The Book of Shaolin Monks

[Rÿchean]

Originally Posted by Orange

I was thinking about the monks and Einar Imperium today and they have the same stats except the monks have one more move. The Monks have stealth leap and the Einar Imperium have stealth flying. Stealth flying is better then stealth leap and one extra move imo but not by much and I think double attack has the same potiental as shaolin assult so i dont see how the EI cost 60 more points.

This sounds familiar....Oh yes, someone one brought this up last year. Here is a thread posing and discussing this comparison:

http://www.heroscapers.com/community...ad.php?t=15244

and of course it also came up the year before that:

http://www.heroscapers.com/community...ad.php?t=13666

[Viegon]

Okay, so, I've always played that all Shaolin Monks you control (say, all 15 when you have 5 squads) could Stealth Leap all at the same time. Now, I wasn't sure if this was correct, because I've looked once or twice before, but hadn't seen anything saying otherwise (like an FAQ), so that was how I continued to play it, assuming it was like the Granite Guardians. This time I checked more in-depth and found only one post in this thread saying no, only three can move per turn even if you’re using Stealth Leap. Is that correct?

Also, that same post said it was a mix-mesh kind of squad ability, like the Badru where a couple can do it while another doesn't all on the same turn. I’m assuming that’s correct too.

It might be nice added as an FAQ, though I guess if I’m one of the only ones who’ve misunderstood that then it’s not really necessary.

Thanks in advance for any answers, I'm starting to feel a little stupid now for playing the Monks wrong all these years (luckily they aren’t played often, which means there are only a handful of game messed up).

[Fencerjared]

You only get to move 3 Monks, as that's the number of figures in the squad; of those 3, any or all may Stealth Leap. If a movement power is applicable to more figures than the squad comprises, the power will state so, like the Hive Swarm of the Marro Drones and the Horde Movement of the Zombies of Morindan.

[Viegon]

Yeah, thanks, that's what I figured.

I'm normally pretty good with HeroScape wording and rulings, but somehow I completely missed the possibility of the "any or all" wording meaning that out of the 3 any of them can use it per turn, but they don't all have to; so with that in mind, the wording "any or all" needed to mean something, so I assumed it meant "any or all of the ones you control".

Anyways, thanks again.

[Master of Disaster]

The Shaolin Monks are a unit I've enjoyed using recently.

Nilfheim
Shaolin Monksx4
505points/14spaces
------
This army is a great crowd clearer and has a pretty effective strategy to it. Shaolin Monks break up clustered units and Nilfheim picks off units that try to spread out. Anyway, really fun army.

[DBZMagus]

I've played against the monks and with the monks once each. Both games were Monks x2 plus Master Woo.

First game was against Nilfheim. He just flew around hocking up ice shards and killed 3 monks every round. None of them were ever able to touch him.

Next game I tried to use them to stealth leap on top of a castle using the boost from Woo, but this time they were torn to shreds by 4th Mass on extreme height before they even reached the castle.

I'm not giving up on them just yet, but they're definitely a finesse piece.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

As with many melee units, their usefulness is usually map-determined. I am always trying to help them when I build a map. They would probably shine in the central Shadow Maze of my most recent creation - Labyrinth!

[Shedim Kabal]

I just feel that the Phantom Knights have really put these guys to bed.

3/4 with Stealth Flying and Insubstantial for 10 points less?

[Hive Lord 1233]

Originally Posted by Shedim Kabal

I just feel that the Phantom Knights have really put these guys to bed.

3/4 with Stealth Flying and Insubstantial for 10 points less?

Very true, but the Phantoms don't have the same crowd-pleaser potential.

[elvenwizard9]

Perhaps these Monks have a stronger competitive side than most would think?

They are quite vulnerable to range, and moderately costly at 3 figures for 80 points, but their quick move and squad-slaughtering potential leaves me wondering why they are not more competitive. Perhaps they lack the synergy...

With a solid first wave to tie down ranged units, the monks could quickly close the gap between them and the shooters with little risk. However, tough heroes would be quite the problem, and they have no particular synergy with anything that would quite solve the problem of a Dragon or Major.

[MegaSilver]

They are slightly overpriced for competitive play. If they were either 60 points or had 4 defense they would be competitive.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

In Delta+, they're 65 points.