chas' Avalanche! - A First Look
Posted December 23rd, 2011 at 04:22 PM by kolakoski
Updated September 17th, 2023 at 10:31 AM by kolakoski
Updated September 17th, 2023 at 10:31 AM by kolakoski
Well met!
It appears that the Gang of Four will be playing chas' Avalanche! on the evening of Friday, January 20, 2011 (see below).
AVALANCHE! (A Bounty Hunters Scenario for Heroscape) 1. ARMIES: Each player gets 550 points of Classic Heroscape figures (including D&D), plus C3V and SOV, but no other customs or Marvel. However, all figures must have a distance attack of some kind to be eligible! This includes special powers which cause damage at a distance. Eligible figures can also use their adjacent (melee) attacks as usual.
2. BOUNTY HUNTER RULES: This is a free for all. Players get the points of the Army Cards they kill, but only the player who defeats the last (or only) figure on the card by scoring the final wound gets any points for it/them at all, and gets all the points.
3. AVALANCHE RULES: These are used on boards with Glacier Mountains or elevated terrain formations made with snow hexes. Unfortunately, distance attacks make noise, which can trigger an avalanche! Melee attacks do not trigger any avalanche.
A. When a figure makes a non-adjacent attack within two hexes of a glacier mountain or snow formation at least two levels higher than the base of the board (which is also higher than the hex the figure is on), the owning player must roll for a possible avalanche. An avalanche may affect ALL figure within two hexes of the Glacier Mountain/Snow Hex GMSH that forced the original attacker to make this avalanche roll; they must roll as well in the current round’s initiative player order—each player will roll for all of his figures being affected before passing on to another player’s figure(s).
B. For a figure making a non adjacent attack, after the attack is made, make the Avalanche Possibility Roll, which is one die as in a Leaving Engagement, with a skull precipitating an avalanche against the one or two hexes of the figure’s base. The figure need not roll is standing on a hex that is higher than any that might trigger an avalanche. Place one snow hex below such base hexes of the figure affected. This is a permanent addition to the board terrain. A avalanche snow hex covering up lower terrain negates this terrain type except molten lava, which destroys (melts) any such snow hex that would be placed above it.
Avalanche Effect One: The figure itself then rolls again for possible damage as a Leaving Engagement: one skull giving one wound.
Avalanche Effect Two: If the figure is not destroyed by Effect One, place an Avalanche Marker (AM) on the base of this figure. To remove the marker and in effect dig itself out of the snow, the figure must use an order marker to take no action other than removing the AM. No further move or attack is possible at this time. If there is no current Order Marker on the figure, it must wait until a later round to dig itself out. Buried figures (with AM) may not take any action or be attacked. The normal adjacency of a buried figure is ignored for all purposes until it removes its AM! .
Design Notes: This is a draft. After playtesting my volcano rules successfully in The Lost Altar, I wanted to provide rules for interactive snow terrain. Instead of doing the same flow idea, I decided to try something a little more thematic to an arctic disaster movie. You can try the Avalanche! rules independently of the scenario too.
Another interesting idea in a different scenario would be to give snowy Army Cards, most of which are melee types, double movement on snow and ice: Dzu-Te, Frost Giant, Ice Troll, Greater Ice Elemental, Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider, etc. Or you could use them in this scenario, operated by a Defending Game Master against the other players. Then it would be fast melee cards vs range types! Cool.
Would a silent elf bow cause an avalanche? Probably not. But then we have to get into special cases and exceptions that will never end. So we’ll keep it simple. If I can set up a whole new metagame with a few sentences of scenario rules, I've done my job.
As chas stipulates, this is a draft. I don't believe that there will be any significant changes before we play it on 1/20, as chas and I have hashed out the sticky issues. I am blogging on this scenario so soon after its conception only because I am so fascinated with the novel game-play issues it presents. Many scenarios exist that limit the available units to exclude an/or limit the effectiveness of range on the battlefield (a good many by yours truly), but this is the only one that I know of that excludes units on the basis of their not having a ranged attack. To then make it so risky, especially for squads, to actually execute such an attack is brilliantly diabolical. At first glance, then, the best units for this scenario are those that, while having some sort of ranged attack, excel at melee. (All of this is dependent on the map consisting of mostly avalanche-generating terrain, which I believe is chas' plan.)
Of the available squads, the 10th Regiment is at the top of my list, as it is the only 4-unit squad, other than the 4th Massachusetts Line (whose Valiant army requirements for defense limit their utility), and functions well as a melee squad, mitigating the loss of firepower on Snow. [Anyways, I only own 1 squad of them.] After these, the Tagawa Samurai Archers have a chance to shine, with Counterstrike in melee being of particular usefulness on Snow. The Granite Guardians may also be formidable. The most intriguing choice, though, would be fielding the Wolves of Badru. chas has determined that Pounce (their ranged attack) triggers avalanche effects on the unit that survives on the target space, that is, the Wolf (if the Pounce succeeds) or his target (if the Pounce fails). Thus, Pounce can be used to tactically trigger an avalanche among the enem(y's)(ies') units, making it a far better unit on Snow than it would otherwise normally be. In any event, it is prohibitively risky for squad units to use ranged attacks, thus encouraging the use of heroes over squads.
Of the heroes, the Fen Hydra becomes even better than usual, as he is less subject to unReachable enemy fire while on Snow. Kaemon is even better than usual on Snow as Counterstrike is more of a factor. Evar Scarcarver takes Krug's place as the hero-killer (with a little X OM luck) on Snow, even as chas has allowed Jotun to play in the Snow on the basis of Wild Swing affecting units not adjacent to him. Note that chas has ruled that not only Special Attacks, but Special Powers that do damage at range (such as Braxas' Poisonous Acid Breath) make units available for this scenario, and may trigger an avalanche.
Due to the Bounty Hunting rules,
BOUNTY HUNTER RULES: This is a free for all. Players get the points of the Army Cards they kill, but only the player who defeats the last (or only) figure on the card by scoring the final wound gets any points for it/them at all, and gets all the points.
healers, to delay giving up the points for dead heroes, are a bit more valuable. And, of course, this is a free-for-all. (FYI, units buried in Snow cannot be healed.)
Finally, there are advantages, in addition to the obvious disadvantages, of being buried in Snow, due to the fact that units cannot be attacked while buried, that add flavor and an additional level of tactical complexity to the game.
In sum, this has the potential to be one of the most interesting and fun scenarios not only chas, but any of the Gang of Four has created (including yours truly), and I can hardly wait to actually play it!
P.S.: Please feel free to riff on the obvious Snow/cocaine connection!
P.P.S.: Within this spoiler is my current choice of army, and an even deeper discussion of my reasoning.
It appears that the Gang of Four will be playing chas' Avalanche! on the evening of Friday, January 20, 2011 (see below).
AVALANCHE! (A Bounty Hunters Scenario for Heroscape) 1. ARMIES: Each player gets 550 points of Classic Heroscape figures (including D&D), plus C3V and SOV, but no other customs or Marvel. However, all figures must have a distance attack of some kind to be eligible! This includes special powers which cause damage at a distance. Eligible figures can also use their adjacent (melee) attacks as usual.
2. BOUNTY HUNTER RULES: This is a free for all. Players get the points of the Army Cards they kill, but only the player who defeats the last (or only) figure on the card by scoring the final wound gets any points for it/them at all, and gets all the points.
3. AVALANCHE RULES: These are used on boards with Glacier Mountains or elevated terrain formations made with snow hexes. Unfortunately, distance attacks make noise, which can trigger an avalanche! Melee attacks do not trigger any avalanche.
A. When a figure makes a non-adjacent attack within two hexes of a glacier mountain or snow formation at least two levels higher than the base of the board (which is also higher than the hex the figure is on), the owning player must roll for a possible avalanche. An avalanche may affect ALL figure within two hexes of the Glacier Mountain/Snow Hex GMSH that forced the original attacker to make this avalanche roll; they must roll as well in the current round’s initiative player order—each player will roll for all of his figures being affected before passing on to another player’s figure(s).
B. For a figure making a non adjacent attack, after the attack is made, make the Avalanche Possibility Roll, which is one die as in a Leaving Engagement, with a skull precipitating an avalanche against the one or two hexes of the figure’s base. The figure need not roll is standing on a hex that is higher than any that might trigger an avalanche. Place one snow hex below such base hexes of the figure affected. This is a permanent addition to the board terrain. A avalanche snow hex covering up lower terrain negates this terrain type except molten lava, which destroys (melts) any such snow hex that would be placed above it.
Avalanche Effect One: The figure itself then rolls again for possible damage as a Leaving Engagement: one skull giving one wound.
Avalanche Effect Two: If the figure is not destroyed by Effect One, place an Avalanche Marker (AM) on the base of this figure. To remove the marker and in effect dig itself out of the snow, the figure must use an order marker to take no action other than removing the AM. No further move or attack is possible at this time. If there is no current Order Marker on the figure, it must wait until a later round to dig itself out. Buried figures (with AM) may not take any action or be attacked. The normal adjacency of a buried figure is ignored for all purposes until it removes its AM! .
Design Notes: This is a draft. After playtesting my volcano rules successfully in The Lost Altar, I wanted to provide rules for interactive snow terrain. Instead of doing the same flow idea, I decided to try something a little more thematic to an arctic disaster movie. You can try the Avalanche! rules independently of the scenario too.
Another interesting idea in a different scenario would be to give snowy Army Cards, most of which are melee types, double movement on snow and ice: Dzu-Te, Frost Giant, Ice Troll, Greater Ice Elemental, Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider, etc. Or you could use them in this scenario, operated by a Defending Game Master against the other players. Then it would be fast melee cards vs range types! Cool.
Would a silent elf bow cause an avalanche? Probably not. But then we have to get into special cases and exceptions that will never end. So we’ll keep it simple. If I can set up a whole new metagame with a few sentences of scenario rules, I've done my job.
As chas stipulates, this is a draft. I don't believe that there will be any significant changes before we play it on 1/20, as chas and I have hashed out the sticky issues. I am blogging on this scenario so soon after its conception only because I am so fascinated with the novel game-play issues it presents. Many scenarios exist that limit the available units to exclude an/or limit the effectiveness of range on the battlefield (a good many by yours truly), but this is the only one that I know of that excludes units on the basis of their not having a ranged attack. To then make it so risky, especially for squads, to actually execute such an attack is brilliantly diabolical. At first glance, then, the best units for this scenario are those that, while having some sort of ranged attack, excel at melee. (All of this is dependent on the map consisting of mostly avalanche-generating terrain, which I believe is chas' plan.)
Of the available squads, the 10th Regiment is at the top of my list, as it is the only 4-unit squad, other than the 4th Massachusetts Line (whose Valiant army requirements for defense limit their utility), and functions well as a melee squad, mitigating the loss of firepower on Snow. [Anyways, I only own 1 squad of them.] After these, the Tagawa Samurai Archers have a chance to shine, with Counterstrike in melee being of particular usefulness on Snow. The Granite Guardians may also be formidable. The most intriguing choice, though, would be fielding the Wolves of Badru. chas has determined that Pounce (their ranged attack) triggers avalanche effects on the unit that survives on the target space, that is, the Wolf (if the Pounce succeeds) or his target (if the Pounce fails). Thus, Pounce can be used to tactically trigger an avalanche among the enem(y's)(ies') units, making it a far better unit on Snow than it would otherwise normally be. In any event, it is prohibitively risky for squad units to use ranged attacks, thus encouraging the use of heroes over squads.
Of the heroes, the Fen Hydra becomes even better than usual, as he is less subject to unReachable enemy fire while on Snow. Kaemon is even better than usual on Snow as Counterstrike is more of a factor. Evar Scarcarver takes Krug's place as the hero-killer (with a little X OM luck) on Snow, even as chas has allowed Jotun to play in the Snow on the basis of Wild Swing affecting units not adjacent to him. Note that chas has ruled that not only Special Attacks, but Special Powers that do damage at range (such as Braxas' Poisonous Acid Breath) make units available for this scenario, and may trigger an avalanche.
Due to the Bounty Hunting rules,
BOUNTY HUNTER RULES: This is a free for all. Players get the points of the Army Cards they kill, but only the player who defeats the last (or only) figure on the card by scoring the final wound gets any points for it/them at all, and gets all the points.
healers, to delay giving up the points for dead heroes, are a bit more valuable. And, of course, this is a free-for-all. (FYI, units buried in Snow cannot be healed.)
Finally, there are advantages, in addition to the obvious disadvantages, of being buried in Snow, due to the fact that units cannot be attacked while buried, that add flavor and an additional level of tactical complexity to the game.
In sum, this has the potential to be one of the most interesting and fun scenarios not only chas, but any of the Gang of Four has created (including yours truly), and I can hardly wait to actually play it!
P.S.: Please feel free to riff on the obvious Snow/cocaine connection!
P.P.S.: Within this spoiler is my current choice of army, and an even deeper discussion of my reasoning.
Spoiler Alert!
, the hero has a 50% chance of only getting off 1 attack at range (which makes non-melee multi-attackers (over 2) Q9, Q10 (mitigated by his Wrist Rocket Special Attack), Nilfeim, and Braxas less desirable), whereas all squad units will get to attack in a turn (regardless of avalanche effects, unless they are too close to one another).
I forgot that I'd filled out my WoB and 10th to 4 squads!]
Comments 4
Total Comments 4
Comments
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Snow/CocaineWell met!
As I edited out most of the discussion in the Competitive Armies thread for this scenario, I included the P.S. therein (for which I was +repped) here (although there were more detailed, though ultimately erroneous, due to chas' rulings on Special Powers, unit descriptions in the deleted material). |
Posted December 23rd, 2011 at 04:36 PM by kolakoski
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First (and Likely Only) PlaytestWell met!
chas and I played a 2-player version of Avalanche! last evening at his Game Palace. The map was 15 x 15 hexes, with for four Ice Mountains, four 7-hex, some 3-hex, and some 2-hex plateaus, all placed such that there were very few hexes that were not "within two hexes of [a] Glacier Mountain/Snow Formation." I played 150 10th x 2 120 Hydra 120 Kaemon 110 Rhogar 50 Marro Warriors 550, 15 spaces while chas played 120 Tandros 110 Laglor 100 Krav 100 Agent Carr 100 Ana 30 Guilty 550, 8 spaces. I led out with the Marro Warriors, as planned, while chas brought out Laglor and the Krav, which proceeded to kill two of the Marro Warriors at the cost of one Krav being buried (no losses) (although we messed up the avalanche rules early, and our fix may have been incomplete). So much for the MW Gambit! For the second round, I charged in with my Hydra, taking out two Krav, Agent Carr, and Laglor before losing three heads to Tandros (attacking from height with seven dice), and then dying to another heavy roll from him. That was pretty much the game, although I made the mistake of attacking Tandros in melee with multiple members of the 10th, loosing four in two turns (@#^* Cleave  ). Tandros finally fell to a normal attack by Kaemon from one of the few places on the map that was not at risk for an avalanche.I found it impossible to set up a good WTF situation for the 10th, or even a move-then-fire, with a full squad, as they could not be placed such that a potential avalanche wouldn't affect multiple members of the squad (which was why I made my ill-fated melee attack on Tandros). The jury is still out on the Marro Warriors' feasability. As for the Wolves of Badru, in this context, I fear that they are just gifts of points to my enemies (but sacrificing them to cause avalanches among the enemy is still an intriguing idea). Rhogar was superfluous for me, while Ana helped Tandros to stay alive a little longer than he otherwise would have (in spite of some bad rolling early). They were actually quite good together in this scenario. |
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Posted December 28th, 2011 at 11:37 AM by kolakoski
Updated December 28th, 2011 at 12:36 PM by kolakoski |
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Ah, that Kolakoski--there are few scenarios I can design that he can't beat me at!
Since it was a two player, the Bounty Hunter rules had minimal impact. I chose to play on several turns after my doom was clear. So I'm thinking that in a two player game, only about 3/4 of total army points should be required for victory--say 417 out of 550? This should not only shorten the game, but put the Bounty Hunter strategy back into it, as you're much better pulling back a character who is badly off then going berserko with him like some people do... |
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Posted December 28th, 2011 at 01:54 PM by chas
Updated December 28th, 2011 at 02:05 PM by chas |
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this was awesome!
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Posted April 1st, 2012 at 12:02 PM by bus03loan
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