The Book of Ace of Spades

[fret_gurglo]

The Book of Ace of Spades

C3G DC PUBLIC EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION 25
ROYAL FLUSH GANG


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Crisis set.
Its model number and name are #016 Ace.

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Character Bio -
The first robot was designed by Derek Reston, an industrialist and engineer who was being mind controlled by Hecter Hammond. This robot was advanced enough to pass as human, and stood in contact with Reston. It was destroyed by Black Canary's Canary Cry.
Like the first human Aces, the Ace Android acted as the leader of the gang. With later models, leadership passed to the King when a robot was employed.
Later models were considerably larger and less man-like, and served as muscle. They were usually kept out of the fight until the last moment - like an Ace in the hole - when the gang hoped to press their luck or make their getaway.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As an Android, Ace of Spades has these Android Synergies.
• As a Leader, Ace of Spades has these Leader Synergies.
• As an Aristocratic figure, Ace of Spades has these Aristocratic Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• Ace of Spades can utilize his Ace Up The Sleeve special power when there is a revealed "X" Order Marker on an figure with the Royal Flush special power.
• Ace of Spades can move Order Markers from the cards of Criminals.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

Immunities:

• As a figure with the Super Strength special power, Ace of Spades cannot be affected by aspects of certain special power. Current Special Powers that Interact Differently with the Super Strength Special Power.
• As an Android, Ace of Spades cannot be affected by aspects of certain special powers. Current Special Powers that Interact Differently with Androids.

Benefits:

• As a figure with the Super Strength special power, Ace of Spades interacts differently with certain special powers. Current Special Powers that Interact Differently with the Super Strength Special Power.

Weaknesses:

• As an Android, Ace of Spades can be affected by aspects of certain special powers. Current Special Powers that Interact Differently with Androids.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: Tcglkn
• Second playtest:Zakizzryn
• Third playtest: AlexH12
• Fourth playtest: fret_gurglo
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by tcglkn

[fret_gurglo]

NAME = ACE OF SPADES

SPECIES = ANDROID
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = LEADER
PERSONALITY = ARISTOCRATIC

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 6

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 6
DEFENSE = 5

POINTS = 260

RESHUFFLE THE DECK
At the beginning of your turn, if there is at least one Order Marker on this card, you may move any unrevealed Order Markers on the card of a Criminal in your army to any other cards in your army.

ACE UP THE SLEEVE
After taking a turn with Ace, if there is a revealed "X" Order Marker on the card of a Hero you control that has the Royal Flush special power, you may remove that Order Marker from that card. You may then attack with that Hero and place the "X" Order Marker, unrevealed, on that Hero's card.

DURABLE ARMOR
When Ace defends against an attack, if at least one blank is rolled, the most wounds Ace can take from that attack is one.

SUPER STRENGTH

[fret_gurglo]

Artstuff

Change log

Spoiler Alert!

Powers changed to work with criminals and royal flush power
Removed Secret Identity
Decreased Attack from 7 to 5
Decreased Reshuffle the Deck to limited to Aristocrats, Kings and Queens
Decreased Ace up the Sleeve to limited to Aristocrats, Kings and Queens
Increased Ace up the Sleeve to provide an additional attack
Decreased Durable Armor to have a roll a blank requirement to activate
Wording change to Reshuffle the Deck to match wording on Sage
Increased Reshuffle the Deck to include Androids
Increased Ace up the Sleeve to include Androids
Increased Attack from 5 to 6
Increased Reshuffle the Deck to loosen restrictions on placing OMs
Wording update from Johnny
Class changed from Aristocrat to Leader
Personality changed from Stoic to Aristocratic

[Karat]

Moved this to Public Designs.

[tcglkn]

Excited to see you start to work through these. This design is pretty simple, don't really have any issue with it so far.

[Lord Pyre]

It's a good start. My main thing is should he be that powerful? Seven attack and only a single wound taken at a time is huge. I only know these guys from Batman Beyond (Where I enjoyed them a lot!), but they never seem quite that good. I would have pegged Ace for being around 200 tops, and I think what you have will be upwards of 300.

Our Batman Beyond design is 150 points, and he regularly took on the whole team. I don't know if the comics versions of these guys are different, so if they ARE much more powerful than in the cartoon, great. I honestly don't know and it's a bit jarring.

[japes]

Originally Posted by Lord Pyre

It's a good start. My main thing is should he be that powerful? Seven attack and only a single wound taken at a time is huge. I only know these guys from Batman Beyond (Where I enjoyed them a lot!), but they never seem quite that good. I would have pegged Ace for being around 200 tops, and I think what you have will be upwards of 300.

Our Batman Beyond design is 150 points, and he regularly took on the whole team. I don't know if the comics versions of these guys are different, so if they ARE much more powerful than in the cartoon, great. I honestly don't know and it's a bit jarring.

I'm with LP here. I envisioned these guys maxing out at 800 fort he whole team. 300 seems way too high based on their in universe nemesis.

[Arch-vile]

I'm in the same boat. Only know these guys briefly, but from my experience they're street-level villains, not full JLA level.

[fret_gurglo]

I have no problem dropping the team to 800 if that is what the majority want. However, I was basing them on the comics from Justice league of America 203-206 where they were able to neutralize Superman, Batman, Wonder-woman, Firestorm, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Flash, Black Canary and maybe others. Only to lose because they were betrayed by Jack. And remember that most Justice Leaguer are 250+ each with the core ones 300+. To have an equal match (number of figures that is) will be difficult at a 800 point team.

[fret_gurglo]

There are so many renditions of the Royal Flush Gang over the years, but I'm pretty sure this group might have been the most powerful.

[japes]

Just for context, There is also versions of Doctor Doom that in the comics has taken on the whole Fantastic Four on his own but that doesn't justify us making base Doctor Doom 1000 points.

So with that I'm going off of the "just because they did it one time in the comics" doesn't equate what they should normally do.

The top of that, I think it would be awesome to have another tight grouped army in the 800 point slot. And realistically it will let them get played a ton more than another 1000 point army. 2 vs 2 800 point per person (1600 per team) is a goto for us when we have 4. It's a nice point where you aren't too crazy big but enough points to create a decent army.

[Yodaking]

Not an expert on power level here, only saw them once or twice somewhere and thought they were a neat team. I only wonder if you want any of them to be playable in other builds or do you prefer them only ever played together as a single team and that is it? In general terms, we have other King and Queen units, so do you want a Black Panther or Aquaman to be interchangeable into some of their synergy? For Ace in particular, as an Android do you envision him useful to draft into a Android themed army? I tend to lean towards making cards playable in multiple army builds. Team members of course should work well together first and foremost, but I like leaving them a little open to other build possibilities. So that might mean something like this here:

ACE UP THE SLEEVE
If your X order marker is revealed on an Android, Aristocrat, King, or Queen Unique Hero card you control, after taking a turn with Ace you may reset your X order marker.

I'm not sure if any of our current Androids, Kings, or Queens use the X marker, but it opens up some future design space if nothing else.