HoME Brainstorming Thread

[caps]

Obviously, I like my version of Counsel. Why don't you put together a whole package and we can move it to design. Some of our guys can run some playtests there and we can see what works and what doesn't and discuss further tweaks.

We may want to consider restricting "Leadership" to moving heroes (I agree it needs a new name).

Once SoA puts together something that's proposal ready, lets give it a once-over for theme before we start voting.

Who will be the LD here? SoA?

[Son of Arathorn]

A quick draw up of what we have, wrapped up in a nice little package.


NAME = GANDALF
GENERAL = JANDAR/AQUILLA
PLANET = ARDA
SPECIES = MAIA
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = WIZARD
PERSONALITY = PERCEPTIVE
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM/5

LIFE = 7
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = ???

BLAZING STRIKE SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1. Attack 4.
Blazing Strike Special Attack affects all opponent's figures adjacent to Gandalf. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. After rolling defense dice, you may move Gandalf up to 4 spaces. Gandalf may only move using his Blazing Strike Special Attack if he ends his movement not adjacent to any opponent's figures.

LEADERSHIP
After taking a turn with Gandalf, if he ends his turn unengaged, you may move up to 3 Unique Heroes you control up to 6 spaces each. Any figures moved by Leadership must end their movement adjacent to Gandalf.

WISE COUNSEL
After revealing an order marker on Gandalf you may swap that order marker with any other order marker on a Unique Hero Army Card you control and take a turn with that figure instead of Gandalf.


This all raises a couple of questions. Namely:

1) What should our estimated point value be?

2) What are our miniature options?

3) Are we collectively happy with the design, as it stands?

[caps]

Don't we want Leadership to happen after he takes his turn, so that other heroes can follow him to where he goes after using Blazing Strike? As-is, they'd have to move adjacent to him to use it, and they would be affected if he used his SA.

I'm still thinking about the design thematically, but I think I like it in all other respects.

EDIT: I'm guessing he will fall in the 150-200 point range. 180 seems like a good starting point.

[caps]

Minis.

[Son of Arathorn]

Good point capsocrates, on the movement. I've revised it to read for the end of his turn.

180 seems an awful lot for a figure with 7 life and 3 defense, along with all the vulnerabilities of being non-Soulborg and medium. If we bump the defense to 4, I can see it happening.

[infectedsloth]

Originally Posted by capsocrates

Minis.

Cool. I didn't recognize the dwarfs by sight, then I realized that they will from now on be for ever recognized by these faces...kind of makes me sad. They changed how they interpret Wargs to a more LotR BfBE RotWK look. The goblin kings looks horrible (not in a good way), looks like they named a couple goblins. Fimbul the hunter they might up right? I don't remember him at all.

I'm going to think over the current draft. Initially reaction, Wise Counsel and Leadership might be to similar thematically and playability wise. He's thematic as a whole, but does not have a power that screams Gandalf.

[White Knight]

Originally Posted by capsocrates

Don't we want Leadership to happen after he takes his turn, so that other heroes can follow him to where he goes after using Blazing Strike? As-is, they'd have to move adjacent to him to use it, and they would be affected if he used his SA.

I'm still thinking about the design thematically, but I think I like it in all other respects.

EDIT: I'm guessing he will fall in the 150-200 point range. 180 seems like a good starting point.

Blazing Strike only affects opponent's figures, so SoA's original version of Leadership would still work--but the original version would allow Gandalf to move figures twice during his turn (once adjacent, and once after Blazing Strike).

I kind of liked it the way it was because he could call friends to his side, kill some goblins, and then he and his friends could retreat. But making it after his turn would work as well.

I prefer that he does NOT take leaving engagements (after all, the Strike is so surprising that opponent's can't really react).

[caps]

Originally Posted by White Knight

Blazing Strike only affects opponent's figures, so SoA's original version of Leadership would still work--but the original version would allow Gandalf to move figures twice during his turn (once adjacent, and once after Blazing Strike).

I kind of liked it the way it was because he could call friends to his side, kill some goblins, and then he and his friends could retreat. But making it after his turn would work as well.

I prefer that he does NOT take leaving engagements (after all, the Strike is so surprising that opponent's can't really react).

I disagree, but I think your position is reasonable. These are the sorts of decisions we'll be working on in design. For now let's focus on the big picture of the powers we have here.

I agree with IS that it doesn't necessarily scream Gandalf, but I'm not sure I've seen any better suggestions. There's no hurry though.

[Joseph Sweeney]

Originally Posted by Son of Arathorn

A quick draw up of what we have, wrapped up in a nice little package.


NAME = GANDALF
GENERAL = JANDAR/AQUILLA
PLANET = ARDA
SPECIES = MAIA
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = WIZARD
PERSONALITY = PERCEPTIVE
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM/5

LIFE = 7
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = ???

BLAZING STRIKE SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1. Attack 4.
Blazing Strike Special Attack affects all opponent's figures adjacent to Gandalf. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. After rolling defense dice, you may move Gandalf up to 4 spaces. Gandalf may only move using his Blazing Strike Special Attack if he ends his movement not adjacent to any opponent's figures.

LEADERSHIP
After taking a turn with Gandalf, if he ends his turn unengaged, you may move up to 3 Unique Heroes you control up to 6 spaces each. Any figures moved by Leadership must end their movement adjacent to Gandalf.

WISE COUNSEL
After revealing an order marker on Gandalf you may swap that order marker with any other order marker on a Unique Hero Army Card you control and take a turn with that figure instead of Gandalf.


This all raises a couple of questions. Namely:

1) What should our estimated point value be?

2) What are our miniature options?

3) Are we collectively happy with the design, as it stands?

Here is another option for Gandalf, although I don't like it all that much:

Originally Posted by Son of Arathorn

1) What should our estimated point value be?

For points--I think 160-170 seems reasonable.

Originally Posted by Son of Arathorn

GENERAL = JANDAR/AQUILLA

I don't think this has been said before, but I would like to see Gandalf the Grey = Aquilla, and Gandalf the white = Jandar.

Originally Posted by Son of Arathorn

3) Are we collectively happy with the design, as it stands?

Generally I like the current design, but I'm not exactly sure. Is it okay if I begin playtesting tomorrow?

[caps]

You are more than welcome to run a playtest JS. Don't get too attached to what we have, but any critical thoughts based on your experience is plenty welcome.

[Son of Arathorn]

JS, that miniature is extremely expensive (about 30 bucks on ebay). Sorry, but that kind of price for a single member of the Fellowship just can't work for us.

160-170 seems a good place to start with the current stats, though if we bump the defense I can see him going up in price.

I agree with you, Gandalf the Grey strikes me more as Aquilla, but others have stated a desire to make him Jandar (I think someone even said Ullar).

[caps]

I guess we need to finalize what our HoME pseudo-generals will be, so we can know how they relate to Classic 'Scape generals. We want a 1-to-1 correlation so that there is no gameplay difference between the to sides. White Knight, I believe you proposed some correlations previously, would you mind reposting them in the discussion thread for us to discuss there?