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Originally Posted by Shiftrex
Welp, I definitely wasn't trying to make a successful competitive unit. I don't think that sort of thing does well in this process.
Funny enough, CPT Stupendous argued against when I had her rolling an auto-skull because it didn't feel valkrill enough to him and it felt too similar to the other monks and he told me that it was functionally the same.
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I agree that primarily aiming for making a competitive unit is a poor choice. Aiming for fun first will generally produce better results.
Ironically, I've talked with Captain Stupendous on several occasions about what "defines" each general. There's a surprising amount of depth to the
gameplay personality of each general, with Ullar focusing on mobile figures, Utgar on attack, Jandar on defense, et cetera. We agreed that Valkrill's best defining mechanic right now is debuffs in the vein of Gothlok and the demons. I think that you've already covered this well with Crouching Goat; it makes Xue Shen feel very much at home under Valkrill in my eyes. In a vacuum, subtracting shields would be "more Valkrill" than adding skulls, but I don't see as much appeal when debuffing is already well-represented on the card.
There are many cases where subtracting shields is mechanically equivalent to adding skulls. This does not make the mechanics interchangeable. There are power interactions dependent on shields rolled (Warriors of Ashra, Samurai, One Shield Defense, et cetera), where shields are already "harder" to get than skulls. Being able to directly subtract shields after seeing the result is undoubtedly stronger since it avoids unnecessary wounds and risks, but it also penalizes these sorts of figures more.
Thematically, it also conveys a very different theme. With Xue Shen subtracting shields from Jotun, I'm wondering how she's managing to paralyze him or bypass his defense so thoroughly. Adding skulls is an established mechanic--like Master Lao Xin, it could represent different abstract mechanics like her being exceptionally skilled in combat, independent of her foe. The fact that it is similar to other Monk powers is not a downside; whether she
plays uniquely or not is what ultimately matters. Familiarity when used well is often a positive.
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As far as frustrating, not any more than fighting the Shaolin Monks themselves right now. Despite their high price point, Master Win Choo and the Shaolin Monks already do well against melee forces due to whirlwind attacks and jump. Same goes for a monster like Corvor, that's why our price point is 140 here despite some average stats. And Xuè Shén doesn't get "tougher" to fight until she is half dead anyways, a bit of a last stand effect but not anymore impactful than the other Valkrill units with the weakening power.
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Whirlwind Assault actually isn't the primary reason that I'm concerned about how it might feel for melee players to go up against her. I spent a significant amount of time playtesting various attack reduction powers for Masha Shingai, and I found that it was easy to accidentally result in some unfun scenarios with poorer low-attack melee units standing little chance of dealing damage. The fact that this power is always on once triggered is more of what makes me wary, though I'll admit that pairing it with a solid offensive figure who "bonds" and poses less risk in her best scenarios should also play a role.
In any case, this is more of a concern that I find worth noting than a strict suggestion for anything to change right now, and it isn't a concern about balance per se. Testing with a focus on how she
feels to play with and against and adjusting accordingly should be enough; I'm merely pointing out such instances that I've seen in my own experiences in case they're helpful.