Actually the Scout as a class sounds perfectly fine to me. Access to advanced sniper weaponry, support weapons like rocket launchers, heavy bolters, satchel charges, camo cloaks and combat shotguns sound perfectly fine and really fit the bill for 40k. Combat knives only though, no chain or power weapons.

I wondered many times what OP asks for, as I initially wished the players were forced to play as scouts as a starting class, and then become a Space Marine in power armour. Now I think that being the only faction to have access to power armours AND stealthy sniper rifles is quite a lot of advantages... I mean, having the ability to suffer the worst and survive, with snipers behind us killing our foe one after the other is quite usual, but being the only one having that possibility would be a little unfair, don't you guys think?

To me scouts are a great class, and stealth is fun, but I want them if each faction has a unique advantage or has long range snipers as a basic class too. For now, we are taking the path of it, having psykers as a basic class in some factions but not in others and stuff, so I hope the Devs are thinking the thing like I do.

Still, all I say is only theory, I would like to test the game's factions balance before having a real opinion.

The issues you would have is going to only be prevalent with the fact SM will be an overwhelming force. If you had 500 vs 500, and you had a huge amount of sniper scouts but little bulk marines. you would be wiped out. It would be give and take. it will only be a shitty experience because of the population (Tyranids may still fix this).

Eldar have a lot of stuff (I know its limited, but its still intricate. ) chaos got Da Warp Powers, and Orkz.......Those green bastards can do anything they want, realistically, but we will see their customization later. Scouts are just a huge part of the Space Marines.

As for other snipers I dont think chaos has any good ones, Eldar do though and Orks could eventually get kommandos. Not really a Sniper by definition, but long ranged shooty none the less.

It's another reason why I can totally see Scouts as a specialist purchase. Eldar rangers and Ork Kommandos are both specialist selections.

I take it as a clear sign from the class make ups, since none of them have are a sniper, that the devs see snipers as something that shouldn't be part of the consistent class numbers. Again, this would mean that they can be extremely powerful and cruel compared to say the infiltrator.

Usually that type of class has lower toughness stats, which is not true of a SM scout, especially if they are say of the vet/scout sergeant type. You could easily have scout NPCs and Veteran Scout Sergeant specialist. Even add Scout summoning for the vet./scout sergeant.

That's the reasons I promoted the wolf scout as the 4th Space Wolves basic class...

1) They need a 4th class.

2) Wolf scout is an exception of a scout, being basically a tactical marine in scout armor.So easier to balance compared to a neophyte.

3)If you take a careful look at the lexicanum link, there's one weapon that wolf scout doesn't use, and that's a sniper rifle...so you can make him a stealth class, or maybe an agile melee fighter, or even a versatile all-rounder, since he gets from CCW to power weapons, to even missile launcher and plasma gun...

Scout Sergeant Telion for hero

just going to leave this here

he has been frequently seconded to other chapters with close ties to the Ultramarines, in order to pass on his teachings for the wider benefit of the Emperor's cause. this makes him unspecific to Ultras as a hero for balancing reasons

I don't know if having scouts would be belanced! if it is i think they will put them.

They really need a support class then another killer. Stealth/sniper do not really fall into that support vain. It is the usual to say they are support, but they never are built to support, they are just called support because of the light builds they usually have and their specialized skill set.

OT on this, I was surprised to apoth as opposed to a techmarine as the support class. For that very reason that apoth really grind on wolves interms of fluff. A tech and iron priest seemed like the better choice to fit with all the SM factions.

But so is a Scout Sergeant, who isn't Neophyte either. The extra plasma/melta wargear and being able to show up behind enemy lines is the real difference and both could just be two nice faction boosts. Also not everything should be balanced. Invisibility is one of those hard balancing acts because it is so versatile. It's why I see the Ranger, also a stealth unit as a purchase from RT as opposed to one of the many Eldar classes.

I know who started that thing but it's also not infallible. If you look even closer you can see the footnote where they pulled the information about the weapons WScouts use. It is from pg 88 of the codex, which is just the Wolf Scout page and they can purchase sniper rifles in addition to the weapons mentioned on the lexicanum.

It did use to be they were a restricted items and hard to come by in the 3rd edition codex but it eventually got updated to being able to select a unit of normal scouts (still in 3rd) to the Wscouts who are basically all Scout Sergeants at this point with a bonus rule.


Class vs specialist(Hero) purchase

Really whether they are a class or specialist purchase, it all comes down to that stealth/snipe. I don't think things like stealth and true sniping are mechanics the Devs want to see all over the place like you do in PS2, becuase they can be powerful killers but not really expand gameplay.

Snipers and stealth usually just drag out fights and hardly actually end them, mostly because they don't have the weapon load out or toughness to capture a point. See it all the time in TF2 with sniper heavy teams, they can capture some points but then it just becomes a grinding death match at locations not built specifically for sniper dominance.

Having less of that on the battlefield I think is what the devs hope stops stagnation and drawn out sieges, caused by having to hide from precise and accurate shot instant stealth kills. And instead of numerous players with balanced long range shots and low health shotgun ninjas that fizzle in the light, receive long range stealth disruption and normal health shotgun ninjas that embrace the sun.

It's also hard when you really compare all a Scout can do to a normal class, even without the weapon/balistic skill or extra armor. They could potentially be a stealth class that shows up behind enemy lines, without a drop animation warning or TP homer to give them away. And they are carrying specialist weapons and anti tank, just like a tactical, btw they also cloak. Just can seem too much, all for the cost of some lighter than SM, but far stronger than Ork, armor.

I know, and I mostly agree with you...just throwing suggestions for the 4th class, it falls to the devs to choose and make it work...

I had concerns regarding the apothecary as a basic class from the moment it was announced, lore concerns and Wolf Priest concerns...just check the thread about the basic class lists...I think I started the whole "Wolf priest" discussion...