The Book of Terminator (Guardian)

[IAmBatman]

Hot take but I could see giving the heroic version a move of 5.

[Lazy Orang]

Here there's no incentive to use the Charge mechanics at all, almost - just keep the charge in the startzone 'til Arn's dead and you've got a straight beater. Not so sure on that one.

[IAmBatman]

So keep someone safe by hiding them while you go out and fight the bad guys? Sounds thematic.

And it’s not like start zones are impenetrable. They can take the fight to you.

[MrNobody]

But will the optimal strategy be just making Oracle the Charge and hiding her in the back of the SZ? I'm kind of with LO here, I like the idea of requiring some activity on the part of the Charge.

[IAmBatman]

Is it thematic for Terminators to only protect people who are active and out in the thick of the battle?

I personally could totally see a Terminator protecting someone like Oracle who is trying to influence things from the sidelines (you know, hack into Skynet remotely).

[Lazy Orang]

Thematic in abstract, I agree but I don't think it'll play right in game. It'll basically just feel like the Terminator is just a another standalone fighter without any connection to protecting someone - he won't play like a protector.

[MrNobody]

I mean...it's what ends up happening in every movie.

Like sure, there's no thematic reason that a Terminator wouldn't protect someone who was sitting at "home base" doing stuff. But the end goal in my eyes is creating a gameplay experience that feels like Terminator (desperate high octane chase films), and I don't think Oracle being the optimal Sarah Conner is conducive to that.

[LordVenoc]

Terminators are generally protecting someone Skynet is actively after. So being chased and all that jazz. Having him "protect" someone sitting in the back is just him essentially fighting for them. It's a soldier vs bodyguard thing. Bodyguard who isn't near their charge isn't doing their job.

Edit: Why do we keep saying Sarah here? He was sent back to protect John Connor, not his mom. His mom was an awesome fighter, John was a borderline defenseless kid.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

Thematic in abstract, I agree but I don't think it'll play right in game. It'll basically just feel like the Terminator is just a another standalone fighter without any connection to protecting someone - he won't play like a protector.

It sounds to me like if someone wants to do that, I can waltz into their start zone and make their front line attacker completely ineffective. There's a real risk to getting your fighter too far ahead of his charge. He'll have to come running back before he can do any damage, and if he's slow that makes it even harder.

Originally Posted by MrNobody

I mean...it's what ends up happening in every movie.

Like sure, there's no thematic reason that a Terminator wouldn't protect someone who was sitting at "home base" doing stuff. But the end goal in my eyes is creating a gameplay experience that feels like Terminator (desperate high octane chase films), and I don't think Oracle being the optimal Sarah Conner is conducive to that.

Every movie has him fighting other Terminators too, rather than, say, Superman or the X-Men, and every movie has him protecting a very specific, narrow charge, not one as open as this. If we're worried about creating the "movie" experience that directly, maybe his charge should just be John Connor specifically and we should have a John Connor with a power that forces him to move closer to the combat?

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

PROTECTION PROGRAMMING
At the start of the game, choose another Medium or Small Unique Hero without the Super Strength or Flying Special Powers you control to be the Terminators' Charge. After rolling for initiative, if there is at least one Order Marker on the Charge's card, you may move the Terminator up to 4 spaces. If the Charge is engaged, the Terminator may only attack figures that are engaged with its Charge. Figures engaged with the Terminator may not make Leaving Engagement Attacks.

Fwiw, I'm down with this version. But I could see altering it to something like this as well:

PROTECTION PROGRAMMING
At the start of the game, choose another Medium or Small Unique Hero without the Super Strength or Flying Special Powers you control to be the Terminator's Charge. After rolling for initiative, if there is at least one Order Marker on the Charge's card, you may move the Terminator up to 4 spaces. If its Charge is on the battlefield, the Terminator may only attack figures within 6 spaces of its Charge. Figures engaged with the Terminator may not make Leaving Engagement Attacks.

Basically keeps him acting like a bodyguard and not a soldier/aggressor.

[Tornado]

If you want to encourage movement, how about giving the Charge a Defense bonus for each space moved last turn?
Or something like that.

[Yodaking]

Looking for the bodyguard feel, Bat's change might do it. Keeps him from wandering off and going rogue.