The New York City Gang Of Four

[chas]

AOA PROXY CUSTOMS USED

This is the last type of list I have to draw up, because choosing the many proxies used was my final project task, since I had to clean house a bit to get to them! So I'd better do it now, while all the figures are still on their cards on top of the table in their Neutral Table Position, in rows by Faction, where they'll reappear for future games. Later on I'll put them all in a baggie or two with the cards for easy play of future AOA Proxy games, although I may swap some around for better proxies later on.

Proxy Key

Each proxy figure has a large round sticker with its name on the bottom of its base. The stickers are color coded by faction: Brown (Clockwork Comvbine) Green (Dryan Lifeborne Order) Yellow (Dawnraider Syndicate) Red (Nemesis War Brood) or Blue (Ironbound Collective). Proxies for the 5 SOTM Heroes will probably just be their own figures, possibly with creature minis added for their mounts. About a half dozen of these have overlarge bases that take up 3-4 hexes rather than peanut bases.

Scape = named Classic/Custom Heroscape Mini; only a half dozen or so of these were used. These will probably be rotated out, so they can be used as themselves in later games.

SW = Star Wars Mini

AOTP = Arena of The Planeswalker Mini; either a Painted Planeswalker or an Unpainted Squad figure. Taken from the two large box sets and the small expansion.

MSC = Miscellaneous Mini I had hanging around, usually for use as VC Scape proxies


Clockwork Combine
Air Marshal Zed Nesbitt SW Nikto Gunner On Desert Skiff
Vorid Glider Strikers SW Genosians
Wing Commander Tuck Harrington SW Wolf Head, flowing black cape, gun
Knight Adjuctor Oberon SW Wookie with helmet
Frostclaw Paladins SW Wookies with halberds
Ordo Borealis SW Wookies with guns
Imperator Kane SW AT-ST
Vorid Burrowbreaker Scape Earth Elemental
Knight Primus Adelbern SW Wookie Pointing

Dryan Lifeborne Order
Xenethrax MSC Green Dragon with Baby Dragon
Marachott AOTP Painted
Ewashia AOTP Painted Merwoman with Trident
Chana AOTP Unpainted Red flyer
Girushia AOTP Unpainted Green Plant Man
Onshu AOTP Unpainted Red flyer
Halushia Scape Brunak
Haluchott AOTP Painted
Raakchott AOTP Painted Red Flamer
Kita Scape Wolf of Badru
Vrono Scape Marcu Eisenwein


Dawnraider Syndicate
Admiral EJ-1M AOTP Unpainted Blue Multi Armed
Fia Bonny AOTP Painted
Dorim MSC Dwarf with axe and pistol
Knaves AOTP Unpainted Blacks
Exiles AOTP Unpainted Blacks
Cornelius Breech AOTP Painted Red
Crimson Widow AOTP Painted
Bok-Bur-Na Scape Marrow Drudge
Dreadnaughts AOTP Large Unpainted Blacks
Killian Vane AOTP Painted


Ironbound Collective
Iron Lich Viscerot SW X-1 Viper Droid
Scaravith SW K'lor Slug (centipede)
Hellforge Mandukor SW Talosian Tank Droid
Necrotech Wraithriders SW Octupatra Droids

Nemesis War Brood
Queen Maladrix MSC Alien from Aliens Film Playset
Festering Honor Guard Scape Fyolag Spiders
Oathbound Phalanx Scape (without wings)
Oathbound Legionnaires MSC Rubber Ants
Thyraxis Dragoon SW Acklay

[chas]

AOA SESSION #2 RESCUING RAELIN


Since we got all four games in yesterday and TW decided to go back home last night, Heroscape components are still out on the table. So I'm going to playtest my own custom team of the AOA SOTM Heroes in my own custom scenario.

Always keeping hope alive that Raelin can be turned back to Good, the Heroes on on a mission to either save her or break up the Utgar forces near a Marro Hive (Shades of Swarm of the Marro). Kee-Mo-Shi is up to no good as usual, having had the opportunity to condition Raelin to Evil over time.

Special Rules:

1. Kee-Mo-Shi's and Ne-Gok-Sa's Mind Shackle powers are modified--instead of permanent control, it only allows the Evil Player to take one turn with the mind shackled hero!

2. The Marro Hive is placed in the Evil Start Zone.

Good Victory: Defeat either the Marro Hive or Raelin (AOA Evil Raelin). In the first case Kee-Mo-Shi's plans are defeated in the area. In the second, Raelin will be taken back to Good territory and reconditioned over time back to Good (and maybe she can keep her new pussycat).

Evil Victory: Defeat the Four Heroes

The Map: Once again we'll be using the AOA First Scenario Map (without Glyphs), and each side will build the terrain at game start. Note that this map has 28 hex start zones, and so is good to absorb the Marro Hive a bit.

Good Hero Army (Chas Customs)

Sgt. Drake 220
Sonlen 240
Q11 200
Shiori 110
Total: 770 Points, 6 Spaces

Evil Marro Army

Raelin The Kyrie Warrior 200 (Chas Custom)
Kee-Mo-Shi 130 (Designed by a girl for a contest long ago)
Ne-Gok-Sa 90
Marro Stingers x3 180
Marro Hive 160
Total: 760 Points, 19 Spaces

***

Avalon Hill apparently intended Raelin to stay Evil. But since they were planning 20 scenarios in several campaigns, I was hoping that the end of the final one might be a change to turn Raelin back to Good. So here's an abbreviated version. Squads were included for Evil to help playtest the Heroes against some. Anyone who likes the idea is welcome to try it out.

As proxies, I am using the SOTM Hero figures. For Evil Raelin, I am using Adele The Pain Giver, a custom repainted Kelda I have in red and gold with black hair, with an Arena of the Plainswalker red peanut based unpainted tiger, and a miscellaneous toy green dragon with Sonlen for that upgraded animal feeling! Roar!

[chas]

SAVING RAELIN (SOTM Hero Playtest) Session


Game One

Three ridges of terrain were set up, one a larger in the center closer to the Good side, a second less substantial on the center closer to the bad, and a shallow combo of tiles and water to slow down all the Bad squaddies right near their start zone (set up by Good). In the event, while Drake was great at pulling down Stingers from their firing posts high up, it was Sonlen who did two great ranged shots on Raelin to take her right out of the game, before it got very far. Raelin's Scorpion tail power might have a big effect on the game, but she has to get in close to use it.

Ke-Mo-Shi puts another hit on Q11, although her Toxic Skin fails repeatedly. Shiori finally enters the battle, and despite attacking the Warwitch uphill, puts 3 wounds on her with two triple attacks in two turns.

Drake cuts his way behind the dike, but takes three wounds from all the bonuses, now including Raelin's. Q11 takes lots of shots but like Drake, only takes out one Stinger. He also takes a wound. Shiori is moving up, but will take a while to get into the action. The heroes are mighty, but this time it seems like they bitten off more han they can chew. Once again this AOA Scenario 1 shows the many interesting iterations one can create with player added terrain.


Game Two:

Phase One It was decided that Evil had in effect lost too many build points by neutering the two Mind Shackle powers. So if you recall in the old video Taelord himself is hiding behind Kee-Mo-Shi, and now he's touring the area when the Good Heroes conduct their raid! So he's been added to the Evil team, to boost up everyone's attacks.

Since Good won the first terrain placement roll in Game One, it was given to Evil. This time two high ridges were set up, first right near the Evil start zone who had decided on a very defensive strategy, and not far from there by Good, as a place to attack from. Both were covered by water on their peaks, so that they would become slow going to cross!

Three of the Heroes get within striking range of the Evil dike, leaving Shiori behind. But this time Marro Stingers, bonused up by height, Taelord, and Stinger Drain, blow Sonlen right off the map. Drake and Q11 prepare to attack from close up, Drake to fly over the enemy, and bring Shiori up. Ne-gok-Sa, also on top of the dike, prepares to counterattack down. Raelin, despite it being a playtest for her, is far in the rear, out of the action, planning to play clean up. Its almost the opposite of Game 1, with things looking bad for Good!

Phase Two During a totally gonzo turn, Drake gets all three order markers, and tries to fly away from his many opponents, to get one good lick on Raelin. But he takes 3 leaving engagement attacks, the most I've ever gone for, although I'm know for taking some judiciously. Drake takes all three and dies! This gives Evil a free turn. Kee-Mo-Shi comes out from behind the dike to attack Q11, and Stingers fire down at him, but he shrugs off every one. Crazy Heroscape dice!

Ke-Mo-Shi fails with Toxic Skin, but does put another hit on Q11 on the ridge further away from the dike. But then Shiori finally enters the battle with two order markers, and with two triple attacks puts 3 wounds on the Warwitch. Stingers fire down at the Ninja, but she Moves Like The Wind out of range. I was almost ready to bring Raelin into the battle, but didn't, instead moving Ne-Gok-Sa over a bit, but he was still too far away from the action.

Ke-Mo-Shi fails attacking Q11, and he shoots her down off her perch, putting her last wound on her. Ne-Gok-Sa advances once more, but Q11 has pulled back two hexes behind a stream, and he can't reach him yet, only entering the water. Ironically, Evil had placed it there to delay Good's advance.

The finally upgraded Shori now enters the other hex of the stream, and takes out Ne-Gok-Sa by putting four more wounds on him! No longer is she a "teen aged side kick." Wow! The Stingers make another attempt at Stinger Drain, but it backfires and they lose a third Stinger and their attack. The Marro Hive hasn't bothered to try rebirthing any yet. Are the Good Guys now back in the game, with only two of them left? As far as Evil is concerned, with two heroes down on each side, its time for Raelin to do her stuff, supported by Taelord and the Stinger Band!

Phase Three

Raelin advanced from the Hive to the combat area. But Shiori reached her and inflicted two wounds. Taelord himself attacked in his typically coward's fashion, from the rear and height, but failed anyhow. Then Q11 fired twice, putting two more wounds on Raelin! Marro Stingers fired down from the top of the Dike, with bonuses from both Taelord and Raelin, for a total of 6 dice each (without risking Stinger Drain). The first put two hits on Shiori, whose Move Like The Wind failed for the first time. A second Stinger put two hits on Q11. Then the third fired at Shiori, and she took two more. Both remaining heroes suddenly had three of four wounds each.

Shiori took the final turn. Being next to Raelin, she went for her the Kyrie, who now had four of her six hits. It was all or nothing, for it was doubtful that the Heroes would last another round!

The Purple Ninja Phantom Walked through her winged foe to end adjacency with Taelord. Now she made what could be her final triple attack, either way. The first attack failed, but the second succeded, and the game was won for Good! Hooray!!

***

That was some wild and wooly second game! Raelin never even got to attack, as in the first game. Like Queen Maladrix, you can't let her get adjacent to you! Two games from a specific scenario does not prove anything, but there are some thoughts about the SOTM Heroes that do occur. Of course, if the victory condition is defeating Raelin, she's going to be heavily attacked whenever she comes into attack range, and she was! So in the second game Evil adopted a defensive strategy, and only brought her out as clean up. In both games, the dice were particularly unkind to her.

Sgt. Drake He's now even more powerful and dangerous with his new Grapple Grab and Flying. I would love to try his Reverse Grapple Grab against a Large or Huge target.

Sonlen He's fast and powerful at range. I still need to try out his enhanced healing. He was sent out on point in both games with Drake.

Q11 He's not that different from his old form, and didn't use Protect. The big Soulborg was useful in contributing to victory. An adjustment to a stat or two kept him in the game a bit longer, which was intended and needed here.

Shiori She's now so good at melee, one wonders if she'll ever use her Shuriken. But its always good to have a ranged alternative.

I don't feel the need to make any changes to the cards after only two games. Since the values and points are fairly close to Anitar's customs, which were done pretty independently of my Hero cards, I'd say I'm basically on target with mine.

If anyone else tries them (or my Zed Nesbitt) out, I'd love to hear your comments. Some of us are also discussing these games on my thread in the AOA site section Playing The New Factions:

https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...39#post2550539

[chas]

More Scaping In January

I'm back from the hospital after a successful operation. I don't know whether I'll get to Scape before the holidays again, but in January we're now planning to set up not one, not two, but three dates for HeroScaping! If possible, these will include:

1. Taeblewalker's Supers game which will be Marvel hero teams vs their typical villains on a shared medium sized battlefield.

2. Sherman Davies' TBA game Both these guys had to delay their Game Master rotation turns for two months due to our taking in three new members. So next month we'll be making up for lost time! We may never have all seven of us here at the same time again, but at least we shouldn't go begging for players for any one date.

3. Chas's Age Of Annihilation 'playtest' games Now all of us will get to try out the 46 or so new Official or Custom army cards from the unfunded AOA offering, including the complete five new factions and even the new upscaled or even re-upscaled SOTM Heroes: Sgt. Drake (jetpacked and with grappling arm), Sonlen (on his now mature dragon), Q11 (powered up a bit), Shiori (no longer a hapless teen sidekick), and the treacherous Evil Raelin (riding a Manticore for Utgar)!

All dates TBA in January. Stay tuned for details.

***

Next up as GM in February: hopefully Kolakoski, to start our core member rotation off again from the top. Start thinking about what you want to do when you return from vacation, dude!

[Anitar]

Originally Posted by chas

3. Chas's Age Of Annihilation 'playtest' games Now all of us will get to try out the 46 or so new Official or Custom army cards from the unfunded AOA offering,

51, actually. They're ALL accounted for now.

[chas]

"As steady as Gibralter
Not a second did you falter
There's no doubt about it
YOU DID IT!

--My Fair Lady"

Congrats, Anitar!

Okay gang, they are now all printed out and available here at The Game Palace for play, along with the Revealed, the Unrevealed, and the SOTM Heroes. Wow.

Heroscape: Age of Annihilation Lives!

(Hey, I never said it that way before).

[chas]

Final Total of AOA Cards Now Available

Clockwork 9
Dawnrider 10
Dryan 11
Ironclad 4
Brood 5
SubTotal: 39 Regular Faction Cards

5 SOTM Upgraded Heroes
7 Krie Warriors
Subtotal Total: 12 Msc. Cards

Grand Total: 51 AOA Army Cards

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Lots of cool things happening! Looking forward to playing with the new cards.

For February’s Hosting, some sort of pirate 🏴*☠️ themed scenario would be appropriate. Details to follow . . .

[chas]

Got seven proxies for the new Kyrie cards; all are female. Three sadly are just repurposed Classic Scape figures rarely used (Runa, Empress Kiova, Saylind) , three more are old Msc. Figures lying around, one a new Msc. Thanks to Ishmel and Kolakoski for gifting me so many Msc. figures that I don't even know what I have anymore, and go searching through extra bags of them!

These newly selected proxies are mostly keyed by the color of their General card to some degree, rather than completely matching the pose or weapon of the new AOA figure. The only one without wings has a flowing cape that almost simulates them. I did that with my newly chosen proxy for Tuck Harrington as well. Back in the Thirties and Forties many Pulp and Comic figures had capes, even over their folded wings, jet packs, or etc.! Seems like a formula for self-immolation in some cases!

Proxy finding has always been an art around here, where I try and provide proxy figures for all the VC Customs, Supers, and etc. Sherman Davies always provides figures for his own customs, whether Supers, LOTR, TMNTs, or etc. Kolakoski provided me with a Lizard Man Rogue for his CV custom Kha. Taeblewalker usually has me provide various things he needs for his games that he doesn't have. So we bash on into the more and more heavily proxied future!

[chas]

Sounds like the new AOA Dawnraider Syndicate faction will fit right into Kolakoski's new game; I made two armies of them upthread.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

For February’s Hosting:

The Treasure of Xualtiaca!

Map: Dignan’s Sacrifice. Remove original glyphs. Replace Start Zones with Swamp Water tiles (level zero). Place three power side down glyphs equidistant from each other on second level of Sand pyramid. Place a Brandar’s Chest on top of Sand pyramid. Place Water tiles on both sides of table and all around the island. Start Zones will be on Water tiles at each end of the table. Place new Start Zones in Water hexes on each end of the table.

Armies: For however many players, two teams. (I’ll play two armies if necessary.) Each player will have a 12-hex longboat containing 600 points worth of figures.

Longboats: Longboats may not be attacked. Longboats may be boarded and used by any player. Any unengaged figure in a longboat may move it one space during its movement phase, and/or one space when moved by a Special Power. For instance, Admiral EJ-1M’s Boarding Party Special Attack allows a Pirate or Captain figure to move 4 spaces. The figure, if in a longboat, may instead move it one space. A hero may move a longboat one space per move, while a squad may move it as many spaces as there are figures in that squad instead of their normal movement. Longboats may only move in Water or Swamp Water hexes.

Treasure: Brandar’s Chest represents the Treasure. It may be moved by any two unengaged figures by Order Marker on one of them, at the speed of the slowest one, minus one. No special movement powers or flying may be used. It may only be so carried on land hexes or on a longboat.

Xualtiaca Fire Ants: They have their own card and OMs, and initiative rolls. When it is their turn, teams roll to determine who controls them on that turn. They appear on the glyphs (other than Brandar’s Chest). There may be as many as, but no more than, four squads on the map at any time, with infinite respawning.

Victory Conditions: The team that takes the Treasure back to its Start Zone wins.

[chas]

Sounds great! Got a link to the map? Or is it one we've used before?

Are Age of Annihilation cards permitted?

How are the Longboats configured?