I'm looking for some feedback on this addition to the Yokai faction that
@
Captain Stupendous
and I have been testing. Despite initial concerns that it would be very overpowered for its points, we found that the design is surprisingly balanced.
Worth particular mention is that Peaceful Protector affects
all figures, not just your own, which means that OM1 on the Kirin is often a bit of a risk, despite wanting to take an early turn to set up the defense aura. This is exacerbated by the fact that the Judgment Special Attack only affects figures with
revealed Order Markers: if you win initiative, then there are no targets at all for it to hit, and you have to make a normal attack into a figure with boosted defense. Saving it for later turns is much safer, but then you're generally losing out on the defensive bonus for your own figures.
In theory, this figure would really excel as a counter to bread and butter Common Squads, especially when paired with other Yokai like Kincho and Seimei who can teleport it into a starting zone. We've found that it plays a bit like a melee Zelrig; you might be able to take some LEAs and get a strong bomb, but you're really leaving yourself open to counter attack if you do so. The high durability from 5 defense has been found to be instrumental in making it viable to play, and against certain armies with OM flexibility like Kato, the Kirin is more of a liability than anything else.
For those unfamiliar with the legend,
is a divine mythical creature that embodies goodness, omens of luck, and prosperity and protection. It has also been compared to the Western Unicorn quite a bit, for a further idea of the theme and significance here. Some Buddhist-inspired takes on it say that it's so peaceful that "it will never tread on a single blade of grass," and the appearance of the Kirin is also said to be associated with the coming or passing of an illustrious ruler. It's not all peace and good will, though; when it or a righteous ally are threatened, it's quick to punish the wicked with holy flames bursting from its mouth and encasing its entire body, represented by the
Kirin's Judgment Special Attack that can only target "active" figures.
Testing has shown that the Kirin really excels as another Yokai with the potential to hit multiple figures (similar to how Ibaraki-doji is "the attacker" in most current builds, which could use some more variety), although it's actually very reasonable for its points. Thanks in advance for your time and comments; I'd like to start feeling out potential concerns and seeing how VC is going to react as I continue to refine and further test the design.