The Book of Black Lantern (William Hand)

[IAmBatman]

The Book of Black Lantern (William Hand)

C3G DC WAVE 22
COSMIC FORCES


Comic PDF


Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Justice League set.
Its model number and name are #020/Black Hand.

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Character Bio - “Black Hand possesses a device that can manipulate the energy of Green Lantern power rings. It can obtain this energy by directly draining it from a ring or through the residue a power ring gives off. Like power rings, however, the device needs to replenish its energy on a regular basis in order to operate. Hand usually recharges his device during battles with Green Lanterns, and has been shown to use it in order to help him locate nearby power rings [....] After his suicide, Black Hand is reanimated by Scar when she releases the first Black power ring, making him the first Black Lantern. Reanimated by the ring, the head injury he inflicts upon himself during his suicide is erased, restoring his body to a working state. When the first Black power rings choose wearers, they present themselves to the deceased without a charge. The rings (which constantly ask for "flesh") are recharged by killing living beings and removing their hearts; each heart restores .01 percent power to every ring in the Corps. Black Lanterns are also able to read the emotions of the living as a colored aura that correlates to the emotional spectrum (red for rage, violet for love, etc.).,” (Wikipedia, 2014). _________________________________________________________________

-Rulings and Clarifications-

• Black Lantern (William Hand) is an Event Hero and follows Event Hero rules.

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As a Black Lantern, Black Lantern has these Black Lantern Synergies.
• As an Undead, Black Lantern has these Undead Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• Black Lantern's Blackest Night 9 special power may place a black Battery Marker on the cards of all Black Lanterns you control.

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses-

• Black Lantern's Blackest Night 9 special power does not affect Androids, Constructs, or Undead.
• Black Lantern's Black Hand 9 special power adds 1 to the roll for each Battery Marker on the chosen figure's card. Figures with Battery Markers on their cards.
• As an Event Hero, Black Lantern interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a flying figure, Black Lantern interacts differently with these special powers.
• As a figure with the Super Strength special power, Black Lantern interacts differently with these special powers.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• Black Lanterns Strategy Guide

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Second playtest: (Tornado)
• Third playtest: (Aggressive Sock)
• Fourth playtest: (darkraptor5413)
• Black Hand changed to 9+
• Fifth playtest: (Viegon)
• Black Hand 9+ and Rise of the First Lantern added
• Sixth playtest: (orgsbane)
• Seventh playtest: (Viegon)
• Black Hand 9+ and Rise of the First Lantern added/Undead/Blackest Night triggers on Black Hand
  
• Eighth playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Above changes + Final Version of Rise of the First Lantern at 475
• Ninth playtest: (johnny139)
• Tenth playtest: (Viegon)
• Eleventh playtest: (IAmBatman)
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by A3n

[IAmBatman]

NAME = BLACK LANTERN
SECRET IDENTITY = WILLIAM HAND

SPECIES = UNDEAD
UNIQUENESS = EVENT HERO
CLASS = REVENANT
PERSONALITY = NIHILIST

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 5

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 5
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5

POINTS = 475

RISE OF THE BLACK LANTERNS
Start the game with 3 black Battery Markers on this card. If this Black Lantern would be destroyed, you may instead remove a black Battery Marker from this card and remove all but 3 Wound Markers from this card. This Black Lantern may never have more than 3 black Battery Markers on this card.

BLACK HAND 9
After moving, before attacking with this Black Lantern, you may choose a figure he is engaged with and roll the 20-sided die, adding 1 to the roll for each Battery Marker on the chosen figure's Army Card. If you roll 9 or higher, the chosen figure receives one wound.

BLACKEST NIGHT 9
If an enemy figure that is not an Android, Construct, or Undead would be destroyed by this Black Lantern's attack or special power, you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll 9 or higher, place a black Battery Marker on each Black Lantern card you control, if possible. After rolling, if the destroyed figure was a Unique Hero, you may remove a black Battery Marker from this card. If you do, remove all Order Markers from that card, take control of that Hero and its card, and place or remove Wound Markers until the Hero has up to 2 Life remaining.

SUPER STRENGTH

FLYING

[IAmBatman]

I'll need to know two things with this guy, really, more than anything else:

1. Is all that text going to fit OK?
2. Can we do the Black Lanterns this way without them being overpowered/broken? I know the Undead faction is scary already.

[Lord Pyre]

Ooooooooh.

Shouldn't his name be Black Hand? And his army Black Lanterns? That's what I've understood.

What's the theme behind him powering up his army after killing someone? Steal their life force or something?

Right now he doesn't make his stolen people undead. Should be undead for theme, but they shouldn't be for easier balance, so that's probably the way to go!

And an easy way to make him immune to the awesome undead synergies is to make him an event hero. 400 points and being the big bad of Blackest Night I think can warrant it!

[IAmBatman]

1. Arguably during Blackest Night when he became the first Black Lantern, it'd be more appropriate to name him Black Lantern (William Hand). Kind of like how Sinestro is only ever Sinestro, but we called him Yellow Lantern (Thall Sinestro). Also, if we ever do a silver age Black Hand, it'll make it easier to distinguish. Finally, it lets me just reference Black Lantern figures in the Blackest Night 13 power.

2. From the above bio:

When the first Black power rings choose wearers, they present themselves to the deceased without a charge. The rings (which constantly ask for "flesh") are recharged by killing living beings and removing their hearts; each heart restores .01 percent power to every ring in the Corps.

Note that he starts with 4 markers, but they don't start on his card. No Black Lantern rings have any power until they suck life force. And it's not an automatic when they kill another figure, thus the required roll of 13.

3. I think they're functionally thematically undead based just on being killed and resurrected, but I don't think the actual change is necessary or that it behooves us in terms of balance. Also, if someone is resurrected but freed from the ring, they're no longer undead at that point. I also don't make them actual Black Lanterns, so they won't be able to charge up.

4. Good call on Event Hero. That might be worth a change. I originally had him at 350. I'm not sure where his ultimate cost will fall, as he could easily get taken out before his ring charges up at all. Naturally, once there are more Black Lanterns with him, his value will go up, because Blackest Night 13 is likely to get reuse.

[Lord Pyre]

I would really specify that the markers don't start on the start. It says you start with them, so it's really easy to assume they're on his card. He's actually going to be fairly weak if he has no markers, plus he'd be pretty awful against heavy hitters. Maybe give him one or two markers since he's the leader? Or even just up his life so he can stick around until he kills something.

Basically with starting with no markers, I don't see his cost being that high at all, and that's where he should be.

[johnny139]

Interesting... so the Black Lantern rings don't power them up any? And are we assuming that Blackest Night is going to go on pretty much every Black Lantern? Not that there are many of them available that aren't majorly expensive Chase figures...

Looks pretty cool overall. Not sure if he warrants Event Hero - wouldn't that be more Nekron's territory? - but I'm not against it on principle.

[quozl]

I think he should only power up when destroying Unique Heroes. It'll help balance him a bit and I think is more thematic. They didn't go after "squaddies" in the comics.

[TrollBrute]

How would the how would the figures he takes control of lose their Power Markers?

[Lord Pyre]

Originally Posted by TrollBrute

How would the how would the figures he takes control of lose their Power Markers?

Zatanna.

[IAmBatman]

Originally Posted by johnny139

Interesting... so the Black Lantern rings don't power them up any? And are we assuming that Blackest Night is going to go on pretty much every Black Lantern? Not that there are many of them available that aren't majorly expensive Chase figures...

Looks pretty cool overall. Not sure if he warrants Event Hero - wouldn't that be more Nekron's territory? - but I'm not against it on principle.

If there was room for more effects, I might've gone with a power boost to stats from the Black Lantern rings, but I figured this approach was just cleaner, and the keeping them alive aspect was more important to represent, IMO.

I think it'd be good if Blackest Night went on all of the named Black Lanterns, yeah, which I know doesn't make many (Superman, Martian Manhunter, and ?). Of course some of that will be based on what can fit on cards. Those two at least can't be too tough to do as repaints.

Yeah, I'm on the Event Hero fence for the same reason. Nekron is certainly an Event Hero and Scar is probably one. Black Hand? Maybe less so. But the Undead synergies do have the potential to be scary. Any additional feedback on this one would be much appreciated!

Originally Posted by quozl

I think he should only power up when destroying Unique Heroes. It'll help balance him a bit and I think is more thematic. They didn't go after "squaddies" in the comics.

That's not a bad idea. It would make him less swingy, certainly. My one concern is that going against an all squad or squad heavy army would really cripple him and the Black Lanterns in general, which doesn't seem thematic.

Originally Posted by TrollBrute

How would the how would the figures he takes control of lose their Power Markers?

Zatanna would be the only way possible right now, but it'd leave open an effect for White Lanterns that could be thematic.

[tcglkn]