Help With Wurdz

[Vydar_XLIII]

I think I'll go with IMPALING ARROW or IMPALING SHOT instead to differentiate it more from the Cathar and sound less like its coming from a spear.

Thanks for the help and praise.

[Dad_Scaper]

I prefer Impaling Arrow, between the two. "___ing Shot" is generic and boring, and I don't care for it, unless there's a really good reason. Which there is not, here.

[Tornado]

Happy Thanksgiving DS.

[Dad_Scaper]

Originally Posted by Tornado

Happy Thanksgiving DS.

Aww, shucks. Thanks, Tornado. You, too.

[Just_a_Bill]

IMPALE SPECIAL ATTACK
Range Special, Attack 4.
Choose 8 spaces in a straight line from NAME. Choose 1 figure at least 4 spaces away from NAME on the chosen line spaces to attack. Any figures both adjacent to the chosen figure and on the chosen line spaces are affected by Piercing Shot Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately.

This is a cool special (and yes, a really nice figure). I'm late to the party, but something that confused me on first read was how there could be two additional targets. This is because I was envisioning the chosen figure being the one I am conceptually aiming at. In reality I'm "choosing" the one standing right behind the one I'm aiming at, which is a bit counterintuitive. It works with splash attacks like flamethrowers and grenades and such, but doesn't make sense with an arrow (unless Yondu is whistling it around).

So I brainstormed a possible alternative, which may be better or worse; take it for what it is, or isn't.

Also, I appreciate the desire to incorporate a realistic arrow angle. If you can live with the closest target being 2 spaces away rather than 3, then this can be simplified using the word "non-adjacent" instead of another range of numbers.

Choose 8 spaces in a straight line from NAME. Choose a non-adjacent figure on one of the chosen spaces to attack. Any figures on the chosen line that are 1 or 2 spaces behind the chosen figure are also affected by Piercing Shot Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately.

If the minimum distance of 3 is important, you could try this less-conventional-but-more-intuitive wording:

Choose a figure on a straight line from NAME that is 3 to 8 spaces away to attack. Any figures in that straight line that are 1 or 2 spaces behind the chosen figure are also affected by Piercing Shot Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately.

Finally, there is an approach that doesn't require the main target to be on a Mimringy line in those cases where you are willing to give up the secondary and tertiary targeting option:

Choose a figure 3 to 8 spaces away to attack. If that figure is in a straight line of spaces from NAME, any figures in the same line that are 1 or 2 spaces directly behind the chosen figure are also affected by Piercing Shot Special Attack. Roll attack dice once for all affected figures. Each figure rolls defense dice separately.

So this lets you fire at any one figure at any angle, like other archers, but if you can manage a "clean" angle that's straight down a run of hexes ("with the grain," so to speak) then you can affect up to two more targets.

[Just_a_Bill]

I'm making a Marro monstrosity out of the Eldrazi Ruiner in AotP Zendikar. Its crazy-long multiple arms are compelling me to combine Whirlwind Attack and Reach into a single power. (This unit is not intended for submission, since painting is a dealbreaker and the sculpt kind of "belongs" to Ozuul.)

At first I tried some more complex marriages of the powers, then surprisingly enough a simple concatenation of the texts with a tweak of "adjacent" to "within range" seemed to do the trick. But I would really appreciate some other opinions on whether this is intuitively as clear as I think it is.

WHIRLWIND REACH
Ru-Wa-Na may attack any or all figures within range. Roll each attack separately. When attacking an opponent’s figure within 2 spaces of Ru-Wa-Na whose base is no more than 3 levels above Ru-Wa-Na’s height or 3 levels below his base, Ru-Wa-Na may add 1 to his Range.

FWIW, the link above also has a couple of R&Cs reminding the reader that normal range/adjacency rules still apply and clarifying that, yes, the whirlwind part applies to all figures while the reach part applies only to enemy figures (as per the original powers).

[superfrog]

If I were you I'd switch the order of the power text:

WHIRLWIND REACH
When attacking an opponent’s figure within 2 spaces of Ru-Wa-Na whose base is no more than 3 levels above Ru-Wa-Na’s height or 3 levels below his base, Ru-Wa-Na may add 1 to his Range. Ru-Wa-Na may attack any or all figures within range. Roll each attack separately.

[Just_a_Bill]

Originally Posted by superfrog

If I were you I'd switch the order of the power text:

WHIRLWIND REACH
When attacking an opponent’s figure within 2 spaces of Ru-Wa-Na whose base is no more than 3 levels above Ru-Wa-Na’s height or 3 levels below his base, Ru-Wa-Na may add 1 to his Range. Ru-Wa-Na may attack any or all figures within range. Roll each attack separately.

I tried it that way initially, but for me it gave the whirlwinding a psychological dependency on the reaching. Since it starts out with "When attacking [in this specific way]," it feels like if I am reach-attacking somebody, then I can also attack any or all other enemies that are 2 spaces away. But if I am engaged then I can only attack one adjacent figure as usual.

If I am engaged then I am literally not allowed to attack anybody at range, and thus the opening phrase of the power cannot be complied with. This has a strong feeling of shutting the whole power down.

When arranged in the other order, I read it like "you can attack everybody in range; and note that your range is actually 2 with vertical restrictions," which is the intention.

In other words, you can just whirlwind, you can just reach, or you can do both (within the limits of other rules, of course).

[Knox]

I'm working on some siege weapon customs from the Uruk-Hai battering ram and Uruk-Hai Siege Ballista set. These are intended strictly for "storm the castle" scenarios. I'm having a hard time fitting all the powers together because there is so much ground to cover with a destructible object that can attack


Battering Ram (Destructible Object)
Life: 5
Move: 0
Range: 1
Attack: 2
Defense: 7
BATTER SPECIAL ATTACK
Range 1. Attack 8.
If at least 3 figures are adjacent to this battering ram, you may use batter special attack. This battering ram may only attack destructible objects with its batter special attack. When attacking with batter special attack, you may attack 1 additional time.
SIEGE WEAPON
After revealing an order marker on this Battering Ram's card, choose up to 4 medium or larger figures within 2 spaces of this battering ram and move them adjacent to it. Then, move this Battering Ram 5 spaces (counting terrain effects normally) and place the 4 figures you chose previously adjacent to this Battering Ram again.
INANIMATE
If you control no figures adjacent to this siege ballista and another player controls at least 1 figure adjacent to this siege ballista, give control of its army card to that player.


Siege Ballista (Destructible Object)
Life: 5
Move: 3
Range: 7
Attack: 7
Defense: 7

SIEGE WEAPON
After revealing an order marker on this Battering Ram's card, choose up to 2 large or smaller figures within 2 spaces of this siege ballista and move them adjacent to it. You may then move and attack with this siege ballista. This siege ballista may only attack if at least 1 figure you control is adjacent to it and may only move if at least 2 figures you control are adjacent to it. After moving with this siege ballista, place the 2 figures you chose adjacent to it.
HEAVY AMMUNITION
When Siege Ballista targets a destructible object, add 3 dice to its attack. Small figures add 3 defense dice when defending against Siege Ballista, medium figures add 2 defense dice, and large figures add 1 defense die. Siege Ballista may only attack figures at least 4 spaces away and may attack non-adjacent figures even if it is engaged.
INANIMATE
If you control no figures adjacent to this siege ballista and another player controls at least 1 figure adjacent to this siege ballista, give control of its army card to that player.



SIEGE MASTERS OF URUK

Common squad, 3 figs/squad
Move: 5
Range: 1
Attack: 3
Defense: 4

EQUIPMENT OPERATORS
When attacking with a destructible object with the siege weapon power on its army card, you may add 1 automatic skull to the destructible object’s normal or special attack for each Siege Master of Uruk adjacent to it, up to a maximum of 3 skulls.
FORTRESS STORMERS
If you destroy a destructible object with an attack from a destructible object you control, you may immediately take a turn with either the Siege Masters of Uruk or one common orc squad you control. That common orc squad may not use any bonding special powers on its turn.
RIGHTFUL OWNERS
Never give control of a destructible object due to its "inanimate object" special power if at least 1 Uruk Hai Siege Master is adjacent to it.

Any help? The one other aspect of these powers I'm considering is whether to prevent the destructible object from attacking if the figures carrying it are engaged. I also want to force the figures carrying the battering ram to take LEA if they move through engagement, but I'm not sure how to do that.

[Dad_Scaper]

First of all, I love to see work in this design space. The original designers gave almost no signposts for the creation of new destructible objects, and it's fun space to explore.

Second, there's a serious challenge to the use of OMs here. The OMs are on the equipment itself? What about making a card like the Fortress Door card, but with Attack value (and other text, as needed)? Then give it the power Siege Weapon, providing something like this:

Siege Weapon
If you control at least three figures adjacent to Battering Ram, you may, instead of moving and attacking with one of those figures, attack a Destructible Object figure with Battering Ram.

Don't put a movement power on the card. Instead, put the movement power on the Siege Masters card:
Siege Troops
Select 3 or more figures you control with the Siege Troops power that are adjacent to a Destructible Object with the Siege Weapon power. You may, instead of moving with the Siege Masters on this turn, move that Destructible Object up to 4 spaces. Place the selected figures, if possible, adjacent to the Destructible Object.

Something like that. It's not perfect. As I see it, you need the "if possible" language in the Siege Troops power because some of the moving troops may be killed by LEAs or Engagement Strike or something, or (less likely) they may not fit in the newly-picked position of the device.

Thoughts?

[Knox]

Originally Posted by Dad_Scaper

First of all, I love to see work in this design space. The original designers gave almost no signposts for the creation of new destructible objects, and it's fun space to explore.

Second, there's a serious challenge to the use of OMs here. The OMs are on the equipment itself? What about making a card like the Fortress Door card, but with Attack value (and other text, as needed)? Then give it the power Siege Weapon, providing something like this:

Siege Weapon
If you control at least three figures adjacent to Battering Ram, you may, instead of moving and attacking with one of those figures, attack a Destructible Object figure with Battering Ram.

Don't put a movement power on the card. Instead, put the movement power on the Siege Masters card:
Siege Troops
Select 3 or more figures you control with the Siege Troops power that are adjacent to a Destructible Object with the Siege Weapon power. You may, instead of moving with the Siege Masters on this turn, move that Destructible Object up to 4 spaces. Place the selected figures, if possible, adjacent to the Destructible Object.

Something like that. It's not perfect. As I see it, you need the "if possible" language in the Siege Troops power because some of the moving troops may be killed by LEAs or Engagement Strike or something, or (less likely) they may not fit in the newly-picked position of the device.

Thoughts?

That could work and it was the initial idea I had for the design. That said, I was concerned that doing it that way would make the battering ram too squishy - only 4 figures come with the ram and 2 more with the ballista, and I was nervous that if 1-2 of them died breaking the door would be impossible (it basically already is with 10 life and 2 auto-shields). So I was attempting to make it where any unit could carry the battering ram or fire the ballista but the siege masters synergized with it

[Dad_Scaper]

Totally makes sense. I would consider, then, treating it as a 2 space glyph situation, in which you can have all the side rules you want for the scenario, without having to worry about space on the card.

Thoughts?