I’m going to preface this post with a statement: Yes, I understand there are larger problems this game has that really need addressing before something like this. But this has been annoying me since the pre-order beta, and there’s no better time than the present.
When we were first introduced to the Moebian Sixth in the Dev Blog by Dan Abnett, they were pitched as, and I quote,
They’re highly trained, highly-experienced veteran troopers, with full military gear.
And in nearly every case, they are. Their ranged infantry are calm and collected when under fire, and respond appropriately when pressured in close combat. They form firing lines and stay together - not too tight, but close enough to support each other with fire should the line get breached. Scab Gunners suppress while Scab Shotgunners close the distance and attempt to flank and force their targets out of cover. Their melee infantry don’t display quite as much coordination, but they still emit an aura of cool with deliberate moves and intimidation.
And then we have the Scab Rager. A completely mad lunatic who charges head-first into melee combat without regard for their own safety or any semblance of coordination with the rest of the unit, at odds with the picture painted by every other Scab unit on the roster. They give the impression of untrained roid-ragers with no experience and cobbled-together junk weapons - the Scab Rager doesn’t fit in thematically with the Moebian Sixth, just copy of the Dreg Rager clad in Flak Armor.
I feel there was a missed opportunity for a more nuanced melee-based elite for the Moebian Sixth. One that takes combat slower and forces the player to act far differently than how they would against a Dreg Rager; the military excellence of the Moebian Sixth a foil to the untrained cultists of the Admonition.
In light of that, here’s something to think about. An Elite enemy, clad head to toe in Flak Armor, with a light shield and chainsword. A skilled melee fighter that hangs back from the immediate fray trying to flank, and jumps in with a vicious series of strikes when they see an opening. They can block light attacks and dodge heavy attacks, but are vulnerable to ranged attacks and melee weapon special attacks (think punches, parries, quick thrusts, etc.) and are especially vulnerable to stagger, which opens them up to regular melee attacks. Unlike the Dreg Rager, this Scab Elite threatens the player in a less direct manner, requiring a different approach to deal with.
As a side note, I do like how the two Elite melee units of the Moebian Sixth, the Scab Rager and the Scab Mauler, wear sallet helmets - it’s a nice nod to what we’ve got here on Holy Terra, and perhaps tells a bit of the history of the Moebian Domain. The Mauler also set the precedent for their Elite melee units using chain weapons, so a chain sword felt like the perfect weapon to use for such a skilled enemy.