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Xuè Shén
HELLSPAWN MONK



The figure used is Hellspawn Monk #008 from Darklands Rising.

CHARACTER BIO:

Spoiler Alert!

-TBD-

CARD TEXT:

Spoiler Alert!

GENERAL = VALKRILL
PLANET = ARCTORUS
SPECIES = CURSED
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = MONK
PERSONALITY = ARROGANT
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6

MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 90

SIPHON SOUL
When Xue Shen destroys a figure place a Soul Marker on this Army Card.

UNDERWORLD PRESSURE POINT ASSAULT
After moving and before attacking choose an adjacent figure and roll the 20-sided die. On a roll of 19 or higher, destroy that figure. After rolling the 20-sided die you may remove all Soul makers from this Army Card. Add 1 to your roll for each Soul Marker removed in this way.

CURSED SOUL DEFENSE
When a figure attacks Xue Shen with a normal attack you may remove a Soul Marker from this Army Card to subtract 1 from their attack number.

DESIGN NOTES:

Spoiler Alert!

A fun custom that I've had sitting around for a while. I've tweaked her a couple of times and am definitely a fan of the miniature, there couldn't have been a more ideal sculpt for a demon monk. Brings out the 1990s mortal kombat fan in me for sure.

I tied her first ability in with her personality, essentially it is her demon aura that we seen done with Valkrill a lot. Reducing the stats of all those around her without care once she is wounded enough to turn up the heat and fight for real. I imagine this character engaging in death matches with other demons and things from Valkrill as well so she doesn't discriminate on who she affects.

The second ability is the defining martial art style ability, at base stats she is comparable to some of the other human monks but when she is willing to push through and wound herself she embodies a very aggressive style of combat that disregards her body. This helps feed into her other ability and her personality as well, the answer for her isn't skill but just more power.

Whirlwind attack is a given on a powerful monk to let them stand their ground and is pretty staple in the faction so she can destroy a crowd of mooks. I also find it fun that while she does have the standard synergy that all monks have with the Ullar master, she can also be summoned by the Acolytes and if her thirst for blood isn't sated she spills the blood of her summoners. Really fun and thematic tie back to her name which is a basic Chinese translation of "blood god." Not to say that she is divine but she likely considers herself divine in the old kung fu movie or mortal kombat sense.

Update: This version fills some better themes and holes that I would like to see in the Monk faction.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

• SKULL DEMON : Valkrill Attack Aura 1
  As a Valkrill follower with a Range of 1, Xuè Shén may benefit from the Skull Demon's VALKRILL ATTACK AURA 1 ability
• MORGOLOTH : Demon Leadership
  As a Demon, Xuè Shén gains one additional move if you also control Morgoloth
• ACOLYTES OF VORGANUND : Blood Summoning/Dark Pact As a Unique Demon Hero, Xuè Shén may be chosen as a bound hero to be summoned by the Acolytes of Vorganund and may take turns with DARK PACT
• - MASTER LAO XIN : Sifu
  As a monk hero, Xuè Shén may benefit from Master Lao Xin's SIFU activation bonus.
• -MASTER WIN CHIU WOO : Master's Influence[/B]
  As Monk, Xuè Shén may benefit from Master Win Chiu Woo's MASTER'S INFLUENCE attack, and defense bonuses.

Synergy Benefits Offered
n/a

Comments and ideas welcome! Xuè Shén is in the later stages of design and she helps to fill out some things that I think the monks need, namely something to threaten bigger figures and cut through high defense. Also fills in the final spot for a monk hero if we were going for the completionist achievement in that class.