Help needed with balancing a custom card

[Germund]

Here are the new stats for the fire elementals. I'm still working on a card making method that prints out OK, so they are just in text form for the time being.

Summon 13
Fire Elementals do not start the game on the battlefield. They must be summoned by a unique hero within 10 clear sight spaces of a lava space. Instead of attacking, a unique hero can make a summoning roll on the 20 sided die. If you roll a 13 or higher you may place all units on any empty lava spaces. You cannot place them adjacent to each other, other figures, or on glyphs. The fire elementals may act immediately.

Lava Resistant
Fire Elementals never roll for lava damage or lava field damage and they do not have to stop on molten lava spaces.

Fire Spawn 15
Instead of attacking with any of the Fire Elementals, one at a time, roll the 20-sided die for each Fire Elemental on a molten lava space. If you roll a 15 or higher, place a previously destroyed fire elemental on a same-level space adjacent to that Fire Elemental. You may only Fire Spawn after you move.

Counterstrike
When rolling defence dice against a normal attack from an adjacent attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure.

Life 1

Move 5

Range 1

Attack 3

Defense 4

100 pts.

As you can see, I am kind of stuck on no more than 100 pts. for the value of the unit. I would rather muck with the abilities than make them too expensive to use. At least with my group, high priced squads are usually not picked.

[Archiver]

I would simply the first ability even more. How about this idea:

Fire Birth 16
Fire Elementals do not start the game on the battlefield. Before taking a turn, roll the D20 if you get a 16 or higher, you may place all units on any empty lava spaces. You cannot place them adjacent to any figure, or on glyphs. You may immediately take a turn with Fire Elementals.

Also check this out:

Instead of attacking with any of the Fire Elementals, one at a time, roll the 20-sided die for each Fire Elemental "in play" on a molten lava space. If you roll a 15 or higher, place a previously destroyed fire elemental on a same-level space adjacent to that Fire Elemental. You may only Fire Spawn after you move.

Otherwise if we each had a squad of these and 2 of mine were dead. And all of yours were on molten lava, I could attempt fire spawn 4 times.

Here is another idea:

Counterstrike
When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from "any" attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure.

With Movement of 4

Let me know what you think. Ok?

[Germund]

Thanks for the help with the wording, Fire Birth looks really good. and the wording on the Fire Spawn is much improved.


I really like the idea of counter attack being against all attacks, but I am having trouble getting my head around why they could counterattack from a distance. My original motivation for counter attack was that anyone fighting a fire elemental in melee combat would get burned pretty bad. I'm not sure how this would translate to a distance attack. Or am I being too picky with my concept?

[Simpsons Scaper]

But what if you wanted to draft them if there wasn't any lava? How would Fire Birth work then?

[Therion]

How does this sound?

Change them from Minion to Minions, make counterstrike function versus adjacent attackers only, then reword fire birth to read "Once per round before placing order markers, roll the twenty-sided die. On a result of 12 or higher, you may place all 3 Fire Elementals you control on any non-water space. You may not place them adjacent to any figure or on glyphs.

Just my opinion.

[Archiver]

Originally Posted by Simpsons Scaper

But what if you wanted to draft them if there wasn't any lava? How would Fire Birth work then?

You would simply not draft them then. It’s the same thing as drafting the Retchets without Iskra Esenwein.

Originally Posted by Therion

"Once per round before placing order markers, roll the twenty-sided die. On a result of 12 or higher, you may place all 3 Fire Elementals you control on any non-water space. You may not place them adjacent to any figure or on glyphs.

Not as cool. On one hand that makes them even stronger because it increases where they may be placed. But on the other hand it makes them weaker because it takes away the extra turn you get when they come in. If they are going to come in anywhere, they may as well start in the starting zone.

[Archiver]

Originally Posted by Germund

I really like the idea of counter attack being against all attacks, but I am having trouble getting my head around why they could counterattack from a distance. My original motivation for counter attack was that anyone fighting a fire elemental in melee combat would get burned pretty bad. I'm not sure how this would translate to a distance attack. Or am I being too picky with my concept?

Gurei-Oni has counterstrike on only ranged attacks. It’s simply called something else. I like the idea of them having it work on any attack because their going to just get shot at a lot otherwise. Its just they needed a serious weakness and that one comment gave me another idea. How about this

Keep Movement of 5

Return Fire
When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from any attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure.

Extinguish
When moving, a Fire Elemental must end its movement if it lands on water, swamp water, ice or snow and it is immediately destroyed after its turn.

That sounds cool.

The only other thing that I think could be improved on is the name. but that’s not as important as the skills and stats.