Ixe's Custom Units

[Ixe]

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

@Arch-vile he certainly can be useful as a counter, but you're right that he is neither sturdy or quite reliable enough for it. I'm contemplating giving him another pip in his life, but we'll see.

@Scytale you're probably right about him not being quite worth it for the mixed army, but I'm okay with having a thematic counterdraft. My reference may be a little too on the nose for Linux. I was contemplating burying it between his two names, like Osli Nux or something to that effect. Then I would have Linux OS hidden in his name.

@Lyrgard I'm glad you like his theme. He's that more than anything. I probably won't do any 0 power units in this wave (since this is the one power wave), but I'll consider it for something to try down the road.

[IshMEL]

Re: the name, maybe something that sounds the same but's spelled differently, like Lynix or Linyx? Or maybe "Torvald Ko"....

[Ixe]

Thanks again to everyone for commenting on my Mariedian hero. I'll think about assigning him a different name. In the meanwhile, I have just two heroes left for the wave. Let's bring that number down to one.

This is At-Atck, Clal-Chk Scientist from Deep Wars. The miniature is supplied unpainted and requires assembly.



NAME = Vrieze
GENERAL = Jandar
PLANET = Arctorous
SPECIES = Atckrin
CLASS = Scientist
PERSONALITY = Tricky
SIZE = Medium 4
UNIQUE Hero

Life = 6
Move = 5
Range = 5
Attack = 2
Defense = 3
Points = 110

FREEZE GUN
Start the game with 3 Freeze Markers on this card. After the end of the turn, if you have at least 1 Freeze Marker on this card, you may choose a figure within 5 clear sight spaces of Vrieze. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 15 or higher, the chosen figure is frozen. If the frozen figure is a Common Hero or Squad figure, destroy that figure and remove a Freeze Marker from this card. If the frozen figure is a Unique Hero, place a Freeze Marker on the figure's Army Card. That figure cannot move normally, attack, or make leaving engagement attacks and all of that figure's special powers are negated for as long as a Freeze Marker remains on its Army Card. If a figure with a Freeze Marker on its Army Card receives one or more wounds, remove all Freeze Markers from that Army Card.


Some designs are made simpler by having only one power. Some give you the room to try something a bit more complicated with it. Vrieze is one such case, his power being a thematic variant of Morsbane's Rod of Negation. As opposed to Morsbane's rod, Vrieze is still perfectly capable of turning his Freeze Gun on anyone, simply freezing and shattering those too weak to survive the cold. Heroes, however, are still very much alive and paralyzed under that layer of ice, just waiting for enough force to shatter their confines.

In practice, Vrieze is probably more thematic than good. While that Freeze gun is undeniably potent and game changing, it is not the most reliable of powers. His attack 2 also means that you probably won't put too many Order Markers on him to give him the chances he needs to pull off his power. Even if he does manage to freeze a critical unit on the opponent's side, they can always break them from the ice by attacking their own figure. Nevertheless, he is quite sturdy and his gun is relatively versatile, making him a possible option in a few counter-draft scenarios.

Fun fact, vriezen means freezing in dutch. If you want to try something weird with him, freeze a Greater Ice Elemental. As always, comments are greatly appreciated.

[Arch-vile]

That freeze power oozes theme. It would fit perfectly on a comic book Mr. Freeze custom. You already caught my concerns. A measly 2 attack & an unreliable freeze gun means Vrieze has a bad case of the Dunds - Order Markers commonly go to waste on him. Ignoring that, Vrieze actually has decent stats outside of his attack. He's bulky and 5 range isn't bad. Plus, when you do manage to freeze something important (like a bonding hero), it seems better than removing Order Markers (to continue the Dund comparison). I bet you could get the opponent's squads to attack his own heroes to unfreeze them.

So while Vrieze probably isn't reliable enough to be in a competitive army, his freeze hijinks will be hilarious, especially when he does something weird.

Originally Posted by Ixe

If you want to try something weird with him, freeze a Greater Ice Elemental.

By the way, I think you have a typo here:
That figure cannot move, attack, or make leaving engagement attacks and all of that figure's special powers are negated for as long as a Freeze Marker remains on its Army Card.

[yamissflash]

I love thematic powers. Plus freezing is always an interesting theme.

And as @Arch-vile said, is it that a typo with "take"?

[Ixe]

Thanks for the comments, @Arch-vile and @yamissflash . I'd imagine the opponent would have to attack their own hero in most cases to crack them from the ice.

In any case, here is the last hero and the end of the wave:

This is the Alpha Simian Giant from Dreadball. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted.



NAME = Solovar
GENERAL = Vydar
PLANET = Marr
SPECIES = Primadon
CLASS = Fighter
PERSONALITY = Wild
SIZE = Large 6 (double based)
UNIQUE HERO

Life = 7
Move = 6
Range = 1
Attack = 6
Defense = 4
Points = 160

PRIMAL THROW SPECIAL ATTACK
RANGE SPECIAL. ATTACK 4.
Choose an adjacent small or medium figure to throw and choose another figure that is within 4 clear sight spaces of Solovar. Roll 4 attack dice. Roll attack dice once for each affected figure. Each chosen figure rolls defense dice separately. If the second figure is destroyed, immediately place the thrown figure on a space the figure occupied. Otherwise, the player that controls the thrown figure places it on a space adjacent to the targeted figure, if possible. If the thrown figure cannot be placed, destroy the thrown figure. Figures thrown by Primal Throw Special Attack never take leaving engagement attacks.


Thematically, when the Primadons on Marr were facing the growing genetically engineered threat of the Marro, some of their scientists also dabbled in genetic experimentation. One such result Solovar, a titan among his people. He was trained to be a ferocious fighter, entering in hand-to-hand combat and eviscerating his foes with his enormous claw. His size also allowed him to learn an unusual fighting technique where he can pick up a nearby body and hurl it at the enemy to damage them both. He can even use his allies for this technique if need be.

His special attack is fairly complicated, jumping through a few hoops to avoid things like lava dunking and the like. However, single power heroes give room to provide these more complicated powers so it should work out right. When not throwing the enemy about the field, he is otherwise a veritable bruiser capable of tearing important heroes apart with his massive attack and sturdy survivability.

This concludes the single power sci-fi wave. As always, comments are greatly appreciated.

[yamissflash]

Another great custom @Ixe ! I like self-sacrificing powers and SAs.

Does Primal Throw Special Attack need a "roll attack dice once for all affected figures" line?

Anyway, is there an aspect of him that makes him only 150 points? He seems to be more powerful than Shurrak (160), maybe equal. His base attack is better, as there is no need to knock back a more likely to be dead opponent. Primal Throw has a lower attack, but is more versatile.

[superfrog]

Instead of "that figure's controller" I'd say "the opponent that controls that figure". It takes a few more words, but it's more 'Scapey.

[Arch-vile]

Very nice. Is Raelin on a perch? Throw her off and do damage to both her and an unfriendly squad figure all at once. Or Throw your own hero at an opponent's figure on a glyph in order to snag that glyph in one order marker.

Was the bonding with Death Chasers intentional?

[Ixe]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.
@yamissflash you probably have a good point about Shurrak so I bumped his points some more. If it weren't for the single power wave, I'd probably lower his life and defense and give him tough to put him closer to the point total I'd want.
@superfrog good idea but I've set it up so that you can throw your own figures.
@Arch-vile I'm a little on the fence about his personality. I'm inclined to make him wild, though I supposed I'd do ferocious if I wanted to avoid the bonding. I don't really mind if he bonds with the Death Chasers, I suppose. I also enjoy the versatility that his power can provide.

[superfrog]

Originally Posted by Ixe

Thanks for the comments, everyone.
@yamissflash you probably have a good point about Shurrak so I bumped his points some more. If it weren't for the single power wave, I'd probably lower his life and defense and give him tough to put him closer to the point total I'd want.
@superfrog good idea but I've set it up so that you can throw your own figures.
@Arch-vile I'm a little on the fence about his personality. I'm inclined to make him wild, though I supposed I'd do ferocious if I wanted to avoid the bonding. I don't really mind if he bonds with the Death Chasers, I suppose. I also enjoy the versatility that his power can provide.

"The player that controls that figure" is even easier, then.

[Ixe]

Thanks again to everyone for commenting on Solovar. That wave was a good exercise and has given me a lot of other ideas through the process of making it. Here's one that I had alluded to before.

This is the SSU - Specialists box from Dust Tactics. The miniatures are supplied unpainted.


This design uses the two figures on the left.

NAME = 72nd Spotters
GENERAL = Vydar
PLANET = Earth
SPECIES = Human
CLASS = Scout
PERSONALITY = Disciplined
SIZE = Medium 5
COMMON SQUAD

Life = 1 (2 Figures)
Move = 6
Range = 1
Attack = 2
Defense = 3
Points = 55

SNIPER STRATEGIC ATTACK BONDING
Before taking a turn with the 72nd Spotters, you may first take 2 turns with a Sniper Hero you control. That Sniper Hero may only attack during each of its turns. If you do not take any turns with a Sniper Hero you control, add 6 to the Range number of this Army Card.

DISTANT COVER 2
When a 72nd Spotter rolls defense against an attacking figure who is 4 or more clear sight spaces away, add 2 defense dice to the defending Spotter.


As opposed to how they are portrayed in some media, snipers often work in tandem with a spotter to help them make their shots. This team is representing that, where they can choose to put away their guns and pull out their scopes to give their Sniper Hero 2 shots that turn. They also understand the value of cover, able to use it to their advantage to be just a little bit harder to take out from range.

In practice, I think these guys show some promise for allowing someone to dust off Deadeye Dan or put my recent hero, Zidania, to use. The other two in the package will function as Common Sniper Heroes as well, which I will show in a later post. As a two figure squad, their attack bonding will be what keeps them relevant and allows them to get potentially two powerful shots to back them up. If the enemy is close enough, they can potentially muster 4 attacks in a single turn. Distant Cover should hopefully make them a little more robust to ranged attacks.

As always, comments are greatly appreciated.