Sundol by vegetarian18
Jotun. Shurrak. Mok. These are the towering warriors who would welcome Sundol into their ranks, should he prove fit to fight in Valhalla. So, can Sundol overcome his reduced stature, and prove his worthiness to join the Giants of HeroScape?
Balance
All on his own, Sundol rarely does enough damage to justify his substantial price tag of 130 points. As a single-attack hero with low defense dice and an unreliable special power, Sundol simply cannot hold his own against a well-built army like the other giants can. Sundol’s cost can only be recouped by backing him up with Dreadgul Raiders. Outside of this build, he is decidedly impotent, severely limiting a player’s options if they decide to try their hand at Sundol. While Sundol is able to affect more figures with Blaze of Glory than Deathwalker 7000 can with Self-Destruct Special Attack, his chances of actually inflicting a wound are unreliable. It’s not quite a wash, but it’s near enough.
Theme
One area Sundol really shines is thematic element of his sculpt; with a blazing mane of fire and bright brass armor, he looks the part of fire giant perhaps better than Shurrak, whose full plate and yellow beard leave something to be desired. His special powers complement his sculpt nicely, and his status as a Wild Giant is both appropriate and necessary.
Creativity
Sundol gives the Dreadguls a new bonding option, and an entirely new set of tactics to employ. This mutually beneficial relationship allows the Dreadguls to harness Sundol’s ability to inspire apprehension in an opponent while Sundol receives the much-needed benefits of a bonding hero (frontline support, simple order marker management, etc.). Sundol’s signature power, Blaze of Glory, is an exciting new take on the idea of a walking bomb, and lucky for Sundol, Deathwalker 7000 is an easy act to follow. The new ideas presented in the unit are appealing, though Sundol can’t ride on a pleasant image alone.
Playability
Sundol’s special powers are well-written and display a singular focus on the theme of a fire giant bent on wholesale destruction. His Life and Attack values are appropriate for a giant, though his Move and Defense values are lacking. Sundol’s lower Move value compared to the other giants (who all possess, or can attain, a base Move of 6) is acceptable due to the stature of the sculpt. The lower defense value does Sundol no favors in a melee, but it does let him build Blaze of Glory into quite a lovely fireball. Sundol’s base (large D3) does allow him greater maneuverability than double-spaced figures, but with his average Move of 5, it accentuates his divergence from other giants.
As I said, Sundol’s uses are generally confined to a Dreadgul army. In that army, he can serve as a scare tactic, warning away large numbers of enemy squad figures with the threat of Blaze of Glory. This allows him to pick off the outliers with his 5 attack dice while the Dreadguls charge the main force. This is, however, an tactic easily disrupted, as sending a strong hero after Sundol, or even diverting ranged firepower towards him for a turn or two, can bring him down.
Alternatively, Sundol can follow the Dreadguls into the melee. Here, I found that Sundol remains effective only if the Dreadguls can keep the majority of figures off his back. Grinding through the melee with Sundol and the Raiders allows Sundol to slowly accumulate wounds. Once he’s reached an acceptable number, he can charge past the Dreadguls, perhaps taking another wound or two from leaving engagement attacks, and set off Blaze of Glory for maximum effectiveness.
No tactic which has Sundol in the mix is reliable, ever. It’s simply the nature of the unit. Choosing Sundol is always a gamble, but Blaze of Glory can pay off big; I’ve seen it happen (3 Armoc Vipers and 2 Elite Onyx Vipers can attest to it). The key to maximizing his payoff is to closely monitor the rate at which he accumulates wounds, and to put his normal attack to good use in the meantime.
Summary
Sundol’s thematic elegance and the obvious creative effort poured into the unit make Sundol appealing at first glance. However, his weak base stats and general ineffectiveness on the battlefield prevent him from living up to his image. With some minor tweaks (raising the stats to match the cost, or lowering the cost to match the stats), I would gladly see him back here. As he stands now, I can’t approve the unit.
I vote
to induct Sundol into the Soldiers of Valhalla.