Psylocke (Betsy Braddock) (X-Force)

[Skinderella]

Psylocke (Betsy Braddock)



Card PDF

NAME = PSYLOCKE
IDENTITY = BETSY BRADDOCK

UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
SPECIES = MUTANT
CLASS = NINJA
PERSONALITY = DETERMINED
SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 5

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

POINTS = 240

UNCANNY X-FORCE
Instead of the move phase of a Unique Hero you control that is a Mutant or in the X-Force faction, you may choose 1 X-Force Unique Hero you control that has not used a move action this turn and give them a move action. That figure cannot use a move action for the rest of this turn.

PSI-BLADE
Psylocke can move through all characters. After Psylocke's move action, you may choose a figure she moved through and roll 1 damage die against it. On a blank, that figure cannot use any abilities until the start of the next turn.

LOCK THE PAIN
Once per round, if an ally within 3 spaces of Psylocke would take 1+ wounds, you may ignore 1.

FACTION = X-FORCE
PUBLISHER = MARVEL
KEYWORDS = Telepath
SYMBOLS = STEALTH, SUPER STRENGTH

WINTER 2024: Psylocke's psionic abilities allowed the members of the Uncanny X-Force to communicate telepathically, even while she was locked in hand-to-hand combat.

Resources and Rulings

• The suggested figure for this unit is a Heroclix figure: Giant Size X-Men #101 / Psylocke LE
• See this card's wiki page for synergies and strategies!

Credits

• Playtesters:
  • Skinderella (Initial)
  • Eritch74
  • IAmBatman
  • AlexH12
  • Karat + Skinderella
• Card art: japes
• Comic creators: Chris Claremont, Herb Trimpe

Updates

• N/A

[Skinderella]

Looking to make her 220 as a pseudo leader for the faction (to work well alongside Wolverine and on her own). She's running a similar shtick to X-23, but working off of move phases instead of attack phases. Naturally those two will work well together to replace entire turns (which I think is fitting. While they were never on X-Force together, when Laura was in the X-Men she looked up to Psylocke, and according to the wiki Psylocke was one of very few X-Men that counted her as a friend).

[MrNobody]

So, immediate questions:
1) Can her first power be made a littke more generalist so she works in other builds, like an X-Men build?
2) 4 powers is a lot. Is there a way we could simplify down? Lock the Pain is especially the bit I wonder if we could streamline down/out.

Like, loose idea, but could a setup like this work?

UNCANNY X-FORCE
Instead of the move phase of a figure on your team, you may choose a figure in the X-Force faction on your team that has not made a move action this turn and use that figure’s move phase.

SILENT STRIKE
Psylocke can move through all characters. After a move action with Psylocke, you may choose a figure she moved through and roll 1 damage die against it.

PSYCHIC DAGGER
When a figure adjacent to Psylocke without Mental Shield would receive 1+ wounds, you may roll the d20. On a ??+, you may have it either receive 1 additional wound, ignore 1 wound, or negate its abilities until the next time a turn ends.

[japes]

I like opening it up a bit like that for the first power.

I'd rather not introduce a d20 power here and with the tightening up here these would be four really short powers. Also the Psychic dagger being adjacent is thematic but her using her telepathy to block pain in teammates shouldn't be dependent on being adjacent.

I like Lock the pain since it's not something we commonly see.

It's four short powers and I feel like cramming both effects into the one power is more clunky. Tried it out on a card and it fits well and a full font size over our standard.



UNCANNY X-FORCE
Instead of an ally's move phase, you may choose an ally in the X-Force faction that has not made a move action this turn and use their move phase.

SILENT STRIKE
Psylocke can move through all characters. After a move action with Psylocke, you may choose a figure she moved through and roll 1 damage die against it.

PSYCHIC DAGGER
When a figure adjacent to Psylocke without Mental Shield Psyclocke has +1 hit and if that figure receives 1+ wounds you may ignore those wounds. If you do, that figure cannot move or use any abilities until the end of this turn.

LOCK THE PAIN
Once per round, if Psylocke or an ally within 4 spaces of Psylocke would receive 1+ wounds, you may ignore 1 of those wounds.

[Skinderella]

More generalist on the first power is good!

I really liked the interplay she brought where she could replace someone else's movement with her own, move through someone, potentially wound them, but then ignore that wound to open that enemy up for someone else to attack. We could remove the +1 hit on Psychic Dagger if that helps trim her, and perhaps give her 5 attack like 1.0 Psylocke had (though not necessary).

Maybe Silent Strike and Psychic Dagger could be one power? This knocks her down to 3 powers and all she's lost is the +1 hit on adjacent attacks.

UNCANNY X-FORCE
Psylocke can move through all characters. Instead of the move phase of a character in your team, you may choose a character in the X-Force faction in your team that has not made a move action this turn and use their move phase.

PSYCHIC DAGGER
After a move action with Psylocke, you may choose a figure she moved through and roll 1 damage die against it. Anytime Psylocke inflicts 1+ wounds on an adjacent character without Mental Shield, you may ignore those wounds. If you do, that figure cannot move or use any abilities until the end of this turn.

LOCK THE PAIN
Once per round, if Psylocke or an ally within 4 spaces of Psylocke would receive 1+ wounds, you may ignore 1 of those wounds.

[japes]

I do want to be clear that 4 short powers will always be better than combining 2 powers into one just to say we have 3 powers...

We have a few on deck cards with four powers already as we started breaking powers apart into their core components.

Wally West for instance.

[Skinderella]

X-23 is also 4 powers. I'm fine either way with it, as long as she still does what we want her to.

Same as my previous post, just split Psychic Dagger back into PD + SS. Only thing she's missing compared to the OP is the +1 hit against adjacent figures.

UNCANNY X-FORCE
Instead of the move phase of a character in your team, you may choose a character in the X-Force faction in your team that has not made a move action this turn and use their move phase.

SILENT STRIKE
Psylocke can move through all characters. After a move action with Psylocke, you may choose a figure she moved through and roll 1 damage die against it.

PSYCHIC DAGGER
Anytime Psylocke inflicts 1+ wounds on an adjacent character without Mental Shield, you may ignore those wounds. If you do, that figure cannot move or use any abilities until the end of this turn.

LOCK THE PAIN
Once per round, if Psylocke or an ally within 4 spaces of Psylocke would receive 1+ wounds, you may ignore 1 of those wounds.

[MrNobody]

That looks like a good compromise. Is there a reason for going character over figure?

And obligatory “do we need Mental Shield here?” question, natch. Pretty sure Betsy has been controlled by Apocalypse and such before.

[japes]

Mental Shield is something I'd question as well. Not saying no just asking those with maybe more knowledge. I do feel she's be controlled before though.

[Skinderella]

Originally Posted by MrNobody

That looks like a good compromise. Is there a reason for going character over figure?

And obligatory “do we need Mental Shield here?” question, natch. Pretty sure Betsy has been controlled by Apocalypse and such before.

Not particularly, just thought her being able to shut down a gundam or other object wasn't thematic. Happy to change that though.

And not sure on the Mental Shield side. Honestly the only stuff I've read with her in is the start of Remender's Uncanny X-Force, and then the run with Psylocke's own X-Force team.

Likewise we could maybe drop the Mental Shield limit on Psychic Dagger, as she's used it against Cassandra Nova and helmeted Juggernaut (possibly others too).

[Yodaking]

Really like how the first two abilities play off each other. The last ability is an interesting new design space, upgrading healing to an in the moment W block. The only ability I'm not too sold on is the 3rd one. I know from previous experience with 1.0 designs, that when I have to give up an inflicted W to gain some other effect, I find it hard to give up that inflicted W. The cost benefit analysis of doing so usually ends up just favoring keeping the inflicted W.

What's the back story on her being a ninja?

[japes]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

Really like how the first two abilities play off each other. The last ability is an interesting new design space, upgrading healing to an in the moment W block. The only ability I'm not too sold on is the 3rd one. I know from previous experience with 1.0 designs, that when I have to give up an inflicted W to gain some other effect, I find it hard to give up that inflicted W. The cost benefit analysis of doing so usually ends up just favoring keeping the inflicted W.

What's the back story on her being a ninja?

I think the option of not taking the wound and blocking the powers will be more useful within faction for use with the follow up turn. If Psylock managed to get a wound on Spidey for instance, it may be better to let X-23 move in and hit Spidey with then reduced defense she provides and him not get to use Spidey Sense.