Boot Camp of Valhalla--Draft Chosen!

[All Your Pie]

This thread is for centralizing and maintaining all aspects of the design process for this round of the Boot Camp of Valhalla. I am creating this thread in order to organize the discussion and to have a consistent place to collect and update relevant information.

For reference, this is the miniature we have chosen to work with:

(Thank you bmon for the mini photos)

Rest of old OP:

Spoiler Alert!

I am going to attempt to represent what major themes have been represented in discussion so far and try to summarize how best to proceed. That said, this is a community project, so of course I am simply one of many voices in the discussion. If I have missed an aspect or topic of discussion or have suggested a structure that does not seem like an effective, please don't hesitate to speak up.

So the way I see it, we have a fairly broad consensus that this miniature should represent an Elf Unique Hero who follows Ullar (though feel free to mention if you have an argument otherwise). A lot of individual ideas for powers or aspects to represent in the miniature have been floated, but I think we would be best served by deciding on a broader direction before we become too focused on smaller details. My reading of the discussion so far has presented three options.

One, a highly synergistic Leader-type figure for elves or Ullar as a whole. This direction would include either highly synergistic powers or a bonding class such as warlord.

Two, a standalone hero with little to no synergy apart from their species. This design would focus on the battle capabilities suggested by the miniature to create a standalone hero that fits in with the elves more thematically than mechanically, in the vein of Sonlen.

Three, a hybrid option that includes some softer synergy without being completely a leader-type figure. This option should not seem like trying to simply do both of the above, but about creating a unit that obtains value both through synergy and its own combat potential.

At the moment, I think it would be best to discuss these options and potential directions to take with them before putting things to a poll. Polls, when done, will simply be done by post rather than the poll functions on 'scapers. This is because we will probably be doing a few polls in this process and I don't want to make separate threads for each one, or leave a long-irrelevant poll hanging over the thread throughout the whole process.

I will keep the second post of this thread updated with all finalized or largely agreed-upon aspects of the design. That is not to say that anything there can't be debated, just that to my knowledge there is a fairly strong consensus behind it.

Additionally, I feel I would be remiss not to mention that while I have already seen a lot of great ideas so far, a lot of them aren't going to end up on the finalized card. That doesn't mean that those ideas aren't good, it's simply a fact of design--a better end result will use a few ideas refined to their full potential as opposed to many ideas all trying to share the same space. Ideas will be thoroughly critiqued on this thread, but this is simply for the sake of designing the best unit possible. Even if your ideas are being rejected, please don't get discouraged! This is a group effort, and everyone's participation is valuable.

With that (somewhat lengthy) preamble out of the way, feel free to begin the discussion. I will weigh in myself at some point, but since I'm maintaining this thread I will try to take a backseat on the actual direction of the unit.

The rest of this post will serve as a directory for the process. The second post will contain the most up-to-date version of the unit.

Boot Camp of Valhalla Draft Voting Thread
--For use in referencing other drafts that did not win and for measuring their relative popularity.
Beginning of Discussion on Winning Draft

[All Your Pie]

Original Design Draft (assembled by Tornado and voted on by the 'Scapers community)

Spoiler Alert!

Queen Listaria

Ullar
Elf
Unique Hero
Queen
Resolute
Large 6

Life = 5

Move = 8
Range = 1
Attack = 5
Defense = 4

POINTS = 150??

ULLAR'S BATTLE DANCE
After rolling defense dice for a figure that you control within 4 clear sight spaces of Listaria who follows Ullar, you may move another figure that you control who follows Ullar up to 4 spaces. If a figure moving with Ullar's Battle Dance is engaged when it starts to move, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks. Ullar's Battle Dance can only be used once per turn.

ELVEN BATTLE CALL
If Listaria is engaged, then all Elves that you control, except Listaria, move one additional space.

SNOW STRENGTH
Add 1 to Listaria's attack and defense while on a snow space.

Current Design:

Queen Listaria

Ullar
Elf
Unique Hero
Queen
Resolute
Large 6

Life = 5

Move = 8
Range = 1
Attack = 5
Defense = 4

POINTS = 150??

ULLAR'S BATTLE DANCE
After rolling defense dice for a figure that you control within 4 clear sight spaces of Listaria who follows Ullar, you may move another figure that you control who follows Ullar up to 4 spaces. If a figure moving with Ullar's Battle Dance is engaged when it starts to move, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks. Ullar's Battle Dance can only be used once per turn.

ELVEN BATTLE CALL
If Listaria is engaged, then all Elves that you control, except Listaria, move one additional space.

SNOW STRENGTH
Add 1 to Listaria's attack and defense while on a snow space.

[Astroking112]

Personally, I like the idea of a hybrid unit with some elements of synergy but being able to fight on the frontlines as well. The sculpt looks like a fighter to me, but I can also see some arguments being made about the Elf being of royal blood or having some ties to the other Elves.

If we did want to go this route, though, we would need to think about which Elves she is "designed" to go with. The Elf Wizards can be reasonably ignored, but the Aubriens and Warriors of Ashra are both wildly different, both in mechanics and in theme. There's also the idea of making her like Syvarris or Sonlen in that she can work with the other Elves, but she can also work in many different other armies.

[Lazy Orang]

The mini feels like it lends itself to someone who leads from the front, so I'll say Option Three.

[Ericth74]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

The mini feels like it lends itself to someone who leads from the front, so I'll say Option Three.

Agreed

[bmon]

I agree with option 3.

There's something about the figure that does not feel terribly leader like. I think it's just that the rider is smaller in relation to the other elves. I know history is peppered with leaders small in stature, but it does feel odd. I can try to snap some pictures of the mini alongside the likes of Aubrien archers and WoA. That might help show what I mean.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by bmon

I agree with option 3.

There's something about the figure that does not feel terribly leader like. I think it's just that the rider is smaller in relation to the other elves. I know history is peppered with leaders small in stature, but it does feel odd. I can try to snap some pictures of the mini alongside the likes of Aubrien archers and WoA. That might help show what I mean.

Just make her name an anagram of Napoleon.

Honestly, doesn't bother me - the figure looks regal and the pose looks commanding. That means more to me than physical stature here.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

I suspect the ideas I’ve submitted thus far would fit in Option 3.

Snap judgments in favor of size and brawn, over courage and intelligence? See David and Goliath.

Anyways, the Wolf is intimidating enough.

[MrNobody]

Option 3

[flameslayer93]

I’m comfortable with Options 1 or 3. A standalone unique hero does not sound inspirational enough to have a solid chance at entering the SoV, especially if the unit in question probably won’t do much other than fight and receive slight synergies.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Current Consensus
Elf, Unique Hero, Ullar

Current Discussion
What direction to take: Synergistic/leader type figure, standalone figure, or a hybrid of the two?

BTW, All Your Pie, thanks so much for taking over the lead on this!

[Lazy Orang]

I like the idea of her being a front line leader for the Warriors of Ashra, possibly the Elf Queen of that city. Not sure how she should help them yet, though...