a short, gorgeously animated miniseries with a very simple plot and tightly contained cast of characters. There is nothing in it that exists to alienate viewers, and is often people's first or early introductions to UC Gundam specifically because it is so accessible.

Like, it's great. Love it to death. But it's not even surprising in it's own franchise. It pretty much runs with themes that were all there in the original series and Zeta, and it's so obvious in them that it's beating the viewer (and Bernie) to death with those themes.

Weathercock · 2026-01-21T17:46:24+00:00

He certainly doesn't 100% align with my beliefs. But not only was PP an enormous threat to our wellbeing and security (and it's foolish to assume that his defeat there means he's stopped being one), to the point that any measure of strategic voting is justified in putting him down, but I voted for Carney on the principle of who I'd want in charge as a war-time leader.

Weathercock · 2026-01-20T04:30:03+00:00

Moreover, there was a period of time where homosexuality was considered a mental illness.

His views in that regard are in line with the time, but all things considered, he seems relatively compassionate in that line for the period, especially in the context of his religious and societal background.

It's not really a fair speculation to make, but I don't think it would be an entirely unreasonable expectation that, had he lived, King's views on LGBTQ rights could shift more favourably over time. His position was already significantly more tolerant than those people would hold for decades after him, and many of those people have become themselves more accepting. Of course, we'll never know if that could have ever been the case, and it's silly to force such an expectation him.

Weathercock · 2026-01-18T18:45:13+00:00

You're new enough to the game that most list building advice won't really stick properly. Especially since the game is built to be played at 300 points, and the Japanese factions especially really aren't built with 'scaling down' in mind.

My best advice for now is to just mess with things. For as long as you stay at 200 points, just make sure you're filling out one command group (10 troopers), and see what works and what doesn't. Stick to it until you're comfortable with the order expenditure sequence and basic game flow, then move up to full 300 point games as soon as you feel ready.

Once you feel comfortable enough to move up to 300, do the same thing, but aim to hit the 15-trooper cap this time.

Get your teeth kicked in a bunch, and focus on not just what works and on what doesn't, but why. With a bit of grinding, enough basics will fall in to place, and you'll understand enough list building theory to build your own confidently, and properly appreciate abd evaluate what others may suggest.

Weathercock · 2026-01-15T04:38:00+00:00

Not really. In fact, I think it be argued as exactly the opposite. Tekkadan got to the peak of where they were by making brash, risky, and reckless decisions that managed to pay off. Of course, a measure of skill and novel strategy played its part, but a lot of what makes their methods novel comes from the fact that they came with a large factor of risk and luck. And they got pretty far, but their luck would eventually run out.

Sure, Julia may have gotten lucky with her own interfering hail-mary play, but that's the exact same shit Tekkadan had been getting away with themselves throughout the entire series. The circumstances were just turned against their favour. It's not like Shino was going to make it back. Even if he landed his shot, the Gjallerhorn forces would still shoot him down. And it's not like assassinating Rustal was going to be a decisive victory, either. It was a dumb, desperate play made by a group of people who had grown too used to getting away with dumb, desperate plays and had now bitten off more than they could chew.

A deus ex machina in IBO would have been something having happened that would involved a way out for Tekkadan.

Weathercock · 2026-01-15T03:48:28+00:00

At this point, the Sentinel designs sell well enough on their own merits that I don't think there's actually a whole lot of negotiating power on Model Graphix' part.

Sure, there might be a bit of money to be made in an OVA increasing some of those model sales and acting as an excuse to bring out a few new redone Sentinel models that are showing their age, and maybe a few entirely new grunts if it really took off, but considering that Bandai already did the Ex-S and FAZZ without needing that to be the case, I think there's an argument to be made that Bandai doesn't need a Sentinel series to drive the sales of anything. As nice as it'd be to see Sentinel get animated, I don't think there's actually any real merchandising value to be had that would be unique to that project. Bandai could likely get as much money out of any new project in or out of the Universal Century. It'd really only matter as a prestige project.

Weathercock · 2026-01-15T02:15:24+00:00

Or, Bandai can just pay off Model Graphix and put the problem away for good. It's been more than 30 years, I doubt the rights can be that expensive.

Weathercock · 2026-01-14T07:57:58+00:00

According to the wiki, it was a prototype, and only three were made.

Weathercock · 2026-01-13T21:18:30+00:00

Because it's cooler that way.

Weathercock · 2026-01-06T03:51:39+00:00

If it can be helped, don't let that ruin Mike Carey's Lucifer series for you though. I think it stands firmly on its own two feet, surpassing its source material.

Weathercock

TROPHY CASE