The Book of Arashiyama Inner Guard

[johnny139]

I'd agree that we need a repaint here. These guys are very clearly in purple, not red. If they were more generic I'd be fine photoshopping the images instead, but if we're representing specific characters we should do so accurately.

Stacking with Heroic Duty is a tough one. I'll think on that.

[IAmBatman]

Huh, good call on following Heroic Duty's text. We'd totally say "if possible" these days instead of "if it is able to." Just an example of the difficulty of staying consistent with word choices and of the ever changing aesthetic!

[Karat]

Definitely something I'd like to get sussed out as I think its prime design territory and I'd hate to have it Heroic Duty nixed.

[Lord Pyre]

Yeah I want to keep the power if possible. The combo of the counterstrike with it was my whole excitement for the design.

[IAmBatman]

Potentially less valuable, but I believe this would stop Heroic Duty from stacking with it:

YAKUZA PROTECTION
At the start of the game, choose a Unique Yakuza Hero to be the Yakuza Oyabun. If the Oyabun would roll defense dice against a normal attack from an adjacent figure, instead you may choose a figure you control with this special power to move adjacent to the attacking figure if it is able to. The chosen figure must roll defense and take any resulting wounds from the attack instead of the Oyabun. When a Arashiyama Inner Guard uses Yakuza Protection, he will take all leaving engagement attacks.

I also tweaked a later part as I think it gets confusing if they're blocking adjacent attacks without being adjacent to the attacker.

I might also up their movement to 6 to go with that.

[Lord Pyre]

It does mean you can shoot without it activating, which is really unfortunate. I mildly encourages Arashi to get in people's faces, which is cool, but he's also pretty squishy too.

Not opposed, but it could work. The only concern is that HD only works with non-adjacent, while this only works with adjacent, and now there's no more room for any types of power like this.

[IAmBatman]

There is so long as said powers are similarly restricted on figures they affect. The guards here are only protecting a Yakuza or Ninja Hero. If other powers are also restricted in who they protect, that design space is still open for adjacent, normal attack redirection.

[Lord Pyre]

Good point!

We could update Heroic Rescue so that Superman only rescue Jimmy Olsen!

....Or anyone BUT Jimmy Olsen!

[Karat]

Feels like slapping a band-aid on a pustule to me. Let me think on it. As I feel the issue lies with Heroic Duty.

[Lazy Orang]

I've had a look, and honestly, I don't think we have a problem.

Yakuza Protection is a may power.
Heroic Duty is a must power.

Superman's power activates automatically, superceding the Inner Guard's, and their Oyabun, now protected by Superman, would no longer roll defence, and the attack would therefore no longer fulfil the conditions for Yakuza Protection. If both powers were must, then we might have more of a problem... though I doubt it, since the rulebook states that, if two powers activate simultaneously, you roll off to see which goes first... unless they belong to the same player? Yeah that might cause some issues, and it's not exactly elegant either way, but I think we can make must supercede may here and be done with it. Might not be 100% clear, but that seems like a reasonably intuitive ruling we could clarify with an FAQ.
If we don't think that's clear enough, maybe throw 'before using any other powers' onto Heroic Duty, the way some healing powers that happen at the start of the turn have that?

[Ronin]

The issue with doing stuff like Heroic Duty is that you can get caught in a loop where the two figures keep trying to take bullets for each other. Don't see an issue here. You might get the guards stepping in for the Yakuza, and Superman stepping in for the guards, but the guards won't step back in for Superman. No loop.

As long as you don't create a way for your Heroic Duty esque power to work on a figure with Heroic Duty, you're in the clear.

[Lord Pyre]

Oh, super cool. I thought that the "may" still wasn't enough. But yeah, the Oyabun wouldn't be rolling anymore so it checks out. Thanks!

I'm personally fine with the Superman mini "chain" in there. He's not a great choice in this army anyway, and he prevents the counterstrike.

So if we're all convinced there, then the only other topic is adding Ninjas to the pool of possible choices.