Captain America or Nilfheim?

[rdhight]

If you want to write something that closely follows the format of this post and my other unit comparison... it wouldn't bother me at all. Go right ahead-- don't feel like you have to ask first.

The designers invited close comparisons between Captain America and Nilfheim by giving them identical normal and special attacks. Both qualify as top rat-killers and squad-manglers who can also threaten enemy heroes with a single strong attack, offering some of the most versatile damage-dealing options in the game. Both combine a high price and vulnerable unique-hero status with a lack of any bonding or extra-turn abilities. So without further ado:

LEFT BOX: Captain America is a Valiant Soldier (thank you Hasbro!), which is worth something, and Nilfheim is a Ferocious King, which is worth nothing. Advantage: Cap.

MOBILITY: Nilfheim is one of the most unwieldy sculpts in Heroscape, probably the absolute worst. Although a slow, walking unit, Cap is a small fraction of Nilf's bulk and stands on a one-hex base. He can use ladders and benefit from Carry, and Marcus can boost Cap's walking move from 5 to 6. Nevertheless, all those small advantages put together don't equal Nilfheim's big one: he's a flier with a base move of 6. Advantage: Nilf.

ATTACK: Both have the same normal attack (6) and the same special attack. Because Nilf has a higher target point that can look over small obstacles, and because he has a slightly larger field of fire due to his two-hex base, Ice Shards is going to hit a very few more figures than Shield Throw if you play both figures enough times for the law of averages to take over. Also, Nilf's height of 12 helps him get engaged in more cliffside positions, and he can break down a door somewhat faster. The Captain, though, brings the better normal attacks in most armies. Marcus can boost his blows to 7 dice before height advantage, and Cap's great Tactician power means you really have to try hard to not boost the damage output of other friendly figures (yes, that's "friendly," not "you control!"). Finally, Cap is the king of Counter Strike. He has more base defense dice than anyone else who uses it, and he can kill samurai with it. Advantage: Cap.

DEFENSE: Nilfheim's base stats are 4 defense and 6 life, and Cap's are 6 defense and 5 life. Lower life and higher cost mean Cap is more vulnerable to disengagement strikes on top of his much worse movement. Nilfheim can almost never take cover, but can occasionally give cover with his body if you place him just right. Tactician is ten times more useful, giving the Captain a very easy way to help the defense of others-- and a way that stacks with the Valiant bonus. But while Cap's Medium size helps him hide from shooters, it also leaves him vulnerable to many perils. Nilfheim's Huge size is an excellent immunity to have, and that 12 height makes it harder to get an extreme height bonus against him. Nilf's status as a Jandar follower does open him to Dishonorable Attack. Advantage: unknown.

THEORYSCAPE CAGE MATCH TO THE DEATH: According to markwars' matchup calculator, Captain America has at least a 60/40 advantage in a normal-attack slugfest even if he loses first strike (which he probably will). If the dragon switches to his special and shuts down Counter Strike, the drop from 6 to 4 attack dice not only offsets the advantage, but overpowers it and gives Cap close to a 90% victory chance, so don't try that! Even if the two shoot it out with their special attacks alone, Cap still wins almost two-thirds of the time. Nilf just doesn't have a way around those two extra defense dice. Advantage: Cap.

COST: Nilfheim is 185; Captain America is 220. Advantage: Nilf.

There are some situations where if you can afford Cap, you take him, and if you can only afford Nilf, you take him instead. In terms of toe-to-toe conventional warfare, Steve Rogers is your man. Because of Tactician and 6 defense, the Cap army is simply going to throw more attack dice and more defense dice no questions asked, even in a bad situation where being a Valiant Soldier with Counter Strike counts for nothing.

Aside from his lower cost, Nilfheim's strengths are size and flight. They make him far superior for a frontal assault on a castle. He averages more wounds to the Door, wards off extreme height advantage, and flies over the walls. There's no question he can do that job better for less. In standard games, the question is whether his balanced combination of speed, fighting skill, and immunity is more desirable than Cap's raw death-dealing power.