Predator

[Splash]

The Wrist Nuke is an iconic part of the Predator, but I agree it may feel overused if it comes up in every game and I would love an excuse to represent more hunting tech.

It'd have to be something that hopefully wouldn't affect cost too much since I'd like to keep these ones and the Elder at the same price. 1.0 Predator offers a lot less in melee so I'd like to boost that a little.

AUDIO MIMICRY LURE
During transition, you may choose an unengaged enemy figure within 4 clear sight spaces of Predator and roll the d20. If you roll 11+, you may have the player who controls the chosen figure move that figure up to 4 spaces. Figures moved by Audio Mimicry Lure must be moved closer to Predator and, if they end their move engaged with Predator, have -1 Defense this turn.

I'm also hoping this gets across the eerie being hunted feeling.

Might want an exception for Deaf characters like Echo and Hawkeye since DD has Blind now.

[Karat]

Probably should be a must move otherwise they almost never would do the moving. Might take some inspiration from Medusa on that.

HYPNOTIC CALL 12
Before an opponent would take a turn with a figure they control that is not engaged with Medusa but is within 6 clear sight spaces of her and does not have the Mental Shield special power, they must roll the 20-sided die. If 12 or lower is rolled, that figure must move at least one space during its turn and must end its movement closer to Medusa than at the start of the turn, if possible.

[Splash]

During transition, you may choose an unengaged enemy figure within 4 clear sight spaces of Predator and roll the d20. If you roll 11+, the player who controls the chosen figure must use that figure's move action. Figures moved by Audio Mimicry Lure must end their move action at least one space closer to Predator and, if they end their move engaged with Predator, have -1 Defense this turn.

Is this better?

[MrNobody]

I'm a little skeptical about dropping the flashiest part of their kit for something that's less iconic. I don't have a ton of experience with these guys in 1.0 - Elder is really cool but I haven't gotten around to playing him yet. And before him the non-bomb of their toolkit didn't excite me too much as someone who didn't own Jungle terrain. (I think obstruction fundamentally makes their targeting more interesting in 2.0)

But was the bomb really that useless? It's always seemed like a really cool option - maybe not something that will come up every game, but a fun moment when it does.

[Yodaking]

The cloaking keeping him mostly safe from ranged attacks and the normal range 5 attack of 5+1 were the big draws for myself. The Jungle/Shadow stuff was just a nice bonus when it did come into play. Never really used the bomb myself. Predator usually died before I could arm it or before the bomb would go off. As such, although I did use the figure (usually when I could boost the normal attack via allies), I did find him a bit on the high cost side of things. So I do think you have some room to work with if you wanted to boost his melee fighting skills and keep the price the same for army building purposes.

Not sure how trying to get your opponent to willingly move adjacent to your Predator is going to work out. Maybe just take temp. control and move the figure adjacent to you if possible? Or do something with that claw weapon and just give adj. figures -1 defense when attacked. Then the attack options are melee 5 -1D, move + range 5A, or don't move + range 5+1 A. That covers the idea he has a whole took kit of weapons at his disposal pretty well.

[Splash]

The bomb is pretty iconic, if we kept it maybe to keep cost the same, something like this?

So I'm thinking maybe this, once you defeat the last Predator of an opponent's army (so we don't have 3 bombs in one game), that Yautja can set the bomb with a dying breath (including the Elder). I extended the range as well since it blows up the equivalent of 300 city blocks of rainforest in the movies.
Some thought on the opponent's part since the closer to the end of the round the last Predator is defeated the more likely they'll get hit by the bomb.

After initiative, if there is only 1 allied Yautja on the battlefield and that Yautja is defeated, you must reveal Order Marker X on that Yautja's card. If you do, do not remove the Yautja's figure from the battlefield. At the end of the round, each figure within 6 spaces of that Yautja's figure receives 2 wounds. Then remove that Yautja's figure from the batttlefield.

[Yodaking]

I do agree that having 1 bomb for all the Predators on your team would be better than every Predator arming it's own bomb and also prefer having it auto activate upon defeat rather than having to turn it on before you get hit. Also agree that the 3 range always felt off to me for what it represents. I'd be okay with going up to something like 10 range. In the recent video game you could try to turn it off before it went off instead of running. It was pretty hard to do, so you often just got blown up anyway, but we could add a mechanic that gave the opponent a chance to avoid it without being the Flash.

[Splash]

I think having it so it only works on the last Yautja in your army regardless if you drafted 1 or 4, and then making it more achievable, is a good way to balance it.

We could maybe have something where it goes off unless the Predator is destroyed. It's just the juggle of remaining life and when to reveal the X needs to be tightened.

This is the 1.0 power with a minor change. If we wanna keep close as possible, we could just get rid of the initiative requirement, and then limit it to 1/the last Yautja per game.

After rolling initiative At the end of your turn, you may reveal an "X" Order Marker on this card. If there is a revealed "X" Order Marker on this card when you reveal your Order Marker 3, before taking your turn, each figure within 3 spaces of this Predator receives 2 automatic wounds and then this Predator is destroyed.

[Splash]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

I do agree that having 1 bomb for all the Predators on your team would be better than every Predator arming it's own bomb and also prefer having it auto activate upon defeat rather than having to turn it on before you get hit. Also agree that the 3 range always felt off to me for what it represents. I'd be okay with going up to something like 10 range. In the recent video game you could try to turn it off before it went off instead of running. It was pretty hard to do, so you often just got blown up anyway, but we could add a mechanic that gave the opponent a chance to avoid it without being the Flash.

Yeah, thank for the feedback YK, I think we can hone in on something like that. Danny Glover did stop the bomb in Predator 2, so I think having a wide range, but still keeping it stoppable, but with difficulty would be good.

[Splash]

From the avp wikia

When a Yautja is on the verge of death or defeat, he will activate the self-destruct device built into his wrist gauntlet. When activated, the Self-Destruct Device takes several seconds time to charge, and it begins a relatively short countdown, indicated on the digitized display. Known instances of reversing the process are scarce, although destroying the device while it is counting down has been known to prevent detonation.

[MrNobody]

So if you’re running an all-Predator army, it’s basically a last hail mary chance to tie the game?

[Splash]

Okay, sorry for all the spitballing here, but I think this is the best way to do it. If your last Predator gets down to 1 Life you have to reveal the X and the opponent gets one turn to stop it. If they don't everything blows.

It doesn't activate on defeat, but I think this'll be an interesting dynamic of wanting the Predator to get to 1 Life. The chances of it working are still more than 1.0, but it won't happen every game. I think this will also still keep them on points.

If there is only 1 allied Yautja on the battlefield and that Yautja has only 1 Life, you must reveal Order Marker X on that Yautja's card, if possible. If you do, at the start of your next turn, if that Yautja is not defeated, each figure on the battlefield receives 1 wound.

The whole battlefield is better than counting 10 I think and Dutch got to the choppa, so with a lowering to 1 wound I don't think it's too ridiculous in practice.