Officially started dipping my toes into creating customs, so figured I'd make a thread to contain both my concepts and some playtesting experiences. Feedback very much encouraged!
Active Playtesting
Spoiler Alert!
PHOSTIEM, PACT OF FLAME Valkrill / Toril / Hybrid / Unique Hero / Warlock / Maniacal / Medium 5
Life 5 / Move 5 / Range 1 / Attack 4 / Defense 3 / 100 Points
DEMONIC PACT
Phostiem, Pact of Flame's species is Human and Demon in addition to what is listed on this Army Card.
IMMOLITH'S TRIDENT
Start the game with one Immolith's Trident treasure glyph on this card. If there is at least one Immolith's Trident treasure glyph on this Army Card, add 3 to Phostiem, Pact of Flame's range. If Phostiem destroys a non-adjacent figure, you may place a Immolith's Trident treasure glyph from this Army Card on an empty space left by the destroyed figure.
TRIDENT'S CALL
If Phostiem, Pact of Flame would end his movement within two spaces of an Immolith's Trident treasure glyph, immediately place him on that space. Then, place the Immolith's Trident treasure glyph on this Army Card . If Phostiem is engaged when he uses Trident's Call, he will take any leaving engagement attacks.
Immolith's Trident Treasure Glyph:
If a figure other than Phostiem, Pact of Flame ends their movement within one space of Immolith's Trident, roll one attack die. If you roll a skull, that figure takes one wound. This treasure glyph can only be picked up by Phostiem, Pact of Flame. If Phostiem, Pact of Flame is destroyed, remove this treasure glyph from the game.
Figure Info:
Spoiler Alert!
The figure used for Phostiem, Pact of Flame is Daimon Hellstrom 029a from the Marvel HeroClix: Wheels of Vengeance set.
Bio:
Spoiler Alert!
Among the many gathered Acolytes of Vorganund, few sought higher purpose than giving their lives to the dark purposes of their collective. Summoning otherworldly demons from the Abyss was a transcendent honor, after all. But there did, once in a blood moon, arise an Acolyte who sought more—not to offer their life to these fearsome beings, but to intermingle with them and use their power for their own. Phostiem was one such Acolyte, and his mad quest drove him through countless catacombs, dungeons, and defiled shrines in search of a singular artifact: a blazing trident thought to have been the vessel for an Immolith.
After years of searching, deep in a mine abandoned and nearly forgotten by time, he and his collective had finally found it. It stood tall upon the butt of its staff, defying the very gravity around it. Its gold form shone brightly in the shadows of the mine, gentle flames dancing around its three fierce prongs and licking the musty air around them. Defiant in his purpose, Phostiem strode forward, confidently wrapping his hands around the trident until his knuckles turned white. The words "take them" gently fell from Phostiem's lips. Like a star exploding, flames burst forth, immolating the entire room along with the dozen Acolytes within.
As the flames faded, naught remained but Phostiem, but not as he was. His stature had grown, his eyes blazed red, and muscle had erupted across his entire body. Phostiem simply laughed as he swung his trident and made for the mine's entrance, every step a conflagration, every breath smelling of sulfur and ash.
Cool design! A ranged option for the Acolytes of Vorganund is really interesting, and this sculpt really sells the idea of an "elevated" cultist.
My primary critique is that there doesn't seem to be much of a choice as to when Phostiem should throw Immolith's Trident. He's heavily encouraged to use the power early despite suffering much for doing so. Yes, he loses Range afterwards, but the Trident AoE damage effect is such a potent lockdown tool that it's completely worthwhile to hurl the Glyph into a chokepoint, next to a Power Glyph, or onto heights as soon as possible and watch opponents' figures decide between scrambling and losing board advantage or holding the area anyway and accepting the high likelihood of burning. Afterwards, it doesn't look like he has much to do until it's time to reposition the Trident, as Trident's Call ends the Glyph's lockdown effect, and 5L/3D can be almost too frail to risk in combat when Phostiem's demise removes the threat posed by his Trident. I would either make the Trident Glyph give Phostiem another buff while he's holding it, to make him hesitate before throwing it sometimes, or—because Demonic Pact is short and simple—give him a fourth special power that can be used equally well regardless of whether he holds the Glyph.
Also, I might change the last line of the Trident Glyph's effect to specify that the Glyph is only removed from the field when the Phostiem that placed it is destroyed. Otherwise, if multiple players are using Phostiem, one could interpret the effect as wiping all of their Tridents upon the destruction of any of their Phostiems.
Finally, strictly as a point of consistency, the Acolytes' homeworld is Eberron, so this guy should hail from the same place if he's supposed to be one.
Cool design! A ranged option for the Acolytes of Vorganund is really interesting, and this sculpt really sells the idea of an "elevated" cultist.
My primary critique is that there doesn't seem to be much of a choice as to when Phostiem should throw Immolith's Trident. He's heavily encouraged to use the power early despite suffering much for doing so. Yes, he loses Range afterwards, but the Trident AoE damage effect is such a potent lockdown tool that it's completely worthwhile to hurl the Glyph into a chokepoint, next to a Power Glyph, or onto heights as soon as possible and watch opponents' figures decide between scrambling and losing board advantage or holding the area anyway and accepting the high likelihood of burning. Afterwards, it doesn't look like he has much to do until it's time to reposition the Trident, as Trident's Call ends the Glyph's lockdown effect, and 5L/3D can be almost too frail to risk in combat when Phostiem's demise removes the threat posed by his Trident. I would either make the Trident Glyph give Phostiem another buff while he's holding it, to make him hesitate before throwing it sometimes, or—because Demonic Pact is short and simple—give him a fourth special power that can be used equally well regardless of whether he holds the Glyph.
Also, I might change the last line of the Trident Glyph's effect to specify that the Glyph is only removed from the field when the Phostiem that placed it is destroyed. Otherwise, if multiple players are using Phostiem, one could interpret the effect as wiping all of their Tridents upon the destruction of any of their Phostiems.
Finally, strictly as a point of consistency, the Acolytes' homeworld is Eberron, so this guy should hail from the same place if he's supposed to be one.
Appreciate the extensive feedback! In testing so far, he's definitely felt like a glass cannon and flounders a lot after throwing the Trident. I was hesitant to give him too much staying power initially because the glyph was a much nastier effect at first.
My initial concept was to keep him a bit cheaper than either Morgoloth or Corvor so he can slot into a similar point value range as a Skull Demon. I've been trying to suss out a good balance of survivability and threat level while keeping him more support-oriented. Maybe giving him a defense buff while holding the trident or some sort of debuff aura is worth considering at his current design stage. Lots to think on!
March 8th, 2024, 11:51 PM
Similar Threads
Linear Mode
