Kolakoski’s Pre-SoV Custom Corner

[wriggz]

A good custom flows from the milk stool of design: Mini, theme, playability. A great custom should feel almost obvious when you look at the whole.

Taking kha for example, the mini was clearly a snakeman assassin. So it made sense to give hime poison weapons and disengage. He has 2 weapons, so double assault made sense, but also made hime more viable on the field. Ullar already has vipers so that makes sense for a general. The rogue synergy web is mostly in ullar, and the brigands are willing to work with other assassins like ambershard and cormin, so rogue is a good fit. Moreover letting an assassin work with the cover fire provided by the brigands is a neat gameplay mechanic creating a cohesive army. Everything works together here to create a theme and fun gameplay.

So here you have a mini that looks a bit like a pirate. She has guns and maybe you want to make here a captain, great! It seems you want a leader type figure that helps the buccaneers. Combat leader is good, but the buccaneers might actually benefit from going second so more order makers are played on their turn, so maybe Decreasing initiative would be better. Letting her boost her own attack is neat and shows she is elite, but not strictly necessary, and could be implemented with just adding a hirer attack.

Now sure she has a sword, but it is not prominent and she does not look nible. I would not include disengage as the mini doesn't justify it and as a ranged commander she shouldn't get tied up in melee. Not sure a special attack is warranted either.

My point is you could just have a initiative decrease power and maybe a once a round boosted attack and you have a solid addition to the buccaneers, that could damage a key figure when required and provide either first strike on melee or act as clean up when the BUCS are all gone.

[Arrow Grut]

I don't know if I agree Wriggz.

Other than the very first iteration, Captain hasn't boosted the bucs. It seems like a direct synergy is not what K is going for at this iteration, but that'd be a question for him. IIRC the pirates aren't half-elves, so this is likely a different crew. If for SOV/C3V reasons pirates should be all one faction in some way that's one thing (though I don't think that's a necessity) but in the case of this design they appear to a different faction pretty clear by the inclusion of half-elf. Negative init power could be cool though.

Regarding nimbleness. This character isn't wearing heavy armor and is a half-elf. Elves in heroscape don't always have powers that theme towards their nimble-ness, but when they do they they indicate some pretty impressive feats. Frenzy is originated in death-machine vipers, after all, and the aubriens can operate on their level. Disengage fits pirate perfectly. Even though there is no pictured sword, a pirate captain would be the type of leader to run up and get into the fray as a cunning and capable fighter, similar to how Gilbert is a leader and will throw himself into danger sometimes because he is a valiant knight.

The boosted attack is the part I go back and forth on as well. It is pretty significantly different than boosted attack stat and allows for the figure to be pretty dangerous on 1 turn a round, so I disagree with your simplification that a boosted attqck would do the same. I think it is pretty interesting design.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Thanks for taking the time to comment so extensively, guys!

wrigzz, I have moved on from tying her to the Buccaneers (or Outlaws or even Rogues) directly. I now see her as a stand alone hero. As an experienced pirate, participating in numerous boarding actions, her ability with her sword in melee, which is actually quite prominent just not from that angle, would allow her to parry while disengaging without being overly nimble. Saber Dance also reflects that level of skill. Combat Leader is perfect for a Captain, making her a positive addition to whatever army she is in. I always liked Moriko and thought Saber Storm was cool. Modified as it is here, it puts a lot of swash in her buckle. I originally had Captain's Prerogative add to attacks for Saber Dance, but there is some question as to whether that kind of modification to a special attack is legal.

Arrow Grut, as noted above, there is a prominent sword. Other than that, you hit it right on the nose. Upon reflection, I think just including Captain's Prerogative in Saber Dance, and leaving her normal attack alone, makes more sense, as an attack of 5 under any circumstance is probably excessive. I can also see reducing her Move to 5 to demonstrate that it is her skill with her saber, rather than exceptional nimbleness, that gives her Saber Dance and allows her to Disengage.

Note: Irish Saber Dance is now a cool homage to Gráinne's Irish heritage.

So . . .

Gráinne O'Hara
General: Vydar
Half-Elf, Unique Hero, Captain, Disciplined, Medium 5,
Life 4, Move 5, Range 7, Attack 3, Defense 4

Combat Leader
If at least one Order Marker is on Gráinne O'Hara, you may add 3 to your initiative roll.

Irish Saber Dance
Range 1, Attack 1, 2, or 3
Instead of moving and attacking normally, You may move Gráinne O'Hara up to 5 spaces. Gráinne O'Hara may attack at any point before, during, or after this move as long as she is on a space where she could end her movement. Gráinne O'Hara starts each turn with 6 attack dice. Choose any adjacent figure and attack by rolling 1, 2, or 3 attack dice. Gráinne O'Hara may keep making special attacks with 1, 2, or 3 attack dice until she has rolled all 6 attack dice. Gráinne O'Hara may target the same or different figures with each attack. Before Gráinne O'Hara makes an attack during her Irish Saber Dance, if you reveal an "X" Order Marker on this card, you may add one automatic skull to that attack.

Disengage
Gráinne O'Hara is never attacked when leaving an engagement.

Points: 120

I would not be surprised if SoV found Irish Saber Dance to be a bit much. I could see just calling it Saber Dance, and eliminating the first sentence.

[Arrow Grut]

Really like this iteration. Good work.

Irish Sabre Dance is in a really cool place now

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Thanks, Arrow Grut!

However, wrigzz is a judge at SoV, and you are not.

[Arrow Grut]

Originally Posted by kolakoski

Well met!

Thanks, Arrow Grut!

However, wrigzz is a judge at SoV, and you are not.

One of many I'll try and get some games in and provide feedback

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Arrow Grut, wrigzz, not only does Gráinne O'Hara have a sword, but also a dirk.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

I'm thinking that Gráinne's Combat Commander could be very helpful to the Buccaneers. As they want to get first strike against other melee units, they could move on the last turn in anticipation of gaining the initiative on the first turn of the following Round. Also, in general, you want to win initiative. Anyways, by your reasoning, a Negative Initiative Power would bind her to the Buccaneers almost as surely as Bonding would. This way, Gráinne is useful in far wider variety of army contexts.

I know I was wedded to the idea of Gráinne having Double Attack and fighting primarily from range, with her cost being mitigated by 3 defense. But once I decided on a version of Saber Storm Special Attack, blended with Kumiko's Ninjutsu Barrage Special Attack, which required Disengage, as it would seem inconsistent that Gráinne could disengage without penalty in Irish Saber Dance, but not generally, she would disengage to height if she retained Double Attack, so it had to go. Even as is, as she is a Captain, she will probably stay out of harm's way generally, and disengage if the unit she is engaged to is itself engaged to a unit, in addition to Gráinne, unless she can administer a coup de grâce, because she is Disciplined, not Reckless.

And now that she has a significant presence in melee, she needs a defense of 4. Actually she looks anything but frail, but 5 defense a la Kumiko, would clearly be too much. Lowering her move to 5 both in general and within Irish Saber Dance is intended to imply that it is her exceptional technique with her sword, rather than any exceptional agility, that gives her a defense of 4, Disengage and Irish Saber Dance.

I know SoV favors simplicity and efficiency, and it has been said that Gráinne should just have a higher attack and no special power is needed or desirable, I can't agree. Her special powers and stats give her a unique flavor. I'm pleased and honored that Arrow Grut thinks enough of Gráinne to want to test her on his own hook, and I look forward to hearing how that goes. I think it's time to ask mac122 to make me up a card . . . .

[kolakoski]

Well met!

And here it is!

[quozl]

It's unclear if the X reveal adds a skull to every Irish Sabre Dance attack for that turn or just one of them.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Thanks for taking the time to examine my card!

Originally Posted by quozl

It's unclear if the X reveal adds a skull to every Irish Sabre Dance attack for that turn or just one of them.

It refers to revealing the "X" marker "during" as opposed to before" the Irish Saber Dance. However, I shall endeavor to remember to stipulate that it refers to only one attack.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Pathfinder says the pistols on this figure are called Alkenstar Pistols.

"Someone who had a pistol, and knew how to fire it. A good workaday Gunworks sidearm, one of hundreds of nigh-identical long-barreled flintlock "roaring-maws," the older and heavier war-pistols almost every elder of Alkenstar had handled, or still owned. And which could easily hit a scrambling rat the length of an alley away, given a clear shot." From Guns of Alkenstar by Ed Greenwood Chapter Two: A Shot in the Dark.

Is this consistent with Gráinne's stats?