Alliance of Kurak Faction Comparison

My brother-in-law and I have decided to take the plunge into Planetfall so I thought I would do a brief overview of the factions. This overview will be based on the released Orbats as we haven't played any games yet but hopefully will be interesting to anyone reading this. I have split this into two parts to make it a little less daunting. Part will be the Core Factions for the Alliance of Kurak. Part two will include the Core Factions for the Zenian League.

Aquan Prime

Aquan Prime Core Helix Render

Pros:
High Movement Values
Votari Crystals,
Pinpoint Lasers,
Good Shields,
Good Infantry,
Elite Units

Cons:
Low Armor Values,
Low CQB Values,
Slightly Higher Unit Costs

The Aquan units appear to emphasize a fast long range engagement strategy. The majority of their units have the Hit and Run MAR as well as Hover Vehicle. One of the fastest factions in the game their speeds are very similar to the Dindrenzi. Their damage appears to be on the higher side of average and the range is average. Though their medium tank the Lamana is tied with the Dindrenzi Gorgos for the longest range for a medium tank. A unique feature of the Aquan military is their Votari Crystals. These can be sky dropped throughout the battle allowing Aquan laser weapons to extend their range by up to 24" and even fire around corners.  Aquan armor is lower than any other factions. This is at least partially made up for by their strong shields. Their infantry cadres have the best movement of any in the game and their infantry upgrades are probably the best. This gives them a strong infantry base to slow and harass any opponent looking to close on their heavy tanks. Overall this faction appears to be a fun hit and run faction that swarms like a school of predatory fish around the flanks and edges of their opponent until it is weak enough for the to strike the killing blow.

Terran Alliance

Pros:

Terran Alliance Core Helix Render

Good Armor and Shield Values,
Many Weapon MARs,
Good CQB,
Excellent Heavy Infantry,

Cons:
Below Average Weapon Ranges,
Low Movement Values,

The Terran military appears to focus on high defensive values to ensure their survival during a battle. Their units tend to have decent armor values and good shield values. Their weapon ranges tend to be average but deal good damage. Terran units have a very good spread of weapon MARs compared to the other factions. Their movement values are slower than other factions forcing them to rely on cover and covering fire from other units. Their factional ability, Strengthened Shields, increases their endurance allowing them to re-roll all initial 1s rolled from shields. They also have a unique support vehicle, the Ullr. The Ullr improves the shields of any vehicle squads that it attaches to as well as provides decent CQB. The vast manpower of the Alliance is evident in their infantry forces, their infantry are cheaper and fielded in larger squads than the other factions. The Terran Alliance appears to be a "turtling" faction. They take terrain and objectives slower than the other factions but with their good shield values and punishing close range weapons they are very difficult to dislodge.

Sorylian Collective

Pros:

Sorylian Collective Core Helix Render

Good Armor Values,
High Long Range Damage Values,
High CQB Values,
Powerful Heavy Infantry,

Cons:
Poor Scatter Weapon Ranges,
Poor Heavy Unit Movement Values,
Weak Shield Values

The Sorylian Collectives Units seem to focus to opposing strategies. A series of long range units as well as a series of faster short range units. They're the only faction that have weapons with higher damage values at long range. Their units tend to have good armor values but weak shields. Their medium walker has the Recon Specialist MAR which is normally reserved for light tanks but allows it to re-position itself before the first game turn. The Sorylians also have more units with the transport MAR than any other faction. This allows them to quickly re-deploy their infantry and heavy infantry during a battle. The goal of the Sorylian Collective appears to be keeping their opponents away from their long range units while using their faster and lighter units to capture objectives and screen.