Shiftrex Customs (06/04/22... New Wulfing Hunters)

[Shiftrex]

Thanks for looking, I'll get that wording error corrected.

I'll try to run some tests after picking something direct for it but I recall that last time I did this the single activation figure was quite underwhelming. I don't play draft/counter pick. Funny enough that was what I talked about in design notes is that the main complaint about 5e rangers is how their favored enemy trait works because it functions poorly if you are just locked into one species of enemy forever lol!

[AMIS]

D'oh!

Add a couple that would normally be enemies of them...Wolves, Doggins, Undead and / or hunters. It doesn't need to be one specific but it, to me anyway, should be specified.

[TheAverageFan]

Abalin: Definitely did great work on the theme with this one, and a great sculpt to boot Heroscape certainly lends itself better to Favored Enemy than D&D does just because games are short (honestly the D&D Ranger has plenty of problems beyond just the favored enemy niche and that's a whole other can of worms...)

I do think an auto-die on attack and defense is pretty strong though. You're looking at a 5/5*/7/5/6 at 70 points when it's working, with enhanced movement no less. A lot of armies have the same species as well, and even if they're highly mixed he can still at least ruin one specific hero's day at minimum. I could absolutely see him as a 2/2 default. Additionally the visual of him prancing across lava rivers seems rather strange. I guess he can only cross rivers 3-hexes wide at maximum which isn't too far-fetched a leap, but still. Could make it only work on land spaces if that's an issue. Or give him a Bound-type power like Kursus (or maybe even one that gives him two short leaps)

Nonetheless for a single-attacking Ranger hero he's much better designed than Brandis, so kudos on your work here.

~TAF

[Knox]

I love Abalin! Just got that mini myself!

[Shiftrex]

Thanks Knox! Glad you like him, let me know if the unit gets used in a game or two

TAF, yeah you have some good points there. I'll move him down to 2a/2, I'm not sure how to do multiple bounds without making the card a cluttered mess so I think I'll live with him bounding across 3 hex wide hazards, just ignoring land space effects doesn't matter with anything except deep snow. I think i'm ok with the visual of either just bounding or stepping on the bits of slag that hasn't turned to molten lava that should be peaking out of volcanic areas.

Great suggestions, edits will go in today.

[Shiftrex]

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AGENT FAUX
SHAPESHIFTING INFILTRATOR



The figure used is Changeling #018 from Rising from the Last War.

CHARACTER BIO:

Spoiler Alert!

TBD. Planned background to be from earth in the far future, same as Motely Max and Agent Carr

CARD TEXT:

Spoiler Alert!

GENERAL = VYDAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = CHANGELING
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = AGENT
PERSONALITY = TRICKY
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 5

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 7
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 80

MASTER OF IMITATION
You may reveal the X Order Marker on this Army Card before rolling initiative. If you do, choose a Human Hero figure that you control for Agent Faux to imitate until the end of the round. While Agent Faux is imitating another figure they will use that figure's class and personality instead of their own. If you would take a turn with the imitated figure you may instead take a turn with Agent Faux.

STARTLING REVEAL
Before taking a turn with Agent Faux you may exchange their place with the figure they are imitating. Figures moved by this power never take leaving engagement attacks.

PHANTOM WALK
Agent Faux can move through all figures and is never attacked when leaving an engagement.

DESIGN NOTES:

Spoiler Alert!

This is based off Mystique from Marvel's X-Men. An Agent that doesn't focus so much on the weapons mastery aspect of things but instead prefers to use mutant abilities to assume the identity of other humans. They can blend in, move as if they were that human, and you may even loose track of them when the startling reveal happens showing that not even you can tell them apart.

The theme here is that Faux will imitate a figure and is treated like them in a few ways to include their class and personality. When the imitated figure takes a turn, Faux can take that turn instead showing that they are "seemlessly integrated." The Startling reveal ability allows you to pull the 'Aha' moment that any master of disguise should have, the figure that you thought was Sir Dendrick was in fact Agent Faux! Or vice versa, allowing you to switch your heroes in and out of dangerous situations and mad-dash through enemies lines to carry out an assassination attempt. The trick here is that Faux can only imitate humans because they would specialize in mimicking them for covert operations.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

• AGENT SKAHEN: Cover Fire
  Having a Tricky personality, Agent Faux may benefit from Agent Skahen's COVER FIRE.
  

Synergy Benefits Offered

• [b]OTONASHI: Tricky Speed 4
  Since Agent Faux has a Tricky personality, if Otonashi starts her turn adjacent to him, she may add 4 to her move.
  
  COMMAND COURIER : COMMAND DISPATCH
  As a Medium Unique figure who follows Vydar, Agent Faux may take a turn when a Command Courier uses COMMAND DISPATCH.
  

Comments and ideas welcome! Agent Faux is in early design, drafted this up early in November and then ordered the figure in. I think that Agent Carr and Skahen are quite awesome but neither of them leverage the espionage assassin angle, Carr has swords on lock and Skahen has guns down so Faux will be the espionage and martial arts angle. Hope everyone can get some use out of this cool unit that goes deep behind enemy lines and has some unique turn flexing ability.

[SchismaticSounds]

Very interesting mechanic! I think she may be just a little underpriced judging by her stats, phantom walk and other potential. Referring to Agent Faux as they in the abilities is strange to me since she is unique. Maybe it's over my head. The list of Unique human heroes could be added to the synergies lists. Could pull them directly from Ebon Armor's book.

[TheAverageFan]

Originally Posted by SchismaticSounds

Very interesting mechanic! I think she may be just a little underpriced judging by her stats, phantom walk and other potential.

I was actually going to say Faux was overpriced at first glance since their main use would seem to be bailing an injured important bonding hero out of danger via Startling Reveal. But even then if you swap out Marcus or Gilbert for that 4 Attack you're losing their adjacency auras. But then perhaps I'm underestimating that 7 Move and Phantom Walk.

If Faux is overpowered you could swap out the X Marker from the beginning of the round to revealing it in order to use Startling Reveal so it's a once-per-round thing which makes more sense to me. And you could have it work without necessarily needing to take a turn with Faux which could make it trickier.

Referring to Agent Faux as they in the abilities is strange to me since she is unique. Maybe it's over my head.

I think either Faux is a them/they or as a shapeshifter their original sex is unknown or nonexistent a la the Tleilaxu Face Dancers in Dune.

~TAF

[Knox]

I'd like to see Agent Faux with 2-3 attack at a lower point total. Very interesting mechanic though. You can basically get Alistair MacDirk all the way up to the front of the battle with 7 move and Phantom Walk, then retreat him as soon as he gets a bunch of wounds - at which point your MacDirks are swarming. He's pretty deadly with the MacDirk army.

[Shiftrex]

Update to Xue Shen

Originally Posted by Shiftrex

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Xuè Shén
HELLSPAWN MONK



The figure used is Hellspawn Monk #008 from Darklands Rising.

CHARACTER BIO:

Spoiler Alert!

-TBD-

CARD TEXT:

Spoiler Alert!

GENERAL = VALKRILL
PLANET = ARCTORUS
SPECIES = CURSED
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = MONK
PERSONALITY = ARROGANT
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6

MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 90

SIPHON SOUL
When Xue Shen destroys a figure place a Soul Marker on this Army Card.

UNDERWORLD PRESSURE POINT ASSAULT
After moving and before attacking choose an adjacent figure and roll the 20-sided die. On a roll of 19 or higher, destroy that figure. After rolling the 20-sided die you may remove all Soul makers from this Army Card. Add 1 to your roll for each Soul Marker removed in this way.

CURSED SOUL DEFENSE
When a figure attacks Xue Shen with a normal attack you may remove a Soul Marker from this Army Card to subtract 1 from their attack number.

DESIGN NOTES:

Spoiler Alert!

A fun custom that I've had sitting around for a while. I've tweaked her a couple of times and am definitely a fan of the miniature, there couldn't have been a more ideal sculpt for a demon monk. Brings out the 1990s mortal kombat fan in me for sure.

I tied her first ability in with her personality, essentially it is her demon aura that we seen done with Valkrill a lot. Reducing the stats of all those around her without care once she is wounded enough to turn up the heat and fight for real. I imagine this character engaging in death matches with other demons and things from Valkrill as well so she doesn't discriminate on who she affects.

The second ability is the defining martial art style ability, at base stats she is comparable to some of the other human monks but when she is willing to push through and wound herself she embodies a very aggressive style of combat that disregards her body. This helps feed into her other ability and her personality as well, the answer for her isn't skill but just more power.

Whirlwind attack is a given on a powerful monk to let them stand their ground and is pretty staple in the faction so she can destroy a crowd of mooks. I also find it fun that while she does have the standard synergy that all monks have with the Ullar master, she can also be summoned by the Acolytes and if her thirst for blood isn't sated she spills the blood of her summoners. Really fun and thematic tie back to her name which is a basic Chinese translation of "blood god." Not to say that she is divine but she likely considers herself divine in the old kung fu movie or mortal kombat sense.

Update: This version fills some better themes and holes that I would like to see in the Monk faction.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

• SKULL DEMON : Valkrill Attack Aura 1
  As a Valkrill follower with a Range of 1, Xuè Shén may benefit from the Skull Demon's VALKRILL ATTACK AURA 1 ability
• MORGOLOTH : Demon Leadership
  As a Demon, Xuè Shén gains one additional move if you also control Morgoloth
• ACOLYTES OF VORGANUND : Blood Summoning/Dark Pact As a Unique Demon Hero, Xuè Shén may be chosen as a bound hero to be summoned by the Acolytes of Vorganund and may take turns with DARK PACT
• - MASTER LAO XIN : Sifu
  As a monk hero, Xuè Shén may benefit from Master Lao Xin's SIFU activation bonus.
• -MASTER WIN CHIU WOO : Master's Influence[/B]
  As Monk, Xuè Shén may benefit from Master Win Chiu Woo's MASTER'S INFLUENCE attack, and defense bonuses.

Synergy Benefits Offered
n/a

Comments and ideas welcome! Xuè Shén is in the later stages of design and she helps to fill out some things that I think the monks need, namely something to threaten bigger figures and cut through high defense. Also fills in the final spot for a monk hero if we were going for the completionist achievement in that class.

[Shiftrex]

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Skreek
FUTURISTIC SCOUT



The figure used is Jinsul Warrior #001 from Planets of Peril.

CHARACTER BIO:

Spoiler Alert!

-TBD-

CARD TEXT:

Spoiler Alert!

GENERAL = VYDAR
PLANET = ???
SPECIES = DOPAXEH
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = SCOUT
PERSONALITY = TRICKY
SIZE/HEIGHT = LARGE 6

LIFE = 4

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 7
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 90

TELEPORT BECON
Skreek starts the game with a Teleport Becon glyph on this Army Card. At any point during movement you may place Skreek's Teleport Becon glyph on any emtpy space within 7 clear sight spaces. At the end of a round, you must place Skreek's Teleport Becon glyph back on this Army Card.

TELEPORTATION DEVICE
At the beginning of Skreek's turn, before moving, you may reveal the X Order Marker on this Army Card and then you may place Skreek on the space occupied by its Teleport Becon glyph if it is otherwise empty. If you do, place the Teleport Becon glyph back on this Army Card afterwards. Skreek will not take leaving engagement attacks when he uses Emergency Evacuation.

DESIGN NOTES:

Spoiler Alert!

Wanted to create an alien species with this that has some thematic aspects to it like advanced technology and using a star wars esque blaster rifle. I think that the idea of creating a teleportation beacon requires enough set up to be fun and create an interesting choice of where you would like to return to but the limitation of once per round shouldn't make him impossible to pin down. This combined with the fact that someone can stand on his teleportation beacon to nullify it should help to mitigate a ton of end game kiting potential.

I see the role of this figure as being able to pick off or move safely around the outskirts of a battle in the early game to assassinate a particular figure with his superior range and reasonable safety of being able to beam out. The teleportation power should be used mainly to retreat as it is easily nullified for advancement but enemy figure placement and there isn't a ton of reason to use it to advance because it is a figure with a single attack. There should be some fun hit and run tactics to be used to draw enemy figures into more favorable terrain by placing the beacon early on, taking a shot and then next turn moving back to your beacon and shooting at any figures that advanced on Skreek.

This strikes me as what a futuristic scout would be capable of doing and how they would likely fight.

-Combinations and Synergies-


Synergy Benefits Received

• - LAGLOR : Vydar’s Range Enhancement Aura
  Being Vydar units with a range greater than 4, Skreek may benefit from Laglor’s VYDAR’S RANGE ENHANCEMENT AURA.
  
  - VENOC WARLORD : Scout Leadership
  As a Scout, Skreek may benefit from Venoc Warlord’s SCOUT LEADERSHIP movement bonus.
  
  - AGENT SKAHEN: Cover Fire
  Having a Tricky personality, Skreek may benefit from Agent Skahen's COVER FIRE.
  

Synergy Benefits Offered

• - OTONASHI: Tricky Speed 4
  Since Agent Carr has a Tricky personality, if Otonashi starts her turn adjacent to him, she may add 4 to her move.
  

Comments and ideas welcome! Skreek was designed a long time ago as a goal to branch out into some sci-fi customs because I don't generally do that or play with them. Fills a fun role in showing off how advanced technology can be used against weaker units by increasing mobility instead of just firepower.

[KnightOfLight]

Skreek is awesome! I love the use of the teleport glyph as it is not a mechanic that has been used before! Balance wise, he looks good, He has lots of cool synergy, and the glyph power seems like it would be really fun to use! Only thing I notice is that the second power is called "Teleportation Device", but the power text refers to is as "Emergency Evacuation".