I guess we will all have to bring the Pacific Ocean map and pray that our dice feel cooperative. At the very least that will deal with the Jinx barrier crap. The no theme team part of "no tactics" is the restriction that really kills me. Map choice has proven to be so huge.

So what other figures do people think will dominate this format?

At lots of those "usual suspects" were made into a viable attackers via resources, relics, and most recently entities. White Witch is a really good example of a support figure that can be made into an absolute nightmare with the right kind of additions. Without those additions I believe people will need to focus a lot more on good attackers and ridiculously cheap support. I guess what I am saying is I believe the landscape is going to change dramatically, and I'm very anxious to see what people come up with. Personally, most of the teams that I have been experimenting with change dramatically in function when you take away some of my toys. Lol. I'm going to have to start thinking a little differently.

It's like having a Resource in a no-Resource environment that gives you every benefit with the exception of one.

Entities balance out the META game? A few limited figures? Have you ever heard of haves vs. have not's? Most in the META game didn't pull their Entities. It's money vs. everything else. No Tactics balances out the META game. It affords those with skill a chance against those that can buy teams.

Prepare against it. Play-test against it. There are characters that can get around it. Whether they literally move around or through Barrier, or avoid Barrier for LoF purposes.

I said tactics balance things. Didn't say a thing about entities I believe. A combination of atas and resources may make figure you want to play the ability to fight the team bases, the speed demons and iron pharoahs. Instead you just have to play the figures that have a natural advantage in a heavy margin in no tactics.

Also I have played teams with no entities on it and have done well against them. I don't think having them "buys" you a victory. You still have to play and roll dice. After a certain point what an entity gives you levels out if used on already good pieces. What I like is it gives figs that suck or just isn't good enough to shine in a competitive environment some shine. For that reason alone I would like them not to be altered.

I whole-heartedly approve this quote. Utah is the nerdiest / geekiest state in the Union. Look it up. We know how to get our geek on.

The problen with No Tactics has nothing to do with entities. Entities allow one stat and one power, aside from Ion. The problem with No Tactics is Special Terrian Markers, specifically Iron Pharaoh. Attacking across the map, unable to be targeted by probability control or perplex or outwit and targeting over all forms of terrain is much more unbalanced than plus 1 to movement and sidestep.

It doesn't go through indoor blocking terrain XD. Are there any figures that have a Hand ATA type ability built in to them in modern? Does IT: Ignore Characters get around that?

It appears as if The Hand ATA does provide protection:
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=499319
http://www.hcrealms.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508542

What is easier, it to fight Pharaoh on an indoor map with lots of walls/blocking, where you can wall up the Falcon with Barrier; or tie up Pharaoh to prevent ranged attacks.

White Witch is a boon, here, as Pharaoh will be forced to either move the Falcon and do nothing, or destroy one square of blocking and use Outwit.

No ata in no tactics. Theme team is a tactic

True. However, the advice on IP is still useful.

That's why I wanted to know if there were any characters in Modern that have restrictions on line of fire to themselves not based on terrain? And how they interact with Improved Targeting. Would IT ignore a character power or trait worded similarly to the Hand ATA?

Edit: And as for Map choice, there's always Nightmare or SR Parallax to try to sway their choice.

One of those tab app batman bit he has no willpower. Hard pressed to get across the map. And he's 125 points

Entities don't supply nearly the same amount of power as an Iron Pharoah falcon, yet they're going to be shut down for six months? It's ludicrous. Next thing they're going to say that the Indigo emotional spectrum doesn't apply to Pharoah. I don't even OWN Entities, but shutting them down while leaving pieces like Pharoah blasting holes in people may be enough for me to sit out of ROC until April. And I adore ROC events.