With Team Leader Tachyon you're sacrificing the ability to put cards into her trash. Yes, you COULD Research Grant when you draw it, but that would mean you gaining two cards at the cost of not letting everyone draw a card. It makes her play more like Legacy than anything: Buffing other heroes at the cost of not dealing as much damage herself.
Yeah but that "buff" is insanely good. It is really hard to lose with a solid team and a TLT.
I'm not saying that it's not incredibly beneficial and a huge game changer. I'm just saying that I'm one of the guys that prefers classic Tachyon. I like buffing my friends' hands, but I love utilizing my Burst cards. While it is an incredible bonus to the game to use Team Leader, I do want to note that it isn't strictly just "better" than Rapid Recon. Is it OP? Possibly. But it's different and a larger benefit to your entire team rather than an outright better power than Rapid Recon. It's a minor point, but I think it's one worth voicing.
I would agree the only time Team Leader beats Rapid Recon is if you get hud goggles out early and don't get extra draws, you can run out of cards and start being limited to one per turn even though you have Hud out. Not a frequent problem at all. For the rest of the team Team Leader is wicked. It's easily the most powerful support power in the game, and it is a base power.
I see that. Each of the promos I've used (which is really only the Freedom Six, Eternal Haka and Dark Visionary) have their uses, but they aren't always the best all the time. I play with a large group, and everyone has their favourites, which leads to some interesting teams and playstyles.
I for one, love both Tachyons, but can't stand EW Zero.
Base powers should not always be compared in a vacuum.
I think one of the things to consider with original flavour vs TLT sandwiches is that TLT essentially turns Research Grant into a blank card, it is never better for TLT to use/play Research Grant for its power, for original receipe it is a huge step up and and losing out on the ability to cycle and discard at the same time does make TLT weaker in some respects.
Also worth noting (and something I only figured out recently) is that unlike Burst of Speed, TLT forces you to draw a card if used, so if you're helping others draw more then you may have to lose your bursty trash. It's a tiny thing, and with most games I'd disregard this, but this being GTG I'd be very surprised if this was coincidental.
I believe TLTach was designed to be more powerful. It is a Tachyon who survived Iron Legacy killing most of her allies. She's no longer a scientist moonlighting as a Super Hero to get funding, her split focus is gone and she is the toughened leader of the worlds only real chance at freedom.
TLT doesn't look out for herself nearly as well as the original, but she makes that team of largely replacement superheroes a viable fighting force.
The fact that Research Grant, the one card that is based on her role as a scientist is made obsolete is a phenomenal side effect.
No other hero gets an abilIty change that is a straight up boost to the teams chance to win and a health increase.
Tachyon leaves her job behind, gathers a new team and comes back stronger, focused on her team and determined to stop Iron Legacy, I love the story of TLT, which is why I allow her pretty much only when we are playing with freedom six cards or we've been horribly stomped and are out for revenge.
The original has a figured shrouded in shadows, only a face plate in visible. (see attached)
I definitely agree with that thematic. That being said, while her power definitely has more team utility I'm still against describing it as a purely "better" power on a mechanical level. It shifts her playstyle to be more like Legacy with team support valued over your own personal set-up. It isn't just a better version of Rapid Recon. Is it a stronger power overall? I'm confortable with saying that. But that isn't the same as it just being a "better" power and/or character card.
Yeah for my purposes I was meaning better as Increases the overall likelihood of a win for the team, which she does provide. Much like I imagine Young Legacy will have a lower win percentage than Legacy, That base power will almost never never do enough to offset the damage the other heroes don't do, esp. with DR, but it lets that great card set be on a damage dealer, and in some fights and on some teams that will work much better.
Those two promo cards definitely change the role of the hero.