The Book of Cyclops (Original X-Men)

[Balantai]

I'm starting to feel that Telepathic Rapport may not be necessary. We already have Prof. X allowing us to take additional turns. It's not necessary to have Cylops allow us to do something similar. Removing this ability and simplifying Optic Blast Special Attack would make for a pretty simple, yet thematic, Cyclops.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Balantai

I'm sorry, Olie. I thought the point everyone was trying to reach was making his normal attack not an obsolete stat.

Personally, I like his Fireline type ability. But I understand if we just want to see Optic Blast completely incorporated. I will insist on a bump to 5 attack though, if we remove his Special Attack completely. (Which, to be honest, I'm not in favor of. Cyclops should have an attack that bypasses ranged counterstrike, in my opinion.)

Good point that his Optic Blast can be simplified to basically fireline with this change. This would give his special attack basically 0 learning curve for anyone familiar with RotV.

Originally Posted by Balantai

I'm starting to feel that Telepathic Rapport may not be necessary. We already have Prof. X allowing us to take additional turns. It's not necessary to have Cylops allow us to do something similar. Removing this ability and simplifying Optic Blast Special Attack would make for a pretty simple, yet thematic, Cyclops.

I disagree. I really like that Cyclops can feel like a field general with or without Prof. X. and I really think in the current dynamic with things like Telepathic Rapport and Mutant Mind Link at work, we've achieved an X-Men team that plays like the X-Men on the map without either being overly complex (these powers are very straightforward IMO) or without needing any sort of team card addition (Prof X and Cyclops as is are going to let you play X-Men that feel like X-Men without needing a supplemental team card).
I'd also argue that:

a) Prof X is still down to only two powers
b) We're using a high number of powers that are either identical to official powers or slight adjustments on them. This will make the overall set more playable than perhaps people are realizing without (thanks to new combinations) making it feel stale. I really don't feel that Telepathic Rapport is a very complex power and I really think its slight added complexity is worth the thematic and gameplay pay off.
I'm aware of Ollie's concerns but don't wish to see this particular power sacrificed as a result.
c) I'm really enjoying seeing the class of Telepath develop into a major source of synergy and I think that a wave one that could include figures like Martian Manhunter, Mastermind, maybe even Gorilla Grodd could really help expand this in interesting ways. I'd hate to take away some of that synergy already.

[Balantai]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

I disagree. I really like that Cyclops can feel like a field general with or without Prof. X. and I really think in the current dynamic with things like Telepathic Rapport and Mutant Mind Link at work, we've achieved an X-Men team that plays like the X-Men on the map without either being overly complex (these powers are very straightforward IMO) or without needing any sort of team card addition (Prof X and Cyclops as is are going to let you play X-Men that feel like X-Men without needing a supplemental team card).
I'd also argue that:

a) Prof X is still down to only two powers
b) We're using a high number of powers that are either identical to official powers or slight adjustments on them. This will make the overall set more playable than perhaps people are realizing without (thanks to new combinations) making it feel stale. I really don't feel that Telepathic Rapport is a very complex power and I really think its slight added complexity is worth the thematic and gameplay pay off.
I'm aware of Ollie's concerns but don't wish to see this particular power sacrificed as a result.
c) I'm really enjoying seeing the class of Telepath develop into a major source of synergy and I think that a wave one that could include figures like Martian Manhunter, Mastermind, maybe even Gorilla Grodd could really help expand this in interesting ways. I'd hate to take away some of that synergy already.

All very valid points.

[IAmBatman]

Also, add in, it's one of my favorite completely original powers we've come up with for this set. I'd just as soon see us lose it as Negotiation (my other favorite thus far). In fact, I'd probably keep Telepathic Rapport over Negotiation.

[Balantai]

Field Commander is my favorite ability so far in this set. It's so Cyclops like.

[IAmBatman]

I guess it's more the one-two punch of Field Commander and Telepathic Rapport really, that I go for.

[Hahma]

Since we lost range 8 attack 6 for Cyclops' Special Attack, can we bump up his normal attack to 5 since it represents his regular Optic Blast. It would still normally be lower than the original special attack of 6 and can be bumped up to 6 with height. It would still be weaker by having a range of 6 instead of 8.

This would also make his normal attack and special attack different and he might have to make a choice at times whether a normal attack of 5 ( or 6 with height) would be better to get the front figure only in a fireline possible situation instead of automatically choosing the Special Attack in that situation.

[Balantai]

I agree with Hahma's proposed change.

[IAmBatman]

I bumped it to 5. You're right that if his normal attack is the only representation of a focused Optical Blast, it should be an attack of 5.
Lingering questions ...

Do we need to change the name of the special attack now that his normal attack also represents his Optical Blast?

Are his points good where they're at?

Is everyone satisfied with the current power selection, left box, and comic art?

[Balantai]

Originally Posted by IAmBatman

Do we need to change the name of the special attack now that his normal attack also represents his Optical Blast?

I think we probably should.

[NecroBlade]

His normal and special attack are already different though, since one can only target in a straight line. And wasn't 4 already representing his optic blast since it was considered 'too high' for his hand-to-hand capabilities?

[IAmBatman]

Yes, but his focused Optic Blast in the special attack was represented by an attack of 6, so a normal attack of 4 wasn't really doing an adequate job of representing the Optic Blast when focused on a single target, IMO.