[AotV] Pre-Brainstorming Thread

[NecroBlade]

It may have come up in the Discord way back. Here's another power I came up with, not necessarily for these guys (though if it was the theme in my head is maybe their appendages were limited to either running or grappling/attacking at one time).


Move 7/Attack 1


[POWER NAME]
Before moving [unit], you may subtract up to 3 from [unit's] Move this turn to add that number to [unit's] Attack.

[Astroking112]

@NecroBlade I'm a fan of giving the Space Shrimp some variation of Iron Tough for the indirect Ozuul synergy. I like it slightly more as a renamed Iron Tough that doesn't protect against normal attacks, though, likely with 3-4 base defense to account for their weakness.

I'm not particularly sold on subtracting 3 from move to add 3 to attack, though. In most cases, it wouldn't actually be a decision point, since players would just either choose the attack bonus if they can or the movement if they have to.

@Pumpkin_King I thought that I remembered something along the lines of discussing the Shrimp snatching Order Markers off of defending figures, but nothing concrete comes to mind for me. If we want them to have light synergy with Ozuul, then I don't think that Order Marker removal is what we're looking for (the main benefit to him would be sticking enemies in place, when he already doesn't really want to be tied down in engagement). Some kind of way to keep up with him and an increased defense against Special Attacks would work better for him.

[Pumpkin_King]

Honestly, it would be kind of funny if they were some kind of void parasites - being able to be yanked along with his gravity fluxes without harm, having adapted to whatever form of life Ozuul is.

[Maklar the Silver Prince]

An idea I've been tossing around for the porcelain rhino squad was a shattering power, where they do damage to nearby figures after they are destroyed. I thought a neat combination with that would be a magical cheerleading power: you can use the rhinos as hubs to pump up your troops but you run the risk of them exploding on you; alternatively you can run them into battle but you lose out on a dice buff.

[lefton4ya]

Any thoughts on whether we should include a "standard rule" for the Magic:AotP sand terrain in our AotV master set? I was thinking we could make it like heavy snow/slippery ice where each map can designate whether they are using the rule or not, or if a map is set to use the rule it can still be optional. Just would be cool to have a new terrain type in tournaments.

Originally Posted by lefton4ya

So I think there are a lot of people, including involved in VC & C3G, map makers, tournament directors, and everyday scapers who would love anew terrain type for Heroscape. Well guess what, Magic:AotP gave us a new terrain type (besides Cryptoliths): Quick-Sand



Note this is different paint-job than Heroscape sand, but is 100% compatible. There are only a few pieces in each set:

• Arena of the Planeswalker Master Set: 2 1-hex sand tiles, 2 3-hex sand tiles (8 hexes)
• Shadows over Innistrad Master Set: 6 1-hex sand tiles, 3 2-hex sand tiles (cryptolith bases) (12 hexes total, 9 hexes with cryptoliths)
• Wal-Mart Bonus edition: AotP + Bonus: 1 7-hex sand tile, 2 3-hex sand tiles, 2 2-hex sand tiles 2 1-hex sand tiles (bonus 19 hexes + 8 in original = 27 hexes total)
• Also note that the sets come with cardboard mats and you may optionally make the sand on the mats be this "quick-sand" or not.

I would love to have agreed upon rules for this new terrain. This would be similar to "slippery ice" or "heavy snow" in that each map that uses the terrain can make the rules optional, but it should give map-makers a new terrain to design around. Eventually I'd like to see a C3V "master set" that uses AotP figures but also maps/scenarios with terrain from the sets using these rules....

Originally Posted by lefton4ya

Suggestions here:

• When you move onto a quick-sand space, your figure is trapped. The trapped figure cannot move from this space. The figure can move off the quick-sand only if a friendly figure occupies an adjacent space. @Hasbro - Same as Glyph of Proftaka (Pit Trap)
• Each time a figure without the Slither power moves onto a quicksand space and is not adjacent to a friendly figure, roll a 20-sided die. Add the figure's height to the roll. On a roll of 10 or lower, the figure is trapped and must end its movement this turn. The figure may move off a quick-sand space the following turn. You may count quick-sand as sand or water for special powers of any figure. @lefton4ya , addended by @Astroking112
• When a non-flying Small or Medium figure moves onto a quick-sand space from a non-quick-sand space, roll the D20. If you roll a 1, that figure is destroyed. If you roll a 2-5, that figure receives one wound. If you roll a 6 or higher, nothing happens. @killercactus from Fire Swamp
• Figures without the Slither power starting their move on quick-sand spaces subtract 3 from their move. Figures on quick-sand spaces cannot target non-adjacent figures for attacks. @Necroblade
• When you move to quick-sand space from a non quick-sand space, quick-sand must be counted as two spaces when moving. Nerfed version of Heavy Snow that some people house-rule.

[Astroking112]

I am against any special rules for the few 3D tiles that we have to work with. This is a Master Set meant to be a suitable introduction to the game, not a way of adding new terrain to the tournament scene.

Using just our normal set, any special rules such as quicksand would quickly become oppressive if they include the flat cardboard, and anything using the 3D terrain essentially means that we would have no normal height available for our scenarios. We could just say that these special rules are "off" whenever we need them to be, but if that's going to be 80% of our content (and require some text such as "Ignore these rules" at the start of most of our scenarios), then I'm more inclined to let fans come up with their own special rules for this terrain outside of the set if they want to.

The only terrain pieces that I could see us baking rules into are the "weirded out" spaces on the other side of the SoI sets (rather than being left for scenarios as we intended), but those are all in fixed layouts and it then limits what we can do in our scenarios even further. I'm not sure that map-makers will really want to use our scenario rules whenever they use those tiles, to be honest, so I'm not overly enthused about that idea, either.

[NecroBlade]

Personally I'd love to create a terrain rule for the sand tiles, but that's a fair point about it being the only hexes with height in this set. Either way I think I'll house rule them.

And I'd rather do the sand hexes than the weird tiles. As you say their fixed layouts really limit our options. So probably nothing new here.

[Astroking112]

I'll totally house rule the sand tiles for when I need quicksand. I just don't think that AotV is the place for building "official" rules into them, given how limited our terrain is.

[Captain Stupendous]

Had a kind of crazy idea for Kiora that I figured I'd throw out here. Might be too weird for the purpose of this set, but it can't hurt to see what people think.

Durnipia (Figure used: Kiora; based on the canonical character Durnipia, "Einar's Healer" as referenced in the bios for Valguard and the 10th Regiment of Foot.)

5 Life
5 Move
1 Range
3 Attack
3 Defense

FIELDS OF THE FALLEN
Whenever a small or medium unique hero within 4 clear sight spaces of Durnipia is destroyed, you may place that figure on Durnipia’s army card.

THE GIFT OF THE FALLEN
Instead of attacking with Durnipia, you may choose an adjacent unique hero and roll the d20. If you roll a 6 or higher, you may remove 1 wound marker from the chosen hero’s army card and move a previously destroyed figure from Durnipia’s army card to the army card of the chosen hero. For the rest of the game, the chosen hero may use the destroyed figure’s powers in addition to its own.

I think this unit would be a ton of fun to play, and allow for some really interesting armies based around unique heroes. I could definitely see how it might break the game a little too fundamentally for the purpose of this master set though. For what its worth, the wording for the power is actually semi-official, as it's based off the scenario rules for the Marvel Masterset scenario "A Very Mad Genius" on the last page of the Marvel rulebook.

I could also imagine a more restrained version of this power which would only allow figures to use special attacks on the destroyed figure's card, although I don't think this is quite as thematically true to what we know about Durnipia, since Valguard doesn't have a special attack.

Of course theres some potential timing issues with Finn and Thorgrim and the question of whether they go on Durnipia's card or somewhere else when they die, but I do think that's something that could be clarified with a R&C if we thought the power was worth it.

Anyway, feel free to let me know what you all think

[Pumpkin_King]

I like it. I think a goal in our limited discussions about this character was a healer with unique mechanics for healing, and that certainly fits that bill.

[Captain Stupendous]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_King

I like it. I think a goal in our limited discussions about this character was a healer with unique mechanics for healing, and that certainly fits that bill.

Thanks! After thinking about the ability a little more, I'm pretty sure that the chosen figure would need to be limited to a small or medium hero as well. The thought of Nilfheim with Vanish 9, Phantom Walk, and Dishonorable Attack is just too terrifying, even if it is a little difficult to set up. A revised version of the abilities would look like:

Durnipia (Figure used: Kiora; based on the canonical character Durnipia, "Einar's Healer" as referenced in the bios for Valguard and the 10th Regiment of Foot.)

5 Life
5 Move
1 Range
3 Attack
3 Defense

FIELDS OF THE FALLEN
Whenever a small or medium unique hero within 4 clear sight spaces of Durnipia is destroyed [during an opponent's turn], you may place that figure on Durnipia’s army card.

THE GIFT OF THE FALLEN
Instead of attacking with Durnipia, you may choose an adjacent small or medium unique hero and roll the d20. If you roll a 6 or higher, you may remove 1 wound marker from the chosen hero’s army card and move a previously destroyed figure from Durnipia’s army card to the army card of the chosen hero. For the rest of the game, the chosen hero may use the destroyed figure’s powers in addition to its own.

[NecroBlade]

Certainly an interesting power set. Might be a nightmare to make sure there aren't broken combos in there somewhere, lol.

Also an idea from the Discord for Arlinn down the line if we're still trying a Native American angle: some kind of "spirit of the wolf" power that pays homage to her MtG character as well as ties her thematically to VC's Teeth of the Makwa.