Einar's Departure Prerelease- Chaos' 2nd custom wave project

[chaoserver]

Intro
This is the development and discussion thread for the next installment of my continuation of Heroscape. In the first installment Valkrill's Justice, Valkrill's arrival has caused a great divide. The generals have fallen back to their homelands and live in fear. Utgar has become increasingly paranoid, as he was betrayed by both the Drow and the Marro, who had long plotted to undermine him. Vydar has seemed to have drifted further, his ambitions unclear as he allied himself with beasts like Remorhaz.

Storywise this wave will focus on Vydar's mental collapse and betrayal and Einar making a last stand against the current threats so that his old allies might take up arms before it is too late.

As far as the units in this set go the confirmed components are:
A Death Knight Hero, Lord Frostbane
A lizardfolk hero
A synergistic Marro Warlord who follows Valkrill, Gru-Ka-Sa
A Draegloth Abomination to join the Drow
A hero to support Sudema
A new Agent
A unit adding a new mechanic
Kyrie Squad for Aquilla, Aquilla's Guard
Aquilla's big blue dragon
Vlad the Impaler, joining the service of Einar as a Warlord


Components that are NOT confirmed but are desired:
More squads for Valkrill, synergistic with units from Valkrill's Justice
To fill in gaps left by WOTC discontinuing Heroscape

Picture Gallery


Aquilla's dragon, Agruna, has arrived in style!


The Arcane Portal Master who maintains gateways for Valkrill's legion.


Yes his basing is awkward, but the Drow don't mind.


Vydar's Heart Thief


He didn't make the cut for the last wave but Aquilla will be receiving him this time!


Sudema will be getting more viable.


The last agent?


Einar's Blade!


The Marro have betrayed Utgar and are better for it!

Where the community comes in!

First and foremost these customs are in the spirit of classic scape, much like wave 1. This means the number of points and powers on a card will be kept in check, and close attention will be paid to keeping units balanced.

What I ask from community members are a few things, some fairly straightforward, others more creative.

First I am looking for help locating suitable SQUAD figures, meaning groups of 3-4 units of similar size and appearance. Valkrill will be the main general receiving squad members this wave- But other suggestion are welcome. All figures need to be in Heroscape scale and not cost an arm and a leg for people to afford.

Second as I have things I need suggestion on things I will ask at the bottom of the page and anyone can offer feedback!

Lastly I am looking for playtesters! When some units feel ready I will PM the cards to those interested in playtesting, as well as record playtests within my own gaming circle to determine changes.

Current Suggestions Needed
How to handle Draegloth Abomination- I have ideas but am curious about yours, as nothing feels natural yet, especially anything to buff Pelloth up!

A third squad figure for Aquilla's Kyrie squad

Ideas for the New Agents abilities/synergy

Will post more as the wave develops!

[MrWookiee]

I dont have much time now but I can say +rep!

[gorthan313]

For the Draegloth: Maybe, if it is within 5 spaces of Pelloth, you may choose a figure within five spaces of the Draegloth(Basically up to 10 spaces away from Pelloth). Sort of like Pelloth is magically looking through the Draegloth's eyes. It would give more mobility for Pelloth, and keep him away from the action longer.

[Dwarvenwarrior123]

Awsome + rep!!!

[chaoserver]

Originally Posted by gorthan313

For the Draegloth: Maybe, if it is within 5 spaces of Pelloth, you may choose a figure within five spaces of the Draegloth(Basically up to 10 spaces away from Pelloth). Sort of like Pelloth is magically looking through the Draegloth's eyes. It would give more mobility for Pelloth, and keep him away from the action longer.

Kind of played around with this, the main problem is special attacks may never be modified, including range ect. Me and a friend of mine spent many hours just on this guy, drew up several versions, including:

Draegloth Design Notes

V1.
A version where if a Drow was destroyed you could roll the D20 to spawn it next to Draegloth on a 14 - was scrapped because the ability degraded to players just using it for when Drow are regularly destroyed, which is much better, and not enough incentive to use Pelloth. It also is not thematic for a Draegloth.

V2.
A version where when Draegloth inflicted a wound you could move with, and use the special ability of, a Drow hero within line of sight. - This was better because it made using Draegloth himself needed, but was incredibly forced, and Estivara was a better choice for this anyways. Not to mention we had Draegloth bonding with the spiders(which I think he should have as it ties the theme together great) so it also felt like a sketchy way around double bonding.

V3.
There was an early version where we toyed with the concept of him being a mount for Drow heroes, which was discarded quickly- It just felt weird and didn't really making Pelloth better, just encouraged bringing Estivara around to buff spiders up.

What we established we do want is:
Him to bond with spiders
For him to NOT just be a cheerleader of sorts

What we are toying with:
Shadow Leap ability, a movement ability that either requires or is enhanced by shadow(sticks to shadow theme)
Web whip abilities(In theme with the displacement ability of Wyvern, which is tied to spiders/Drow chainfighter)
Making Pelloth useable without explicitly devoting Draegloth to him- The biggest challenge.

Hope that helps anyone wanting to help the process, this is by far the hardest custom we have tried to design(Pelloth's fault) and I don't imagine any other unit in this wave posing a tenth of the problems.

[MarroCloner164]

This should definitely be the lizardfolk hero...I saw it thrown around a few times in the prerelease speculation threads and really liked it.

For the Dragoleth...you could break a huge wall and say that if this figure is targeted by Lolth's Wrath, the attack goes up to six or seven and out to two spaces...sort of like a larger mass would generate more spiders.

But that would break the rule of special attacks never receiving any bonuses...

Also, it should be an Arachnid Predator, for bonding w/spiders and boostability by Estivara.

Squads for Valkrill...who says that two-person squads are bad? There are two preeeety similar Hezerou (demon) sculpts, which would continue along the Mezzo line.



-MarroCloner 164, going out on a limb that breaks some rules.

[chaoserver]

Super ideas Marro Cloner!

That does look like a great choice for the lizardfolk heroes figure, I saw an half ilthid one which was far less suitable, theres probably a few more kicking around but that will likely take the cake.

I am really not too keen on the breaking the special attack modifier- especially because I don't want to devote such a good sculpt to one lackluster unit. You follow what I mean? I would prefer forgetting Pelloth if something for him couldn't be integrated with something good for the Drow/spiders as a whole, is what I mean. He WILL bond with spiders, absolutely, it totally brings the theme together =]. He probably won't be an arachnid though. If he was it might make Estivara too good, but thats for this thread to decide!

Two person aren't bad, how big are those minis/what are the cost? They could definitely be worked in with Valkrill!

[faure]

The suggested minis for the 2 figure squad are Hezrou.
First is: Hezrou #55 Angelfire DDM
Second is: Hezrou #25 Legendary Evils DDM

The first looks to be hard to find (only 1 at Auggies, none at Troll&Toad or Miniatures Market); the second is more recent (Auggies has 49 right now).

They are large. I have 2 of the second one -- they are about same size as Gurei-Oni. I'd treat them as Uncommon Heroes rather than squad given the size.

Squads with the D&D figures can be a challenge as some noted before WotC pulled the plug. You could come up with a set of mixed skeletons (e.g. a Skeleton Gang with minotaur skeleton, wolf skeleton, skeletal dwarf, etc.). Maybe some other options.

[chaoserver]

Squads don't need to be limited to D&D though. And judging by what you said they probably wouldn't be viable squads after all, as the first would be rather expensive/hard to find anyways. When I have some more time hopefully I can do my part in finding them.

[gorthan313]

Originally Posted by chaoserver

Kind of played around with this, the main problem is special attacks may never be modified, including range ect. Me and a friend of mine spent many hours just on this guy, drew up several versions, including:

Ah, I did take that fact in mind. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see that suggestion as a MODIFICATION, but you probably define it differently. I just see it as using the Draegloth as a different 'launching point' for the attack.


Better idea: The Draegloth CAN be targeted by Lolth's Rage, but he is NOT destroyed by the attack(Maybe takes a wound, but not destroyed).

[Lamaclown]

Just dropping by to say that I am watching with interest. You have some great ideas going on here. I can't wait to see what comes of them.

[chaoserver]

Originally Posted by gorthan313

Ah, I did take that fact in mind. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see that suggestion as a MODIFICATION, but you probably define it differently. I just see it as using the Draegloth as a different 'launching point' for the attack.


Better idea: The Draegloth CAN be targeted by Lolth's Rage, but he is NOT destroyed by the attack(Maybe takes a wound, but not destroyed).

That is a much better version, though the worry would be that Pelloth would be obsolete vs. a turn with the Draegloth and spiders. Definitely warmer than most of the other drafts I feel.

The only problem is it's still watering down the Draegloth with a Pelloth specific power, which is technically sound but feels awkward.

Not trying to put your ideas down, just trying to generate an awesome unit for all the Drow!

Stealing from your idea perhaps an ability which, whenever Draegloth would be immediately destroyed by a special ability, he instead receives a wound? Yay or nay?