The Book of Blackhawk Squadron

[Matt Helm]

The Book of Blackhawk Squadron

C3G DC WAVE 37
NO CAPES


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figures used for this unit are a Heroclix figure from the DC Origins set.
Its model number and name are #001, #002 and #003 / Blackhawks.

_________________________________________________________________

Character Bio - The Blackhawk Squadron was a paramilitary organization of pilots formed in the early days of World War II. It started with Janos Prohaska, a Polish pilot, who lost his brother and sister in a German bombing raid. He swore vengeance and gathered a team of crack pilots from the nations allied against the Nazis. The team was secretly sponsored by Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill. After the war, the Blackhawks turned their attention to the Communist threat.
_________________________________________________________________

-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

_________________________________________________________________

-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Humans, Blackhawk Squadron have these Human Synergies.
• As a Pilots, Blackhawk Squadron have these Pilot Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• N/A

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• N/A

_________________________________________________________________

-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: (tcglkn)
• Second playtest: (Lord Pyre)
• Third playtest: (MrNobody)
• Art: Comic used, Figure, Background
• Art by tcglkn

[Matt Helm]

NAME = BLACKHAWK SQUADRON

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE SQUAD (3)
CLASS = PILOTS
PERSONALITY = DAUNTLESS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 1

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4

POINTS = 160

COORDINATED TACTICAL MOVEMENT
After revealing an Order Marker on this card and instead of moving normally, you may move up to three figures you control. At least one of these figures must be a Blackhawk Squadron pilot.

AIRSTRIKE SPOTTER SPECIAL ATTACK
Range Special. Attack 5.
For each Blackhawk Squadron pilot you control, you may choose one unengaged Unique figure you control within 8 straight line spaces of that pilot. All figures occupying spaces in those straight lines between the chosen figures and the pilots are affected by this special attack. Roll 5 attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure is only affected once, never receives height advantage, and rolls defense dice separately. No Blackhawk Squadron pilot can attack normally in the same turn that at least one pilot attacked with this special attack.

STRATEGIC RETREAT
Blackhawk Squadron pilots do not take leaving engagement attacks from figures that are engaged with one or more other figures.

[Matt Helm]

Here is my initial draft of the first attempt to LD a C3G card in years. Please forgive me if this initial design breaks any other previous cards.

When I accepted the honor of working on a C3G card to celebrate the 10th anniversary I truly was flattered. Of course I wanted the subject figure to be iconic but also outside the box from what has been done before. Finding that sweet spot is pretty much impossible considering that the C3G has been so prolific and impressive.

Then I looked at the 3 Blackhawks Heroclix figures I had sitting in an unused bin of mine and wondered if the C3G had enough unique squads. If not, that may be the best fit for me to work with. Never mind that I'm an old timer and the Blackhawks were very popular in the golden age of comics. Before you ask, I'm not that old.

The theme behind the design is this. The Blackhawks are an elite squadron of 7 pilots. Most of their comic success came through thrilling dog fights in the sky but they did have plenty of commando type ground fights as well. With 3 Heroclix models available, I came up with the idea that these 3 were on a ground mission while the other 4 pilots providing the real firepower overhead. The 3 spotters are tasked with spotting the targets for the 4 pilots to rain down the heavy artillery.

The mechanics idea was to try and make it so that the squadron needed to triangulate a target in order to maximize their combined special attack. If they could move into position, the attack could be devastating, but in order to get there, none of them could be adjacent/engaged to any other figure. If the opponent does engage one, the controlling player may chose to try to free them up with covering fire.

Please remember that this is absolutely an early draft. I just wanted everyone to understand where I was starting from. I am not married to any ideas and I'm wide open to significant changes. Maybe the Special Attack should be a d20 power? Maybe the Air Strike affects other figures adjacent to the target? Maybe one Blackhawk needs to be adjacent to the target while the other two need to be unengaged?

I'm looking forward to taking this idea for a ride. Thanks again current C3G greats.

[MrNobody]

Cool!

My first quick thought is...Pilots or Soldiers as a class? We do have one Pilot (Negative Man), but it's a class that's not likely to get any synergy. Soldiers already have a little synergy and are likely to get more as time goes on. Apologies if you've already thought through this.

[Matt Helm]

No worries. Soldiers was my first call but then I worried about synergies with other soldiers. I thought it would be best to start the design as independent (pilots) until we all vet through the potential issues such synergies could bring. I definitely think it should be discussed.

[quozl]

Do they work with Lady Blackhawk too?

[Soundwarp SG-1]

Personally I'd probably want to see them a bit more distinct from the Shield Agents. They're almost identical right now. If the combo attack is supposed to represent them calling in air support, perhaps it could have an area of effect to it? That instantly feels a lot more air striky to me. Would probably need to have a lower attack for it though, like 2, 4, 6, but maybe not if you're shooting for that 160 point cost (the current write-up is more like 90 points right now)

[Matt Helm]

Holy cow! They are the same initial design as the SHIELD AGENTS!

Do you see what happens when an old codger tries to jump in with an idea and he is unaware of what already exists.

I think I need some serious redesign to separate them as a distinct unit. Let me noodle it a few days before we go any further with these guys. Sorry about not noticing that.

[IAmBatman]

Tagging the Heroes who haven't commented here yet (so everyone but Soundwarp)
@japes @Karat @Lord Pyre @johnny139 @Arkham

I'll comment once I've had a chance to read through more thoroughly. Excited to see you starting this up, Mr. Helm!

[Arch-vile]

Yodaking came up with a cool air strike power for HoSS's Cloud Car Pilots, if you're looking for inspiration.

CLOUD CAR STRAFING RUN SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 5 + Special. Attack 4.
Instead of attacking normally with this squad, one Cloud Car Pilot may use Cloud Car Strafing Run Special Attack. Choose a figure to attack. You may also choose 4 spaces in a straight line from the targeted figure. All figures on those spaces are affected. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. Figures affected by this special attack never roll extra defense dice for height advantage.

[Yodaking]

I was just about to go grab that to share Arch!

When I approached the Cloud Car Pilots I had the same thought in mind as you seem to have here. A Unique Squad (4 figures for the Cloud Car Pilots) of Pilots on the ground with a direct line radio to fellow Pilots in the air that they can call in air strikes from. The Cloud Car's weren't really bombers though, so I went with a strafing run concept where one pilot could give them the coordinates and a pilot in the air would just lay down some gun style fire power in a line across that space. If you wanted to go more bomb themed, change it to a AoE attack that is round instead of in a line. I really liked how my squad turned out for HoSS and use them quite a bit. The fact you only needed one still alive to call in the SA helped mitigate the inherit weakness of unique squads having limited numbers compared to common squads.

[IAmBatman]

Some sort of Drop power might be cool for them. Maybe even one that lets you pick up allies and drop them near your ground forces?