[Pod 0] Velnesh Alphas (Leyline Phantoms) - AotV Testing

[Pumpkin_King]

To be clear I do like Stupendous’ ability idea as a defensive. We could give them 4 defense, 3 and Evasive 1, or just allow their 3 and a teleportation deterrent to try and carry them. Call it Reactive Teleport, Phase Reprisal, Counter Teleport, something like that.

[NecroBlade]

Just to restate where we seem to be at the moment, this seems to have the most traction durrently:

BLINK
Before or after moving, you may place a SPOOKY ALIEN on any empty space within 2 spaces of its current location. SPOOKY ALIENS will not take leaving engagement attacks while using Blink.

BLINK TRIGGER
After a SPOOKY ALIEN rolls defense dice against a normal attack and is not destroyed, it may immediately use its Blink Special Power.

[lefton4ya]

Seems good. The Blink Trigger makes them good against melee squads or heroes with multiple attacks, as well as can get you height advantage in certain circumstances.

[NecroBlade]

But they're also basically Ninjas 2.0 at that point.

[Captain Stupendous]

Originally Posted by NecroBlade

But they're also basically Ninjas 2.0 at that point.

That's why my original version of the reactive teleport was slightly different. I had suggested something like the following:

PHASE SHIFT
When a SPOOKY ALIEN successfully defends against a normal attack from a non adjacent figure, you may immediately place them on any space within 6 clear sight spaces that is adjacent to the attacker. A SPOOKY ALIEN will never take leaving engagement attacks when using PHASE SHIFT. [?You may then roll one unblock able hit against the attacker?]


I also like this as an alternate, slightly more powerful version:

When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from a non-adjacent figure, one shield will block all damage. After rolling defense dice, you must place the Spooky Alien adjacent to the attacking figure, if possible.

I still recognize that they're pretty similar to the ninjas, but I think that requiring them to end their teleport move adjacent to their attacker gives them the potential to be distinct.

[Pumpkin_King]

I like stupendous’s phase shift better than blink trigger. It’s more unique, has a built in range deterrent. I’d also make it optional.

[Astroking112]

I like Stupendous' idea as well. If we wanted, we could even go further with it and make it guaranteed:

Phase Shift
When a SPOOKY ALIEN is attacked by a normal attack from a non-adjacent figure and at least one skull is rolled, you may place that SPOOKY ALIEN adjacent to the attacking figure to ignore all wounds that would be inflicted by that attack.

I'm not a big fan of rolling an unblockable attack die since it would be a pretty potent counter to range of all kinds, although I do really like the concept. It makes them feel more aggressive than the Ninjas, who are required to end their movement unengaged when vanishing, albeit the statline and Blink in general will naturally lead to comparisons.

Making Phase Shift only work against normal attacks would be necessary if we're placing the alien adjacent to the attacker, I think. Otherwise, if an alien is attacked by the Roman Archers' Special Attack (or another theoretical ranged combination attack in the future), we'd need to make a R&C specifying who the attacking figure is, which could be a whole can of worms for editing.

[Captain Stupendous]

Originally Posted by Astroking112

I like Stupendous' idea as well. If we wanted, we could even go further with it and make it guaranteed:

I'm not a big fan of rolling an unblockable attack die since it would be a pretty potent counter to range of all kinds, although I do really like the concept. It makes them feel more aggressive than the Ninjas, who are required to end their movement unengaged when vanishing, albeit the statline and Blink in general will naturally lead to comparisons.

Making Phase Shift only work against normal attacks would be necessary if we're placing the alien adjacent to the attacker, I think. Otherwise, if an alien is attacked by the Roman Archers' Special Attack (or another theoretical ranged combination attack in the future), we'd need to make a R&C specifying who the attacking figure is, which could be a whole can of worms for editing.

But this version is an even more of a potent counter to range than the possibility of an auto wound, not to mention this ability would rarely ever trigger. Why would an opponent ever choose to attack these guys with normal range if he knows that there's no possibility of doing damage? I feel like in practice this version of the ability would play out just like a more complicated version of Thorian Speed. They still might be attacked every once in a while just to force them to teleport adjacent, but that feels unthematic. I much prefer for their teleport not to be guaranteed.

[Pumpkin_King]

I’m hesitant to change it to a “basically cannot be wounded at range” type of thing. It seems powerful.

[Astroking112]

I should specify that it's the unblockable attack die against ranged attacks that I think would be too potent of a counter (even if the teleport isn't guaranteed), albeit I could see the argument that it's practically no different than Evil Eye Defense. It feels more powerful to me to have a chance at killing the attacker than a guaranteed dodge by repositioning.

My reasoning behind suggesting a guaranteed dodge is that it's unique and still allows plenty of room for counterplay. The other player can set up "traps" by placing attacking squad figures together to ensure that the next attackers are adjacent to the target (and engaging them in general is an option for the attackers if they're not too far away), and with a range of 1, the aliens will already be prioritizing getting in close. We could always specify that an alien cannot be moved by such a power more than once per turn if it proves to be too strong, as well, although it's basically just a Stealth Dodge or Thorian Speed that allows more counterplay. I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only one to like this direction, though, since it is a little weird, and having a D20 roll or Stealth Dodge-like effect with the teleportation after a success will play basically the same way. I still support other methods of activation for the teleport as well.

[Pumpkin_King]

I’m definitely liking some form of “teleport to a ranged attacker”, but I’m not sure what direction for that I like.

[NecroBlade]

Riffing on that direction...

When a SPOOKY ALIEN is targeted for a normal attack [from a non-adjacent attacking figure], you may place that SPOOKY ALIEN adjacent to the attacking figure. A SPOOKY ALIEN moving this way will not take leaving engagement attacks.

Any particular reason it needs to be anti-range? Could it just be anti-normal?