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Custom Units & Army Cards Fan-created HS army cards for units, glyphs, and equipment |
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#1
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Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs (army card p2)
Since the wave 9 previews I've been thinking about what kind of custom would be good to help the poor beleaguered Deathwalkers & Zettians, and when I saw the new Terminator Salvation slurpee-straw-toys in my local 7-11 I spotted one that I thought looked just perfect for an Utgar Soulborg theme:
This is the "mototerminator" and it's basically a self-driving motorcycle with a cyborg brain. Perfect for a transport unit in Heroscape, since all units require some kind of sentience. They are $1.89 apiece at 7-11, made of semiflexible Heroscapesque plastic, and fit almost perfectly on a Mimring or Grimnak double base. (They are not even mounted to the base shown in these pictures, and thus make a trivially easy mod.) So I'd like to collect some gameplay feedback on my mod. I'm looking for help with costing and game balance; I do not need any wordsmithing at this stage. I would consider it a great personal kindness if you would read the proposal and the design notes before responding. Objectives:
DEATHCYCLE"Relentless" is not a perfect theme fit, but perhaps may slightly help Khosumet. LIFE 1I intentionally want this thing to have a sucky normal adjacent attack (it's just a sideswipe, after all). The special attack below is the real powerhouse (and even that is deliberately limited). Not really sure on the Defense. Haven't done any kind of analysis on the point cost yet, but I want them to be as affordable as possible, since this is a "magic bullet" intended to help several other units. I'm trying to think Isamuish thoughts: cheap but chancy as an offensive unit. UTGAR UNIQUE SOULBORG TRANSPORTYeah, I'm saying "Deathcycle" too many times. Yeah, that's how Heroscape cards are written. I'll be re-vetting the wording conventions after the functions are locked in. Instead of (or in addition to) "unique", I'm tempted to say "two-legged". This would make sure that future animal-shaped Utgar Soulborgs can't ride motorbikes, but it just seems clumsy. I'm hoping "unique" will be good enough. Inspired by wave 9, I was also trying to implement "bonding that isn't bonding". Granted, both the bike and the rider can never attack in the same turn, but they can both move (and the rider can essentially move twice). I'm torn between making this a unique squad and a common hero. Unique squad provides control over the maximum number of Deathcycles that a player can bring to bear (and I like my customs to be unique due to the cost/difficulty in producing them) — but common hero limits the number of moves you get from a single order marker. Moving all three of my Deathwalkers on the same order marker is pretty scary ... but then again I am trying to make them scary in my house again. FIXED GUN SPECIAL ATTACKThe idea here is that the guns are mounted to the frame; so you have to point your entire cyborg-cycle self at the target. There are guns front and back, so this unit is similar to Mimring's Fire Line SA, but can only fire along one axis. I want this attack to be scary to the opponent, but tricky to set up; so he can hide from it with some work on his part, but when I outmaneuver him (or he forgets) then it could be a painful lesson. The built-in limited Double Shot was more for theme and fun than any real gameplay need. DISENGAGEThis unit has too many specials; no question about that. Sonya is the only unit with four, and this monstrosity currently has five. You'd think Disengage would be a good one to cut, but doing so would actually lengthen the card because the other specials would then need clarification one way or the other. (Its was surprising how much other game text I was able to cut when I finally gave in and added Disengage.) I think I need an adjective here, like DOUBLE DISENGAGE or CONFERRED DISENGAGE, or something. Those both suck, of course, but this is more than just the usual Disengage and thus cannot use the exact same title. Perhaps JOINT DISENGAGE? JUMPThe idea here is kind of a "Super Leap but only across or down". This is not needed for gameplay, but how on earth can you render a motorcycle and not let it jump over creeks and ditches? Well, I guess it is needed for gameplay somewhat, because this is sort of like CLIMB X4 (but only works in the down direction). This one is a tricky compromise between text length and understandability; I hope it's clear how it works. DEATHSHIELDThis is pretty much the must-have effect: make Deathwalkers harder to kill. It doesn't have to take this form, but I think if my unit doesn't confer some kind of survivability bonus on 7000/8000/9000, then it has failed. I'm still looking for a better title for this one. Good traders: tdemirji, AbsintheAddict, Blubberguy22, Toa Matoro, SuperSamyon, Bl1ndsn1per, Ericth74,
Clipper423, Oh Freek, Nikkomon, DarthBaggins, quizzcode, Astroking112 & more on my trade list Last edited by Just_a_Bill; July 8th, 2009 at 09:50 PM. |
#2
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
If it's going to be a hero, you DEFINATELY need more defense. A squad is probably better, and I don't think the Jump ability is necessary. It will help make room for the other abilities.
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#3
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
A laudable project and goal, Bill.
You mentioned that this monstrosity has five powers. They're all intriguing, but if you're looking to cut one, my vote goes to Jump. The others seem more essential to your goal of improving the Deathwalkers' viability. I also vote to make them a unique squad, partly because the game can use a few more of those and partly because it would make it easier on those who'd like to use your custom card to buy the figs. Are these cycles big enough in scale to look like they'd plausibly carry DWK9000? That's a BIG motorcycle. |
#4
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
Could you take a picture of one of those next to all the Utgar Soulborgs?
I'll have to pick some of those up ASAP. Circumcision? HIS body, HIS decision. A person should have the right to their own body. "Sometimes you're right but you're always an asshole." - Anonymous neg rep |
#5
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
I really like your thoughts here about helping out the DeathWalkers and the Zettians. I also like the cool find.
My response to the squad or common hero question. I really like the idea of 2 or more of these things moving at a time, but to keep the precedent of each figure in a squad being different, I think I like the common hero idea best. Unique is not a bad idea, but it seems to limit the unit, and the DeathWalkers are limited already. As for the special abilities, I think Disengage and Death Shield are a must, but I agree that Jump may not be needed. I was also thinking that combining/altering the Fixed Gun Special Attack and the Utgar Unique Soulborg Transport might be easier if you combined it into a Cover Fire kind of special ability. If the unit ends up being a common hero, still allow two attacks, but maybe allow a Unique Soulborg that follows Utgar to move up to X spaces if you inflict a wound from an attack etc... Maybe: SUPPORT FIRE SPECIAL ATTACK Range 8. Attack 5. Choose a figure to attack that is on a space in a straight line from Deathcycle’s front or rear. Deathcycle can attack up to 2 times with Support Fire Special Attack as long as one targeted figure is in front of Deathcycle and the other is behind. After each attack, you may move one unique soulborg that follows Utgar, you control, within X clear sight spaces of the Deathcycle that attacked this turn, if they Deathcycle inflicted any wounds. I know that combined special is a wordy, but it's a rough idea/suggestion. Again, I like the idea you have here. Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. Hymar's_Temple 1moreheroscaper's_Customs War_of_the_Great_Wellspring |
#6
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
I think instead of being transports, they should be Scouts with an aura that reduces the defense of enemy units in range when being attacked by an Utgar Soulborg.
Basically a negative Raelin that reduces the defense of the enemy by 2, but the defense reduction only applies when the affected figures are rolling defense dice against an Utgar Soulborg. That way it helps all the Utgar Soulborgs, but since the Deathreavers only have 1 attack it wouldn't help them as much. Make them a unique squad of 3, and give them a defense of 5. Circumcision? HIS body, HIS decision. A person should have the right to their own body. "Sometimes you're right but you're always an asshole." - Anonymous neg rep Last edited by ParaGoomba Slayer; June 16th, 2009 at 01:13 PM. |
#7
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
Thanks for the feedback everyone. It certainly sounds like cutting Jump is the way to go. (It's funny how sometimes we need other people to nudge us into doing what we already "knew", consciously or otherwise, we needed to do.)
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Good traders: tdemirji, AbsintheAddict, Blubberguy22, Toa Matoro, SuperSamyon, Bl1ndsn1per, Ericth74,
Clipper423, Oh Freek, Nikkomon, DarthBaggins, quizzcode, Astroking112 & more on my trade list |
#8
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
After seeing the comparison shot of the the Deathcycle and DW8000, I think your carry-type special ability would be fine--I can see a Deathwalker getting on the cycle.
Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. Hymar's_Temple 1moreheroscaper's_Customs War_of_the_Great_Wellspring |
#9
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
They're basically the same size as a Deathstalker. They come packaged with a plastic slurpee straw and a nice little stand that will serve as a base until I get more spare double hexes.
In comparison to the other Utgar Soulborgs: Circumcision? HIS body, HIS decision. A person should have the right to their own body. "Sometimes you're right but you're always an asshole." - Anonymous neg rep Last edited by ParaGoomba Slayer; June 17th, 2009 at 05:24 AM. |
#10
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
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#11
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
These are cool!!
I live across the street from 7-11. I need to get me some |
#12
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Re: Just_a_Bill's Deathwalker helper customs
Everybody lives across the street from a 7/11.
Circumcision? HIS body, HIS decision. A person should have the right to their own body. "Sometimes you're right but you're always an asshole." - Anonymous neg rep |
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