The Missing Menagerie (ALL AoA Personal Customs by Anitar)

[chas]

I haven't played any video games in many years. But the best of the early ones were often based on the knowledge of real multicultural myths and beliefs. Seems like they still are.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Just phones here in Negril, but have reliable internet!

Great cards for SotM heroes! Eager to try them out . . .

Latah

Kolakoski

[Anitar]

Okay, I know I said I wouldn't. I know I said I couldn't. All we know about the new kyrie is their names and appearances (and one of Loviatäk's power names)... But I managed to get myself wildly inspired by those appearances alone. So inspired, in fact, that not only have I made more new cards, but I've also given them bios (which I'll edit into the OP as soon as I'm done writing this).

Jarkol the ice troll raises his hammer high as he charges into the thick of battle at the behest of his Dryan master. Revna's crawling hordes break before his might, each bug unfortunate enough to come within an arm's length being quickly reduced to a puddle. And yet amidst the chaos, one winged witch calmly saunters toward Jarkol, without an ounce of fear.

Just before he can crush her, however, the witch vanishes in a flash of white light. Suddenly, Jarkol's body spins around and drives his hammer through the ranks of his allies. He fights against this strange influence, striking down one more enemy before he's forced to deal a decisive blow to his own master.

The Dryan forces quickly break and flee, leaving Jarkol behind in a haze of fear and confusion until the witch reappears before his eyes.

"Oh, you poor fool," she croons. "No more friends, no more guidance, nobody you can trust to take you back. Allow me to solve your little... predicament."

As the witch vanishes once again, Jarkol finds his legs driving him inexorably forward, into a deep, deep ravine.

...

The witch, Misaerx, surveys the scene of the bloodbath she's created. The troll's bones made for a wonderful host while they lasted. Perhaps she doesn't have to be done with them just yet, she muses, adding more and more new pieces to her macabre ensemble.

Yup, she doesn't even have to roll to take control. Nor do you have to roll to kick her back out of your skeleton. You can have both players switching control back and forth over and over throughout the round.

Note: The "immediately" in [Cut the Strings] means she's always returned to the battlefield before any Festering Honor Guard can try to break free.

Battered. Beaten. Broken. That's all Qhyrion was after the accident that nearly tore her wings off entirely, or so everyone claimed. With neither flight nor magic of her own, she was branded a pariah and coldly cast aside.

But Vydar knew better. He saw in Qhyrion something that his other subjects lacked, something of value, and personally gave her shelter. She couldn't figure out why; her eye for detail was so focused that it was good for little more than nitpicking, her aptitude for melee combat was useless against her airborne peers; and her quick wit seemed to never quite be quick enough.

Everything started making more sense when the war began, when troops were summoned from other worlds, when Vydar's court was filled with marvels of technology. Qhyrion took it upon herself to learn how the machines of Earth and Alpha Prime worked—through careful observation, in lieu of an official rank that would let her interrogate those in the know. Battle after battle, she watched the symphony of steel and electricity impose itself upon the world, and salvaged whatever scrap was left behind when the armies moved on.

Today, she stands a proud warrior of Anund. Clad in ablative armor of her own design, equipped with an electromagnetic force inductor installed in her spear, and most importantly of all, bearing a pair of devices unlike any she's seen elsewhere—bestowing much-needed structure and strength to her damaged wings. She's reclaimed all that she's lost and more, through her own merit and determination.

At long last, Qhyrion takes to the sky once again!

I noticed from the very beginning that the machines on her wings couldn't possibly be armor, since we already know what metal kyrie wing armor looks like, and hypothesized that it was some sort of mobility aid. Then we got a picture of her sculpt, which showed that her wings are barely attached to the rest of her and have several obviously-damaged giant feathers. This is the logical conclusion.

Note: I'm not sure "apply" is the right word for that power, but there's no precedent to compare it with; we've never had keywords before.

A paragon among heroes, the champion of champions, Xiamara has safeguarded the people of her native Haukeland since well before the onset of the war. Constantly updating her arsenal throughout the years, taking up new and powerful equipment forged by the mighty Volarak as befits the situation, she now bears the Periapt of Negation. With one swing of its attached chain, the Periapt locks itself onto the neck of the enemy, silencing whatever array of diverse abilities they may have brought to bear in battle. Only a command word spoken by Xiamara will unlock the chain, recalling it to her hand to be used again and again on new foes.

I got confirmation that the amulet shown in her hand has absolutely nothing to do with the Mind Shackle amulets, and has a different kind of gem.

Note: Other Negation Markers are "brown". This one is "orange". You need to be able to tell it apart, because this one is recyclable.

Note: Haukeland wasn't in contact with the mainland before, so it only makes sense that they don't share the cultural tendency to give "the Kyrie Warrior" titles.

Watch. Wait. Reposition. Listen. Hide! Feel. Move closer. Draw your weapon. Wait. Wait... And strike! The rhythm of the hunt is a thing of beauty, one which Glinerva of the Moon Tribe plays like a true virtuoso. With the Mask of Quillivon, she spurs her allies onward into the perfect position, ready to pounce on the most unsuspecting of enemies. Glinerva herself joins them in their battle as well, armed for melee and ranged combat alike with a crescent-tipped polearm unknown to all but her own people.

Remember how some of Valhalla's magical items share their names and powers with Glyphs, such as the Spear of Gerda and Katana of Thorian? I remember that.

Note: For the sake of Mohican synergy, she's a Tribesman Hero whose Aura technically still works on ranged units.

Volarak's most advanced creation yet calls upon the power of a singularity—a black hole. Space warps until every direction leads straight toward the center of the disturbance, where Mielki, the Guardian of the East, holds her ground. Enemy shots clatter against her enchanted armor to little avail, no matter where they were aimed. So long as Mielki still has the strength to stand defiant against the relentless onslaught, she'll never let her allies come to any harm.

Her design screams "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" to me. Very loudly. I was going to leave her and Kilkorax unused because we never got 3D renders of them... but no, I had to share this impression.

Note: Guardian Aura can't be used if there's a non-location-based reason she can't be targeted, such as Combat Challenge or a "You cannot attack the same figure more than once" caveat.

Note: Bulwark.

A tribesman trembles in the deep forest, all alone, in the dead of night. He reloads his gun, swiveling about to find where the enemy may have been hidden, only to be floored by a blow from behind. Collapsing to the ground, he looks up to see the face of a wild stag, bones piercing through its skin as its eyes drip rivulets of blood. The gruesome beast lowers its antlers and charges...

A water elemental is stranded. The desert sun is sweltering hot, and its beloved marshlands are nowhere to be seen. There's no shelter to take, no path to safety. Even the sands reject its attempt to sink into them. Its body starts to bubble, as it can do nothing but stand around and boil alive...

An elementar erodes away under the unrelenting sands of time...

A quasatch is trapped in a forest fire...

A dwarf is stuck in a cave-in. The mines collapsed all around him, and he barely has enough room to breathe, let alone move... But he refuses to be afraid. If this is his day to meet his maker, then so be it, but his spirit will not be so easily broken!

The illusory nightmare shatters around him. Corpses of friend and foe alike scatter the landscape, their faces locked in silent screams. Still standing before him is the accursed Kilkorax, looking over all the dead and dying and drinking deeply of their suffering.

"Still one left?" she asks, more curious than anything. "Trivial." Drawing all of the residual fear in the area into the tip of her spear, she drives it straight through the dwarf's heart. He perishes before he hits the ground, leaving Kilkorax all alone to bask in her vile handiwork.

Sometimes fear is a weapon. Sometimes it's two weapons at the same time.

Note: No, her listed personality really is supposed to be Cruel, not Terrifying. Fear is just a means to an end; what she wants is to make you hurt.

Loviatäk is weary.

The attack came at the break of dawn, and hasn't let up since. Humans upon humans, marching in lockstep formation under yellow-and-purple banners, are squaring off with all the kyrie Minions her meager estate could muster—and she's the one expected to take command, to give orders that can somehow be heard over the din of battle.

"Come to us, o heroes," she mutters, reciting from her family's oath. "Come, and die."

But this is a battle of attrition that her forces can't hope to win. Humans are dying, sure, but nowhere near fast enough. Even if her Minions are as relentless as they're supposed to be, they'll succumb to exhaustion before the dust settles.

Loviatäk descends from her rooftop vantage point to join up with her forces. She holds her gleaming axe aloft as she calls upon its magic. "From steel and strength, to ash and blood... Dye these fields a single red. This is no battlefield... only a slaughterhouse."

Her half-hearted incantation gets the job done, and the Minions surge with a new vigor, throwing caution to the wind as they claim lives with brutal efficiency—heedless to the loss of their own lives in exchange. The humans, too, grow strong and reckless; and both sides are dying off quickly. Too quickly.

Loviatäk sighs, cursing her misfortune. As her forces dwindle, she's forced into the front lines herself. She wasn't prepared for this. She feels a stabbing pain, and lashes out toward its source, splitting a human soldier in two.

Just as her life seems to be forfeit, she hears a lion's roar resounding from over the hill. She's held out for long enough, and reinforcements have arrived. This time, she's going to live to die another day.

Loviatäk sighs, cursing her misfortune.

She's always given me this "really doesn't want to be here, but whatever, she's fighting anyway" impression.

Note: Alt+132 to type the "ä".

[chas]

YIKES!!!

We're not worthy!

I wonder if I can find some sets of Christmas Angels out there which would work for them...

[Anitar]

Turns out we did have a render of Mielki and Kilkorax after all. (You'd think that I, of all people, would remember that...) Cards have been edited accordingly.

[gatormustang]

Originally Posted by Anitar

Okay, I know I said I wouldn't. I know I said I couldn't. All we know about the new kyrie is their names and appearances (and one of Loviatäk's power names)... But I managed to get myself wildly inspired by those appearances alone. So inspired, in fact, that not only have I made more new cards, but I've also given them bios (which I'll edit into the OP as soon as I'm done writing this).

Yup, she doesn't even have to roll to take control. Nor do you have to roll to kick her back out of your skeleton. You can have both players switching control back and forth over and over throughout the round.

Note: The "immediately" in [Cut the Strings] means she's always returned to the battlefield before any Festering Honor Guard can try to break free.

I noticed from the very beginning that the machines on her wings couldn't possibly be armor, since we already know what metal kyrie wing armor looks like, and hypothesized that it was some sort of mobility aid. Then we got a picture of her sculpt, which showed that her wings are barely attached to the rest of her and have several obviously-damaged giant feathers. This is the logical conclusion.

Note: I'm not sure "apply" is the right word for that power, but there's no precedent to compare it with; we've never had keywords before.

I got confirmation that the amulet shown in her hand has absolutely nothing to do with the Mind Shackle amulets, and has a different kind of gem.

Note: Other Negation Markers are "brown". This one is "orange". You need to be able to tell it apart, because this one is recyclable.

Note: Haukeland wasn't in contact with the mainland before, so it only makes sense that they don't share the cultural tendency to give "the Kyrie Warrior" titles.

Remember how some of Valhalla's magical items share their names and powers with Glyphs, such as the Spear of Gerda and Katana of Thorian? I remember that.

Note: For the sake of Mohican synergy, she's a Tribesman Hero whose Aura technically still works on ranged units.

Her design screams "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" to me. Very loudly. I was going to leave her and Kilkorax unused because we never got 3D renders of them... but no, I had to share this impression.

Note: Guardian Aura can't be used if there's a non-location-based reason she can't be targeted, such as Combat Challenge or a "You cannot attack the same figure more than once" caveat.

Note: Bulwark.

Sometimes fear is a weapon. Sometimes it's two weapons at the same time.

Note: No, her listed personality really is supposed to be Cruel, not Terrifying. Fear is just a means to an end; what she wants is to make you hurt.

She's always given me this "really doesn't want to be here, but whatever, she's fighting anyway" impression.

Note: Alt+132 to type the "ä".

@Anitar first off amazing just amazing. Secondly, if any of us weren’t already looking for proxies the hunt in earnest just ramped up. I reviewed each and really liked your concepts for all of them. I do have a few comments that I’ll send your way for your consideration once I take a little harder look. Fantastic work and thank you.

[PouncingWolves]

Gday!
So, first things first, WOW. You have done an amazing job here, phenomenal work on all of them. I am impressed with the powers, accuracy to their descriptions, and general high quality of these. Before finding this, I was feeling pretty bleak that the AoA figures, even with released cards, would ever find their way to our battlefields. But! After finding this (and realising we are only missing 7 faction cards) I am now amazingly optimistic that the community can get 7 customs approved as the “official” cards for these mystery figures. Ideally, I hope that C3V will “release” 7 custom cards for these guys, they get added to the sub-category of AoA figures, and then we as a community have that consistent AoA set of figures to enjoy. having looked at the customs you’ve made here, this is fantastic progress towards that goal. Naturally, I want to help in any way I can with that process! So, to add my 2 cents into the mix here, I will go through the 7 faction cards and nit-picked them as much as I can (ignoring point costs at this stage I think, that needs playtesting). Please take my extensive pedantic comments as a compliment, it reflects how excited I am by the customs you’ve made, so again, amazing work, well done!
I have also pulled the flavour text from the discord for thematic reference for the characters. For now, I have only properly reviewed 3 cards, Onshu, Girushia and Vrono.

Onshu the Welkineye

Spoiler Alert!

Yes. This. Love it, its fun, different, thematic, yes. Very few comments, only that you can use and/or (as is used in Kato Katsuro) and should expand sight to “line of sight”. So, for clarity I would say:

Projection
When determining range and/or line of sight for a normal attack or special power for any Wizard you control, you may choose to count range spaces from Onshu and use Onshu’s Target Point for line of sight.

I have said range and line of sight twice, you can probably avoid this, just putting it out there as an option for clarity.

Girushia Grove Keeper
“a living wall of razor sharp thorns as large as a man’s arm, and vines as thick as tree trunks, to deny enemy movements on the battlefield. Though they may try to chop their way through the wicked tangle of pain that Girushia places in front of her opponents, she can call upon the raw natural lifeforce of nearby plants to regrow her massive form faster than the axe blade or the torch flame can bite and burn her flesh away.”

Spoiler Alert!

After reading the flavour text that was dropped with the initial reveal of Girushia, I am impressed with both abilities on this one. They feel thematic, accurate to the intention, and new and interesting to play. Very very well done.
I had a couple of very pedantic wording notes which may or may not be helpful. But I cross-referenced the wording of Regrowth 15 to the GIE and Ice Troll Berserker, and both of them say “X’s army card”, the ITB doesn’t refer to itself for the one additional wound marker removed, so (it might be more of a stretch) but I think you can get away without it for the 3 wound healing option. Also, the Quasatch Hunters say “Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece” so for consistency’s sake, I would personally use that. Also, you introduce the “may” clause at the start of the wording with “may roll the 20-sided die”, so given rolling is optional I don’t think you need it again on “may remove wound marker”. Ultimately I had 2 versions of the wording, one where I only added the updates I mentioned above, and another where slightly restructured the wording (just spit-balling to see if it helped with clarity).

Consistency Updates (net 4 words less):
After taking a turn with Girushia, you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 15-19, or an Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece is within 3 clear sight spaces of Girushia and you roll a 7-19, remove one wound marker from Girushia’s army card. If you roll a 20, remove up to 3 wound markers.

Slight rewording (net 4 words less):
After taking a turn with Girushia, you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 15-19, or if Girushia is within 3 clear sight spaces of an Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece and rolls a 7-19, remove one wound marker from Girushia’s army card. If you roll a 20, remove up to 3 wound markers.

Vrono the Brambletoth
"Always beside Raakchott in the carnage of combat, is the manifestation of pure pain and anguish that is Vrono Brambletoth, its massive body riddled with sharp thorns lashing out at any who dare approach. Like a hurricane of razors, Vrono snarls in defiance to anyone foolish enough to question Utgar’s dominion over Valhalla."

Spoiler Alert!

Vrono I’m taking as playing mainly with Raakchott, but of course, needs to be balanced with the other Dryan as well.

So, Tearing thorns I like, it gives off a real reckless pure unchecked aggression vibe which I think is very fitting. Drag along I have a couple of comments for. I really like the synergy between Drag Along and Raakchotts Consume the Dead, Vrono drags victims up to Raakchott who consumes their essence, nice. But it also gives insane mobility to Raakchott. Before taking a turn with Raakchott, take a turn with Vrono, Vrono drags, then Raakchott moves, if Raakchott starts behind Vrono, and gets put in front of him, he can move a very mobile 12 spaces in one turn (and can get put uphill by drag along).

I also thought that pound for pound he is far far softer than Girushia. With 4 defence 4 lives he isn’t exactly tanky, and with an attack of 3 his normal attacks are going to fail a reasonable amount of the time. So, if Tearing Thorns is triggering from time to time, he’s taking damage on his turn and then likely taking damage on your opponent's turn as well. That’s a lot of damage taking and I think will ultimately have him falling very quickly once in combat.

Based on his flavour text, I would probably have him hit a little bit harder. One option for this is to pump his attack to 4 which would also help his attacks get through a little bit more.

The other option (and my favourite) is to add a potential wound onto Drag Along. I think the theme of Drag Along is that it's not gentle, but it effectively gives the dragged figure disengage, so I can see it being used on Raakchott and functioning like a better carry. I like the power, but I think to reflect the “Dragging” I would add a -roll 1 attack die- mechanic to it, just like that on Eltahale’s Thunder Step. There was the option to have same-level in there as well, like talon grab. This means you can’t drag an enemy and put them downhill to attack them, but also that you can’t drag a friendly and put him on top of a hill.

Ultimately, I think I would add both the attack die AND the same-level clause. My reasoning is: the attack die helps him damage his target, so he doesn’t need to put them downhill so much to damage them. Further, I don’t think he is being gentle when “Dragging Along” a friend, so a potential wound for the cost of hypermobility seems thematic. The same-level clause also hurts positioning Raakchott with Drag Along because you can't place him uphill. I think this is needed because a potential one wound isn’t actually that high a price to pay on Raakchott when you can run Chana the Zenithwing and get healing for an extra 30 points.

Therefore, I have 2 versions of Drag Along. One where I have only tweaked the wording to be more consistent with the wording for disengage, as in the blade gruts (but otherwise I think it’s clear and concise anyway). And a second which is an updated Drag Along based on my suggestions.

Tweaked wording (net 2 fewer words):
Before moving Vrono, you may choose one small or medium figure adjacent to Vrono. Vrono is not attacked when leaving engagement with the chosen figure. After moving, place the chosen figure on an empty space adjacent to Vrono. Figures moved by Drag Along do not take leaving engagement attacks.

Updated ability:
Before moving Vrono, you may choose one small or medium figure adjacent to Vrono. Vrono is not attacked when leaving engagement with the chosen figure. After moving, place the chosen figure on an empty same-level space adjacent to Vrono and roll 1 attack die. If a skull is rolled, place 1 wound on the chosen figure’s army card. Figures moved by Drag Along do not take leaving engagement attacks.

One final comment is that with my updated Drag Along, he has the potential to drag an enemy squaddie, kill them, then attack a different one and kill that too. Might be strong with Raakchotts Consume Dead ability, but frankly, I don't think it is too strong for a 180-point synergy that still only gets you a maximum of 2 attacks (and a drag) per order marker.

Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss (or if you want me to DM you the rest when I get around to reviewing them I can do that too). But all in all, absolutely love these, I cant wait to get AoA figures proxied and on the board, and have these epic cards right there alongside them. Thank you for your hard work!

[Anitar]

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Gday!
So, first things first, WOW. You have done an amazing job here, phenomenal work on all of them. I am impressed with the powers, accuracy to their descriptions, and general high quality of these. Before finding this, I was feeling pretty bleak that the AoA figures, even with released cards, would ever find their way to our battlefields. But! After finding this (and realising we are only missing 7 faction cards) I am now amazingly optimistic that the community can get 7 customs approved as the “official” cards for these mystery figures. Ideally, I hope that C3V will “release” 7 custom cards for these guys, they get added to the sub-category of AoA figures, and then we as a community have that consistent AoA set of figures to enjoy. having looked at the customs you’ve made here, this is fantastic progress towards that goal. Naturally, I want to help in any way I can with that process! So, to add my 2 cents into the mix here, I will go through the 7 faction cards and nit-picked them as much as I can (ignoring point costs at this stage I think, that needs playtesting). Please take my extensive pedantic comments as a compliment, it reflects how excited I am by the customs you’ve made, so again, amazing work, well done!

Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Onshu the Welkineye
Very few comments, only that you can use and/or (as is used in Kato Katsuro)

Hm. I didn't notice there was any official precedence for "and/or" before (which is why I went with "or" and the unspoken intention that it's the inclusive "or").

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

and should expand sight to “line of sight”.

That, I should not. Most ranged powers use "clear sight" instead of "line of sight", which is not entirely the same mechanic. Projection works on both, allowing (for example) Ulginesh to activate Elf Wizards within Onshu's "clear sight" and use ranged attacks against enemies within Onshu's "line of sight". Not on the same turn, of course, because of how Mind Link works, but... details.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Girushia Grove Keeper

(...)Also, the Quasatch Hunters say “Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece” so for consistency’s sake, I would personally use that.

I'm following the precedent set by Halushia's Rouse the Glade, which refers to "figures adjacent to a tree or bush". It's a more recent precedent, and part of the same faction.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Also, you introduce the “may” clause at the start of the wording with “may roll the 20-sided die”, so given rolling is optional I don’t think you need it again on “may remove wound marker”.

That's fair. I've updated my personal copy accordingly, but probably won't go through the effort to update the thread unless there are mechanical changes.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Vrono the Brambletoth
(...)But it also gives insane mobility to Raakchott. Before taking a turn with Raakchott, take a turn with Vrono, Vrono drags, then Raakchott moves, if Raakchott starts behind Vrono, and gets put in front of him, he can move a very mobile 12 spaces in one turn (and can get put uphill by drag along).

Hmm. I don't honestly recall whether I even considered the possibility of Dragging an ally onto high ground; this power has always been intended for the opposite.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

I also thought that pound for pound he is far far softer than Girushia. With 4 defence 4 lives he isn’t exactly tanky, and with an attack of 3 his normal attacks are going to fail a reasonable amount of the time. So, if Tearing Thorns is triggering from time to time, he’s taking damage on his turn and then likely taking damage on your opponent's turn as well. That’s a lot of damage taking and I think will ultimately have him falling very quickly once in combat.

Yeah, Vrono's kind of doomed in the long run (and Raakchott is fine with that). The question is whether you try to postpone that doom with height advantage and low-Defense targets (treating Tearing Thorns as a risk you're taking), or embrace it by striking high-Defense targets (treating Tearing Thorns as a way to break through, with an acceptable cost).

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

I like the power, but I think to reflect the “Dragging” I would add a -roll 1 attack die- mechanic to it, just like that on Eltahale’s Thunder Step.

On that, I have to disagree. Too exploitable if it's used against enemies; if you want Vrono to deal an unblockable wound, you have to do it the risky way.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

There was the option to have same-level in there as well, like talon grab. This means you can’t drag an enemy and put them downhill to attack them, but also that you can’t drag a friendly and put him on top of a hill.

I think I have a better idea: "same-level or lower". It doesn't make much sense to "drag" someone to a location you can barely reach, but dragging them up a hill and using the slope to disadvantage them is a different story.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Tweaked wording (net 2 fewer words):
Before moving Vrono, you may choose one small or medium figure adjacent to Vrono. Vrono is not attacked when leaving engagement with the chosen figure. After moving, place the chosen figure on an empty space adjacent to Vrono. Figures moved by Drag Along do not take leaving engagement attacks.

An empty land space. For no reason other than game balance, we are not dragging anyone into molten lava.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss (or if you want me to DM you the rest when I get around to reviewing them I can do that too).

Nah, I'd prefer if you kept them here. It raises the possibility that someone else could respond to your points (or mine)... and it's free publicity, too.

Originally Posted by PouncingWolves

But all in all, absolutely love these, I cant wait to get AoA figures proxied and on the board, and have these epic cards right there alongside them. Thank you for your hard work!

It's reactions like these that make this worth all the effort.


=====================================


Results summary: Vrono the Brambletoth's power, Drag Along, now has a "same-level or lower" caveat added, in line with both thematics and my design intentions.

[PouncingWolves]

Onshu and Girushia
Fair call on the wording, I didn’t even think to check the wording against other AoA figures, but I agree they are more relevant references. Well spot! And there you go, you learn something every day, I didn’t know there was any difference between clear sight spaces and line of sight. Just “sight” it is.

Vrono

I think I have a better idea: "same-level or lower". It doesn't make much sense to "drag" someone to a location you can barely reach, but dragging them up a hill and using the slope to disadvantage them is a different story.

Agreed, the same level or lower makes sense, I like that.

Yeah, Vrono's kind of doomed in the long run (and Raakchott is fine with that). The question is whether you try to postpone that doom with height advantage and low-Defense targets (treating Tearing Thorns as a risk you're taking), or embrace it by striking high-Defense targets (treating Tearing Thorns as a way to break through, with an acceptable cost).

My only concern is I think Vrono is kind of doomed in the short run. To use Drag along on an opponent he must start next to them, which means he moves up next to them, has one attack (may or may not trigger tearing thorns). Then it’s their turn, if they engage him with a few things (my mindset is mostly squadscape), get some attacks in, maybe deal a damage or two. It's then his turn again. Technically you can move 0 spaces and sort of just “flip” an enemy onto a lower space, but I’m not sure this was the intended use. So, if he uses it to pull an enemy out of the pack, he’s probably taking a disengagement or 2 from the others who engaged him. Now if he took a damage on his turn from Tearing Thorns, and then a damage or 2 on the opponent's turn from their attacks, he now has to disengage an enemy or 2, and with only 4 lives may well see him die, or choose not to use Drag Along because he cant risk the disengagements. We would have to see how this plays out in playtesting, but I would be surprised if he ever killed more than a couple of squaddies before falling – so I think without the wound, in practice he would just get used to carry.

With a wound attached, it is definitely exploitable against enemies, I just feel that’s kind of the point. 50% chance of a wound on a small or medium figure, help him burn a little brighter before he gets snuffed out, and make it less appealing to use him purely for friendly repositioning.


I did consider the potential for lava dunking, again I just didn’t think its that much of an issue. Its something to think about, but I’ve had many games with wyverns on lava maps, and its rarely ever an issue because you rarely ever have maps with a land space next to a lava space, and the opponent keeps that in mind. The main reason I got rid of the land space is that it means you can’t put people in water, or swamp water. So I think that hurts him much more often (especially on high water maps like Ticalla Sunrise) than he will be advantaged on lava maps. Ultimately I liken it to the wyvern, I’ve never felt the wyvern was not balanced because of the lava possibility, and with flying and 7 moves and not having to start adjacent to the target it has still barely ever happened in my experience.
One final comment on the lava is that the target has to be adjacent to Vrono at the start of his turn. Meaning they have the option to disengage and run away on their turn if they don't want to be dunked in lava, which is not an option they would get with chain fighters or wyverns. I think it's fine (and fun) but that's just me.
That being said, if in the end the "land" clause is removed, I think you have to remove the same-level or lower update and go with just same-level, because that will give him access to all the lava puddles.

[chas]

Anitar,

A couple of questions after I played 6 of the 7 Kyrie for the first time.

1. As written, Loviatek affects all characters, not only those you own. Just want to check that that's what you have in mind. Same for Kilkorax?

2. How does Xiamara's Periapt work on a Squad figure?. Since its placed on its card, we played that it affects the entire squad, even though the wording says "figure."

3. Have you had time to playtest any of your AOA Customs? Will you in the future?

Chas

[Anitar]

Originally Posted by chas

Anitar,

A couple of questions after I played 6 of the 7 Kyrie for the first time.

1. As written, Loviatek affects all characters, not only those you own. Just want to check that that's what you have in mind. Same for Kilkorax?

2. How does Xiamara's Periapt work on a Squad figure?. Since its placed on its card, we played that it affects the entire squad, even though the wording says "figure."

3. Have you had time to playtest any of your AOA Customs? Will you in the future?

Chas

1a. Absolutely. It's very risky business, but you might be able to get some benefit from debuffing an enemy's Defense. Assuming they don't just smash you to bits with the extra Attack first.

1b. Just like Runa and Kee-Mo-Shi, friend and foe alike can fall to Kilkorax's nightmares, which is yet another reason it's important to give her Terrifying allies. Alternatively, use the friendly fire for a cheap Attack boost.

2. Same as Morsbane and the Glyph of Nilrend, the whole Unique Squad is negated even if that doesn't quite make total sense.

3. There's a world of difference between "having time" to do something, and actually doing it. At present, I don't have a convenient way to play this game at all, so any customs I make are more for the benefit of people like you. (That, and I enjoy the process of making them)