Customs by Rhydderch - Updated: ****oki Ninja on Page 5

[Rhydderch]

News (Updated 7/24)
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7/24

Yay! Castle rules out. Moved my War Walker up since he has the Ruinous Smash ability which affects castle doors. Comments and suggestions are welcome! =)

6/20

-Added one card: Darkfen of the Four Swords. Lowered cost on Stone of Damara to 100. Globe of Darkness now affects other Drow.

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I've already posted the War Walker before but decided to move him up since the Castle Door rules finally came out. I made the Ruinous Smash ability well before the stats for the door came out so any suggestions to improve or balance it are definitely welcome.
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The war-torn fields of Valhalla are crucibles of change where new warriors are summoned each day. In the midst of this great war, a new threat has emerged: the War Walker. Faster than its Deathwalker counterparts and better armored, the War Walker is protected by a body of steel that allows it to withstand the force of multiple blows and continue its relentless march towards its enemies.

In addition, the War Walker was originally conceived as a weapon against the great Land Fortresses of the Omnicrons, making him the perfect weapon against the Archkyrie Strongholds. Indeed the forces of Jandar have come to know the War Walker as the Ram, for no castle door or obstacle is able to stand against the War Walker and its mighty axe and hammer.

Still the forces of Jandar are not without hope for his armor is made of steel, hard and inflexible. Although it protects against enemy fire well, it weakens with each hit that it takes and cannot withstand an onslaught of repeated blows, allowing the steadfast warrior to defeat this hulking giant through a war of attrition.
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Figure: DnD Warforged Titan

I gave a high estimate for his cost but I expect it will be lowered after it has been tested. Kudos to Aratak and Bunjee & Elstree whose Orcs and Woodlord (respectively) helped inspire my Ruinous Smash ability.


Figure: MK Darkfen Blade

A simple custom whose design developed naturally from the figure.

Some more allies for Ullar! Drizzt Do'urden was a fun card to design. At the time Annerios had just made his first version of Garet Jax and it made me think of the differences between these two masters of the fight. I eventually decided Drizzt should have Counter Attack since its such a big part of his style in the books. Also Twin Scimitars was a natural choice for anyone who is familiar with the character. I also wanted Drizzt to have a more unique ability - one that was versatile and would make up for his lack of a disengage ability. Globe of Darkness was the result. As one of the only spells Drizzt can cast it was fun to incorporate into the game. It is fairly weak by itself but shines when combined with some other abilities such as the Cyberclaw =)


Figure: DnD Drizzt Do'urden

Technically Drizzt could probably have higher stats but I wanted him to be more about versatility than pure strength. I may eventually add a Hunter ability that enhances his stats if he is the only figure left in an army since that is a large part of his mythos in the books as well. Guenhwyvar also seemed a natural figure to make since she is Drizzt's oldest friend and companion:



This one was a bit difficult since I wanted to capture Guen as a support hero and tried to make a Faithful Companion ability that worked for any hero. I eventually decided the Figurine was enough and the companion ability should be limited to a Drow Ranger which would be Drizzt of course. Bonding should not be an issue unless Hasbro releases a figure that can bond with rangers or any Ullar hero. I most certainly do not expect to see a Drow bonding ability anytime soon but I'll change the ability if it becomes a problem.

The special attack represents my attempt to give Guen a proper pounce like a real panther would have. I also wanted it to be unique so I decided it should provide a range advantage instead of the regular bonus to attack or number of figures attacked. I like the ability though it is rather strange and will need to be playtested for possible confusion. Please let me know if you use Guen and how well her Pounce works. Thanks!


Figure: Heroclix Boon

Shin Hua was my answer to a need for a fun but simple stand-alone hero for the monks. He has the potential to be quite powerful but grows weaker as the round progresses. Probably one of my favorites for simplicity. He just needs a bio which I will write... someday =P

Next up are the Ushtabi - raised by powerful undead heroes, the Ushtabi are undead constructs bound to the will of their masters:


Figure: DnD Skeletal Equiceph

I wanted the Ushtabi to be drafteable even without an Undead Hero so the Bonded Will ability is an option not a requirement. The Great Reach was a simple reach ability and probably one of the first to take height into account. It does not allow for leaving engagement attacks and is affected by both Stealth Dodge and Thorian Speed. Not the best reach ability but I still like it though I'll probably change it when I see something better.

So time for some new figures. The first is the Stone of Damara which I think is a fun unit on the board. It borrows Hex_Enduction_Hour's great inanimate ability so thanks Hex!
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When Jandar was first shown a vision of this great statue, he wondered what use an inanimate stone could serve in his campaign against Utgar. It was only when the monument was brought to Valhalla that the answer became apparent: bathed in the magic of the Wellsprings, the statue came to life and bowed before Jandar. Now this stone warrior watches over Jandar's troops with his saccadic gaze, and bolsters their defenses from afar. In addition it is able to return to its original stone, rendering it invulnerable to all but the most powerful attacks. A valued ally in the war against Utgar, this once forgotten statue has now been named the Stone of Damara, after the ruined world from whence it came.
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Figure: DnD Stone Golem

With the Stone of Damara I wanted a figure that reflected the stone statue aspect of the figure. That meant a figure that was hard to hit and slow. In addition I thought the stance of the statue fit that of a guardian casting his watchful eye over the land - hence Saccadic Gaze. I might have taken the Stone in a different direction had the figure been bigger but it simply did not look like it could make use of the Clan Aratak Signature STOMP =P Also for anyone who is interested the name Saccadic Gaze was inspired by the saccadic gaze center found in the human brain. A bit of an inside joke for any medical students out there.

My next figure is the Deathwalker 9500. He originally had a second ability but his Bombardment Special Attack simply took up too much room on the card:


Figure: MK Steam Golem

The Bombardment Special Attack was a lot of fun to design. I felt it would be a good fit for his gun hand which looked like it could lob explosives at a target. I had an idea for an attack that would resemble an aerial attack or simulate cannon blasts from a battleship or other large gun so that gave me the inspiration for a figure that would choose a space to attack with a chance to attack it multiple times. Since HS already had grenades in the game it was just a matter of how to word the attack. I think it worked out well. His other ability was called Spiked Frame and basically dealt damage to adjacent figures when he was destroyed.

Finally the Khumat is a figure that popped up several times in the custom threads during the last days of HQ. Its not one of my favorite figures but since I picked one up in a random pack I decided I should make the best of it:


Figure: DnD Khumat

I liked the name so I kept it the same. Beyond that the design was based on the strengths that I would expect from a crocodile or alligator. Lurking in the water in wait for prey is what the Khumat does best, especially with his Aquatic Attack which was designed to emulate the way alligators snap up prey when they come too close to the water. The current version of Deep Dive is very simple which I like but probably not the most realistic since figures with 1 range are still able to attack the Khumat. I may still change Deep Dive but that depends on how he plays and what feedback I get. Mostly I'm concerned with whether the Khumat will be too easy to protect in games which only require a player to survive for X rounds. Also I've been debating whether the Khumat should be affected by Cyberclaw and leaving engagement attacks when he dives. Seems like dive is easier as it is now but I hope some of you can give me some feedback =)

Well thats all for now. Any comments are, of course, welcome. My figures are all a work in progress so I will try to respond to any suggestions. Thanks!

[Annerios]

It's about time.

I actually had 2 or 3 of those Boon figures laying around. They are useful
for bits and pieces to make custom units. I think I may still have one
intact I can use for Shin Hua.

I don't think I have seen the Focused mechanic used before on a
card. It seems so natural for HS. You have to plan carefully when you
use this unit.

Bonded Will is an interesting way to keep the fearsome Ushtabi in check.

I'm sure Great Reach 1 will stir some debate. The reach mechanic
revisited.

The wording is simple enough, but Reach is a tricky subject, as you know.
Being able to reach up and down with it makes sense and I don't know if
that was considered in earlier discussions on the subject. The other Reach
wording was a bit confusing for some players and I don't know that I am
happy with it. Especially regarding the Counterstrike issue we discussed.

The War Walker is awesome (especially now that I see the figure you had
in mind). I will have to buy one of those.

By the way, the cards themselves look great. I always like it when I can
just print the units out without transfering them to official looking
templates. I'm getting lazy in my old age.

You have some fantastic stuff here and I look forward to seeing more.

[reapersaurus]

Originally Posted by Rhydderch

To Reaper: I know you suggested I re-post my Forsaken team entry from .net and I have every intention to do so. Right now I just need to find replacement figures because the original Forsaken used Rakham figures that I myself have not been able to get ahold of. Also I wanted my first custom thread to include new cards that people had not seen before =)

I was clicking on this thread, looking forward to you showing everyone displaying them on this site for all to see.

I'm glad to see you posting again, and more customs from ya.
I'm gonna have ta join you and Annerios in posting my long-lost customs thread soon.

[Grungebob]

WOW! I love your cards Rhydderch. Good way to word your version of reach, arguably one of the hardest abilities to translate into heroscape.

[Rhydderch]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. If you use the figures please let me know what you think, and definitely tell me if you have any problems or balance issues. Any suggestions on cost would be greatly appreciated as well since I don't have as much time to playtest as I would like.

Annerios/GB: I know what you mean with the reach ability and I think I've seen the reach ability Annerios mentioned. I ultimately felt it left too much implied. My version has problems as well since it does not allow leaving engagement attacks and is affected by abilities like Stealth Dodge and Thorian Speed. The leaving engagement attack is not really a problem for me since I imagine it would be hard to get that last attack in on an enemy that is not only moving away but already far away. The way it is affected by some abilities is the bigger problem and so far I've been unable to find a good but simple way to eliminate it. Shrugs. In the larger scheme of things, I personally think the HS designers just have to make an official version for us to use =)

Reaper: I look forward to seeing your custom thread. Its been a long time since I've seen your cards like the one with the ginormous elephant =P Did you ever have a custom thread on .net because I don't think I ever saw one.

[crookedterror]

How about instead of Reach just giving the Ushtabi Range 2? It doesn't allow for disengagement attack at that range, but at least you can get an attack in. Plus, it seems to work the same as what you have as a special and is simpler.

Large figures I have like Talos I just give range 2. It seems fair to give them that range since they can reach the enemy for an attack, but not allowing for disengagement attack also seems fair since they aren't that close afterall. I like to keep it simple.

I love your Stone of Damara. I think Inanimate is a great ability and HEXEnductionHour also uses that on his Figurehead. A really neat ability. I also really like the 12 space aura.

Cool Stuff!

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Boy these are good stuff, Ry!
I've saved each of your cards. Nice work

[CornPuff]

Those are great customs. The thing I like best is the pricing! They all have appropriate point values! I just see a lot of customs that I think are underpriced, but it looks like those are spot on. How much have you playtested them?

My only critique is that Khumat has 4 abilities. It jsut makes him a little complicated.

I also love how each one fits into the HS universe. Great stuff!

[Rhydderch]

Originally Posted by crookedterror

How about instead of Reach just giving the Ushtabi Range 2? It doesn't allow for disengagement attacks at that range, but at least you can get an attack in.

Thanks for the comment crookedterror. The main problem with range 2 is that it basically gives a melee figure a ranged attack. As an example consider a figure that is only two sight spaces away from an Ushtabi but 10 levels lower. Or 20. Or 50. You get the idea: the Ushtabi would not be able to reach THAT far with its Glaive. So in that sense its not the same since my reach ability only allows the Ushtabi to attack a figure one additional space away *counting* elevation.

As for the leaving engagement attack... NOT allowing it is the easy thing to do. My comments there were to address the people who feel that reach SHOULD allow leaving engagement attacks. So the real difficulty would be how you allow the figure to make a leaving engagement attack against a figure who is 2 spaces away since engagement = adjacency according to the HS rules. I personally opted to leave this extra ability out for simplicity but I know many people consider it an integral part of any reach ability, so I wanted to explain why I left it out.

Hex: I hope you noticed my thank you for the Inanimate ability. I was having a lot of trouble with what to do with my Stone Golem until I saw your Inanimate ability. It was perfect for the Stone of Damara

[Hex_Enduction_Hour]

Originally Posted by Rhydderch

Hex: I hope you noticed my thank you for the Inanimate ability. I was having a lot of trouble with what to do with my Stone Golem until I saw your Inanimate ability. It was perfect for the Stone of Damara

No, I hadn't noticed.

Dude, that's cooL! Yeah use it! I think yours has better wording anyway! LOL

[Rhydderch]

About playtesting I actually do not get much of a chance to playtest or play for that matter since I usually do not have time and most of my stuff is tucked away in a corner. Still I try my best to compare my prices to the official figures and other quality customs like those found in the Halls. I also have a Database with all the official figures and my own customs so its easy for me to go back and forth to compare everything.

Also I usually do not include more than 3 abilities since the HS standard seems to be set at 3. Still I'll probably make a 4-ability figure every now and then just to mix it up and also when I feel its necessary to properly capture my idea for a figure, as was the case with the Khumat.

Hex: LoL! Maybe I should write a little less about each card so people will see when I thank them. And trust me - the idea is MUCH MORE important than the wording on an ability, especially since the idea has to come first. Uh I was going to add a winking emoticon but I don't see one. They need to add it in =\

Cornpuff: You must have posted as I was writing so I didn't get a chance to respond to you but hopefully what I wrote this time answers your questions and concerns

[Annerios]

Originally Posted by Rhydderch

The current version of Deep Dive is very simple which I like but probably not the most realistic since figures with 1 range are still able to attack the Khumat. I may still change Deep Dive but that depends on how he plays and what feedback I get. Mostly I'm concerned with whether the Khumat will be too easy to protect in games which only require a player to survive for X rounds. Also I've been debating whether the Khumat should be affected by Cyberclaw and leaving engagement attacks when he dives. Seems like dive is easier as it is now but I hope some of you can give me some feedback =)

HS combat in the water is kind of hard to visualize since you are always looking at the figures as if they were walking on the water.

Depending on how deep the water is supposed to be in the scenario, combat could be taking place deeper under the water than just knee or waist deep.

I thought the defense increase with Deep Dive represents how much effort a melee figure has to go through to swim deep to get at Khumat and problems with only being able to stab and not swing with weapons effectively, etc. For ranged figures, it is of course how much harder it is to shoot into the water when they probably can no longer see him clearly or simply trying to fire weapons while underwater.

If the melee figure is adjacent and Khumat is essentially moving deeper down in the same space, I don't see why the leaving engagement has to apply or the cyberclaw should not apply. It would probably be too hard to hit him while underwater as he dives and the Gladiatron could be considered latched to him deep underwater, so he can't swim away from the spot.


As for the survivor game scenarios it would be foolish not to draft this guy. 9 defense with 5 Life? Man, that is tough to beat even if he is a sitting duck for the whole round. If you protect him well with other figures, he would be hard to beat and almost guarantee you 150 points towards a victory. You can see why they don't allow customs in tournaments.

You had mentioned changing Deep Dive to only work if Khumat is unengaged. I do like that idea to limit the use a bit more, but perhaps the problem is how high a defense he gets. What if it where an added 3 defense and you let him make leaving engagement attacks?

Losing all of your turn markers is a big loss, so I can see the inclination to make that pay off big by adding a lot of defense.

This is one that could use some playtesting. The rest of the card is straightforward and playable, though. I like the amphibious assault. That sounds like a good special for creatures like Lovecraft's Deep Ones to have.