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Old September 10th, 2018, 10:58 AM
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Re: Soldiers of Valhalla - nominations and discussion

Tetriates by Sir Heroscape

Does this merciless gladiator have what it takes to join the ranks of his rebellious brethren or will he face get a "thumbs down" in the arena?

Balance

As a gladiator hero Tetriates lends himself to comparison to the others of his kind. While Retarius can continue to be forgotten, Crixus seems can seem the more attractive option at 20 points cheaper, equal stats, and powerful defense. However, Tetraites' ability to kill 2 squad figures a turn coupled with the fact that One Shield Defense is more useful against higher attacks means that he has an edge against mass squads. It is debatable if that conditional advantage is worth 20 points but Crixus has long been a competitively costed hero.

Theme

The theme for Tetriates is just great. Some gladiators reveled in their station and this hero fills that role perfectly. Finishing Blow is nicely thematic, if a bit marginal. I like the added theme of its use against Crixus and potentially bypassing his One Shield Defense to finish him off. Spiked Gauntlet is perhaps a too literal application of every detail on a mini but it fits nicely into his merciless theme as you imagine him using the weapon against helpless squad figures. I'm all for seeing evil versions of existing groups for Utgar and he fits the bill nicely.

Creativity

Both new powers are intuitive and thematic. Finishing Blow may be a bit marginal but the theme is strong enough for it to be worth it.

Playability

Without the support of the Capuan Gladiators Tetraites has limited use. Finishing Blow can be written off almost entirely which leaves his stats and Spiked Gauntlet as the only draws. While the latter helps him take down squads with up to 2 kills a turn, his defense is simply too low for him to last that long. His high attack helps him punch through tough enemies but Crixus does the job of anti-hero better at 20 points cheaper. He is a little versatile in that he can kind of do both but there are just more attractive options around his price point if you're looking for a solid hero.

That leaves him as a bonding hero for the gladiators. Again, his role continues to run against Crixus and doesn't always come out favorably. However, short of a little luck with skewering with a Gladiatrix, Tetriates is your only option to take down up to two figures a turn with your hero. Even still it's not always possible for him to do it and it can be a trap to chase the kills too aggressively since it will only happen 35% of the time. Even the threat of using it can make a difference, however, so Tetraites can still get used in a Gladiator army if you were going to pick Crixus and realized that you still had 20 points lying around. The gladiators with Spartacus are a jealous lot so its not like random filler units do them that much good, after all.

Summary

Tetriates stands in the shadow of his brother in the Colosseum, Crixus, but he can still make a name for himself in the arena with his useful and thematic powers. I vote YEA to induct Tetriates to the Soldiers of Valhalla.


This is my last vote as judge for SoV. Life moves on and shifting priorities means that I no longer have the time to dedicate that this project deserves. It has been a privilege to work with this fine group and I hope that in years to come I'll be able to visit Heroscapers and see all the fantastic work going on here.
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