Dev Diary #48: SL Update 1 Preview - Part 2

Last week, we looked at all the additional content and changes that come with the Squad Leader Update 1, and today, we can finally reveal the three new characters that give this EA update its name!

The next update will feature the first set of new SL-Status Members to recruit.

Unlike the Squad Leaders currently in the game, these ones cannot be identified and then hired through the Black Market. Instead, these fighters are what we call “Honor Guards”, units with direct relations and loyalties to specific planets within the Wayback system.

To recruit them, you will have to reach a certain trust threshold with the faction to which they are bound.

However, be wise with your selections: the first Honor Guard can be recruited fairly fast, but each hiring pushes back the availability of the others.

These characters are technically level 2, but as they are harder to come by, they start with slightly better stats and also come with 5 unique perks instead of the 4 that the other characters have.

⚠️NOTE: ALL NUMBERS AND EFFECTS ON THE IMAGES SHOWN BELOW CAN CHANGE ⚠️

Harlan Corlain – Dice of the Gods

“Well, someone's on Frankie's good side… or maybe her bad.” -Harlan Corlain

Harlan Corlain was born in the pipes buried deep beneath Dice’s surface. These vast tubes provide a harsh, metal ‘home’ for the completely unseen society that labors to keep Dice’s casinos and resorts operational. It is rare for anyone to escape this hellish underworld, but Corlain managed to muscle his way topside and become the right-hand man for Frankie Sallustio.

Playstyle: Corlain is a concealment-focused SL who likes to keep the action equal parts close and quiet.

In and Out [Base Perk]

• Sabotage costs zero AP.

• Corlain counts as two units in capture zones.

• Bonus Accuracy vs. Eliminate Target Units.

• Neutral units “Rescued” by Corlain have a movement cost reduced.

Ice in the Veins

• Bonus Defense and Damage Reduction for each point of Concealment. The bonus applies even if Corlain is currently spotted.

Door to Door

• Bonus Concealment when in Medium or Heavy Cover.

Backup Plan

• Bonus Accuracy, Damage, and Armor Penetration when using Projectile-based accessories such as Pistols. Additionally, non-rocket sidearms will have Counter-Strike.

Nothing Personal

• Gain Significant Concealment after killing a nearby Enemy, however this Bonus Concealment is lost by taking ANY action except for End Turn.

• When active, Nothing Personal prevents scans from revealing Corlain, and he will deal Bonus Damage attacking nearby Enemies.

Roisin Murdock – Zayn-Beecher Inc. (Mock)

“Z's hooking me up with a couple'ah dose tekkers, eh?” -Roisin Murdock

Roisin “Rose” Murdock runs security detail for Zayn-Beecher’s VIP employees. She may have been partially demoted in this role after a Rhakarian blew her right arm off, a debilitation that has moved her into piloting hardware instead of operating directly in the field. Talented as she might be, Murdock’s allegiance to a megacorporation automatically ranks her under the floorboards of SAGE’s Trustability Scale.

Playstyle: Murdock excels at gaining sudden advantages and squeezing value out of the margins.

Buyout [Base Perk]

• Once per mission, Murdock can bribe civilians or even some lowly enemy combatants to fight for you.

Insurance

• Murdock can automatically fulfill one unfinished or failed Secondary Objective.

ZB License Agreement

• Disable any kind of ‘technical’ unit for a turn.

Short Squeeze

• Murdock gains a damage boost against enemies flanked by both herself and an ally.

Overtime

• Once per attack, if Murdock reduces an Enemy’s HP to a low enough threshold, she will instantly attack the same target again for free.

Weiwu – The Backbone

“The Backbone makes, the Wayback takes!” -Weiwu

Weiwu leads the “Spear of the Spine”, one of the Backbone’s elite infantry units. Because the Planetary Jingwei have strict prohibitions on the construction of military spaceships, the Unbent have dedicated their vast resources to the development of an army that is, not unlike the Marines, heavily focused on discipline and training. Outside of his aptitude for combat, little is known about Weiwu’s past. SAGE believes that he may have been bred for the sole purpose of helping fulfill the Backbone's “destiny” as true rulers of the Wayback.

Playstyle: Determined by destiny, being bloodied and beaten only encourages Weiwu more.

Dare to Die [Base Perk]

• Once per mission, if Weiwu is struck with fatal damage, he will become invulnerable until the next Round

• Weiwu gains Critical Hit-% from killing Enemy Units.

Destination Known

• Weiwu gains Bonus Damage inverse to missing HP, keeping him firepower-competitive even when losing squaddies.

Divination by Combat

• Gain stacks of Damage Reduction every time Weiwu kills an Enemy Unit or he himself is Suppressed.

The First Sacrifice

• After Weiwu’s first squaddie is lost to enemy fire, he gains Suppression Resistance and Critical Chance for the duration of that mission.

Spear of the Spine

• Once per turn, gain Bonus Action Points and Critical Damage when Weiwu’s movement brings him adjacent to an Enemy.

Engage, Explore, and Stay Informed

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