The Spellbook of Flesh to Stone

[Lazy Orang]

I'm thinking I'll add an OM restriction and start at 70.

PETRIFY
UNIQUE SPELL
70 Points

Start the game with 6 grey Stone Markers on this card. After revealing an Order Marker on this figure's card, instead of taking a turn, roll the 20-sided die once for each figure within 3 clear sight spaces of this figure that is not an Event Hero. If you roll 11 or higher, if that figure is a squad figure or a Common Hero, that figure is destroyed. If that figure is a Unique Hero, place Stone Marker on its card. A figure with a Stone Marker on its card cannot move, roll for attacks or leaving engagement attacks, or use any special powers on its Army Card, and adds 1 additional die to its defense. At the end of each round, remove all Stone Markers placed by this spell from the game. Figures with the Blind Warrior special power are not affected by Petrify.

[MrNobody]

What about something like Indigo-1 bombing? Is that still a valid strat? Drop I-1, Demona, and a bruiser in on OM3, then win initiative, force the opponent to move all their OMs to their hub if needed, and cast Petrify. Expensive, but worth it if you can smash a Xavier or a Mr. F while costing the opponent a bunch of OMs.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by MrNobody

What about something like Indigo-1 bombing? Is that still a valid strat? Drop I-1, Demona, and a bruiser in on OM3, then win initiative, force the opponent to move all their OMs to their hub if needed, and cast Petrify. Expensive, but worth it if you can smash a Xavier or a Mr. F while costing the opponent a bunch of OMs.

That's putting a lot of eggs in one basket, and if your 50/50 roll fails...
Honestly, if you're spending the points on this, Indigo-1 and a spellcaster, and it's only got a 50 chance of working, if you win initiative? I mean, it could be devastating, but it could backfire and you're pouring a lot of points into that strategy. And even if it does work, with the amount of points you've put into it, your enemy might be able to claw something back anyway.

[Lord Pyre]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

I'm thinking I'll add an OM restriction and start at 70.

PETRIFY
UNIQUE SPELL
70 Points

Start the game with 6 grey Stone Markers on this card. After revealing an Order Marker on this figure's card, instead of taking a turn, roll the 20-sided die once for each figure within 3 clear sight spaces of this figure that is not an Event Hero. If you roll 11 or higher, if that figure is a squad figure or a Common Hero, that figure is destroyed. If that figure is a Unique Hero, place Stone Marker on its card. A figure with a Stone Marker on its card cannot move, roll for attacks or leaving engagement attacks, or use any special powers on its Army Card, and adds 1 additional die to its defense. At the end of each round, remove all Stone Markers placed by this spell from the game. Figures with the Blind Warrior special power are not affected by Petrify.

Looks good to me Points are easy to adjust if needed.

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

That's putting a lot of eggs in one basket, and if your 50/50 roll fails...
Honestly, if you're spending the points on this, Indigo-1 and a spellcaster, and it's only got a 50 chance of working, if you win initiative? I mean, it could be devastating, but it could backfire and you're pouring a lot of points into that strategy. And even if it does work, with the amount of points you've put into it, your enemy might be able to claw something back anyway.

I agree here. You could also teleport Harley Quinn and be nearly as devastating. I think it should definitely be tested, but I'm not going to theory-panic over it.

[Lazy Orang]

I'll even make that the first test, to try to clear the air about the worst possible scenario.
The others will be more standard gameplay.

[Lord Pyre]

[MrNobody]

Yeah, to be clear, no panic here. Just trying to figure out what the cheesiest, most exploitable builds will be.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

Yeah, but if you're the oppontent, you can play around this, and not allow such a hub figure near anyone who could cast this. Ain't no way I'm letting Xavier near a spellcaster while this spell's on the table. And it's not instead of moving - it's instead of your entire turn. And it's not guaranteed. And the enemy can play around it, as I said.

Order Marker 3 on Nightshade. Pair with Blob and someone who has Magical Defense. Drop them next to Prof X. What's the smart play you're making now?

I guess you could just not put any Order Markers on Professor X next round. How many points is that level of intimidation worth? You just disrupted an entire round without even rolling. I'd say that's pretty solid.

Edit: Looks like MrNobody beat me to it. But, yeah, I think that's the competitive move with this spell. And I don't think it's that expensive a thing to pull, either.

[Lazy Orang]

Maybe this spell isn't worthwhile. Maybe there's so much else we've built up that the only way to play it is going to be boring cheese. Is that what you're saying?
Please respond, because if that's the case, I'm shutting this thread down.

[LordVenoc]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

Maybe this spell isn't worthwhile. Maybe there's so much else we've built up that the only way to play it is going to be boring cheese. Is that what you're saying?
Please respond, because if that's the case, I'm shutting this thread down.

Its nothing significantly more difficult to pull off than what you can do with Grey Gargoyle. His just isn't quite as widespread. I don't think an ability to be cheesy with something is cause for alarm like that. There'll be plenty of play with it that isn't just start zone bombing.

[Arch-vile]

Only one way to find out, IMO. It's got big competitive potential but I'd hate to write it off before testing. There are plenty of dials to tweak (raising the d20 roll, reducing number of markers, point cost) if it's coming in too strong.

[Lazy Orang]

I don't want to waste time testing something that's going to have to be priced out of standard play because of what some arsehole can do with it if they build a cheesy pod around it.