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

[Blue Trails]

It's been a little while since I was last here. I've finally found a decent sculpt for this next custom, which helps fill the ranks of military units while occupying a thematic niche that is unusually hard to fill.

Original figure image credit goes to the HobbyLinq.com community

The model used for this unit is a Pegasus Hobbies figure from the MRC World War II Ground Armor Series set. The name of the figure is M4 MIDDLE TANK (MID)6TH A. The unit is double-spaced.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew
GENERAL = JANDAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = SOLDIERS
PERSONALITY = VALIANT
SIZE/HEIGHT = HUGE 8

LIFE = 5
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 6
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 6
POINTS = 215

75mm GUN SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 7. Attack 4
Instead of attacking normally, if MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew moved no more than one space this turn, they may use 75mm Gun Special Attack. All figures adjacent to the defending figure are also affected by 75mm Gun Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately. Cooper & Crew are not affected by their own 75mm Gun Special Attack. Large or huge figures and destructible objects roll 1 fewer defense die against 75mm Gun Special Attack.

CLIMBING TREADS
When moving up levels of terrain, if the elevation difference is exactly 1 level, ignore that elevation.

Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Cooper; Richards; Atkins; Smith; Hayes. Brave men, all. After an unexpected turn during a routine patrol, the soldiers drove their tank over a strange hill and found themselves stranded in an unfamiliar world. Eventually falling in with their fellow soldiers among Jandar's forces, the crew utilize the supreme weaponry and armor of the M4 Sherman to provide the allied generals with a weapon to rival the massive Soulborgs that have long dominated Valhalla's battlefields. The age of armored warfare has arrived!

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

This was a fun unit to design. I was lucky enough to find a tank model with decently scaled proportions: at 42mm tall and 95mm long, the ~9.5-ft tank is roughly in proportion to a 28-mm figure representing a 6-ft tall man—not a bad assumption for heroic scale—and theoretically fits on a double base with overlap into surrounding spaces not considerably worse than Stinger denial. Given that the M4 Sherman used a five-man crew, the design uses plural forms in its card text to reflect this fact; it's a little unwieldy at first, but C3V's Grigor & Rogirg help to normalize such treatment of multiple entities as a single Hero.

75mm GUN SPECIAL ATTACK is the centerpiece of the design, providing exactly what would be expected from a tank: a devastating AoE attack with an added bonus against destructible objects and large targets. However, the potential to devastate a start zone is mitigated by the special attack's movement-restricting caveat; originally, the special attack could only be used if the unit hadn't moved that turn, but testing showed that the ability to completely deny the tank's defining ability via a single mook or squaddie distraction was a thematically odd and highly anticlimactic method of counterplay. Meanwhile, CLIMBING TREADS helps avoid some of the the mobility issues of a 5 Move double base figure and makes early game positioning a bit easier.

The unit is priced for three factors: its high survivability, its powerful special attack, and its synergy with several army compositions. I wasn't about to make an American WWII soldier without the Soldier(s) class and the Valiant personality, which means the tank crew enjoys MDG's powerful boosts and gives the 4th Mass. a strong special attacker. Also, a durable, double-spaced, Jandar-following Soldier with limited elevation-ignoring abilities makes an excellent target for the 8th Infantry's Marching Orders power, which is a nice thematic bonus for the design.

Comments are welcome.

[Blue Trails]

Original figure image credit goes to MinisGallery.com

The model used for this unit is a D&D figure from the Icons of the Realm: Monster Menagerie 2 set. The name of the figure is Uthgardt Barbarian (either figure works).

Alternate Card:

Spoiler Alert!

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Angus MacFergus
GENERAL = JANDAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CHAMPION
PERSONALITY = WILD
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 6
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 155

ONE TRUE CHAMPION
When Angus MacFergus attacks, if he is the only Champion you control, he may attack one additional time. If Angus does not target a Champion with this second attack, subtract 3 from his Attack.

MARK OF STURLA
Start the game with 2 Immortality Markers on this Army Card. Before placing Order Markers, if Angus MacFergus is destroyed, you may remove a Immortality Marker from this Army Card, then add or remove wound markers from until Angus has 1 Life left and place him on any empty space adjacent to a figure you control. For the rest of the game, if your Angus MacFergus has more Lives left than Immortality markers on his card, destroy him.

Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

TBA

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

Credit where credit is due: this unit was inspired by the Arena of the Valkyrie project that's running in another subforum (it's a great project—go check it out if you haven't already!); specifically, an earlier, discarded draft of the Honored Soul-Guides, which had the ability to revive a Unique Hero twice per game at 1 Life. Seeing as this greatly helps the MacDirk Warriors, I thought it would be neat to build this feature directly into a Champion for them.

Angus MacFergus is a hard-hitting Champion with access to three bonding options by merit of his left-box stats, though I've tried to nudge him away from the Knights of Weston. MARK OF STURLA is the star of the show, here, giving Angus another nearly strings-free chance to wreak havoc followed by a last hurrah to destroy something important within a single round. Clearly, the MacDirks love playing two more rounds at maximum strength, but his total survivability and damage-dealing potential serve as nice middle ground between Pel and Jotun for the Dreadguls. Meanover, ONE TRUE CHAMPION lets Angus trade survivability for a frightening damage output while acting as a silver bullet for certain bonding armies, but its restriction on a player's army composition coupled with the unit's high cost means you'll basically be running just squaddies and Angus in most formats. However, the self-wounding requirement means the unit generally loses access to the power after reviving itself.

As always, critiques and comments are welcome.

[Vydar_XLIII]

Angus is really strong, he definitely overshadows Alastair as the best hero to play with the MacDirks. Thematically, I don't see Mark of Sturla on the miniature. Is it a tattoo or something that I can't see in the image? I'm all for the anachronistic things that only could happen in Valhalla (Drake's Grapple Arm, Arashara's shifting sands totem, etc.) but unless it is obvious on the mini, I'm meh about it.

Mechanically, I think I found some things you may have overlooked with MARK OF STURLA.

Firstly, the card and the text version aren't the same. The text version is better so I'll address that.

Secondly there is an interaction that is problematic: Angus is made the Highland Champion. He rushes the opponent's start zone and kills as much as he can until he dies. Meanwhile the MacDirks are developing up into a good position. Angus resurrects adjacent to Marcu or Isamu back in your start zone. You now have 7 attack MacDirks with no risk of losing Angus.

Thirdly, I also don't think the last sentence works.

For the rest of the game, if your Angus MacFergus has more Lives left than Immortality markers on his card, destroy him.

He starts with 2 markers. Dies. Comes back with 1 marker and 1 life. Dies. Comes back with 0 markers and 1 life. Is automatically destroyed because he has more lives than Immortality markers.

Is the intent that he can come back twice? Then it doesn't work. Is the intent that he only comes back once? Then it can be done more elegantly.

[Knox]

For a 2nd highlander hero, I would rather someone who didn't outshine Alistair. Maybe someone who can fight alongside him, or replace him when he dies. A great example would be what SchismaticSounds did with Kirvin the Wily for the Greenscale Warriors.

https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...47761&page=401

Vydar's right to point out that Angus' resurrection ability is way too powerful when bonded with the MacDirks.

[Sherman Davies]

Originally Posted by Vydar_XLIII

Secondly there is an interaction that is problematic: Angus is made the Highland Champion. He rushes the opponent's start zone and kills as much as he can until he dies. Meanwhile the MacDirks are developing up into a good position. Angus resurrects adjacent to Marcu or Isamu back in your start zone. You now have 7 attack MacDirks with no risk of losing Angus.

Yeah, this is what I imagine a player doing with Angus, to great effect. While any help for the MacDirks would be nice, this would make for a very strong combo.

Also, the wording for Mark of Sturla relies on a player colloquialism - "Lives left" - that can present problems when used as game terminology. Raelin with four wound markers on her card does not technically have "one Life left," she is simply destroyed once a fifth wound marker is placed on her card.

[SchismaticSounds]

MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew is my favorite custom here yet.
Where can you find the miniature for it?

My only qualms would be wondering if Valiant is fitting as well as the Soldier synergy. Just might require some testing.

[Blue Trails]

Thanks for your many responses, guys! I'll have to remember not to post here unless I know I'll have the time to reply promptly, though.

Originally Posted by Vydar_XLIII

Angus is really strong, he definitely overshadows Alastair as the best hero to play with the MacDirks. Thematically, I don't see Mark of Sturla on the miniature. Is it a tattoo or something that I can't see in the image? I'm all for the anachronistic things that only could happen in Valhalla (Drake's Grapple Arm, Arashara's shifting sands totem, etc.) but unless it is obvious on the mini, I'm meh about it.

Angus was designed to be a strong option (around B+ to A- by power ranking), but eclipsing Alistair would be an unintended and unwanted result. During testing, I had made comparisons to Morgoloth as a unit with similar survivability and wound-dealing potential, but the resurrection power is probably what complicates things.

Also, the Mark of Sturla power does reference a detail on the sculpt; it's better visible on the alternate card I posted, but the preferred mini has a similar mark. The thematic intention was for a glyph's magic to be applied as a tattoo or war paint.

Mechanically, I think I found some things you may have overlooked with MARK OF STURLA.

Firstly, the card and the text version aren't the same. The text version is better so I'll address that.

Secondly there is an interaction that is problematic: Angus is made the Highland Champion. He rushes the opponent's start zone and kills as much as he can until he dies. Meanwhile the MacDirks are developing up into a good position. Angus resurrects adjacent to Marcu or Isamu back in your start zone. You now have 7 attack MacDirks with no risk of losing Angus.

Those are excellent observations. I don't play with self-reviving figures often, so I'm not surprised that I missed such an important dynamic. Although a strong strategy, that doesn't really fit the way I wanted Angus to play, so I'll have to retune the power.

Thirdly, I also don't think the last sentence works.

He starts with 2 markers. Dies. Comes back with 1 marker and 1 life. Dies. Comes back with 0 markers and 1 life. Is automatically destroyed because he has more lives than Immortality markers.

Is the intent that he can come back twice? Then it doesn't work. Is the intent that he only comes back once? Then it can be done more elegantly.

The power is, indeed, intended to offer two revivals, and the army card is actually supposed to be the correct version:

For the rest of the game, if your Angus MacFergus has more Lives left than Immortality markers on his card at the end of a round, destroy him.

That power's wording is still sloppier than I remembered, though.

Originally Posted by Knox

For a 2nd highlander hero, I would rather someone who didn't outshine Alistair. Maybe someone who can fight alongside him, or replace him when he dies. A great example would be what SchismaticSounds did with Kirvin the Wily for the Greenscale Warriors.

https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...47761&page=401

Vydar's right to point out that Angus' resurrection ability is way too powerful when bonded with the MacDirks.

That's a very cool custom; I'll have to visit SchismaticSounds's thread sometime to comment further on it. While I would like to see how someone else would make a MacDirk analogue work, though, I'm not interested in creating something like it.

In hindsight, you and Vydar are absolutely right about Mark of Sturla. I'll be sending this one back to the testing table to see what works.

Originally Posted by Sherman Davies

Yeah, this is what I imagine a player doing with Angus, to great effect. While any help for the MacDirks would be nice, this would make for a very strong combo.

Also, the wording for Mark of Sturla relies on a player colloquialism - "Lives left" - that can present problems when used as game terminology. Raelin with four wound markers on her card does not technically have "one Life left," she is simply destroyed once a fifth wound marker is placed on her card.

Good point on the power's wording. I guess I've used "lives left" so frequently that I forgot it has no official meaning. The alternative was to say "add or remove wound markers until there are 5 wound markers on this Army Card," but the card was already fairly cluttered by that point.

Originally Posted by SchismaticSounds

MSG Thomas Cooper & Crew is my favorite custom here yet.
Where can you find the miniature for it?

My only qualms would be wondering if Valiant is fitting as well as the Soldier synergy. Just might require some testing.

I'm glad you like the unit! HobbyLinc sells the model, but you should be able to find it on the website of the manufacturer, Pegasus Hobbies, as well.

My testing hadn't found any objectionable interactions with either the 4th Mass. or Soldier synergies by the time of posting, but more play experience wouldn't hurt. Thematically, the tank crew are war heroes just like Sgt. Drake and the Airborne Elite, so Valiant Soldiers seemed to be the most consistent choice.

[SchismaticSounds]

Playtest for the new Angus Macfurgus

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Angus MacFergus
GENERAL = JANDAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CHAMPION
PERSONALITY = WILD
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 5
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 3
POINTS = 155

ONE TRUE CHAMPION
Angus MacFergus adds 2 to his Attack against Champions.

HIGHLAND VIGOR
If Angus MacFergus starts his turn unengaged, he may add 3 to his Move. If Angus does not end this move engaged to at least one opponent's figure, place one wound marker on this Army Card.

MARK OF STURLA
Start the game with 2 Immortality Markers on this Army Card. When Angus MacFergus would receive one or more wounds, you may remove an Immortality Marker from this card to ignore any or all of those wounds.

Point Total: 480 points
Map: Wyrmwalk
Glyphs: 2 Treasure Glyphs, 2 Perm unknown glyphs ended up being Ulaniva (unique +1) and disengage.

Team 1 - Army: Macdirk Warriors x4, Angus Macfergus, (Bol yes/no)
Team 2 - Army: Cathar Spearmen x3, Roman Legionairres x2, Marcus, Roman Archers x1



General Battle Report/Flow of game


Round 1
Team 1 goes first. Angus inflicts 2 wounds moving in, granting the Macdirks 4 attack and dealing first blood. Team 2's om's were not expecting the quick move in attack and did not get the chance to kill the front Macdirk force until turn 3. Angus defends 2 skulls this turn.

Casualties: Legionnaires x4, Cathar x1, Marcus x2 wounds. Macdirks x3, Angus x2 self wounds.

Round 2
Team 2 goes first. Angus removes one Immortal marker to prevent 2 wounds. Angus runs back towards starter zone resetting the field sending 1 Macdirk. Romans move up. Angus moves back in on a side cathar target inflicting another wound to himself and killing the cathar. A macdirk also kills a legionnaire. Roman archer kills a Macdirk

Casualties: Cathar x1, Macdirk x1, Roman Legionnaire x1, Angus 1 self wound.

Round 3
Team 1 goes first. Angus moves back and discovers the disengage glyph. Macdirk kill 2 Cathar and 1 Legionnaire. Marcus and a Roman each kill a Macdirk. Angus stays sat on glyph. A Macdirk kills a Legionnaire. Cathar kill 2 Macdirks. Angus moves back towards the other Macdirk. A Macdirk kills a Cathar.

Casualties: Cathar x3, Legionnaires x2, Macdirk x4.

Round 4
Angus moves towards the starter zone. Cathar and Macdirk trade throughout the round. Cathar's high defense can't defend the high attacks of the Macdirk, but the Cathars counter attacks cut through the Macdirks low defense.

Casualties: Cathar x3, Macdirks x4.
Matchup: 4 Macdirk, Angus (1 life), Marcus (5 life), 4 Cathar, 1 Legionnaire, 3 Archers

Round 5
Team barely 1 goes first rolling 19 v 18.
T1. Macdirk kill 1 Cathar and deal 3 wounds on Marcus. Roman Archers kill 1 Macdirk and fail killing the Macdirk with height on Marcus.
T2. Macdirk kills Marcus. Roman attacks on Macdirk and a pot shot on Angus are defended.
T3. Macdirk kill last Legionnaire and a Cathar. Cathar kill a Macdirk.
Height Macdirk dies to Lava Field

Casualties: Cathar x2, Macdirk x3, Marcus, Legionnaire x1
Matchup: Cathar x2, Roman Archers x3, Angus (1), Macdirk x1

Round 6
Team 1 goes first. Angus kills Archer, Macdirk kills Cathar. Angus kills Archer.
Archer kills Angus 1 skull v 4 defense with no shields. Archer kills last Macdirk. GG

BUT WAIT!!
I forgot about the last mark of Sturla. Rewind rewind...
Angus lives, kills the last Cathar then is killed by the previous attack that killed the "last macdirk".

Casualties: Roman Archers 2, Cathar 2, Angus
Matchup: Macdirk x1, Roman Archer x1

Round 7
Team 2 goes first. Archer kills last Macdirk with 1 skull v 3 def.


How useful were playtesting units' powers and how often did they come into play?
-One True Champion: N/A
-Highland Vigor: 2
-Mark of Sturla: 2
Normal Attacks
6v5 killed Roman Legionnaire
6v2 killed Roman Legionnaire
6v4 killed Cathar Spearman
5v4 killed Cathar Spearman
5v1 killed Roman Archer
5v2 killed Roman Archer

Damage and Point Value:
2 Legionnaires, 1 Cathar, 2 Archers (~92)
Many buffed attacks for Macdirks (~?)


Any additional comments (theme, balance, fun factor with and against)?

-Right off the bat I felt Angus should have a once per round limitation of Highland Vigor as the absolute turn to turn self wound freedom felt counter thematic to the trope. The theme didn't quite click with me for it as much as Highland Fury at first, but mechanically it was fun enough.
-Angus made for a very fun Macdirk Hero. As you'd expect, he wound up straying from the battle during the mid game. The Macdirk were pretty luckythis game mostly by the fact that not a single Braced Spear 16 was rolled the entire game and a lone macdirk cut through Macdirks height screen, survived lava field and killed Marcus. It took a few blunders by Team 2 for the Macdirk to stand a chance in this matchup, but by the end it was down to the wire.
-I forgot about Bol being in team 1 and did not have him set up so I staged the ending of him vs the archer and in the scenario that the archer was moved back away from the Macdirk, he won, but the scenario that he did not (which would have been the case with Bol on the board), he lost.
Anyways, it was clearly a close match which would say that Angus served his points in this match up.
-Though One True Champion was not used this match, it's a fun addition I think fits in a broad selection of matchups with how many "Champions" there are now in VC. I was eyeing the different possibilities for matchups but went with the team I already had out.
-Mark of Sturla is very strong for this hero.. and it needs to be. The mechanic could be seen as helping the character or as a con for it's cheesiness overly helping the team, but here it was enjoyed. Angus had to be very vary not to delve too deep in combat and served more as a wander looking for opportunity. Going for the treasure glyph felt like a win win move and though the wound stung, it ensured max attack for the Macdirk the remainder of the game.

[Blue Trails]

It's time to dust off this thread for the new year. Because I designed most of the following units in the same rough period, I thought I would give a nod to the official 'Scape releases by arranging them into my own pack.

Proftaka's Stratagem - Heroes of Crownridge

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Original figure image credit goes to Paizo, Inc.

The figure used for this unit is a Pathfinder Battles figure from the Crown of Fangs set. The name of the figure is Torrent Hellknight.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

The old, armored man emerges from a corridor in the back of the flooded cavern and strides confidently to the grisly altar set in an alcove of the large air pocket. He is met by a congregation of shrouded and monstrous faces awaiting the words of the Fouthomn prophet. Some of his audience arrived on Arctorus in such guises; others were like the prophet, himself: born of the bloodlines of men and women whose bargains with that which lies beyond bore a permanent corruption that rendered their descendents more alien than man. As an instrumental family in contacting these outside powers, all male Fouthomns were warped into vessels for their new masters' inscrutable will.

Fouthomn addresses the crowd in a burbling tongue, speaking as if drowning. The old man trails off at height of his speech, his body weakening and his eyes darkening into two empty, black orbs oblivious to his surroundings. Through one he sees a winged man with red hair in the act of negotiation, trying to hide his fear with arrogance; through the other, the same man slowly dissociates in the gnawing mouth of the void. The sight brings him glee.

As his senses gradually return, Fouthomn finds himself standing over the bodies of two of his followers amidst a silent scene painted with dirty greens and deep reds. He crouches. His masters' providence has rooted out an impostor. Grinning madly behind his helm, Fouthomn continues his sermon with renewed vigor, leaving the faint image of a long-toothed skull beside the remains of his vision.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Mnoris Fouthomn
GENERAL = VALKRILL
PLANET = ARCTORUS
SPECIES = OUTSIDER
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = PROPHET
PERSONALITY = FANATICAL
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 2
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 65


CONDUIT FOR THE DARK STAR
After taking a turn with Mnoris Fouthomn, roll the 20-sided die.
If you roll a 1-6, choose an opponent. That opponent will now take a turn with Mnoris Fouthomn, but will not be able to view any unrevealed Order Markers on this card and may not use Conduit for the Dark Star. At the end of that turn, control of Mnoris returns to you. All Order Markers that were on Mnnoris Fouthomn's Army Card will stay on his card.
If you roll a 7-14, nothing happens.
If you roll a 15 or higher, take another turn with Mnoris Fouthomn.

FANATICAL ASSAULT
Each friendly figure adjacent to Mnoris with a fanatical personality receives an additional attack die.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

Mnoris Fouthomn is an extremely high-variance take on the "underpriced traitor" archetype that appears in classic 'Scape. CONDUIT FOR THE DARK STAR is a mandatory version of Frenzy that gives Mnoris the ability to throw out a disproportionately high amount of damage with a bit of luck, but it carries an equal chance of letting an opponent undo his entire turn and possibly destroy one of his own teammates as well. Of course, the contemporary playtesting version of C3V's unreleased Children of the Dark Star make excellent partners due to Mnoris's FANATICAL ASSAULT power and their ability to change the results of his Conduit rolls, but waiting to deploy Mnoris until he's constructed a proper safety net from Spirits of the Void can prevent a player from maximizing the effects of his Attack boost.

Thematically, I knew I wanted to do something with this sculpt when I saw how closely it resembles a Child of the Dark Star in full armor; the fact that it's missing a tail and a few fins is nonideal, but Lovecraft's The Shadow over Innsmouth, the ostensible inspiration for the Children, makes enough allowances for human-monster hybridization to justify these flaws. The end result of a mad prophet puppeteered by alien masters is a fitting choice for an Outsider Hero, even if it doesn't perfectly match the bizarre aquatic aesthetic present in most of the C3V Outsiders.

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Original figure image credit goes to em4miniatures.com

The figure used for this unit is an eM-4 Miniatures figure from the Oriental Blades 2 set. The name of the figure is Armoured Adventurer.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

Gotoh Daisuke is a master iaidoka, adept at fighting with a sheathed sword. Though his blade is drawn for only moments at a time, the samurai's steady hand and finely honed reflexes allow him to counter and fell an attacker with time left to clean his weapon. On Earth and Valhallla alike, many would-be assailants have met their fate through a single lethal arc of Gotoh's sword; the lucky ones drop immediately, but the rare few are able to witness the unmistakable signs of their own demise.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Gotoh Daisuke
GENERAL = EINAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = SAMURAI
PERSONALITY = DISCIPLINED
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 3
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 2
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 60


IAIJUTSU STRIKE
The first time Gotoh Daisuke attacks each round, add 3 to his Attack.

COUNTERSTRIKE
When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from an adjacent attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure. This power does not work against other Samurai.

SPECTACULAR FINISH
After attacking a small or medium figure, if Order Marker 3 is revealed on this Army Card and the defending figure did not roll excess shields, you may roll two attack dice. The next time the player that controls that figure reveals an Order Marker on its Army Card, makes a leaving engagement attack with that figure, or places Order Markers at the start of a round, that figure receives 1 wound for each skull you rolled.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

A cheap and fast blocker with the ability to throw out the occasional heavy blow, Gotoh Daisuke can be used in a couple of different ways. While he is unlikely to see more than a single Order Marker per round once in position, IAIJUTSU STRIKE allows him to effectively retaliate against the threats he engages without relying on COUNTERSTRIKE or assassinate a vulnerable figure within his reach. The unit's offensive presence is further bolstered by SPECTACULAR FINISH; while somewhat tricky to use due to its Order Marker requirement, the potential to tack two extra wounds onto an attack can be effective when fighting high-Defense figures.

This unit is heavily inspired by the martial art of iaido, leading to a defensive focus that can be rightfully compared to the Izumi Samurai; the Izumi have somewhat of an edge in this role due to their ability to move multiple figures at a time, though. I also took note of the world of grindhouse samurai cinema, whose spirit I attempted to capture with Spectacular Finish. The power's sole thematic purpose is replicating the type of scene in which two combatants strike simultaneously then pause dramatically, leaving the results unknown until one starts bleeding. Although I typically try to avoid memory-based powers, this one can only be set near the end of a round and is guaranteed to end by the start of the next round, making it fairly practical to use in a real game.

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Original figure image credit goes to Paizo, Inc.

The figure used for this unit is a Pathfinder Battles figure from the Rusty Dragon Inn set. The name of the figure is King Castruccio Irovetti.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

The mighty Nestorian armies of the East, led by their wise and just King John, were caught unaware by a sudden surge in the River Tigris while marching on Jerusalem following their defense of Ecbatana from Saracen forces. Surviving only with Jandar's intervention, John pledged himself and his men to the allied generals' interests on Valhalla in gratitude for the archkyrie's actions, serving as counsel and strategist. Among Jandar's army, the brave men of Weston feel particular enthusiasm in fighting alongside John's forces; tales of the Nestorians' glory were prominent during the age of chivalry, but its existence could never be verified due to the vast distance between the kingdoms of Europe and of the East.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Prester John
GENERAL = JANDAR
PLANET = EARTH
SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = KING
PERSONALITY = PIOUS
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 180

HEAT OF BATTLE SPECIAL ATTACK
Range Special. Attack 1 + Special
When using Heat of Battle Special Attack, Prester John may target and attack any opponent's figure that is adjacent to him or to an adjacent Squad figure you control that follows Jandar. If Prester John attacks an adjacent figure with his Heat of Battle Special Attack, he rolls two additional attack dice. Prester John may use Heat of Battle Special Attack one additional time for each adjacent figure you control that follows Jandar. No more than X attacks may target the same figure. X is the number of Jandar figures you control adjacent to that figure.

RIGHTEOUS ADVANCE
When Prester John or an adjacent Squad figure you control that follows Jandar is attacked with a normal attack by an opponent's non-adjacent figure and is not destroyed, you may move one Squad figure you control that follows Jandar up to 2 spaces.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

As a multi-special-attacker with impressive right-box stats and a frequent source of free movement, Prester John can be a significant boon to the right army. The unit's short Range and overall lack of outstanding synergies means Prester John generally needs more Order Markers to stay useful than a typical cheerleader, but JANDAR'S ADVANCE offers a powerful deterrent to opposing ranged units as John moves into position and HEAT OF BATTLE SPECIAL ATTACK allows John to threaten melee figures stuck in engagement with his own army's defensive lines. Nevertheless, the unit's hefty cost is compounded by the fact that both of its special powers require drafting several Squads to extract their full effect, and Prester John makes his army notably vulnerable to figures such as dragons that prey on massed Squad figures.

FAQ:

Q: Which figures can Prester John attack when using Heat of Battle Special Attack?
A: By himself, John can attack any adjacent figure and roll 3 attack dice. For each Jandar squad figure you control adjacent to John, he may attack one additional time and may effectively subtract 2 from the special attack's Attack value to attack a non-adjacent figure that is adjacent to said Squad figure. The number of times a single figure may be attacked by Heat of Battle Special Attack cannot exceed the number of your Jandar figures adjacent to it. The power is intended to simulate a great fray; Prester John is essentially commanding his troops from the heart of battle, and the mass of fighters becomes more deadly as more allies are able to contribute their own attacks to the assault.

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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 BMC Mauler. The figure's base is single-spaced.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

The Nephyrian projects were a line of early Soulborgs constructed from schematics for Mariedian war machines and sympathetic to the Mariedians' right to survive. Many projects allied themselves with the Marideians when their fellow Soulborgs began killing indiscriminately, effectively dooming their entire line to eradication by their peers, but Ullar has summoned several of the deviant Soulborgs to the aid his armies on Valhalla. Although the general has been historically reluctant to look for allies on Alpha Prime, reports from the archmage, Sonlen, during the Ticalla campaign have been able to challenge Ullar's perception of Soulborgs as rigid, unfeeling, and inadaptable, and PROJECT: Cloudcover has proven capable of protecting Ullar's most vulnerable troops from their foes' cruel missiles.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = PROJECT: Cloudcover
GENERAL = ULLAR
PLANET = ALPHA PRIME
SPECIES = SOULBORG
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = SCOUT
PERSONALITY = REBELLIOUS
SIZE/HEIGHT = LARGE 5

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 7
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 70

SUPPRESSING FIRE 7
If an opponent's figure within 7 clear sight spaces of PROJECT: Cloudcover targets any other non-adjacent figure you control with a normal attack, roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 16 or higher, no dice are rolled for this attack, no defense dice are rolled, and the attacking figure receives one wound.

STEALTH FLYING
When counting spaces for PROJECT: Cloudcover's movement, ignore elevations. PROJECT: Cloudcover may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. If PROJECT: Cloudcover is engaged when it starts to fly, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

This unit is intended as an anti-range support piece with endgame usability. SUPPRESSING FIRE 7 synergizes with Range-despising units such as slow melee figures, the Venoc Vipers, and the Warriors of Ashra, while the combination of 6 Move, 7 Range, and STEALTH FLYING give PROJECT: Cloudcover a formidable threat range. However, the unit loses much of its value against melee-heavy armies, and 1 Life makes it highly vulnerable to poor rolls and certain wound-inflicting powers.

Perhaps I'm biased due to his command of Jotun, the Vipers, and several high-Move units, but I've always considered Ullar to have significant thematic notes of freedom and liberation; in fact, if I had made the decisions, both the Gladiator and Mariedian factions would follow Ullar. Therefore, a fast unit using a spaceship miniature seemed a natural fit for an Ullar Soulborg, and I couldn't resist tying it to the Mariedians through its bio. Depending on how far I want to take the idea, I might look at the other two ships from the same Starfinder set in the future.

As always, comments are welcome.

[Sherman Davies]

I like the theme for Gotoh Daisuke's Spectacular Finish power, although (as you note) it involves a fair amount for players to remember, something Heroscape generally avoided unless memory aids like markers were involved. The beginning of the power might also be clearer if you followed Ornak's Red Flag of Fury example: "If Order Marker 3 is revealed on Gotoh Daisuke and he attacks a small or medium figure, etc..." Also, Counter Strike is two words in Heroscapese.

[Blue Trails]

Thanks for commenting. I would like to use markers for Spectacular Finish, but the change would likely prevent Gotoh from using the power against Common figures without creating a situation as messy as what exists due to the current memory system; the power already has several limitations, so I would rather not restrict its use further. I appreciate the wording advice, though, and I will definitely correct Counter Strike's name on a future card.

[Blue Trails]

Original figure image credit goes to Paizo, Inc.

The figures used for this unit are Pathfinder Battles figures from the Deep Cuts: Hellhounds set. The figures are unpainted.

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

When a shroud of night and fog falls over the mountains of Feylund and its twin moons align in syzygy, the normal silence is broken by the dreadful howls of the Annunhounds. These spectral beasts dash over rock, plain, and hill in tireless pursuit of wicked souls, following their quarry to the ends of the world. Even if escape seems possible, the relief of the hunted lasts mere seconds before the clever pack calls their master to the hunt.

Card Text:

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = Annunhounds
GENERAL = EINAR
PLANET = FEYLUND
SPECIES = PSYCHOPOMPS
UNIQUENESS = COMMON SQUAD (2 FIGURES)
CLASS = HUNTERS
PERSONALITY = DISCIPLINED
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 4

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 4
POINTS = 45

GRIM BAY
After taking a turn with the Annunhounds, you may take a turn with a Hunter Hero you control. During this turn, that Hero figure may only attack figures within 2 clear sight spaces of least one Annunhound you control.

PHANTOM WALK
Annunhounds may move through all figures and are never attacked when leaving an engagement.

Designer's Thoughts:

Spoiler Alert!

The Annunhounds are a simple, older custom that tries to provide a thematic bonding method for the Hunter class. 6 Move with PHANTOM WALK gives the squad fair maneuverability in crowded situations, helping maximize GRIM BAY's bonding effect. At one point, I used a fairly self-explanatory "Hunter War Cry" power in place of Grim Bay, but the release of C3V's Himmelskrale necessitated a rebalncing if I wanted to use both at my table.

This unit is inspired by the Cŵn Annwn, spectral hounds that appear in the Welsh version of the Wild Hunt. Although the card uses the best figure image I could find on the Web, it doesn't exactly do the sculpts justice; the plastic used is translucent, giving the Annunhounds a ghastly appearance that reflects the nature of the myth.

As always, comments are welcome.