Cons
M500 Mod exists
A 3 star SG that gets a mod, who could it be? Chances are M500 Mod crossed your mind. M1897 Mod has to compete with the Neural Upgrade of M500, a 3 star SG everyone receives from Career Rewards. And, unlike M1897 Mod, whose use is niche, M500 Mod is among the best SGs in the game.
…Defender exists
M1897 Mod had a use case in Data Farming, due to the galloping 20 instances of damage against a single unit. However, she was dethroned by Defender, an SG specialized in deleting single targets, and that is a farmable unit in chapter 13. Even though M1897 is a 3-star Mod, she still is significantly more expensive than Defender, who doesn’t need to be crafted and can have dupes farmed.
Still has average Armor stat
Unlike M500 Mod, M1897 Mod doesn’t receive a buff on her Armor stat. That means she still has the average Armor stat she had before her Mod, and thus still suffers from it.