[AotV] Pre-Brainstorming Thread

[Blue Trails]

Originally Posted by S1R_ART0R1US

I like this! Maybe something like figures targetting them must subtract one from their range?

That would be very cool! Range reduction is simple enough to fit believably into a master set, and the ability to force long-ranged units to advance even slightly could be valuable. Honestly, I'm surprised that no existing power occupies that design space.

I will say, though, that there's a part of me that would want to just give them no visible hit zones as a heavy-handed lesson on the importance of checking line of sight. It could be nice as a parallel to Sgt. Drake in RotV, too.

[Knox]

Just bought AoTP & 1 Expansion, excited to participate in this project.

One general thought for design: Every Unique Squad in both classicscape and C3V has at least one of the following attributes:
1) A survivability power (all but 3-5 unique squads - depending on how you evaluate Izumi & Tagawa's counterstrike ability)
2) A low cost that can work as filler (3 squads: Tarn, Izumi, Brute Gruts)
3) Incredible shark abilities that need to be nerfed (by being a unique squad: Kozuke, Tagawa)

The reason for this is that Unique Squads are notoriously easy to cripple. As soon as you kill 1-2 figures, the squad is pretty much done for without a power like this. Here's the full list:

Tarn Vikings: Low cost (50pts), 4 defense (meh survivability)
Airborne: The Drop (survivability - instantly gain height) + 8 range (also survivabillity)
Izumi: 5 defense & counterstrike (survivability), low cost (65pts)
Kozuke: Shark ability (8 move + 5 attack) nerfed bc they are a unique squad
Tagawa: 5 defense & counterstrike (survivability), shark ability (able to get to 6 attack) nerfed as a unique squad
NotNW: Disappearing Ninja (survivability)
Elite Onyx: Evasive 8 (survivability)
Krav Maga: Stealth Dodge (survivability)
Nakita: Smoke Bomb (survivability)
Zettian Guards: 7 defense (survivability)
Marro Warriors: Water Clone (survivability)

C3V
B-11: To the last man (survivability, in a new way - remaining figures get more powerful as figures die)
Varkaanens: Wolf Pack (survivability, in a new way - Varks never lose activations bc multiple squads activate equal to the number of destroyed figures)
Vulcanmechs: Redundant Systems (survivability)
Brute Gruts: Low Cost (65pts), Sharkiness (Beserk), 4 defense (meh survivability)
Sentinels of Grax: Quantum Reconstruction, 6 Defense (survivability)
Morgans Riflemen: Hit & Run (survivability/ kiting)


Conclusion: if AotV is going to use lots of unique squads design teams should focus on ensuring they all get a survivability power (or a powerful shark ability). Otherwise, as soon as a new player expands their collection beyond the AotV master set, all their units will become obsolete.

I'm very new to this project, but I did notice some units whose current designs provide none of these abilities, the Velnesh Alphas being one of the most obvious culprits. It sounds like in testing they keep dying early, which is to be expected as a unique melee squad with only 4 defense & without a survivability power. I think this design principle (that unique squads almost always require a survivability power) would go a long way in helping the design pods.