Greater Ice Elemental discussion

[Robotech Master]

Originally Posted by Taeblewalker

Part of it is the fact that in the days when only a few powers, like Dragon breath and Elf Wizard spells, had any kind of supposed "energy" type, it was easy to ignore. People mused about how maybe Mimring should have Lava Resistance, maybe he shouldn't, but it didn't affect the game. Minor stuff like that. The Moltarns and Brunak seemed like their Lava Resistance was designned to help against Fireline and such, but there were very few powers with fire at the time, and we just accepted that Moltarns could swim through lava but still die from fire. Perhaps it was magical fire?

Once you introduce Elementals (beyond the exception of the Moltarns) into the game, as is being done on a larger scale, especially when water tiles are turning into ice, it's only natural to wonder about things like energy type, resistance/immunity and vulnerability. It would make things slightly complicated, but the real complication, IMO, is not keeping track of symbols on cards (if they could all be magically transmorphed into the new format) but, as has been said, that too much errata for existing cards would be needed.

A Heroscape reboot is not really needed, but the natural feeling is to question why lava men are hurt as much as yeti by fire and stuff like that.

Why is a being made of ice itself only resistant to small amounts of Cold damage? Why is a large air elemental insubstantial because he's made of air, but a Large Water Elemental isn't when he's made of water--or for that matter, why isn't a living cyclone insubstantial? Why isn't the Vicejaw Crocodile Aquatic? Why can a Horse only choose a human or an elf as its rider, and not any other medium sized humanoids, including half-elves?

These oddities remain, even when the system is there.

[ElvenEnvy]

I'm dissapointed one of my first ideas with this guy won't work. I thought Nerak's snow stregnth ability also worked on ice spaces, now I know it doesn't. Anyways you could throw the Elemental in a grut army. Park Nerak next to the elemental for a bonus and surround him with Orcs. Keep the aura guy alive and keep the rest of the orcs alive. You get a great diversion or a high attacker for the end-game.

Anyways it was a nice idea for a second.

[skyknight]

This fellow was kind of like my combat engineer in playtesting....I used him an awful lot for river crossings when the rivers were near the start zones. later you don't want to tie him that way but early its a good tactic.

[killercactus]

Originally Posted by ElvenEnvy

I'm dissapointed one of my first ideas with this guy won't work. I thought Nerak's snow stregnth ability also worked on ice spaces, now I know it doesn't. Anyways you could throw the Elemental in a grut army. Park Nerak next to the elemental for a bonus and surround him with Orcs. Keep the aura guy alive and keep the rest of the orcs alive. You get a great diversion or a high attacker for the end-game.

Anyways it was a nice idea for a second.

I wish he was considered a glacier - then the Dzu-Teh could hide next to him

[1Mmirg]

Originally Posted by Robotech Master

Why is a being made of ice itself only resistant to small amounts of Cold damage? Why is a large air elemental insubstantial because he's made of air, but a Large Water Elemental isn't when he's made of water--or for that matter, why isn't a living cyclone insubstantial? Why isn't the Vicejaw Crocodile Aquatic? Why can a Horse only choose a human or an elf as its rider, and not any other medium sized humanoids, including half-elves?

These oddities remain, even when the system is there.

I am grateful that HS keeps a simple, balanced system. Keeping track of hundreds of different units and synergies, etc., is enough for me. I like the elegance of the game.

I like that this is a game that my 4 year old can play, that my wife actually enjoys, that non-gamers can have fun with, that I can teach to someone in a single 30 minute scrimmage.

I enjoy the flavor of each unit developed through 1-3 well thought out specials. Kudos, again, to all the designers and developers for packing so much into a simple design. Love it.

[Dysole]

A friend and I were talking about a fun potential scenario. Have a map with several islands and water separating them and everyone gets an Ice Elemental. Water turns to ice for you only if your Ice Elemental is still alive. Another person's Ice Elemental won't turn ice to water for you.

Other option would be just to have them on that board and use a glyph of Brandar to allow you to put order markers on them. I'm sure there might be some kinks that need to be worked out, but we thought it was a cool idea.

~Dysole, who just gets a really cool mental image everytime he imagines the GIE freezing water.

[killercactus]

Everytime someone says "the GIE", for some reason I get this mental image of the Greater Ice Elemental decked out in bling with one pantleg pulled up, shooting a rap video.

G-I-E, P-O...P-P-A!
No water for the.... M-C-A!
Minions of Utgar mad, cause I'm spikey...


(I got nothin that rhymes with spikey, except Nike, and I couldn't come up with a good line there)

[Aldin]

Originally Posted by killercactus

Everytime someone says "the GIE", for some reason I get this mental image of the Greater Ice Elemental decked out in bling with one pantleg pulled up, shooting a rap video.

G-I-E, P-O...P-P-A!
No water for the.... M-C-A!
Minions of Utgar mad, cause I'm spikey...


(I got nothin that rhymes with spikey, except Nike, and I couldn't come up with a good line there)

"Bringin victory like the goddess Nike"?

(Note to our British English speaking friends - in American English it's spikey rather than spike which rhymes with Nike).

~Aldin, mythologically

[Therrian]

Originally Posted by killercactus

Everytime someone says "the GIE", for some reason I get this mental image of the Greater Ice Elemental decked out in bling with one pantleg pulled up, shooting a rap video.

G-I-E, P-O...P-P-A!
No water for the.... M-C-A!
Minions of Utgar mad, cause I'm spikey...


(I got nothin that rhymes with spikey, except Nike, and I couldn't come up with a good line there)

'They gave me a kick ass mini, me likey!'

[killercactus]

Originally Posted by Aldin

"Bringin victory like the goddess Nike"?

I actually thought of the goddess, but I couldn't get the line to flow to the beat of the song, which is "Tap my cell, or my phone in the basement!" but, I think I can go with:

Bring the win, like the Greek goddess Nike!

**pictures a GIE with his arms folded, a sideways baseball cap and 2000 lbs of gold hanging from its neck**

[southwest ninja]

Originally Posted by killercactus

I actually thought of the goddess, but I couldn't get the line to flow to the beat of the song, which is "Tap my cell, or my phone in the basement!" but, I think I can go with:

Bring the win, like the Greek goddess Nike!

**pictures a GIE with his arms folded, a sideways baseball cap and 2000 lbs of gold hanging from its neck**

It would have to be platinium, not gold. He is iced out right?

[Killometer]

I think that my favorite theroyscape use for these guys so far is to use them as a barrier for ranged units against melee units that can ignore standard screens-notably Orcs, but also any other unit with Disengage or Phantom Walk. Rats don't faze the Gruts, but a 4-hex wide, stabby-ice barrier will make them stop and think. They would be especially effective in an army where you could afford 2 or more of them.