The Book of Nightwing (II)

[Scapemage]

C3G INITIAL PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE TEST UNIT Nightwing (II)

Heavy Hitter or Mid-Level Hero Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes.
- What should be the unit's point value? Going to start Army testing at 200.
- Give a brief overview. Flash Bang Grenade was used in each of these as I deemed it the best for 1v1, even though he isn’t Disciplined. Nightwing is a beast one-on-one with Flash Bang Grenade. Shock Batons is very helpful when there are isolated figured to go after.
Map: Montiqua Ledge.

Spoiler Alert!

TEST 1
Units: Vs. Lightning Lad (180).
Charged Lightning Bolt plus Shock Baton immunity is rough for Nightwing.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Lightning Lad w/ 1 wound.

TEST 2
Units: Vs. Batwoman (180).
Utility duel was fun. Flash Bangs and Smoke Pellets everywhere.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing w/ 3 wounds.

TEST 3
Units: Vs. Punisher (180).
Still busted.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Punisher unharmed.

TEST 4
Units: Vs. Reptile (185).
Acid Combo kept failing, but Shock Batons kept hitting.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing unharmed.

TEST 5
Units: Vs. Kitana (185).
Massive attack did four wounds in one go. Steel Fan Assault did hit but only once.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing w/ 1 wound.

TEST 6
Units: Vs. Karai (185).
Acrobatic Movement kept Karai away from Shock Baton threats too often.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Karai w/ 3 wounds.

TEST 7
Units: Vs. Katana (190).
Soultaker couldn’t get through Nightwing’s defenses and the Flash Bang won out here.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing unharmed.

TEST 8
Units: Vs. Whirlwind (190).
Shock Batons putting in serious work against high defense.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing unharmed.

TEST 9
Units: Vs. Manchester Black (190).
Rolling 4 skulls with Shock Batons is rare, but nasty, especially when Flash Bang is involved.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing unharmed.

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Army Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes.
- What should be the unit's point value? 200 is working really well right now. I could see him going up.
- Give a brief overview. In an Assassin build, Nightwing provides a good double attack option to counter Shiva’s strong single attack option.
Map: Montiqua Ledge.
Units: Nightwing II (200) (Smoke Pellets), Lady Shiva, Azrael, and Hand Ninja x3 (800) vs. Red Tornado, Ghost Rider, and Zombie (800).

Spoiler Alert!

Normal Attack Damage:
2 wound(s) on Zombie in R1T2
2 wound(s) on Zombie in R1T2
2 wound(s) on Zombie (kill, 1 excess) in R1T3
1 wound(s) on Ghost Rider in R2T3
1 wound(s) on Ghost Rider in R2T3

Nightwing is converted into an Assassin. He and Shiva advance early with a trove of Hand Ninja, staying close for the potential Smoke Pellet. Zombie lurks forward turn by turn and Nightwing pounces on him for a kill in the first round. Ghost Rider and Red Tornado ride up, with Tornado Force picking off the Hand Ninja quickly. Nightwing and Shiva team up to take care of Ghost Rider while Azrael duels Red Tornado, and sometimes his own Hand Ninja. In the end, it’s a Hand Ninja that deals the final blow to the robot.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? 2/9 Hand Ninja, Nightwing unharmed, Lady Shiva w/ 1 wound, and Azrael unharmed.

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Army Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes.
- What should be the unit's point value? Nightwing has difficulty against higher defense foes since Shock Batons can only do so much. Not feeling above 200 right now.
- Give a brief overview. A bit weaker in the Vigilante build.
Map: Montiqua Ledge.
Units: Nightwing II (200) (Caltrops), Robin (Tim Drake), Alfred Pennyworth, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Black Bat (Bat Shuriken), and Black Canary (1000) vs. Batman (III), Cyborg (II), Martian Manhunter (II), and Ragdoll (1000).

Spoiler Alert!

Normal Attack Damage:
1 wound(s) on Cyborg in R2T2
2 wound(s) on Cyborg in R2T2
2 wound(s) on Cyborg in R3T1

Cyborg Boom Tubed the Justice League right into the line of Vigilantes. Black Canary and Nite Owl went for Batman, but over several turns, they were worn down along with Black Bat by Batman’s defenses. Nightwing and Robin went after Cyborg and almost got him, but Martian Manhutner’s range was able to pick off Robin easily, along with Silk Spectre and Alfred. Nightwing stood alone and couldn’t quite end Cyborg before falling.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Cyborg w/ 4 wounds, Batman w/ 2 wounds, and Martian Manhunter unharmed.

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Army Test
- Does it pass, Yes or No? Yes.
- What should be the unit's point value? 200 seems pretty good. I could see 190 or back to 185, but the Assassin build was great. Needs more testing, of course!
- Give a brief overview. Fun-sized win for the Vigilante army. Against masses of weaker units, Nightwing shines. Multiple bonding options with Nite Owl and Robin help him gain utility.
Map: Montiqua Ledge.
Units: Nightwing II (200) (Flash Bang Grenade), Robin (Tim Drake), Alfred Pennyworth, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Black Bat (Bat-Grapple), and Black Canary (1000) vs. Knockout, Bane, Scandal Savage, Parademon, and Catman (1000).

Spoiler Alert!

Normal Attack Damage:
1 wound(s) on Catman in R2T3
1 wound(s) on Scandal Savage in R3T3
2 wound(s) on Parademon in R5T2
2 wound(s) on Parademon in R5T2
2 wound(s) on Parademon (kill, 1 excess) in R5T3

Black Bat is Catman’s Prey. The Outlaws set up around Bane to advance, while the Vigilantes follow suit around Nightwing and his Smoke Pellet. Nite Owl and Black Canary get gritty first, tackling Bane with decent effectiveness. Catman tries to fight them off but falls to a radical Fists of Fury turn from Black Bat. Knockout and Scandal Savage start bringing the heat against Black Canary, taking her out, but Nite Owl is saved by Alfred. Nightwing, Robin, and Black Bat team up to take out Scandal Savage, leaving just Knockout and Parademon. Knockout does some great work and almost gets Black Bat, but the Smoke Pellet helps defend. Black Bat finishes off Knockout and Nightwing makes quick work of Parademon, though Black Bat dies upon his death.
Who won and how many wounds did they have? Nightwing w/ 2 wounds, Nite Owl w/ 1 wound, Alfred, Robin, and Silk Spectre unharmed.

THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT'S COST, BALANCE, & DRAFTABILITY: I’m going to move ahead at 200 to public testing. The Lady Shiva build was stronger than the Vigilante build though it could have been a one-off. Having so many options in the Vigilante build is really helpful.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT: Nightwing provides an interesting choice as a Vigilante. Defensive movement plus double attack with defense reduction is useful in a lot of situations.

Blüdhaven better watch out. I propose Public Playtesting at 200 points!

[IAmBatman]

yea. 200 feels like a floor to me from those results.

[Ronin]

yea

[Yodaking]

yea, agree with Bats.

[Ronin]

Bump to get more eyes on the vote and also agree with Bats/Yoda. Definitely gonna be looking for a cost bump if he's coming in hot in his next set of games.

[Karat]

Yea

[Scapemage]

This passes.

[Scapemage]

Originally Posted by Arch-vile

C3G STANDARD PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE PLAYTEST UNIT: Nightwing (II)

Army Test
Map: A Couple Puddles
Units: Nightwing (II), Robin (Tim), Robin (Damian), Alfred, Rorschach (600) VS Flash (Barry), Black Canary, Green Arrow (Oliver) (590)

Spoiler Alert!

Nightwing chooses the Smoke Pellet for his utility glyph.

Damien puts 2 wounds on Black Canary. Green Arrow puts a wound on Damien. Nightwing puts 2 wounds on Green Arrow. Black Canary disengages Damien (taking a wound) to engage Nightwing, then inflicts 3 wounds on him. Nightwing rolled one shield, though, so he disengages safely to avoid Black Canary’s second attack and Green Arrow’s attack from Cupid’s Arrow.

Alfred extracts Nightwing to heal a wound. Green Arrow misses Damien. Rorschach moves up. Flash moves up. Rorschach removes the X with Shakedown then Damien kills Black Canary & is sent back to the start zone due to Bat Brat. Flash KOs Alfred.

Flash KOs Damien and puts 2 wounds on Tim with Fist Fusillade. Nightwing rolled 4 skulls and knocked out Flash in one hit (!!!) since Flash only rolled 2 defense dice. All OMs were on Flash, so the vigilantes have no trouble taking out Green Arrow.

Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Nightwing w/2 wounds, Robin (Tim) w/2 wounds, healthy Rorschach win.

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Army Test
Map: A Couple Puddles
Units: Nightwing (II), Robin (Tim), Robin (Damian), Alfred, Rorschach (600) VS Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man (all Hasbro) (620)

Spoiler Alert!

Nightwing chooses the Smoke Pellet for his utility glyph.

Cap puts a wound on Nightwing with the shield. Damien puts 3 wounds on Cap. Iron Man flies adjacent to Cap and KOs Damien. Nightwing elects to keep height and forgo getting closer to Tim for the extra turn, but misses his attack anyway.

Iron Man puts 2 wounds on Alfred. Rorschach & Tim move up, and Tim puts a wound on Iron Man. Iron Man KOs Alfred and misses Tim. Nightwing takes out Cap. Iron Man puts 2 wounds on Tim.

Iron Man KOs Tim. Nightwing puts a wound on Iron Man. Iron Man KOs Rorschach in one attack then puts a wound on Nightwing. Nightwing engages Iron Man and takes him down.

Nightwing w/2 wounds VS Spidey for a while. The game ends with a Spider-Man victory.

Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Spider-Man w/4 wounds wins!

THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT'S COST, BALANCE, & DRAFTABILITY: Nightwing felt balanced. He’s got a solid ranged attack and his melee attack can be brutal with the Shock Batons. Nimble Mind, Nimble Body is handy for the disengage and the extra movement ensures he can engage somebody after being attacked. He’s got a ton of vigilante synergies which are strong but not unbeatable. At 200 points, the obvious comparison is Batman I. Nightwing is a more offensive vigilante for 200 points; not having a helpful defensive power can be painful.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT: I love that this is a Nightwing that works as a solo hero or with the numerous thematic Vigilante synergies. Power level feels right and he’s fun to play. Overall I wouldn’t change anything.

Really great stuff. Thanks!

Looking okay at 200 right now. We'll see if he goes up any.

[IAmBatman]

Looking good here.

[Lord Pyre]

Bolas is AWESOME with Nightwing.

Wrecking Crew was totally going to lose, and then totally wrecked. It was pretty fantastic.

Arashi and the ninjas are awesome and fun, but not that awesome and fun. Starlord and Nightwing fell to some awful defense rolls. Robot got taken down my Arashi's Ruthless Command, but he was in a dumb spot. He just didn't want to move and give up his bonding.

Great design.

C3G STANDARD PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE PLAYTEST UNIT: NIGHTWING II

Army Test
Map: Custom
Units: Nightwing (Bolas), Catgirl, Robin (Tim), Nite Owl, Rorschach, Batman (Terry) (800)
Vs.
Wrecking Crew (800)

Spoiler Alert!

R1: Wrecker and Piledriver lead the charge, and Rorschach and Catgirl join them. The rest of both teams manage to make their way toward the middle, but nothing else happens.

R2: Terry grabs height and shoots Bulldozer, but missses. Catgirl movese into position. Wrecker throws his Crowbar at Catgirl, but misses. Nightwing moves up to Wrecker, and Catgirl misses each of her cannon attacks. Nightwing hits Wrecker with his Bolas, and attacks, dealing 2 wounds total. Robin tries to help, but misses. Thunderball deals a wound to Catgirl. Nightwing grabs height on Thunderball, and Catgirl’s cannon misses again, but Nightwing Bolas’s Thunderball and deals 2 wounds. Robin hits Thunderball for an additional Wound. Bulldozer hits Robin for 2.

R3: Nightwing does his usual technique, but Catgirl misses yet again. Nightwing Still happens to roll 4 skulls, and the defense reduction with his final bolas finishes Thunderball easily. Wrecker hits Nightwing for 3 wounds, and Nightwing jumps on height. Terry misses a shot at Wrecker, but Robin hits him for 2. Wrecker misses Nightwing, and Bulldozer his Terry hits Terry for 1. Bulldozer disengages Terry to rush at Nite Owl still far back, dealing 3 wounds! Wrecker then takes his turn, finishing off Nightwing.

R4: Terry engages Wrecker and gets some Comlink help, and Catgirl fires her cannon twice!! Just enough to kill Wrecker! Catgirl then rushes back to help Nitte Owl, dealing a wound to Bulldozer. Terry and Robin move up, dealing two wounds to Piledriver. Piledriver disengages Robin, taking a wound, to grab height on Terry. He deals a wound, but Terry flies away before he can attack againn. Rorsschach attacks Bulldozer for two wounds, and Nite Owl hits him for 1 more. Bulldozer killlll Nite Owl, then Piledriver kills Robin!! The chain continues, and Bulldozer grabs the high ground vacated by Nite Owl and kills Rorschach in one hit!

R5: Terry flies back to his last remaining ally, but both his and Catgirl’s attacks miss Bulldozer. Bulldozer hits Terry for 1, and Terry finishes off Bulldozer. Piledriver finishes Terry! Without a vigilante backup, Catgirl is basically useless and she falls fast


Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Piledriver with 3 wounds.

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Army Test
Map: Custom
Units: Nightwing, Star Lord, Robot, Kid Flash
Vs.
Masahiro Arashi, Tomoe Gozan, Kirigi, Hand Ninja x3

Spoiler Alert!

R1: Robot carries Star-Lord forward,and KF slipstreams behind them. Arashi and Tomoe move forward Nightwing moves up, and some Ninja bring up Kirigi. Star-Lord uses Distracting Fire to kill a ninja and move Nightwing and Robot forward. Kirigi misses his Shogi roll. A ninja swings at Robot and misses.

R2: Robot shoots Kirigi for a wound, and Nighhtwing deals a second. Kirigi grabs height on Robot and deals a wound, and Arashi engages Nightwing, dealing a wound. Robot shoots Kirigi again, and Nightwing Bolas’s him from height, dealing a wound. Kirigi deals a wound to Robot, and the ninja all miss. Nightwing devastates Kirigi, and turns to Arashi, dealing a wound, but also taking one. Tomoe replaces Kirigi’s high ground, and hits Star Lord for a wound, and the ninja swarm Robot from height, but all still miss.

R3: Arashi wants Robot dead, so chooses him for Ruthless command. Tomoe deals a wound to Star Lord, and the Ninja immediately massacre Robot with their attack bonus. Nightwing’s defense reduction and bolas drop Arashi, dealing 3 wounds. Star Lord whiffs some blocks and Tomoe kills him! The ninja swarm Nightwing and he can’t roll defense either. He’s gone.

R4: It’s looking pretty grim for KF, but he kills a ninja. And then is quickly put down immediately after.





Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Tomoe with 0 wounds, and 6 ninja.

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THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT'S COST, BALANCE, & DRAFTABILITY: Probably my new favorite Vigilante. I’ll probably always pick him over Batman (I). He fun, hits hard, and lowering defense is always brutal. That said he still only has 4 life, and comparing him to the first Batman, they ARE pretty similar. Nightwing has an edge with the equipment glyph, I suppose, but I still think 200 is good.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT:
Hugely fun. This is the Nightwing I wanted (Even though Titan-wing is awesome too). He works super well with sidekicks, as he should, and brings some new life to Catgirl, if you stack the Bolas with his Batons and Catgirl’s bat-cannon, you could potentially do some serious hurt. Pairing him with Star-Lord for the attack boost helped trigger his Batons too, so that ability itself keep him useful, and doesn’t shoehorn him into a vigilante army, which is very cool. Super happy with this design.

[IAmBatman]

Looking pretty good at 200 to me.

[Lord Pyre]

Just realized that I totally boosted the Hand Ninja attack with Arashi's power, and he can only affect heroes.

So call that second game even closer than it was!