[Lazy Orang]

- Theme Test - Pass, he feels like the character to me, and the spells fit the themes they’re representing.
- Mirror Test - Pass
- Bonding Test - Pass - Same
- Synergies Test - Pass - Same
- Power Check - Pass - The Hypnotise combo is strong, but I don't think it's OP following the change to Hypnotic Control.
- Fun Test - Pass - He's a tonne of fun to play, and I love seeing the Hypnotic Control get a bit more use.
- Fun Competitive Test - Pass - No issues - he's pretty scary, but not too bad.
- Drafting Test - Pass - I'd definitely draft him, though it could be hard to build armies around him sometimes. He doesn't necessarily need his spells, but I imagine I'd draft them with him more often than not.
- Usage Test - Pass - Everything's finding use, even Hypnotic Arts from time to time.
- Strategy Test - Pass - On top of the strategy I was talking about in the Initial with DAE, there’s the strategy of using his spells - when to use Mesmerise, and, even more interesting, when and if to use Hypnotise, and its tension with Dark Arts Empowerment - the best time for both of them is Order Marker 1, with Hypnotise in order to get two turns of Hypnotic Control and with Dark Arts Empowerment because that means you’re hitting your hardest then, but you can’t use both on the same turn. That’s an interesting tactical choice, and often I feel like you’re having to make a decision between using him for Hypnotic Control with Dark Arts Empowerment as a fringe benefit or vice versa, which is an interesting dynamic.

Name Of The Playtest Unit: Baron Mordo

Army Test 1
Map: Elswin Plateau (no glyphs)
Armies:
Baron Mordo (270), Wong, Executioner, Mesmerise (15), Hypnotise (25) (790 points)
vs.
Iron Man (MkV), Iron Man (Hulkbuster), Iron Man (MkII) (790 points)

Spoiler Alert!

Overview of Baron Mordo’s performance:
Damage inflicted through normal attacks: 2 wounds on Hulkbuster Iron Man, 1 wound on Iron Man (MkV).
Figures Hypnotised through Hypnotic Arts: Hulkbuster Iron Man, once
Turns taken with Hypnotised figures: Three with Hulkbuster Iron Man.
Damage inflicted by Hypnotised figures: 2 wounds on Iron Man (MkV) from Hulkbuster
Dark Arts Empowerment used: Once for two extra dice, once for one extra die
Extra damage inflicted due to Dark Arts Empowerment: 1 wound on Hulkbuster Iron Man
Wounds received through Dark Arts Empowerment: One
Wounds blocked through Magical Defence: One

Overview of Mesmerise’s performance:
Used on Hulkbuster - successful defence and Hypnosis, but no actual benefit from Mesmerism.

Overview of Hypnotise’s performance:
Used on MkV in Round 2, removes OM 3, Hypnotises him for potential Hypnotic Control

Baron Mordo is Wong’s Master

Round One

The Servants of Dormammu claim the initiative and Wong runs forwards, clambering up to the road on the hill. Mordo flies up next to him.
Stark flies forwards and his Hulkbuster suit follows him.
Wong runs up the hill and Mordo flies next to him, before channeling dark energy and blasting the Hulkbuster suit from height with an attack of eight. He inflicts two wounds but gets burned by the dark powers he channels.
Stark flies to height and blasts Wong for two wounds. Hulkbuster flies to height and punches Wong in the face, knocking him clean out.
Mordo flies up next to Stark on equal height and blasts him without channeling dark energy, rolling 3 skulls and inflicting a wound.
Stark breaks engagement with Mordo, taking a wound in the process, before flying to another perch and blasting him with a Pulse Bolt, inflicting a wound. Hulkbuster flies to where Stark once was and punches Mordo for a wound, which would have been two were it not for Magical Defence.

Round Two

Stark claims the initiative and fires a Pulse Bolt at Mordo, but Mordo deflects it magically. The Hulkbuster suit is Mesmerised before he can strike - the Hulkbuster rolls 2 skulls to 4 shields and gets Hypnotised, but the other 3 dice would have only showed 1 skull anyway, so it really had no effect.
Mordo Hypnotises Tony Stark, knocking off Order Marker 3 before commanding the Hulkbuster suit to go after its creator, striking him from low ground and inflicting a wound.
Stark blasts Mordo with a Pulse Bolt to no effect. The Hulkbuster flies back up next to Mordo and punches it for a wound, which would have been 2 wounds and enough to kill him were it not for Magical Defence.
Mordo does nothing himself, fearing that either Dark Arts Empowerment or Hulkbuster could result in his death, but commands the Hulkbuster suit to go after Tony Stark, knocking him out.
Mordo channels Dark Energy to blast the Hulkbuster, but fails to inflict any damage. Fortunately, the dark power does not consume him. He commands Hulkbuster to fly into a one space indented puddle near Executioner.

Round Three

Executioner claims the initiative, runs to the road and slashes at Hulkbuster from high ground, inflicting a wound.
Hulkbuster moves to equal height with Skurge and punches him, but Executioner parries the blow.
Skurge slashes the Hulkbuster for a wound.
Hulkbuster punches Skurge in the face for two wounds.
Skurge hacks at the Hulkbuster, inflicting another wound.
The Hulkbuster punches Skurge for two wounds.

Round Four

The Iron Legion claims the initiative, and the Hulkbuster punches Executioner but is blocked.
Executioner slashes at Hulkbuster, but the suit blocks and counters, inflicting a wound on Skurge.
The MkII suit, thinking the Hulkbuster would be inactive by now, flies forwards.
Skurge takes the Hulkbuster’s head off.
The MkII flies next to Mordo, flings him into a puddle with its Magnetic Turbo Insulators and punches him to no effect.
Executioner Axe Slash Teleports next to the MkII suit.

Round Five

The MkII claims the initiative, flings Executioner back eight spaces with two successful Magnetic Turbo Insulators, before punching Mordo in the face to no effect.
Executioner Axe Slash Teleports 6 spaces forwards.
The MkII suit throws Executioner back 4 spaces before punching Mordo in the face, knocking him out.
Executioner Axe Slash Teleports 4 spaces forwards.
The MkII flies next to Executioner and punches him from height, knocking him out.

Stark Industries victorious - MkII Suit unwounded.

Overview: Interesting - in the end, neither of the spells actually changed anything, but they didn't feel useless - it was just the way things played out. I really enjoyed using him this time - he was strong, but even here the Hypnotic Control didn't feel overpowered.

Army Test 2
Map: Blackroot (No Glyphs)
Armies;
Baron Mordo (270), Luke Cage, Tigra, Hypnotise (25), Mesmerise (15), Condemn, 2x Fire Ant Swarms (700 points)
vs.
Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo (700 points)

Spoiler Alert!

Overview of Baron Mordo’s performance:
Damage inflicted through normal attacks: 3 wounds on Raphael, 2 wounds on Leonardo.
Figures Hypnotised through Hypnotic Arts: Michelangelo, once thanks to Mesmerise
Turns taken with Hypnotised figures: Two with Leonardo.
Damage inflicted by Hypnotised figures: 1 wound on Raphael from Leonardo, 2 wounds on Michelangelo from Leonardo.
Dark Arts Empowerment used: Twice for two extra dice
Extra damage inflicted due to Dark Arts Empowerment: 1 wound on Raphael
Wounds received through Dark Arts Empowerment: One

Overview of Mesmerise’s performance:
Used on Michelangelo - blocked an attack that would otherwise have inflicted a wound, Hypnotises the Turtle.

Overview of Hypnotise’s performance:
Used on Leonardo at the beginning of Round 2, removes X OM, Hypnotises him for potential Hypnotic Control

Round One

Baron Mordo claims the initiative, two Fire Ant Swarms tunnel forwards, and Baron Mordo flies forwards.
Donatello runs forwards and moves Raphael forwards with his Ant-Grav Gauntlet.
Mordo flies to the top of a sandy hill, channels dark power and blasts Raphael for a wound, harming himself in the process.
Leonardo runs forwards before activating the X on Raphael to take a turn with him. Raph leaps up and strikes Mordo twice from low ground, but both blows are blocked, though Mordo fails to Hypnotise him.
Mordo strikes Raphael from height for two wounds without channeling any Dark Power (3 skulls to 1 shield - Raph isn’t rolling well).
Raphael rolls a 3 for Self Importance, which Leo can only boost to 4, and so Mordo takes advantage of this by casting Condemn to inflict a wound on him. Michelangelo runs forward, yells Cowabunga! and leaps.

Round Two

Mordo claims the initiative and Hypnotises Leonardo, though unfortunately for him he only nukes the 'X’ Order Marker.
Leonardo runs up and strikes Mordo twice from low ground, inflicting a wound with each blow. He activates Order Marker 3 on Michelangelo to have him leap up and strike Mordo, who Mesmerises him before he can land a blow - the strike is easily blocked and Michelangelo is also Hypnotised, though Mikey would have inflicted a wound normally.
Mordo musters his Dark Power to strike at Leonardo - it’s a complete dud, but at least he doesn’t pay for it. He commands Leonardo to do his will, forcing him to leap into combat with Raph and Mikey. He first strikes Raphael, decapitating his brother, before striking uphill at Michelangelo and inflicting two wounds.
Leonardo shakes off his haze of Hypnotism, and, seeing the corpse in his brother, is filled with horror, grief and fury, leaping at Mordo and hacking at him twice, inflicting a wound.
Mordo strikes Leo and gets lucky, rolling 3 skulls to 1 shield and inflicting two wounds on he Turtles’ leader, before commanding Leo to strike Mikey twice, though his brother blocks his blows.

Round Three

The Turtles claim the initiative. Leo, still seething with fury, decapitates Mordo.
Luke Cage and Tigra advance.
Leo charges down and hacks at Luke twice, inflicting a wound. He activates OM 3 on Mikey who charges in, striking Luke for a wound, before yelling Cowabunga! and striking Luke again for another wound. He then activates the X on Don, who runs and Staff Vaults in, kicking Luke in the face to no effect.
Tigra vaults over Mikey o strike Leo, but her blow is blocked. Luke punches Leo in the face for two wounds.

Round Four

The Fighters claim the initiative. Tigra strikes Leo to no effect before Luke Cage knocks him out, eliminating the Turtles’ first turn.
Tigra lashes at Michelangelo, inflicting a wound, before Luke punches him and is blocked.
Mikey strikes Luke, who blanks and is knocked out, eliminating the rest of the Fighters’ round, before yelling Cowabunga!, turning round and striking Tigra for two wounds.
Mikey strikes Tigra, who blocks the blow, before yelling Cowabunga! and striking her again, which she also evades.

Round Five

The Turtles claim the initiative and Mikey strikes Tigra for a wound.
Tigra repositions, slashing Mikeys’ stomach and taking him out, eliminating the Turtles’ next turn before, in her rage, turning around to attakc Donatello twice from height, inflicting a wound and causing the Anti-Grav Gauntlet to fly from his grasp.
Tigra continues her furious onslaught on the Tech-Turtle, ripping him to shreds.

Sorcerer and Fighters Victorious, Tigra 3 wounds, 2 Fire Ant Swarms

Overview: Yhat was really good game, where Mordo got an opportunity to make use of all of his powers and spells, butt didn't feel really overpowered for a 320 point unit, all spells (including Condemn) taken into account. Mesmerise was really useful here and let him block an all-important wound, and even triggered Hypnotic Arts! That Hypnosis of Mikey, however, wasn't so useful as he'd already used Hypnotise to Hypnotise Leonardo, which unfortunately only removed the X, but it did still give him the strongest Turtle to bend to his will. He honestly got really lucky with that first turn with Leo, killing Raph and inflicting two wounds on Mikey while he was on height, but his second turn with him was a complete dud, so it balanced out. Managing to Hypnotise Mikey would have been really useful if he hadn't already managed to Hypnotise Leo, though - if Mordo had lost initiative he could have done what he was already doing and just got to take an extra turn with Mikey, or even forfeit Hypnosis for a full on Dark Arts Assault while commanding Michelangelo, so I'm confident that that aspect of Mesmerism is potentially useful, especially if you decide to draft a cheaper Mordo without Hypnotise focussing more on Dark Arts empowerment and using Hypnotic Control as a bonus, which, now that Hypnotise is taking up your attack and you can't benefit from Hypnotic Control on the turn you use it, and to make bese use of it you're going to have to give up your OM 1 attack - your strongest one when using DAE, so there's some real tension there as to what to do. Also consider that managing to spare a wound on Mordo may be even more useful than on most Magic users - he’s such an OM hog that losing him early in the round really hurts, and his wounds get eaten up faster than normal due to DAE. I did, admittedly, misplay Hypnotic Control - I kept using it at the end of the turn as, after three games where I’ve used it, that’s what I was used to, but I did remember not to use it the turn Leo was Hypnotised - the real reason for that change - and don’t think the exact order of events is a massive deal, or at least not in this game. Oddly enough in this game, Mordo was doing better on his attacks when not using DAE, and those two wound strikes on Leo and Raph were right out on the bell-curve. In the end, he felt really good here - the change to Hypnotic Control really helps reign him in.

Thoughts On The Tested Unit's Cost, Balance, & Draftibility:

I’m actually really, really happy with him. I’m going to run one more test sheet for him, and after that I think I’ll probably propose a vote for Final Editing.