The Book of Arsenal
 

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Character Bio - After he was Speedy, before he wore a fabulous black trucker hat, Roy used a lot of high tech weaponry and bounced around between the Titans and the Outsiders.

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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Human, Arsenal has these Human Synergies.
• As a Titan, Arsenal has these Titan Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• Arsenal may use his Team Cover Fire special power to attack on the same turn as another Titan or Interloper and to move another Titan or Interloper.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As a Human, Arsenal interacts differently with certain special powers. Special powers that Interact Differently with Humans.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• Outsiders faction guide

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Second playtest: (Lord Venoc)
• Third playtest: (Scapemage)
  After Changes
• Fourth playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Fifth playtest: ALEXAN2507
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Scapemage/japes

31 March 2021 - Updated how glyphs with tags are referenced

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

NAME = ARSENAL
SECRET IDENTITY = ROY HARPER

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = TITAN
PERSONALITY = VOLATILE
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 4
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 4
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 190

BOLAS
Start the game with a Glyph of Bolas on this card. Arsenal cannot lose this glyph by receiving wounds unless he is destroyed.

ARSENAL
Before attacking with Arsenal’s normal attack you may choose to:
• add 4 to his Range number this turn; or
• subtract 1 from the defending figure's Defense number; or
• count all blanks rolled as extra skulls.

TEAM COVER FIRE
After revealing an Order Marker on the Army Card of another Unique Hero you control that is an Interloper or Titan and moving that Unique Hero, before attacking with that Unique Hero, if Arsenal has not yet moved or attacked this turn, Arsenal may immediately attack an opponent's figure with his normal attack. Immediately after the opponent rolls defense dice, you may move Arsenal or one other Titan or Interloper figure you control up to 2 spaces. Figures moved this way will not take leaving engagement attacks.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I decided to go with several notions from the Last Chance Workshop here. Though I really liked Tornado's idea to have the movement in Team Cover Fire be variable based on the number of skulls rolled, ultimately I scrapped it to simplify where I went with the power a tad.

After notes from Spidey and co on him really never being fully the top leader, but always more of a secondary leader, I decided I'd rather keep the established Speed Shot aesthetic of having him operate without an Order Marker, so I incorporated that and the free movement both into Team Cover Fire. In order to keep that in check, though, I put a hard cap on the figure movement of just him and one other Interloper/Titan.

I also nixed his double attack option from his arsenal and instead went with a defensive reduction and with Spidey's idea of doubling skulls on an attack reduction. This should give him a bit more variety, I think, and really make it feel like a fuller "arsenal."

Bolas is still there. Since I dropped the double attack and the skulls causing the number of figures to move, I upped his attack back to 4.

I went with Titan over Interloper on the desires of japes.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

@Arkham @japes @johnny139 @Ronin @Spidey'tilIDie @Tornado @Yodaking @Scapemage

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

No new comments here. So long as he's working well with Interlopers and Titans, I'm all in. :)

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

@Arkham
@japes
@johnny139
@Ronin
@Spidey'tilIDie
@Tornado
@Yodaking
@Scapemage

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Aww, i really liked the double attack. I guess this fixes the issue of people feeling it was the clear choice (though I thought spicing up those other choices would also work.)

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

The biggest reason I dropped it is that I didn't want him coming in too strong with the free movements after I made it a passive power that didn't require an OM turn for him.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Dig the design, though the last power is looking pretty stuffed. Might cut out the 8 clear sight spaces requirement, just to have one less thing in there.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I only wonder if he should really be a 190 point guy or not. Oliver is only 150, Hawkeye is 150 or 160, the first Batman was 200, he's just a well trained regular human right? Did he really surpass Oliver by that much and get that close to Batman levels?

When I lobbied for the minus defense option I was thinking just a flat -1 since it's automatic. Oliver's skill shot only gets him a -2 (or better) 50% of the time. Since Roy doesn't need to roll the d20, he just gets the power whenever he needs it, I'd bring in down to -1.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I think he has a point. Right now I think I'd use -2 defense every time I'm in range.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I’m fine with going -1.

The points are there as a guess, mostly based on the value of Team Cover Fire, but I have reigned that in a bit. If we go to the -1 I could see trying him at 170. If folks think that’s too much, could put his normal attack down to 3 and try him at 150.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I don't have a problem with him coming in a little over Ollie, points-wise, since some of that is coming from factional/leadership stuff (and I could see an Ollie that came in a little higher than the present one, points-wise). I think having him come in at 160-170 is reasonable.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I like him - seems like a fun design with a lot of options. No real concerns other than that one stuffed power, as Ronin mentioned. Rest of his card is simple enough that I'm not too worried.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Yeah, I get the leadership stuff will add to his point total in excess of those similar units without any leadership power, but Hawkeye II has a leadership power as well at 160 and Red Arrow has a pretty similar free attack power at 150, so I just want to make sure we keep things in perspective here. I'd be more comfortable around the 170 range than the 200 range for him.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

No worries. After the Breathing Period, I'll cut his one Arsenal option down to -1 defense and I'll take the 8 clear sight spaces requirement out of Team Cover Fire, then if he ends up coming in too powerful during testing, we'll look into adjustments (probably lowering his attack).

Is is, though, I the 190 is probably higher than he will be. With the above changes I'll try him at 170 for testing.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

:up:

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

SP updated accordingly and no other comments in the meantime, so I propose we move to Initial Playtesting with the current design!

Arkham - yea
@japes - yea
@johnny139 - yea
@Ronin - yea
@Spidey'tilIDie - yea
@Tornado - yea
@Yodaking - yea
@Scapemage - yea

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Any volunteers for this one? I'll try to keep doing public tests here and there, but I'm not sure I'm up for an initial.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I'm gonna be busy this weekend and I still gotta hit the VDOs, so I'll let someone else grab it.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Yea. Don't think I would be able to get to this soon. I'm up for my own Top initial next, but it might not happen this weekend. I've been testing a fair bit lately, it's tough to fit in.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I can probably get to it soon. I'll let you know. I'd imagine it's mainly just Titan armies needing testing?

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Yeah. Interloper synergy isn't really there yet, and I don't think he has a ton of generalist appeal.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Yeah, I'd just put together the best Titans builds for him. If I find anything interesting in what we have for Interlopers, I might try it out in an army build for the public testing.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

This is all we've got for Interlopers. Jade likes having a disengage, but I don't think there's enough else pulling Roy to any of them to make much out of those.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I mean, they'd all like his extra attack on their marker, but they're not giving him anything back.

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

I think it is important to get one Interloper game in across all testing, even if we imagine it being weak.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

YEA

170 is a good goal. I also wouldn't worry about what the other Archers are...Arsenal isn't strictly an archer...he uses lots of weapons. And I agree a second Green Arrow could be closer to 200 like Batman I...

Re: The Book of Arsenal (Breathing Period)
 

I suppose Captain America, Arsenal and Katana could be nice for the sheer volume of boosted attacks. :shrug: Feeling almost a bit like pairing Kate and a Rookie together in a Cap build, honestly.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Sure. Or since he’s not an Interloper, could pair him and an Interloper of a different species in a Star-Lord build.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Jade (240), Star-Lord (250), Robot (210), Arsenal (170) could be interesting as a core if you could find a good 130 point unit to round it out.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Forgot he wasn't an Interloper! :) Still, I chose Katana very specifically for her multi-hitting potential; neither of the present non-human Interlopers have that.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

With the current wording in the SP, would Team Cover Fire activate only before your other figure’s first attack, or before each of them in a multiple attacking situation?

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

I think its the former, and it certainly should be if it isn't.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Agreed. Just not sure if the verbiage is 100% clear on that.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - VOTE for Initial
 

Meanwhile, this passes to Initial Playtesting.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

japes asked over in Speedy's thread. dok and I both agree that you're good.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

:up:

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

Someone else will need to take this.

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

I'm going to try to do it this weekend. Fair warning, though: If I start doing my own initials, I'm going to start running a second LD. :-P

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

Bring it!

Re: The Book of Arsenal - Initial Playtesting Phase
 

I ran his first test. It wasn't with a Titans build, so he was more limited, but I found that with his short Range Number (4), he either had to be relegated to just choosing the +4 to range, or he quickly got engaged and Team Cover Fire got nullified. In order to help with this and further differentiate him from his more "Archery" phases as a character, I decided to make Team Cover Fire trigger even when he's engaged.

I liked him that way for the rest of the test. The 2 movement seems pretty low. If the Titans tests feel like his first one did, I'll either bump the movement to 3 (since it's only affecting two figures), drop Arsenal's cost a bit for public testing, or both.