[All Your Pie]

I’ll start with this one to even things out.

Nuckelavee
I actually like this unit a fair bit. A good mix of offensive tools using recycled or familiar powers. Poison Breath could theoretically take a while to properly resolve if you happen to wound three heroes with it, but that realistically isn’t going to happen any time soon and as is, the 3 attack on it makes it nicely restrained. Of the various “solid but not particularly flashy” units in this set, this one is my favorite.

Pleocyemata
The clear leader, for good reason. A thematic set of powers that paint a very vivid thematic picture, one I can find basically no issue with. My only critique is that Drag into the Deep is a little wonky—should our crab friend here be taking LEAs from the figure it drags? If its already on a water space, does it need to move to get the defense reduction? These aren’t design-breaking questions, though, and they don’t overshadow the simple appeal of a cool crab monster.

Tezig
Rock Throw is a fitting power here. I don’t really get Heart of the Earth though, nor do the Class and Personality really resonate. Not really a standout for me.

Toraideshu
Thematically the design I find most confusing of the set. Is Trident Fire a throwing weapon? A spell? That and 5R 5A give this figure absurdly strong offensive output as well, and for a cheaper cost than Nilfheim. Next to all that, Tot Toss reads like flavor text to me, and I find it a little hard to parse. I think I understand what it’s going for, but the intended mental image doesn’t translate well into mechanics.

Trog and Gort
Fury of the Trees is certainly interesting, and I could go either way on if it’s a fun harmless power or too goofy for me. Little else on the card really comes together for me, though. A wizard with counter strike? A large ettin with 4 life? I don’t follow the thematic thread here.

Ulag
This guy comes just behind Nuckelavee in the “simple but functional” category. The figure’s a bit of an oddball, but I like the placement in Einar and the theme of Hold Still and Finishing Blow. Ultimately, though, I don’t think the design has enough punch to be sitting around the 120 point bracket. Setting up an impactful turn with this unit would be quite tough in practice, so I would want him hitting up in value in order for it to feel worthwhile.

Yur Maigan Na
This design doesn’t do much for me. While the “uneven numbers matter” mechanic unifies all of the design’s trigger conditions, it does nothing to pull together the actual gameplay interactions that they cause. Eldritch Appendages isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks and is actually the power I like more—once you realize that it’s a simple check on all of the given conditions and whether they affect the attacked figure, it wouldn’t be too hard to keep in mind. Ferdraaid Eye, though, doesn’t seem to offer any tactical advantage beyond wacky stat flipping. Since it’s triggered by an opponent’s attack, it’s not something you can proactively take advantage of. I do like the unique statline and point values here though.

Zolgues
This guy’s fun. At first blush Evasive doesn’t look like it fits the figure, but I like it more and more as a design choice that adds character to the mini rather than strictly representing it 1 to 1. And it’s certainly a necessary design element, as without it Gas Canister will be helping enemy range tear your golem to shreds. I really have few complaints here, I like the somewhat oddball choices that the designer made with this one.