As we've seen with Champs, even just an 8-box ua can go a long way to making sanguine bond better. So, the current question: what needs to change on bastions? Do they not do enough damage? Are they not tanky enough? Do we want them to brick up, or take advantage of the changes to Sanguine and look to let them spread out more (I'm partial to this idea, to differentiate them from champs.)
I am the outsider, but consider Trollbloods says that ARM 16+2 and 5 damage box Trollkin Champions are bad at shooting, and Bastions are simply inferior for almost all counts, they needs a lots of buff to be usable. Bastions have the same default ARM but are not always get +2 ARM, only able to get effective +2 DEF against the charge attack and has 1 less DEF, much slower, and are not Steady(though they can get it by a Dragoon solo). Their damage output is not so better than the Champions either.
As a Cygnar gamer, personally I am always fear for their weapons with
Blessed they have for they can dismantle my Stormclad at ease, but not all warjacks/warbeasts and units of every factions are rely on the buff to survive, and Protectorate is not short of weapons with Blessed and the caster with dispel method either, so Blessed is not a big deal in Protectorate as someone mentioned above. And in the new edition, their 5 damage box means that they are more easily killed, and I was already know that Sanguine Bond is weak or meaningless against a bunch of weak shootings(for melees, you can transfer the damage similar as Self-Sacrifice trick against the charge, and against the high powered shot they may share the damage and don't let anyone to be killed, but these moves are impossible against a bunch of shootings that cause about 1 to 2 damage each). Honestly, although I still fear for their melee output, they are more easy to be killed so they are actually not much a threat. I can no longer strip their Defensive Ward by Eiryss2, which makes them too easy to be killed even in MKII, though, but it must be done.
Back to the comparison with the Champions, the only advantage of Bastions over Champions is they have Bastion Seneschal, that removes one damage per a turn, and almost everything are inferior to the Champions. Also with the reduced damage box it is more easier to kill one or more troopers and diminish the benefit of the Seneschal as well.
So... the idea to improve them.
The first section think is their
point cost. 10/16 means that they requires 3.33../3.2 points per a trooper. Champions are have the same point cost with them. Cataphract Cetrati requires 3 point cost per one trooper(their number is 4/6). So making them 9/15 is not so bad.
Have
a defensive tech, especially against the ranged attacks, is required I think, for if they are killed against the ranged attack then they have no uses.
Carapace is the first one I can imagine, although they are too durable against the enemy ranged attacks thanks to Sanguine Bond(it already makes them stronger against high powered shot, and increased ARM allow them to withstand weak shots as well), but if so then it is fine to keep their cost instead. Despite they have no shields, but
Shield Wall order is not so bad, although they are become the another Cetrati. But Shield Wall also able to cause the same issue with Carapace. Consider their SPD 4, I think that Carapace would be not so bad, and Shield Wall reduces their already bad SPD.
Wall of Steel or
Blade Shield may an alternative, but Wall of Steel still makes them an inferior Champion, and Blade Shield's DEF 13 against the ranged attack is not that effective, although many models with a ranged weapon has RAT 5. Face a ranged unit with CRA is an another problem as well.
Or an another thing would give them +1 ARM as well as Wall of Steel, if you like to put them B2B. But for a 3/5 units it is not so good to require them to be B2B....
An another thing to consider would be which abilities are good for their
Command Attachment. It is the trend that the
Officer model of the Command Attachment in the new edition usually has one or two Tactics/Granted ability, as well as have an 'any time' effect that able to be used once per a game. Although so called 'heavy infantry' style of unit's Command Attachments are not take this ability often, but still some of them does....
If they have
Carapace by default, then
Tactics: Unyielding may have a place, although I don't think that it would be useful unless they face the enemy units that is not have the anti armor capability.
Tactics: Cleave seems not so bad, for some people pointed out one of their problem that they are do nothing when they are swarmed. Else it would be better include to their basic ability.
Tactics: Defensive Strike seems an another option as someone said above, but it seems that it would replace Set Defense(although you hate that ability on them). Something like Riposte is not fit with the DEF 11 trooper, and Retaliatory Strike is not an option for Trollkin Champions can access for it.
A combination of
Tactics: Tough and
Granted: Rise is tempting, but are they require that much benefit? Else simply give them
Tactics: Steady is not so bad either. Man-o-War Shocktrooper already have that. Also
Tactics: Sturdy seems good too, consider their bad SPD.
Consider the faction's identity,
Granted: Sacred Ward is not so strange to have, but I bet that it is not the only Tactics/Granted ability on him.
Damage-triggered ability, such as Battle-Driven, is not triggered when you use Sanguine Bond, so it is not an option.
For
once per a game abilty, I think that
No Quarter seems most fit with them, consider their very slow SPD. Pathfinder as well as +2 movement would be a good fix for them.
And... what if the size of the Command Attachment is not normal? For example, what if the CA consists of two troopers, one Officer and one another model? Like as a combination of a Bastion Officer and a Bastion eilte, or a Menite Priest and a Bastion elite? I don't think that such combination comes easily, though, for there is no CA that has two troopers in the units with damage box. An extra trooper that have
Heal(★Action) would be good for them, provided they are survived against the enemy fire.