The Book of Phantom Stranger

[IAmBatman]

The Book of Phantom Stranger

C3G DC SUPER SECRET EXCLUSIVE 66
MYSTERIOUS GUIDANCE


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Justice League set.
Its model number and name are #061 / Phantom Stranger.

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Character Bio - "The Phantom Stranger is just that: a phantom. His motives, his origins, even his name? All unknown. None can say if he is a fallen angel, a time traveler, a man forsaken by God, or something else entirely. The enigmatic entity has done little to clarify. But when a crisis looms over the universe, no matter how far it may be from the Earth he walks, the Stranger inevitably arrives - with preternatural knowledge of the events unfolding. Though his powers seem limitless, he rarely intervenes directly, instead guiding the world's heroes on a path toward salvation. But when push comes to shove, he isn't afraid to tap into those mysterious depths of power and wage war on those in his way."
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• Phantom Stranger is an Event Hero and follows Event Hero rules.
• Q: Can Crisis Management bring a placed marker back to its original card, such as for Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic Curse when placing a marker on a Unique Hero or Event Hero?
  A: No, Crisis Management only allows you to bring back a marker that was specifically "removed" according to the power text. For instance, if Scarlet Witch uses her Chaos Magic Curse and removes a marker to destroy a squad figure, Crisis Management could replace it.

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Protector, Phantom Stranger has these Protector Synergies.
• As a figure with the Magical Defense special power, Phantom Stranger has these Magical Defense Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• N/A

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As a figure with the Magical Defense special power, Phantom Stranger interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a figure with the Magical Defense special power, Phantom Stranger may bypass opponents' Magical Defense and have his own Magical Defense bypassed by opponents' figures with the Magical Defense special power.
• As an Event Hero, Phantom Stranger interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a flying figure, Phantom Stranger interacts differently with these special powers.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Second playtest: (Arch-vile)
• Third playtest: (Arkham)
• Fourth playtest: (tcglkn)
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Arkham

Card Updates:
7 March 2021 - Class changed to Vagabond

[IAmBatman]

NAME = PHANTOM STRANGER

SPECIES = ENTITY
UNIQUENESS = EVENT HERO
CLASS = VAGABOND
PERSONALITY = ENIGMATIC
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 10
MOVE = 9
RANGE = 3
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 460

PHANTOM WALK
Phantom Stranger can move through all figures and is never attacked when leaving engagements.

MYSTERIOUS GUIDANCE
After any attack dice, defense dice, or the 20-sided die is rolled for Phantom Stranger, or any figure you control or Event Hero within 8 clear sight spaces of Phantom Stranger, you may remove an unrevealed Order Marker from this card and immediately add or subtract a skull, shield, blank or 2 from that roll.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
At the end of the round, you may remove an “X” Order Marker from this card to choose Phantom Stranger or a friendly figure within 3 clear sight spaces. Remove a Wound Marker from the chosen figure's card. You may then place a previously removed Marker other than an Order Marker from their card back onto their card.

MAGICAL DEFENSE
When Phantom Stranger is attacked by an opponent's figure that does not have the Magical Defense special power, the most wounds Phantom Stranger can take for this attack is one.

FLYING

[IAmBatman]

Comic:

Spoiler Alert!

Figure:

Spoiler Alert!

Background:

Spoiler Alert!

[Arkham]

Feel free to throw out suggestions for the character. This is gonna be a bit more of a work in progress than usual. I’ve got ideas in mind of an approach, but figured I’d get this running and see if anyone had specific desires.

[Lazy Orang]

Hasn't Bats been doing this one.

[Arkham]

Can you link me?

[Lazy Orang]

Here.
Don't know if he's reserved it or not.

[IAmBatman]

I don't think we take reservations anymore. Not since the draft thread. And I'm thrilled to see someone taking this on!

Looks like you're wide open to ideas! Just for the sake of discussion, since it's been fairly well workshopped and I know it has a few fans, such as @Karat I'm going to do a quote of what LO has in that link to make it easier to see and think about the individual parts:

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

New take on Phantom Stranger to make him more specifically a helper to the Justice League in Crisis situations:

NAME = THE PHANTOM STRANGER
SPECIES = ENTITY
UNIQUENESS = EVENT HERO
CLASS = PROTECTOR
PERSONALITY = MYSTERIOUS
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5
LIFE = 10
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 555

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED
At the start of the game, place 1 blue Justice League Marker on this card for each Amazon, Atlantean, Human, Kryptonian, Martian, and Metahuman Unique Hero you control that does not share a Class with any other Hero in your Army, to a maximum of 6. Before moving Phantom Stranger, you may place a Justice League Marker from this card on the card of an adjacent figure you control.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
If you win initiative with at least one Order Marker on this card, you may remove one unrevealed Order Marker at random from one enemy Event Hero’s Army Card, or you may instead remove one Justice League Marker from this card and remove two unrevealed Order Markers at random from one enemy Event Hero’s Army Card.

DISPELL MAGIC 15
If an opposing Player would use a Spell, you may first roll the 20-sided die. If you roll 15 or higher, that Player cannot use a Spell for the remainder of the turn.

MAGICAL DEFENSE
When the Phantom Stranger is attacked by an opponent's figure that does not have the Magical Defense special power, the most wounds the Phantom Stranger can take for this attack is one.

SUPER STRENGTH
FLYING

To me, Phantom Stranger is basically a guy who shows up with a lot of mysterious info and a ton of power that he mostly doesn't use to help in crisis situations. These interactions are largely with the JLA since that's the most encompassing group.

[IAmBatman]

Looking back at him now though, he feels like too much of a niche, counterdraft though. Two of his powers are locked into very specific things (Event Heroes or Spells). I think it's good for him to interact with those two things, but maybe there's a way to tweak those two powers to open each up a bit more to usefulness.

[Karat]

The first power leans pretty heavily towards a Guardians of the Galaxy build. It already leans itself towards figures of a different species and requires different classes. Its prime GOTG material. So I'd most definitely want to see that angle tested.

I think the Dispell Magic angle is stuck unless you wanted to go with more of a Magical Disruption angle. Then you could probably tie it into any 20 sided die roll made by an opponent's figure.

As for Crisis Management, the only clear way I see to open that up is to A) Make it all figures, or B) add Unique Heroes.

I generally like the direction though.

[IAmBatman]

I like the idea of opening up Dispell Magic to D20 powers as well. Maybe change the title to Dispelling Magic.

I think Crisis Management might need a wholesale reimagining. Something that boosts heroes more and is particularly good against Event Heroes, but always useful. Not sure what, but I wouldn’t mind seeing us move away from OM removal.

[Arkham]

How about something like this, opening it up a bit but still accomplishing similar results as your 3 proposed powers?

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Before a figure within 4 spaces of Phantom Stranger takes a turn, roll the 20-sided die. Add 3 to the roll if the figure is an opponent’s Event Hero, and 1 to the roll for each destroyed Unique Hero in your army. If you roll 17 or higher, you may choose one of the following:
• The figure cannot attack or use any special power this turn.
• Add 1 to the figure’s attack this turn.
• Remove 1 Wound Marker from the figure’s Army Card.
• Place 1 previously removed Marker from the figure’s Army Card back onto its Card.