Blue Trails's Customs (Updated 11/19/2022 - Outsiders)

[Blue Trails]

Seeing that the entirety of my brief activity on this site has been contained to this forum, I thought I would contribute some units of my own. Much of what I post here is intended to fulfill a particular thematic or mechanical niche and has been contemplated and tested until reaching a certain quality level. Special thanks go to @Xorlof for designing the X-2 Custom Card Creator, a great tool I've recently discovered. All comments and feedback are welcome.

Featured Unit:


Older Units:

Spoiler Alert!

Reverse Chronological Order:

Spoiler Alert!

Bernard de Tremelay
Muspell
Iron Horde of Morindan
Hoddmimis
Annunhounds
PROJECT: Cloudcover
Prester John
Gotoh Daisuke
Mnoris Fouthomn
Angus MacFergus
MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew
Setshalaic Beldam
Ig-Choq-Sa
Bestiarius
Sotakh the Darklord
Edasich
Fiendsoul War Dancers
Mimameid

"Set & Pack"

Spoiler Alert!

Set I - Proftaka's Stratagem:
Large Expansion - Brandar's Enigma:
Mimameid
Edasich
MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew
In development...
In development...

Curses and Commoners:
Setshalaic Beldam
Pale Mask Cult
In development...

Risen and Fallen:
Fiendsoul War Dancers
In development...
In development...

Chains and Katanas:
Angus MacFergus
Bestiarius
In development...
In development...

Heroes of Crownridge:
Ig-Choq-Sa
Prester John
Gotoh Daisuke
Mnoris Fouthomn
PROJECT: Cloudcover

Set II - Rannveig's Might:

In development...

Wolves:
Sotakh the Darklord
In development...
In development...
In development...

Unyielding Titans:
Hoddmimis
In development...

Heroes of the Shining Dunes:
Muspell
Bernard de Tremelay
Yhtilh

In development...

Set III - Sturla's Miracle

In development...

Skulks and Shamblers:
Iron Horde of Morindan

[Blue Trails]

The figure used is a Pathfinder Battles miniature from the Darklands Rising collection. The name of the figure is Arboreal Regent. The figure's base is double-spaced.

Figure Photo:

Spoiler Alert!

Picture credit goes to Paizo Inc.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Coming soon...

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Mimameid
GENERAL = ULLAR
PLANET = FEYLUND
SPECIES = AESASKR
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = STEWARD
PERSONALITY = RESOLUTE
SIZE/HEIGHT = HUGE 14

LIFE = 8
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 200

ARBOREAL BODY
The two spaces Mimameid occupies are considered to be a single evergreen tree for the purposes of special powers on friendly figures' Army Cards. Figures may never move through a space occupied by Mimameid.

THICK ROOTS
If Mimameid has not yet moved this round, opponents' small and medium figures treat all land spaces within 2 contiguous clear sight spaces of Mimameid as 1 level higher for the purpose of entering such a space.

CRASHING BOUGHS SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1 + Special. Attack 3.
You may choose one figure adjacent to the defending figure to be affected by Crashing Boughs Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. If an opponent's figure is within 2 spaces of Mimameid, and its base is no more than 6 levels above Mimameid's base or 6 levels below Mimameid's base, Mimameid may add 1 to the range of Crashing Boughs Special Attack when attacking that figure.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

This is the third incarnation of an old design I recently took out of mothballs after discovering that Paizo was advertising a new, relatively available treant miniature. The first iteration, which never saw play before I suspected it of being overtuned, had 8/5/1/5/5 stats at 160 points, a version of Thick Roots that duplicated the movement-impeding effect around trees and bushes within the aura, and a d20-based power that destroyed a squad figure and replaced it with an evergeen tree from Mimameid's Army Card until the end of the round. The second iteration was close to what I've posted, having retuned the right-box stats and replacing the aforementioned offensive power with the current special attack, but it corrects unfortunate wording on Arboreal Body that technically prevented Mimameid from occupying its own space.

"Mimameid" is the name of an invulnerable tree in Norse mythology and is thought to be synonymous with the better-known Yggdrasil; given the game's Norse themes and the unit's intended defensive role, this seemed to be a fitting name. Similarly, as I didn't want to use "treant" to describe something unrelated to the D&D worlds, Mimameid's species is a portmanteau of Old Norse words which should roughly mean "god ash (tree)." These, as well Mimameid's class name, are holdovers from a stage of the design that featured more prominent "lifegiver" themes, but they are still fairly applicable to the current unit.

Between THICK ROOTS and ARBOREAL BODY, Mimameid has the unique ability to lock down a respectable area of the map while , and it offers useful benefits to the Quasatch Hunters and C3V's Eilan Sidhe. However, it can be challenging to utilize these powers properly; Arboreal Body's second line can deny friendly figures board development or crucial engagements, while Thick Roots can't catch bigger units and fliers and temporarily deactivates when Mimameid moves. This also means that Mimameid will often need the third Order Marker each round to reposition its defensive net in response to opponents' counterplay, making its strategy somewhat predictable. In play, Mimameid sometimes acts more like a destructible object than a traditional blocker or tank, as it forces both armies to play around a roadblock that sees little mobility or reactivity after its first round of movement. tends to set up in the best spot reachable by a single round's movement, then soak up damage and redirect incoming figures without the luxuries of mobility or reactivity.

Although a bit bloated, CRASHING BOUGHS SPECIAL ATTACK is a very useful tool; the attack's range allows Mimameid to swat at figures as they enter Thick Roots' area, and the ability to take out two figures per Order Marker is valuable in keeping up with the swarming and bonding melee squads that Mimameid is intended to attract. Moreover, Mimameid is tall enough to peer over ruins; castle walls; and smaller trees, glaciers, and rock spires, affording it some unconventional attack opportunities on maps that use those obstacles. It also gives Mimameid the ability to retaliate against many ranged units after taking a single volley of attacks, but this doesn't stop Mimameid from having matching up poorly against range-heavy armies.

[Blue Trails]

I'm back with another unit. I don't generally enjoy designing squads as much as designing heroes, but this one has proven fun at my table.



Figure Pictures:

Spoiler Alert!

The first figure used is a Pathfinder Battles miniature from the Wrath of the Righteous collection. The name of the figure is Baphomet Cultist. The second figure used is a D&D Miniatures miniature from the Icons of the Realms: Elemental Evil collection. The name of the figure is Fire Cult Warrior. The third figure used is a Pathfinder Battles miniature from the Kingmaker collection. The name of the figure is Jaethal, Half-Elf Inquisitor.



I claim no ownership of these images; credit goes to Paizo Inc., MinisGallery.com, and Paizo Inc., respectively.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Coming soon...

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Fiendsoul War Dancers
GENERAL = UTGAR
PLANET = TORIL
SPECIES = PLANETOUCHED
UNIQUENESS = COMMON SQUAD
CLASS = FIGHTERS
PERSONALITY = MENACING
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 80

FEARMONGER BONDING
After revealing an Order Marker on this Army Card and before taking a turn with the Fiendsoul War Dancers, you may take a turn with a Large Terrifying Hero or a Planetouched Hero you control that follows Utgar.

REACH
If an opponent's figure is within 2 spaces of a Fiendsoul War Dancers, and its base is no more than 2 levels above that War Dancer's base or 6 levels below that War Dancer's base, that Fiendsoul War Dancer may add 1 to its range when attacking that figure.

OTHERWORLDLY REFLEXES 2
When a Fiendsoul War Dancer rolls defense dice against a normal or special attack by a non-adjacent figure, if there is at least one revealed Order Marker on any Fiendsoul War Dancer Army Card you control, that Fiendsoul War Dancer receives two additional defense dice.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

The Fiendsoul War Dancers are an attempt to create a aggressive "melee" squad that can push certain ranged attackers out of otherwise advantageous positions. Barring excessively hilly terrain, 5 Move and REACH allow a War Dancer to close to striking distance against shorter-range foes after a single round of attacks, while OTHERWORLDLY REFLEXES 2 allows the War Dancers to prompt movement and encourage engagements once they reach their target. This latter power also gives the squad a better shot at surviving volleys from ranged Commons and mass special attacks from the likes of dragons or Q9, but it is not meant to be used passively; if their army loses initiative, or if they stop seeing Order Markers, a squad of War Dancers becomes much easier to destroy.

Finally, FEARMONGER BONDING draws from a tiny pool of candidates to help the squad achieve their design goals. The primary option would be Torin, who amplifies the War Dancers' threat to ranged squads with Evil Eye Protection and helps break through certain cheerleaders and Raelin-boosted squaddies with Battleaxe; alternatively, C3V's Zombie Hulk exists as a cheap bonding target that can wear down high-defense targets and pods when run in multiples, and it allows the War Dancers to spread out further across the map than does Torin. Finally, the option to bond with a Planetouched Hero exists solely to entertain the possibility of creating a Planetouched faction in the future.

It was surprisingly difficult to find three black-clad, polearm-wielding, human-like sculpts, which leads to the odd case of a squad whose members do not obviously share a species. Although I stopped keeping up with D&D before its fifth edition was released, I have heard that "Planetouched" is now used as an umbrella term for aasimar, tieflings, and the like; meanwhile, in third edition D&D, with which I am significantly more familiar, there existed tiefling equivalents for many of the non-human core races. Because the War Dancers' design is intended to emphasize fiendish elements over mortal appearances, and because tiefling-type variants can vary wildly in appearance, I think the Planetouched species is a feasible way to tie the squad together regardless of differing physical features.

[TheAverageFan]

Torin's always been one of my favorite units of the D&D waves, so a squad that can keep up with him without the OM-headache seems pretty good. It's a pretty strong 200-point pod right there

~TAF

[Blue Trails]

Originally Posted by TheAverageFan

Torin's always been one of my favorite units of the D&D waves, so a squad that can keep up with him without the OM-headache seems pretty good. It's a pretty strong 200-point pod right there

~TAF

I'm glad to hear that. Every now and then, I like to make units that give a little help to a figure that is relatively weak or difficult to use effectively, and my feelings on Torin are similar to yours. Thanks for commenting!

[Blue Trails]

After spending more time on this site and reacquainting myself with photo-editing software, I think I can make this thread a little more pleasant to browse. I'll start with a recent update to a previously-posted unit.

Original figure image credit goes to Paizo, Inc.

The figure used for this unit is a Pathfinder Battles figure from the Darklands Rising set. The name of the figure is Arboreal Regent. The figure's base is double-spaced.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Coming soon...

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Mimameid
GENERAL = ULLAR
PLANET = FEYLUND
SPECIES = AESASKR
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = STEWARD
PERSONALITY = RESOLUTE
SIZE/HEIGHT = HUGE 14

LIFE = 8
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 200

ARBOREAL BODY
You may treat Mimameid as an evergreen tree for the purposes of special powers on Army Cards you control. No figure can move normally through a space occupied by Mimameid.

THICK ROOTS
If Mimameid has not yet moved this round, opponents' small and medium figures treat all land spaces within 2 contiguous clear sight spaces of Mimameid or within 2 contiguous spaces of a tree or jungle piece within 2 clear sight spaces of Mimameid as 1 level higher for the purpose of entering such a space.

CRASHING BOUGHS SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1 + Special. Attack 3.
You may choose one figure adjacent to the defending figure to be affected by Crashing Boughs Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. If an opponent's figure is within 2 spaces of Mimameid, and its base is no more than 6 levels above Mimameid's base or 6 levels below Mimameid's base, Mimameid may add 1 to the range of Crashing Boughs Special Attack when attacking that figure.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

This update is relatively similar to the earlier version of Mimameid easily locatable on this very page. Further play showed that Mimameid struggled to earn its points against several melee compositions even when backed by Raelin, as 8L/4D turned out to be poor defenses for an expensive figure that often sees no more than a single OM per round and that likes to be placed in the map's most frantic areas. Moreover, Thick Roots, which was intended to be Mimameid's defining ability, was much less potent than anticipated; in one memorable game, an Air Elemental drafted as filler better protected a certain cheerleader from incoming squaddies than did Mimameid. As a result, I revisited a few ideas from Mimameid's first draft to general success; an added defense die pushes Mimameid' durability from near Valguard's level to near Charos's, while the wider area of effect on THICK ROOTS makes Mimameid significantly harder to avoid on the right map.

As would be expected, these buffs warranted a price increase; in testing, the new Mimameid was worth 140-180 points on flat, treeless maps and 190-220 points on hilly, tree-heavy maps. Because of the general tendency in this game to price map-dependent units based on their best-case scenarios, the latter point range seemed more appropriate. Moreover, I don't mind the idea of a treant being saved for woodland maps, so the lessened general viability is not a major concern.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

- Acolarh: Ullar's Amulet
As a figure who follows Ullar, Mimameid may benefit from Acolarh's Ullar's Amulet movement synergy.

Synergy Benefits Offered

Arboreal Body: Tree-Dependent Powers:

- Eilan Sidhe: Through the Green
- Eilan Sidhe: Nature's Protection
- Quasatch Hunters: Jungle Tracking

As always, any comments are welcome, and critiques are appreciated.

[Blue Trails]

I notice that I forgot to update this thread's title when I last posted here. I don't track the views this thread gathers, so I'll just say that there are now two new additions to some of you.

Original figure image credit goes to Paizo, Inc.

The figure used for this unit is a Starfinder Battles figure from the Planets of Peril set. The name of the figure is Dragonkin. The figure's base is double-spaced.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Marr is an old world. As Valkrill's access to wellsprings increases, his growing power enables him to look beyond the age best known on Valhalla and reach into forgotten eras to retrieve fragments of a warrior culture that rose, flourished, and ultimately annihilated itself eons before the first Primadon tread the planet's surface. By the days of the Marro, the only traces of the once-mighty Oppolifnid empire lie in the fossil record: scattered fragments of tooth and bone interred in humble tombs of dust and rock, unable to convey their owners' former glory to the Primadon paleontologists that uncovered them. Although a complete set of Opponilfid remains is still lost to time, those known fossils now silently observe the latest power struggle in the ongoing history of a planet ruled by might, as Marro instigators threaten to irreversibly corrupt Marr.

Alsigmis Edasich is a proud soldier and a veteran of two successful wars of conquest. His sheer size and strength make him a formidable combatant, able to fell the toughest foe with a skilled stroke of his sturdy axe, yet his main duty on the battlefields of Valhalla is aerial support. Armed with a chemically-powered laser cannon, the Oppolifnid's keen eye guides a volley of devastating blasts from high above the fray. Lone targets can be incinerated by a single ray's intensity, and those who would seek protection in numbers fare no better; by reconfiguring his weapon, Edasich can sacrifice accuracy to diffuse the deadly beams, which illuminate Valhalla's skies like a localized meteor shower.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Edasich
GENERAL = VALKRILL
PLANET = MARR
SPECIES = OPPOLIFNID
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = SOLDIER
PERSONALITY = MILITARISTIC
SIZE/HEIGHT = HUGE 10

LIFE = 5
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 7
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 170


OPPOLIFNID AXEFIGHTING
When Edasich attacks an adjacent figure, you may subtract 1 from that figure's Defense. Edasich may not use Oppolifnid Axefighting if he has already used his Split-Beam Shot special power this turn.

SPLIT-BEAM SHOT
When Edasich attacks a figure within 4 clear sight spaces of himself, you may subtract 1 from his Attack. If you do, choose one Squad figure adjacent to the defending figure. If the defending figure receives any wounds from Edasich's attack, the chosen figure receives 1 wound. Edasich may not use Split-Beam Shot if he has already used his Oppolifnid Axefighting special power this turn.

FLYING
When counting spaces for Edasich's movement, ignore elevations. Edasich may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Edasich starts to fly, if he is engaged he will take any leaving engagement attacks.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

Mechanically, Edasich is an attempt at the relatively simple concept of a unit that has three distinct methods of attack without using special attacks. The card is a bit busier than I'd like, but I am content with its effect in play. FLYING, a solid Range number, and an Attack of 4 make Edasich a good cleaner and allow him to threaten a large area of the map, but his other powers are intended to encourage a riskier, closer-ranged playstyle. Drawing within SPLIT-BEAM SHOT range allows Edasich to pick apart high-value squaddies, while OPPOLIFNID AXEFIGHTING can be used to break through high-defense figures or tear into valuable Heroes, especially when backed by height or certain cheerleaders.

Edasich is somewhat fragile for a single-attacking, non-bonding unit in his price range; this is to balance the value of a high-powered, ranged flyer and accommodate the various Soldier synergies that greatly increase the unit's power. As a result, Edasich must pick his targets very carefully to avoid an untimely demise, making him somewhat swingy. In testing, I've seen him fall to scattered 3-dice attacks as many times as he's mauled important units.

Thematically, there is virtually no middle ground for a dragon with a laser gun; it can really only be interpreted as ridiculously awesome or awesomely ridiculous. Those of you who read the character bio or the card text spoiler might find the choice of Marr as a home world a little strange, but I think it's reasonable because almost every known species summoned from that planet is a varyingly-anthropomorphic animal, meaning a dragon-like biped isn't entirely out of place there. Moreover, the detail gently references an existing unit: if it wasn't brought from Icaria, Su-Bak-Na's dragon mount must have been summoned from Marr alongside the Hivelord. While both possibilities lead to fun interpretations, the implication that dragons existed on Marr was too good to pass up as a customs creator.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

- Marcus Decimus Gallus: Soldier Leadership
As a Soldier, Edasich may benefit from Marcus Decimus Gallus's Soldier Leadership special power.
- Marcus Decimus Gallus: Soldier Attack Enhancement
As a Soldier, Edasich may benefit from Marcus Decimus Gallus's Soldier Attack Enhancement special power.
- Gen. Simon Fraser: Prepare the Charge
As a Soldier, Edasich may benefit from Gen. Simon Fraser's Prepare the Charge special power.

Synergy Benefits Offered

N/A

Comments and feedback are welcome.

[TheAverageFan]

Ranged flyers are quite dangerous, especially with his high Range and Attack. As a ranged support to a Roman army he becomes fast too. The fact that he's double-spaced will help against this.

I like versatile figures, especially ones like this where their distance plays a part in how they work. I wonder if you could save a lot of text by just making his second power only work on non-adjacent figures, making it not clash with his first. Good work in designing one that's not just Special Attack reliant.

~TAF

[Blue Trails]

Originally Posted by TheAverageFan

Ranged flyers are quite dangerous, especially with his high Range and Attack. As a ranged support to a Roman army he becomes fast too. The fact that he's double-spaced will help against this.

I like versatile figures, especially ones like this where their distance plays a part in how they work. I wonder if you could save a lot of text by just making his second power only work on non-adjacent figures, making it not clash with his first. Good work in designing one that's not just Special Attack reliant.

~TAF

Thanks for commenting. You've nailed the unit's capabilities: Edasich can deal a frightening amount of damage, and he loves Roman builds, but that double-base can be a significant liability. In testing, I actually would have traded Flying for a single-spaced base on certain maps with lots of uneven terrain.

Your idea for the second power is interesting. Beyond making the card look neater, it would give a little more depth to the unit's gameplay by making mass engagements riskier. Moreover, it would make Edasich easier to eliminate once he's engaged, which is probably appropriate given his offensive potential.

[TheAverageFan]

BATTLE REPORT – MIMAMEID

BATTLE 1 – RANDOM ARMIES
600 Points
Custom Map of my own making
3 Glyphs – Dagmar (Initiative+8 ), Wannok (Wound), Oreld (Intercept Order) – randomly arranged

ARMY 1 – BAD GUYS – Minions + Snipers
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior, Omicron Snipers x2, Minions of Utgar x2
ARMY 2 – GOOD GUYS – Native Americans and Tree
Mimameid (played by Jotun), Mohican River Tribe x3, Brave Arrow, Venoc Warlord, Marcu Esenwein

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1 – Army 1 Wins Initiative (both tied with a 4 and then Army 2 rolled a 4 again!)
Taelord and Mimameid advance, Minions and Indians advance, Mohicans claim early height and attack, inflicting no wounds on Minions and Taelord. Snipers advance and return fire, killing all three Mohicans (so close on each Concealment). Additional Mohicans move up and attack, killing one Sniper.
Round 2 – Army 2 Wins Initiative
Mohicans rush in to attack, two in melee, one for the Glyph (Oreld, no success on die roll). One sniper killed, Taelord takes three wounds. Snipers return fire. One Indian killed, another survives with Concealment. Mohicans try to finish off Taelord, Kyrie survives with one hit. Brave Arrow approaches using War Cry and Tracking. Minions advance and attack, killing three River Tribe. Mimameid approaches enemy lines and kills Taelord. Minions strike back with height, dealing 4 wounds.
Round 3 – Army 2 Wins Initiative
Mimameid grabs height, avoiding passing swipes. Crashing Boughs SA kills one Minion. Minions advance across map; Mimameid is killed. Mohicans and Brave Arrow fight back, no success. Minions grab Dagmar and kill another River Tribe. Brave Arrow wiffs. Snipers advance and kill the last Mohican.
Round 4 – Army 1 Wins Initiative
Minions attack Brave Arrow, no success. Brave Arrow kills a minion. Snipers grab height, inflicting 3 wounds on Marcu. More attacks for the rest of the round, none successful.
Round 5 – Army 1 Wins Initiative
Snipers inflict one wound on Marcu. BA fails to inflict a wound. Minions deal 2 damage to BA and Venoc Warlord. Arrow takes two more wounds. Warlord kills a minion.
Round 6 - Army 1 Wins Initiative
Brave Arrow dies. Warlord kills another minion. Snipers kill Warlord. OM loss. Snipers kill Marcu. Game
Result:
Army 2 eliminated. Army 1 survives with ~210 Points remaining (4 Snipers, 2 Minions, ~30% strength)



Thoughts on this battle:
As a standalone Hero, Mimameid performed okay, killing Taelord and a Minion and taking a while to bring down with his high Life and Defense, though the Minions—being strong—took him down faster than other squads might. However Taelord only had one Life remaining and I sunk 200 points into the Ent. He didn’t do bad per se, but he didn’t contribute to the match very much, and I was really aching for those 200 points. I could’ve had 6 extra River Tribe warriors and a squad of Death Knights or Armocs for the Warlord (swapping Isamu for Marcu). I could’ve had 5 squads of Venoc Vipers. Either of those may have been enough to overrun Army 1’s remaining troops and secure a victory. It didn’t help that Mimameid’s Thick Roots power was thwarted by only fighting Minions who can fly over the imagined elevation increase. He didn’t even get shot by the ranged opponents—a likely weakness of this unit—but nonetheless it doesn’t seem to have mattered.

Figure’s uses: Killed Taelord and a Minion.

BATTLE 2 – MELEE ONLY ARMY
600 Points
Same Map
2 Glyphs – Kelda (Healing), Valda (+2 Move) randomly arranged

ARMY 1 – BAD GUYS – Romans + Raelin
Roman Legionnaires x3, Marcus Decimus Gallus, Mogrimm Forgehammer, Valguard, Raelin (SotM)
ARMY 2 – GOOD GUYS – Microcorp Legion
Mimameid (played by Jotun), Microcorp Troopers x4 (played by Microcorp Agents), Raelin (RotV)

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Both Raelins advance and claim height. Mogrimm and Romans advance. Mimameid and more Romans advance. Microcorp Troopers fan out. Three shoot Raelin without success.
Round 2 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Mimameid advances onto Height, inflicts 3 wounds on enemy Raelin. Valguard and Romans counterattack to no effect. Troopers fan out, one kills Raelin with Heavy Weapons SA. Mogrimm inflicts one wound on Raelin. Romans claim Valda Glyph, kill one agent. Agents kill Roman occupying Glyph. Mogrimm inflicts another wound on Raelin, Legionnaires kill two more agents.
Round 3 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Mogrimm whiffs on Commander’s Strike and attack. Romans reclaim Glyph. Two Romans make it into enemy start zone outside of Raelin’s protection: kill two more Troopers. Troopers kill two Romans. Mogrimm KOs Raelin. Romans advance. One Microcorp killed, Mimameid sustains three wounds. Another Roman dies.
Round 4 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Mimameid sustains more wounds. Mogrimm and two more Legionnaires are killed. Marcus advances. Valguard advances and kills another agent. Mimameid is killed. OM lost.
Round 5 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Remaining 2 Romans are killed. OM lost. Microcorps injure Valguard. Valguard kills an agent.
Round 6 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Marcus is shot and takes 1 wound. Valguard kills an agent. Marcus and Valguard take further wounds. Two more agents killed.
Round 7 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Valguard kills an agent and then dies. Marcus sustains another wound
Round 8 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Marcus fails to wound anyone. Marcus dies.

Result:
Army 1 eliminated. Army 2 survives with 60 Points remaining (3 Troopers, 10% strength)



Thoughts on this battle:
Here Mimameid performed much better, able to grab height on a chokepoint while bolstered by Raelin early in the match due to an Initiative switch. While he didn’t attack much the entire game, he fulfilled his role as a blocker by just sitting there. First Raelin had to be killed and then he himself had to be killed, wasting several valuable turns that could’ve otherwise killed the three troopers that ended the game. Even with a +2 Move glyph his Thick Roots forced the army to waste movement, both through the power and through having to go around him and his aura (since he on height with Raelin is basically invincible). With the movement buff from the glyph, some of the Romans managed to get past Army 2’s Raelin and into Army 2’s Start Zone, killing the 2-Defense Microcorps gathered there. Had Mimameid not been blocking the rest of the army’s access, a lot more Romans could’ve made it there and done far more damage.

Figure’s uses: Killed a Roman Legionnaire. Inflicted 3 wounds on Raelin. Blocked exit to start zone, costing movement for units having to move around to avoid engagement. Slowed some units. Took a long time to kill.

BATTLE 3 – WHATEVER ARMIES
500 Points
Custom Map of my own making
3 Glyphs – Jalgard (+2 Defense) face-up in center; Dagmar (Initiative+8 ), Wannok (Wound): randomly arranged
ARMY 1 – BAD GUYS – Knights + Sharwin
Knights of Weston x3, Thorgrim, Finn, Sharwin Wildborn, Otonashi
ARMY 2 – GOOD GUYS – Orcs + Tree
Arrow Gruts x3, Krug, Swog Rider x2, Mimameid (played by Jotun), Isamu

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Mimameid advances. Finn and Knights move out, fanning across the board. Swogs and Orcs advance. Knights reach glyphs first: Finn claims Jalgard. Knight claims Dagmar. Orcs inflict one wound on Finn.
Round 2 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Knights and Thorgrim advance. Knights claim Wannok. Archers and Swogs kite. Finn takes another wound. Three Knights die. Wannok is freed.
Round 3 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Thorgrim and knights engage. Thorgrim kills an archer. Knights miss their attacks. Swog kills Knight. Archers prove ineffective. Knights finally pin Swogs and Archers: both swogs killed as well as 4 Archers. Both Thorgrim and a knight reach Army 2’s Start zone. Grut claims Wannok, killing Otonashi with it.
Round 4 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Thorgrim and knights continue rampage, killing 3 more Arrow Gruts. Only 1 grut remains soon. 2 Knights killed, one by Krug and one by an Arrow Grut. Last remaining Arrow Grut escapes harm, keeping OMs.
Round 5 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Krug swings and misses. Last grut is finally killed. Mimameid inflicts one wound on Thorgrim. Krug receives 2 wounds and kills the attacking knight. Finn and a Know swap places for the Jalgard glyph. Isamu is killed. Dagmar glyph is reclaimed by knights.
Round 6 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Krug kills two knights. Thorgrim and knight attack with height, inflict one wound.
Round 7 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Thorgrim inflicts 3 wounds on Krug. Krug kills both Thorgrim and knight. Thorgrim’s spirit is placed on Sharwin. Finn kills Krug. OM loss.
Round 8 – Army 2 wins Initiative
Mimameid kills the last knight sans the one on Jalgard glyph. Finn fails to inflict any wounds. Sharwin begins advancing up.
Round 9 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Sharwin advances, fails to inflict wounds. Mimameid wounds Finn. Sharwin moves to Wannok glyph.
Round 10 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Sharwin advances. Mimameid fails to inflict any wounds. Sharwin inflicts 2 wounds on Mimameid. The ent inflicts 4 wounds on her. She repays him another 1.
Round 11 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Sharwin and Finn fail to inflict any wounds. Mimameid kills Sharwin.
Round 12 – Army 1 wins initiative
Finn inflicts 2 wounds. Mimameid kills him.
Round 13 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Last knight and Mimameid w/ 1 Life remaining race to Wannok glyph. Mimameid forces confrontation. Both fail to wound the other.
Round 14 – Army 1 wins Initiative
Both fail to wound the other again. Knight finally kills Mimaeid w/ 3 Skull attack.

Result:
Army 1 eliminated. Army 2 survives with ~17 Points remaining (1 Knight, 4% strength)



Thoughts on this battle: This one was hard to gauge because the dice were so skewed: Knights’ army consistently trading evenly with the Gruts despite possessing the +2 Defense glyph for 90% of the game, only barely coming out ahead after an agonizingly long duel against Krug and Mimameid. At first Mimameid was working against his own army simply by having cost an OM leading to the enemy reaching the Jalgard glyph first. However his power did come in handy as the Disengage 6-Move Gruts kited their 4-Move enemies, able to use Mimameid’s aura to further aid their fighting retreat. The ent himself proved to be quite the menace in the endgame as well since all his foes only had three attack dice, save for Sharwin (effectively 5 attack with Shocking Grasp) who bungled her every roll (and luckily did not get in any counterstrikes even with 6 defense). Nonetheless his single-attack and tankiness did slow the game down to a crawl. He might’ve made more use of his SA had all the enemies not had 6 Defense minimum thanks to the glyph.

Figure’s Uses: Slowed some knights while they chased gruts. Killed Finn and Sharwin. Last figure alive.

Final Thoughts:
As a standalone Hero, Mimameid’s tankiness and single-attacking remind me the most of Charos. Charos is well-known for being one of the tankiest units in the game (and Mimameid only having 1 less Life). Mimameid mostly excelled at tanking hits as well, taking a long time in most of the games to be killed. His aura of Thick Roots, despite only being 2 spaces, covers quite the area given his being Double-Spaced. It proved exceptionally annoying and cost a couple Attacks here and there because of it. When it worked as intended I was surprised by how much it affected the game. I found myself going around him a lot rather than through him, making him an effective blocker in many scenarios. In an important lane with his roots down he costs movement to those going by, and even if it’s only one space that still took its toll in a noticeable fashion.

Of course, the thing with Charos is that he is dangerous. 5 Attack and Counterstrike make him threatening to be sure, and his offensive potential is further bolstered by having Bonding nowadays with the Greenscales. Additionally he is much more mobile since he has Flying. Mimameid by comparison was slow and lumbering, and unless he was forced to fight as he was in the final match where he was the last unit alive (outliving even Isamu and the entire reserves in the Start Zone) I didn’t put many OMs on him at all. In that sense if you’re wondering if he is boring or unfun I would say “Yes”, since he mostly moves into position and then just sits there until he is killed or forced to fight. Effective, sometimes, yes. But not the most fun of units. He’s not really worth killing right away so you may be in for a real slow slugfest come the end of the game.

Perhaps an Attack of 5 or a more potent Special Attack (I found Crashing Boughs to be not all that useful, generally using his Normal Attack 9 times out of 10) would liven him up a bit: give the player more of a choice between laying down Thick Roots or activating him and doing some damage.

As it stands, he is effective at his job when placed correctly against the correct army. Bad placement or a bad matchup (as it was in the Minions’ case (wings and all)) makes you sorely miss the 200 Points you spent on him. He feels terribly expensive in games where his power causes little disruption. 200 Points is a lot—you could have 20 Deathreavers for that much. But I’d sooner him be more dangerous and 200 Points like Charos is rather than the same but with a reduced cost, where he’s still a little dull. The best tanks are the ones that can't be ignored, after all.

Overall he was better than I'd thought he'd be when he worked as intended. I wouldn't say he's unfair since he's so expensive. But he is somewhat unfun: a little dull to use and he takes a long time to kill.

~TAF

[Blue Trails]

As I continue to mull over the excellent playtesting feedback posted above, I'll take this opportunity to share a more recent work.

Original figure image credit goes to The Gallant Goblin.
Alternate Card:

Spoiler Alert!

Original figure image credit goes to The Gallant Goblin.

The figure used for this unit is a Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures figure from the W15 Gnoll Witherlings set. The name of the figure is Gnoll Witherling (either figure works). The sculpt is unpainted.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Any who have fought the wolven armies of Feylund and lived can tell you that the beasts' vicious rage is a weapon no less dangerous to its wielders than to its victims. Whether pouncing into the readied sword of an opponent, tearing each other apart in blind anger, or destroying their own vital organs from rising blood pressure, the wolves are driven to act in self-destructive ways by their own uncontrollable frenzies. By all means, then, the white wolf known as Sotakh should have died long ago; indeed, in some ways, he did. Having pushed his rage far beyond the known wolven limits during a bitter struggle in the Aubrien hinterlands, the darklord's continued existence stands as a frightening contradiction to information gleaned through numerous years of careful battlefield observation. Sotakh is rumored to have attained a state of perfect fury that waxes and wanes like Feylund's two moons, keeping him alive despite the horrific injuries he has sustained—many of which are grievous enough to have killed a normal wolf outright. The only respite Sotakh's enemies receive from the monster's wrath comes without warning or reason: when his rage falls below fatal levels, Sotakh is known to slip into a catatonic state, offering a few precious moments or—rarely—seconds to act before the darklord roars to life once again in an eruption of violence.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Sotakh the Darklord
GENERAL = UTGAR
PLANET = FEYLUND
SPECIES = UNDEAD
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = DARKLORD
PERSONALITY = RELENTLESS
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 3
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 2
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 80

UNDYING FURY
Before taking a turn with Sotakh the Darklord, roll the twenty-sided die.
⦁ If you roll a 1-2, you may not move nor attack with Sotakh the Darklord this turn.
⦁ If you roll a 3-6, add 1 to the Attack value of this card.
⦁ If you roll a 7-11, add 1 to the Attack value of this card and remove one wound from this Army Card, if possible.
⦁ If you roll a 12-16, add 2 to the Attack value of this card and remove one wound from this Army Card, if possible.
⦁ If you roll a 17 or higher, add 2 to the Attack value of this card and remove two wounds from this Army Card, if possible.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

My personal design philosophy for D&D miniatures is as follows: if a creature did not exist with its current appearance before 5e, I can use its miniature for anything I want because said creature never would have made it into WotC's D&D 'Scape expansions looking like that. Therefore, I was pleased to see that this sculpt became available, as it fits a concept I've wanted to realize for a considerable time. I do not own the figure, but I think that the unpainted version works well with the unit's design; the white resin fits a mostly skeletal figure and gives the impression of an old, weathered, undead wolf via white fur, pallid skin, bone weaponry, and sun-bleached clothing.

Sotakh the Darklord is very much an homage to the Anubian Wolves, boasting similar right-box stats and the UNDYING FURY power, which randomly manipulates his Attack value with a chance to temporarily take Sotakh out of commission. However, Undying Fury also gives him great longevity, with a 70% chance to remove at least one wound marker and a 20% chance to fully heal himself; in practice, this has equated to an average of 6L/4D. As a result, Sotakh is a better damage sponge for the Wolves of Badru than any other Darklord, as he is much more durable than Khosumet and much cheaper than a Werewolf Lord or Morgoloth, meaning his eventual demise is less painful to his user less than if a premium option were destroyed. The unit also bonds with Death Knights, but the chance of tanking an Undying Fury roll or two is much more worrisome to a two-man squad, as they already suffer in terms of attacks-per-turn without losing their bonding target's contributions.

Although Sotakh can seem invincible when rolling well, especially against an army with overall low Attack values, counter-play is relatively straightforward. The easiest way to handle the Darklord is to destroy him fast enough that he can't regenerate. This can be accomplished by a single large attack or several smaller blows, the task is made easier by capitalizing on a low Undying Fury roll or an initiative switch. Alternatively, Sotakh isn't too hard to tie down with fodder while mopping up his support; as the only self-healing figure to remove wound markers at the start of a turn, leaving engagement attacks are a serious concern to Sotakh and his shallow life pool, leaving him to spend his single attack on lower-value targets each turn.

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received

- Khosumet the Darklord: Relentless Assault
As a figure with the Relentless personality, Sotakh the Darklord may benefit from Khosumet the Darklord's Relentless Assault special power.
- Death Knights of Valkrill: Unholy Bonding
As a medium Hero with a Relentless personality, Sotakh the Darklord may take a turn using the Death Knights of Valkrill's Unholy Bonding special power.
- Ornak: Red Flag of Fury Aura
As a Unique Hero who follows Utgar, Sotakh the Darklord may take turns using Ornak's Red Flag of Fury Aura special power.
- Torin: Evil Eye Protection
As a medium figure who follows Utgar, Sotakh the Darklord may benefit from Torin's Evil Eye Protection special power.
- Wolves of Badru: Darklord Bonding
As a Darklord, Sotakh the Darklord may take turns using the Wolves of Badru's Darklord Bonding special power.

Synergy Benefits Offered

N/A

Comments and feedback are welcome.

[Shiftrex]

Really cool card! I like how undying ties in with his ability to start shrugging off wounds, thematic for an undead lord of darkness ^^

80 points is an interesting place to put him but I think it makes sense given his low life total. 4 defense is still solid and I like that there is 1 power on the card. It is always great to see a custom hit that level of specificity. Gnoll witherling huh? I will have to look into that miniature.