The Book of Groot (Baby)

[Yodaking]

I think you can cut the last line from the bonding power.

[dok]

If you want stronger Rocket synergy, why not just small carried?

[Ronin]

Yeah, I'd do Small Carried before the Raccoon callout thing you've got going on now. Way more organic and easier to play.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by dok

If you want stronger Rocket synergy, why not just small carried?

Because the more Nite Owl esque bonding that dok suggested is perfect in most senses - doesn't encourage sending him out as a missile, etc. - but would, unaltered, directly discourage playing him with Rocket since he can only hit figures adjacent to the activated figure. That encourages pairing with melee fighters, or at least figures who don't mind being engaged, whereas Rocket is neither of those things - he prefers to stay at the back shooting. That version would make Rocket one of his worst pairings. This version fixes it by making him work well with Rocket again, giving him a nice little specific callout. Also.... how many people have had an issue with Small Carried? This just seems like a nice, simple way to kill about three birds with one stone by making him play as a Sidekick rather than a missile as he should, eliminating the concerns of Nite Owl-esque bonding making him not work well with Rocket and giving him Rocket synergy while keeping the Carried power generic as many people have suggested. Seems obvious, to me.

[Ronin]

It's just not nice, simple, or obvious to my eyes.

Why not just have it work the way you want it to work for Rocket, for everyone?

If no Unique Heroes in your army have the same species or class, then after revealing an Order Marker on the card of any Unique Hero you control and taking a turn with that Hero, if Groot is within 6 clear sight spaces of that Hero, you may take an immediate turn with Groot. During this turn, Groot can only attack figures engaged with another figure you control. You may not take any additional turns with any other figures you control.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Ronin

It's just not nice, simple, or obvious to my eyes.

Why not just have it work the way you want it to work for Rocket, for everyone?

That works. Still working on a connection to Rocket people won't have issues with, though.

[Ronin]

Both having the fiver costs, the ragtag thing with Rocket's rare species/class, and (with YK's Rocket II), the fact that Rocket encourages you to distribute your OMs and Groot is a universal sidekick (plus a potential triple turn combo there if you guys work that out)... I feel like there's plenty of soft stuff linking them together and they don't need hard callouts to each other.

[Lazy Orang]

Yeah, you likely have a point - I just want to make sure he works well with the present Rocket, both to give you more thematic options and in case Rocket (vII) doesn't happen. Then again, with a Range of 2, that should work well with both forcing opponents to engage and risk Support Fire and with leaving space to fire the BFG... okay, @Ronin , @Arkham , @Tornado , @japes , @Yodaking , @Spidey'tilIDie , @johnny139 , @SirGalahad , @dok , @Dysole , @Soundwarp SG-1 , @weebaer , are we happy with this?


NAME = GROOT

SPECIES = FLORA COLOSSUS
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = MASCOT? COMPANION?
PERSONALITY = ENTHUSIASTIC

SIZE/HEIGHT = SMALL 2

LIFE = 3

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 2
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 65/75? (I'd like his price to end in 5, again to fit with Rocket)

RAGTAG MASCOT
If no Unique Heroes in your army have the same species or class, then after revealing an Order Marker on the card of any Unique Hero you control and taking a turn with that Hero, if Groot is within 6 clear sight spaces of that Hero, you may take an immediate turn with Groot. During this turn, Groot can only attack figures engaged with another figure you control. You may not take any additional turns with any other figures you control.

CARRIED
Once per player turn, before moving a friendly adjacent Small or Medium Unique Hero, if Groot is not engaged, you may choose that Small or Medium Unique Hero for Groot's Carried special power. After moving the chosen figure, you may place Groot on any unoccupied space adjacent to the chosen figure.

TOO ADORABLE TO KILL
An opponent's figure cannot target Groot for an attack or choose him for a special power if it could instead target another figure you control, and may not make leaving engagement attacks against Groot. Cruel, Nihilistic, and Sadistic figures are not affected by this special power.


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Also, any thoughts on his Class? I'll probably be moving this guy to Initial soon if everyone's happy.

[Yodaking]

On Class I'd go with Mascot over Companion. As you mentioned, companion has been used on some 'pets' and I could see myself trying to put together an all/mostly animal/plant themed army (Rocket, Swamp Thing, Groot, Cosmo, Lockjaw, etc.) at some point. So lets not give him the same class as another likely animal figure. Plus Mascot is in the power name so it seems like a good fit.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

On Class I'd go with Mascot over Companion. As you mentioned, companion has been used on some 'pets' and I could see myself trying to put together an all/mostly animal/plant themed army (Rocket, Swamp Thing, Groot, Cosmo, Lockjaw, etc.) at some point. So lets not give him the same class as another likely animal figure. Plus Mascot is in the power name so it seems like a good fit.

I agree... though I'm still giggling over the fact that I completely independently made Companion the class for fantasy adventurers in my personal customs, most notably the Fellowship of the Ring... that's going to make for some bloody bizarre synergy down the line!

[Lazy Orang]

Okay, I've updated his SP - in the morning (BST) I'll propose a vote for Initial.

[Scapemage]

Seems good to me now! I could see his cost rising further through testing if Carried proves to be as strong as some have mentioned, but that's what playtesting is for!