ZB's Custom Talk -- featuring TRUTH'S LANDARIANS

[ZBeeblebrox]

Originally Posted by rouby44

The cloud warriors would be pushing broken if they were common because of their extreme movement abilities - at least 9 spaces and potentially a lot more considering their ability to "jump". Not to mention there's only one other common squad that has multiple special attacks, and that one comes at a reasonable risk (WoB).

I never seen them as broken as a common squad, especially if you cost thme at 100 pts. All agile does is add a sense of flying, wothout making them fly. At max they have a threat range of 9, including "jump" because they can move 6 spaces and them jump the last three. when you make them common, they are more of a Bread and Butter unit like Killometer mentioned.

Originally Posted by Uchiha Blood

I also saw another Landarian who was not made by Truth, perhaps we should include that unit in the custom talk. Its here: [The Barracks]. It is the 24th card down. Called Arrica the Cloud Princess by Netherspirit.

The Landarians by Truth open up Heroscape to a new faction. Nether's Arrcia expanding on the faction at a later date. Let's just concentrate on Truth's Landarians right now, and we can always mention any other customs that expands on the Landarian faction.

[Toad Rocket]

Okay, I did take only a quick look at them, but here are my initial thoughts

The cards need to be tweaked to make them more playable.

Making them common squads would be the first step.

Rewording the powers for the guards and warriors might be needed. Having an 'up to ten levles' or 'ten levels or more 'instead of just the strict ten spaces.

For the guards I would consider getting rid of that second power because it is boderline useless. Granted they might be good at attacking castles, but thats about it. To make them more playable I would Turn that power into a plus one attack bonus vs flying units (or something like that).

I will have more thoughts when I get a chance to look at them closer and think about it more.

[ZBeeblebrox]

Hi everyone, sorry for the drop off on this project...but I got sick and have not been to work for 3 days...and work is the only access I have to the internet at the moment...unless I go to the library. I hope to have more discussion about this soon...

-ZB, surviving a summber flu...

[Toad Rocket]

crud, my long breakdown on the units is gone becuase of the minor crash we had the other day.

Not sure if I want to do that all over again....

Also, I was asking what the ultimate goal for this discussion is. Are we just looking at old customs and reviewing them for fun? Are we planning to tweak them as needed? Or what?

My opinion on this group is that they are not balanced/playable as is.

My Summary
Elentar under costed for his stats and powers (compared to Grimnak)
Warriors need one power rewritten and perhaps a few other tweaks
Guards MUST have one power rewritten or completely changed (plus perhaps a few other tweaks)
These guys are a group that has great potential, but they currently fall short of it.

[ZBeeblebrox]

Originally Posted by Toad Rocket

Also, I was asking what the ultimate goal for this discussion is. Are we just looking at old customs and reviewing them for fun? Are we planning to tweak them as needed? Or what?

Good question ToadRocket...My inspiration was my feeling that customs in general were hard to fit into niches like the official units. I was hoping to introduce old customs and see if we could evaluate them like we do official units. If a unit needs tweeked by majority decision, then I hope to get permission to tweek it so it fits. But I do not want to make wholesale changes to the unit and change the vision of the original author.

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I’ll do some breakdown in pieces…starting with the Leader.

Elentar:

Cheerleader – (close to the abilities of Grimnak)

Cost is good, a less chance to to auto damage like Chompy so 10 less points is good.

Love the abilities… in my opinion he’s good as written.

I’d grade him a B+ unit (a little less than Chompy's A-)

I still feel the Landarians would be a nice addition to the Elven Army.
But that would probably change Truth’s vision of them; so if they were to stay as is, then more additions would be needed to flesh them out.

Next up: my take on the Cloud Warriors.

[ZBeeblebrox]

Cloud Warriors::

Shark – (lower defense, and only a Unique squad make them vulnerable.)

Cost works as a Unique squad, if you made them common I would suggest a cost increase to 100 points.

Love the abilities… they ooze theme.

I’d grade them a B+ unit (not a bad melee unit…with an interesting ranged special, but 3 Defense rates them lower than Knights)

I still feel the Cloud Warriors would work as 100 pt common squad,
But once again this is Truth’s vision of them; so if we were to agree that they should be common, then Truth would have to agree.

Next up: my take on the limited Sky Guard.

[White Noise]

Originally Posted by ZBeeblebrox

Cost is good, a less chance to to auto damage like Chompy so 10 less points is good.

But what he lacks in guaranteed auto damage he makes up for with flying and higher stats, IMO.

[Toad Rocket]

Originally Posted by ZBeeblebrox

Good question ToadRocket...My inspiration was my feeling that customs in general were hard to fit into niches like the official units. I was hoping to introduce old customs and see if we could evaluate them like we do official units. If a unit needs tweeked by majority decision, then I hope to get permission to tweek it so it fits. But I do not want to make wholesale changes to the unit and change the vision of the original author.

Hmm, ok. My concern with this is that it might end up being an exercise in futility. If we take them time to evaluate old custom into current niches that nobody uses then why are we putting forth the effort? Especially if some part of the unit card is flawed (like the guards "watch the sky power"). I am not trying to be negative ned, I just feel that if this is going to be a long term sustainable project it will need to have some value built into it otherwise people will loose interest pretty fast.

Making old customs a better or playable is a good thing and I would imagine keep people interests longer.

Just my few random thoughts.

[ZBeeblebrox]

Originally Posted by Toad Rocket

Hmm, ok. My concern with this is that it might end up being an exercise in futility. If we take them time to evaluate old custom into current niches that nobody uses then why are we putting forth the effort? Especially if some part of the unit card is flawed (like the guards "watch the sky power"). I am not trying to be negative ned, I just feel that if this is going to be a long term sustainable project it will need to have some value built into it otherwise people will loose interest pretty fast.

Making old customs a better or playable is a good thing and I would imagine keep people interests longer.

Just my few random thoughts.

You have a good point, Toad Rocket. I guess I under-estimated this project and how some of the older "enshrined" customs may be flawed. I think we will need to re-evaluate this project...hopefully get more support and then let it re-launch at a later date. Also more permission will need to be asked for if we are to make wholesale changes to others work.



-ZB

[Zarovichx]

It may be best before taking the time to evaluate and discuss the positives and negatives for customs to get the creators permission to change them first. The Landarians I feel need a fair number of changes made in order to just make them playable.

Elentar's base is the size of 4-6 hexes, that alone will have to be figured into the equation for reducing the cost. A piece of that size would be severly limited on placement.

[ZBeeblebrox]

Originally Posted by Zarovichx

Elentar's base is the size of 4-6 hexes, that alone will have to be figured into the equation for reducing the cost. A piece of that size would be severly limited on placement.

Zarovich, Elentar can placed upon a 2-hex base with little effort. You just have to cut him away from the rock piece the figure is on.

[Zarovichx]

Ahh ok, I figured the weight would be too much for a two hex base and therefore would be unstable.