The Book of Fire Ant Swarm

[Griffin]

Originally Posted by NecroBlade

1. Yes, I just like to make sure people are aware of that, since there are always customs of that size and I think "Sure, I'd play against that, it could never reach me up on this hill." Actually, more importantly, they couldn't attack up any levels at all; opponents would have to be same level or lower.
2. I know, I was just saying it would be more thematic if the entire anthill wasn't just walking around, but only went underground and popped up somewhere new.
3. I know ants can make ant-bridges across water and whatever, but it seems like tunneling up a new hill in the middle of a river could only end in disaster.

1. Those are all good points, and they came up before while designing the Shrinking Ray Glyph. I think a height of Tiny 2 might be better. Thoughts?
2. Cool
3. Maybe your right. I think I should specify that they can't end on water, or do you think that they shouldn't count water spaces at all? That might be cool.

Also, I am changing up to SWARM TUNNELING.

[Griffin]

Originally Posted by GreyOwl

Or even simpler, "Fire Ant Mound must always be placed either on or adjacent to a land space." No need to mention water at all

EDIT: Of course, it also doesn't make sense to place it on molten lava. Maybe it should always be placed on a land space, period, just to keep it simple. That way they can still cross water, but if they want to end up in it, they'll just have to walk like everyone else.

Good idea.

[GreyOwl]

Originally Posted by Griffin

1. Maybe your right. I think I should specify that they can't end on water, or do you think that they shouldn't count water spaces at all? That might be cool.

I think crossing under water and popping up on the other side is perfectly fine. I'd just say they can't end on water (and lava). Actually, just say they have to end on a land space.

[GreyOwl]

I think we're ninja'ing back-and-forth, so I'll stop now.

[Hahma]

That works and will still let them still tunnel under a decent span of water or lava.

[Griffin]

Groovy.

[Griffin]

C3G INITIAL PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE TEST UNIT Fire Ant Mound

- THEME TEST/ Check to see if there are any powers or stats on the test unit card that does not accurately reflect the theme or likeness of what the character would and could do. Also consider destructible objects, and whether or not this characters powers should affect them.
Pass

- MIRROR TEST/ Check to see if the unit were played against itself, if there would be any loops that would upset the balance of the Game.
Pass

- BONDING TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing Bonding abilities to make sure there are no continual Bonding possibilities that do not stop appropriately or do not stop at all. This is to prevent loops in Bonding.
Pass

- SYNERGIES TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing synergies to make sure there are no factors that could break the game by making any unit to powerful or too weak.
Pass

- POWER CHECK/ Consider the test unit and all existing units and all glyphs to compare to and check for any powers that could be over amplified and break the game. Each power must define when it takes place, who or what it affects, and What are the stipulations on the power if there are any.
Pass

- FUN TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play.
Pass

- FUN COMPETITIVE TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play against.
Pass

- DRAFTING TEST/ Consider whether or not this design is worth drafting.
Pass

- USAGE TEST/ Consider whether or not all of the powers on this card were used or at least usable.
Pass

- STRATEGY TEST/ Consider whether or not the design offers any real strategy or interesting tactics to the overall game.
Pass

- Heavy Hitter or Mid-Level Hero/ Does it pass, Yes or No? What should be the unit's point value? Give a brief summary. Pass. They really aren't all that competitive on their own (unless you can draft TONS of them) but they are very annoying at taking height advantages and also with their stinging. 10 points feels spot on to me.

Spoiler Alert!

TEST 1
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x10 VS Mole Man
Mole Man wins with 3 wounds.
They swarmed twice this game which is really the only way they become competitive, and it looked really freaking cool to have an invasion of these guys on the battlefield. Mole Man got surrounded twice and those rolls hurt him for one wound and then for two more on the sting. Once these little guys surround you, you better get out of dodge, cause they can be pesky and damaging with their stings. They were really good at gaining territory.

TEST 2
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x10 VS Mole Man
Mole Man wins with 3 wounds.
In this game the Ants had a more difficult time because they only swarmed once, so they just surrounded hills and waited to swarm to take height as Mole Man shot down at them unchallenged. But when they finally did surround him, their rolls were pretty darn good for the sting.

TEST 3
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x20 VS Batman
Batman wins with 3 wounds.
This was close, and the ants could have won, but that triple attack of 3 on Batman's special attack and his grapple gun (disengage) was too much for them to keep up with.

TEST 4
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x12 VS Penguin
Penguin wins with 3 wounds.
Penguin dominated this match up until the end when the Ants finally won initiative and swarmed. Then he was tied down, but by only one, as the other could reach him. But he proceeded to attack and destroy as one would move in and roll for the sting. They hit him for one wound and then later for two in a turn, then he finished them off with his SA.

TEST 5
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x15 VS Green Arrow
Green Arrow wins with 0 wounds.
Green Arrow had superior range and it really paid off, especially with his explosion Arrow Special Attack.

TEST 6
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x15 VS Green Arrow
Green Arrow wins with 1 wound.
The poor Ants never got initiative, but they were able to sting him once.

TEST 7
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound VS Green Lantern (Kyle)
Ants win with 18 left.
Ants dominated with several initiative wins, and so they kept kyle locked down in engagement for a long time which allowed them to plug away with their sting.

TEST 8
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x32 VS Abomination
Ants win with 7 left.
This was surprisingly close, as Abom kept jumping in and/or getting surrounded by swarm, and so the D-20 rolls were high for the sting and Abom killed a lot of Ants with his Stomp Special Attack.

TEST 9
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x10 VS Black Mask
Black Mask wins with 1 wound.
Just using ranged attacks and staying away from the ants helped.

TEST 10
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x10 VS Black Mask
Ants win with 2 left.
Initiative wins early on helped them get into the position that they needed to keep BM off of key locations.

_____________________________________________________________

- Squad / Does it pass, Yes or No? What should be the unit's point value? Give a brief summary. Pass, as they are not very competitive, but they are still fun and annoying.
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x6 VS Beat Cops x1

Spoiler Alert!

Beat Cops win with 1 dead.
Beat Cops kinda dominated, even though they lost a lot of attacks, but the Ants failed a lot of attempts to sting.

_____________________________________________________________

- Squad / Does it pass, Yes or No? What should be the unit's point value? Give a brief summary. Pass, lots of fun and competitive in their own slow progressive way.
Map: Custom
Units: Fire Ant Mound x 8 VS Hydra Agents

Spoiler Alert!

Hydra Agents win with 2 dead.
Hydra had great range and the first round they dominated, but then the second round went to the Ants as they got initiative, swarmed, got height, killed two agents with their sting, and blocked a couple attacks even. Then the Agents killed the last three.

_____________________________________________________________

- Army Test/ Does it pass, Yes or No? What should be the unit's point value? Give a brief summary. Pass at 10 points. This game was challenging for both sides, and it was fun.
Map: Custom.
Units: Fire Ant Mound x12, Mystique, and Magneto VS Batman and Superman.

Spoiler Alert!

Mystique and Fire Ant Mound win with 4 wounds on Mystique and 1 Fire Ant Mound left.
Magneto kept his shield down most of the game because he kept throwing Batman or Superman into engagement with either Mystique or the Ants. The Ants didn't get initiative until towards the end of the game. Superman was trapped by Magneto in some ants and then triggered Heroic Duty against Batman, forcing Superman to take significant damage. Superman eventually killed Magneto, but then was surrounded by ants as they won initiative and they stung him to death. Batman had already cleaned up a bunch of ants and put 4 wounds on Mystique, but he had also taken two wounds himself from Magneto and Mystique combos. Mystique broke away and with a range of 7, sniped Batman.

_____________________________________________________________

- Army Test/ Does it pass, Yes or No? What should be the unit's point value? Give a brief summary. Pass definitely at 10 points.
Map: Custom.
Units: Fire Ant Mound x15, Doctor Doom (C3G), and Doombot x5 VS Professor X, Angel, Magma, Jean Grey, Spider-Girl, Mole-Man, and Moloid x10.

Spoiler Alert!

Doctor Doom and Fire Ant Mound win with 2 wounds on Doctor Doom and one Fire Ant Mound left.
Spider-Girl, Magma, and Jean Grey were sick in defeating Doom three times. Doombots kept Doom alive though each time. The ants dominated the key locations of the battlefield all game, making it very difficult to advance. Though once Jean and Magma were defeated, Spider-Girl kept up the assault on Doom as Angel focused on killing ants. Angel and Spider-Girl were finally defeated, but then Mole Man started in on dominating the weakened Doom. They defeated his remaining Doombots and put him in a weakened state, then once he was defeated again, one hidden Doombot brought him back again, and he cleaned up the moloids and Mole Man. The Ants then surrounded Professor X easily and stung him for several wounds. Professor X killed a couple off, then Doom came in and annihilated Professor X with a simple attack.

[Griffin]

I did a couple of Heavy Hitter tests, and I am certain that these cost 10 points. They have a very hard time being competitive, but they are annoying (which is good IMO) at taking ground and stinging. Also, any lower at like 5 points a piece, and they become too many which means too powerful at taking the board.

I like the design, and I like the power level at 10 points each.

[Griffin]

Heavy Hitter tests and squad tests done. 10 points a piece feels right to me so far.

[IAmBatman]

Heh. 10 is feeling a tad high right now, perhaps, but I think their synergy with Ant Man will help them in the long run ...

[Griffin]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

Heh. 10 is feeling a tad high right now, perhaps, but I think their synergy with Ant Man will help them in the long run ...

Like I posted somewhere, 10 is a tad high, but 5 is too too low. I think as ants, they just need to be a C ranked unit costing 10. The ability to flood a battlefield with a dozen ants by just winning initiative is pretty significant in most army games I think. They are going to be annoying enough in a enough situations to justify their cost, though moloids will clearly be a more competitive unit, these ants are the best "meat" shields money can buy.

[IAmBatman]

For sure. And, honestly, they're not really something I'd want to encourage people to draft without Ant Man anyway.