Soldiers of Valhalla - nominations and discussion

[superfrog]

I edited my previous post, but I'll repeat it here:

on Rujin from Toril.

[Scytale]

Originally Posted by Sir Heroscape

Toril seems appropriate.

@capsocrates @Soundwarp SG-1 @wriggz @BiggaBullfrog

Sir Heroscape has changed Rujin's homeworld to Toril in response to the comments received here. I will not count any votes prior to this change. Please re-vote (especially if your opinion has changed).

I didn't mind Regenerate on a Valhallan Troll, but I understand the dissent. Either way, I'm happy to review Rujin as a Torillian (is that right?) Troll.

to review Rujin

[caps]

to review a Rujin from Toril. I'm concerned he is still overpriced, but he probably falls within an acceptable range.

[wriggz]

We have elves from 3 different planets and they all use bows, magic and are Tolkin elf like. Dwarves also show up on 3 different planets (I think) and they all seem like dwarves should. I had no problem with Troll being treated similar, but there is no reason no to move them to a D&D world either.

[Soundwarp SG-1]

Not really keen on terrain specific units personally, but that's not something I can vote down over.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by wriggz

We have elves from 3 different planets and they all use bows, magic and are Tolkin elf like. Dwarves also show up on 3 different planets (I think) and they all seem like dwarves should. I had no problem with Troll being treated similar, but there is no reason no to move them to a D&D world either.

With those, that was because Heroscape created generic elves/dwarves from Feylund (because of course they did), and then when they started using the D&D licence they had to use them from there as well - it was an, IMO, mildly unfortunate case of two things exploring the same thematic space - nothing else could have been done by the time it happened. Here, there is no reason to double up on the same theme like that, especially when not doing so opens up the potential for different things to be explored.

[Scytale]

That's plenty of votes. Rujin by @Sir Heroscape has received 6 Yea votes to review (Ixe, superfrog, Scytale, capsocrates, wriggz, and Soundwarp SG-1) and moves forward in the process.

[BiggaBullfrog]

Maltis Tez by @Leaf_It

After a particularly bumpy start, Maltis Tez is now hurtling towards the final decision of whether or not she can make it as a Soldier of Valhalla. Will she cross that finish line, or stumble on her way there?

Balance

As a 35 Point filler with synergies tying her to Teeth of the Makwa, Werewolf Lord, and Venoc Warlord, Maltis has a lot of comparisons to be made. She is a weaker option for the Teeth of the Makwa than Brave Arrow, which is appropriate due to her cheaper price tag. With Werewolves, she costs the same as Seleena, and while she can hit harder, she has less flexibility as a melee unit and is more likely to get caught and killed. She is decent filler in a Scout build, but if it has Venoc Vipers you’re better off getting more of those.

Her best comparison, in my opinion, is Siiv. Both have 7 Move and similar survivability. Siiv makes a better assassin with both his defense-negating Special Attack and higher base attack, but Maltis has more synergies. She can also roll more attack dice than Siiv with her First Assault, though that is usually only used a few times a game. Both can also get out of sticky situations; Siiv with the always useful Disengage and Maltis with the situationally more useful Strategic Repositioning.

Overall, Tez’s price at 35 is fitting. It’s balanced for what she does and she isn’t overshadowing any other figures.

Theme

Maltis Tez’s theme is straightforward — she’s a swift scout who likes to pick off lone figures. The running position of the mini supports her high Move, and she has feline features that tie her in with her Hybrid homies and support her mobility and post-attack movement with Strategic Repositioning. Playing with her reminded me a lot of a cat I had when I was younger who would jump out from hiding to attack our ankles or other cat, then immediately run away to hide under a table, waiting for her next opportunity. I felt her theme shined in gameplay.

Creativity

The only completely new thing that Maltis Tez has is her Strategic Repositioning. I didn’t think it would be very dynamic in gameplay, but I found that it encouraged more thought not only when choosing where to move with it, but also where to attack from to allow the best repositioning after the attack. This was especially notable in the endgame when every wound matters, and Tez could jump into hiding to draw out pursuers or to a vantage point that she could run and/or attack from in her next turn.

First Assault is used well here as a useful power for a fleet-footed scout, and as a power from Classic ‘Scape to help tie the card in with the canon. She feels like a unit that fits in well with those have come before her.

Playability

As mentioned, Maltis Tez has a lot of synergies going for her. However, possibly her biggest struggle is the competition that she has. She is a decent leading figure in a Teeth of the Makwa army to move them up while she tries to pick off advancing units or hold a glyph/chokepoint, but for 15 more points you can get Brave Arrow to do that better, and Theracus exists as well for 5 more points. In a Werwolf Lord/Hybrid army she is useful as a frontline figure or glyph holder, but her survivability is pretty low and she doesn’t last long (which is to be expected of a 35 pointer), and Seleena can provide additional attacks from the safety of range. She really enjoys the +2 Move from the Venoc Warlord in a Scout build, but if that build is using Venoc Vipers you’re better off just using another squad of them. If it’s a Mohican build then she is good for cleanup, though that’s in addition to the cleanup that the Venoc Warlord provides.

With that competition in mind, I set out to see just how unique she feels and plays. Like most filler, she loves picking off individuals and goes down quickly when caught. Her powers encourage a lot of choices in the endgame, as you can use Strategic Repositioning defensively to get the best attacks, and often it’s best to risk disengagement to find an easier target to take down with First Assault. It provides a fun play style for her that sets her apart from the other filler units at her level, and makes her unique enough from her competition that she feels like a good choice when considering options.

Summary

As a versatile unit that fits in a bunch of different armies, Maltis has a lot of opportunities to see play. While there is some stiff competition to fit into those slots, her abilities are unique and she’s interesting in the endgame. She’s also balanced, usually able to earn her points back in a game. Best of all her theme really carries through into her gameplay, and I found her to be a fun, solid addition to armies I fielded her in.

I vote Yea to induct Maltis Tez into the Soldiers of Valhalla.

[Lazy Orang]

I would like to submit my own Dr. Gudruna Vogt for consideration (note that, although the card is Bragi, one of @Soundwarp SG-1 's custom generals, I am submitting her as a follower of Vydar - I just didn't want to hastle someone to create an alternate card for her I'm never going to use only for this submission in case this doesn't go anywhere ).

Spoiler Alert!

Balance:

I’ve played Gudruna quite a bit, and she’s felt useful, but far from overpowered. Her main, useful power is obviously Instantaneous Calculation, which allows her to affect the battle in small but significant ways, but only once per round. For ten points more than Raelin, she can effect a greater variety of things, doesn’t need numbered Order Markers and can be kept safe in the start-zone, but her effect is much more subtle and less frustrating to deal with than a +2 defence aura - she just helps you out that little bit here and there when you need it. I See It All is also fun and thematic, and can be pretty useful at times, but isn’t too big a deal.
Mental Shield is also a nicely thematic power to represent that she’s immune to the mental tricks of, say, Ne-Gok-Sa or any illithids, but it’s match-up specific and it’s doubtful they’d use such powers on her anyway. Might be nice if Ne-Gok-Sa, Ke-Mo-Shi or a Mind Flayer is invading your start-zone in end-game though.
Speaking of end-game, her stats are okay, but nothing amazing - she’s not going to be fighting well on the front line, but she might just pull through for you in a tight battle when both sides are down to their last few soldiers, particularly when you factor in Instantaneous Calculation.

Playability:

At 90 Points, Gudruna can fit into army builds without too much difficulty, but will still make something of a hole in the budget of a 500 Point army, enough that you can’t just throw her in without thought. In the end, her versatile support means she fits well into most armies if you can afford her, the only real exceptions being when there’s a personality restriction to one of your cards powers - being Transcendent, it’s best not to pair her with 4th Mass, Sacred Band or Knights of Blackgaard.
It should be noted that, despite being basically Order Marker free, she takes a surprising amount of thought to play. This is because you can only use Instantaneous Calculation once per round - picking the right roll to affect is a more difficult judgement call then you’d expect. There have been multiple times when I’ve manipulated one roll only to wish I’d saved it when another, more crucial one turned up. Equally, if you keep waiting each round for the perfect opportunity to use it, thinking you should save it for when it’s really needed, it’s easy to waste her potential - she requires you to make careful judgement calls if you want to use Instantaneous Calculation effectively.
I should note that I have always played her as Bragi rather than Vydar, and always will - but basically, there’s almost no difference. She’s not Tricky enough for Skahen and her range isn’t long enough for Laglor. The only synergy she’s getting out of this change is that she can be activated by a Command Courier... but she’s a dedicated support unit who wants to stay in your start-zone, so I can’t see that being much use.

Creativity:

I won’t claim originality that isn’t there - Mental Shield is directly taken from C3G and Instantaeous Calculation is heavily inspired by (i.e. 90% the same as) Brainiac’s 12th Level Intellect. However, both of these are new concepts to Classic and, even when mixing, she fills a distinct role from anything else in the game - no other unit can be slipped into any army to provide a small but significant boost when you decide you most need it the way she can. I See It All also allows you to plan your strategy better by allowing you to view one unrevealed Glyph or Order Marker a round, which is another fairly new concept, at least to Classic. I also like that her entire brain is a green LOS point - she sees with her mind now, not her eyes (mostly because she doesn’t have any ).

Theme:

Dr. Gudruna Vogt was human... once. She comes from Earth, from the same future, dystopian time period that the Krav etc. come from. The basic idea of her is that she was a human who has used science to forceably evolve and transcend her humanity, becoming something that could no longer really be considered truly human - if you’ve ever played through Alpha Centauri to the Transcend Humanity ending, or seen the Vorlons from Babylon 5, you should have decent idea what I’m talking about. Basically, she’s a bit like a Vorlon, or, to make a probably more well recognised example, Doctor Manhattan - although unlike Doctor Manhattan:
1) the experiment/accident turned her into an enlarged walking brain rather than an energy being;
2) she therefore lacks his raw power;
3) she has achieved a state of virtually untethered consciousness now, and is, in a way, omniscient (though less in a ‘I can see everything all the time all at once’ way and more in a ‘I can see any given thing I want to if I concentrate on it but I can’t see everything at once’ way) and;
4) she’s less sick of everything.
She has, quite simply, transcended, and can no longer be considered human - she’s become akin to a god, in mind and consciousness if not in form or power. The concept of ‘transcending’ is an incredibly interesting sci-fi trope, at least to me, that you don’t really see too much of, and I think it would be cool to represent in Heroscape (especially in this way - making her not too strong both makes her easier to balance at a less god-like point level and also plays up the idea of her sacrificing her body for an unshackled mind).
Her range and attack of three represent her attacking using telepathic abilities - I imagine she communicates telepathically now, too, especially since she has no mouth. Her four defence I imagine representing her ability to predict attacks coming and act accordingly, as well as being able to manifest a weak psionic shield.

Here’s her bio:

Government report dated 14th April 2231 - inquiry into the disappearance of Dr. Gudruna Vogt, doctor of biology and physics and chief scientific advisor at our Advanced Research Institute in Leipzig, Germany.
Her lab was in ruins: scattered vials, petri dishes, beakers, etc.. The floor was covered in broken glass and a thick, slippery purple liquid. The only part of the room which appeared in order was her desk, and the computer that stood on her work station. Her colleagues report her having been distracted for upwards of a week prior to her disappearance, barely interacting with anyone. They said she appeared to be working on something, though when asked what, she told them it was top secret. We have been able to recover the following files from her computer:

Personal log entry, 10th March, ‘31:
I think I’ve found a way. I have synthesised a chemical that, if my theories are correct, should stimulate the neocortex, leading to a higher state of awareness - perhaps even the next advancement in human evolution. The chemical’s composition I will not relate here - I don’t know who’s checking up on me, and if this knowledge fell into the wrong hands - including those of my superiors - the results might be catastrophic. But fear is no reason to stifle scientific advancement. I have got this far off their grants, and without saying anything, and I can go further. The composition is in my brain, and there it stays, until I can find a better way. I will continue experimentation on this compound, and attempt to verify its safety before testing it on myself.

Personal log entry, 19th March, '31:
Testing so far has been... inconclusive. I have discovered no grounds to believe the compound dangerous, but also very little to indicate its safety. Unfortunately, I have another problem. My superiors are breathing down my neck - I’ve been so engrossed in this project of mine that I’ve failed to send them satisfactory reports, and they are growing suspicious of my work. There is only one thing I can do - administer the compound to myself. It is a great risk - it may prove fatal, but my fate could hardly be worse than it shall if they catch up with me, learn I’ve been hiding things from them. I am prepared to give my life in the name of progress - though I pray that is not the end result.

Personal log entry, 20th March, '31:
This is incredible! The compound, it’s... changed me. I am no longer the woman I was. I can see things I couldn’t see before - I can observe the world right down to its base components. Nothing’s solid - all is a swirling cosmos of atoms. It’s... beautiful. My mental processes have been improved as well - I can make calculations in a split second, work out probability, multiply, divide, decipher. I can see beyond the confines of my own space and time - predict, observe. It’s amazing! I am.... vaguely aware of changes to my body. Namely, I appear to no longer have one. I can still perambulate, on all fours it seems, but apart from my now enlarged brain and the limbs that have sprouted from it, the rest of my body seems to have been shed - even my eyes, though I can see clearer than ever - even my mouth, though I have so much more to say. But it matters not. I feel like I lost these things not by misfortune, but because I no longer need them... they are meaningless distractions. I know more now than I ever did when I was... human. I have the potential to hold the knowledge of the Gods! What is my mortal form to that?
I... I can see something more. Just beyond the veil, in another world. A winged man, bearded, his hand reaching out to me...
FILE END.

Conclusion: This must never be generally known. It is my advise that the computer be wiped, and the facility purged. If her research can not be used and deciphered, then we have nothing to gain by knowledge of her existance - though we should try to gather what we can of the chemical coating the floor, and reverse engineer it at a different location. From this day forward, Dr. Gudruna Vogt does not, officially, exist.

I originally had her following Bragi, Soundwarp’s custom general whose goal is the pursuit of knowledge. While Vydar doesn’t line up with her character as much as Bragi, he is official and has the whole science thing going on. As for where the name came from, Gudruna is a female German given name meaning ‘divine knowledge’ which seemed really fitting for her. Vogt is a German surname meaning... ‘bailiff’. Yeah, no deep meaning for that one, she just needed a surname.

Availability:

I did a little research earlier, and these were the numbers I found:

Online shops:

Miniature Market: 8
TrollandToad: 23
NobleKnight: Would only let me add 1 to my cart.
CoolStuffInc.: Listed, but out of stock.
Auggies: Listed, but out of stock.
Paizo: Let me add 99 to my cart.

Ebay Sellers with Ebay shops (not counting previously listed online shops, such as TrollandToad):

avengersrule2002: 5
jamestp365: 6
mysannar: More than 10.
caverne-du-mage: 5
juliuse: 1
boxcatgames: 6
gamehollow: 1
brapsmagic: 3

Seems like more than enough for a single Unique Hero. The figure used is the Pathfinder Id Stalker from the Lost Coast set.

[ollie]

Looks like a cool unit. Maybe worth a quick spin in the pre-SoV thread first though?

Without thinking carefully (or reading the bio which shows up in an unreadable colour on my settings) I'd say the use of "blanks" and the range of 3 are only going to fly with some more justification. Striking "blanks" and making the range either 1 or 4 are easy fixes, but maybe the consensus will be that there's nothing that needs fixing or that these aspects are worth the stretching of the canon.

I especially like Mental Shield as a small bit of added flavour.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by ollie

Looks like a cool unit. Maybe worth a quick spin in the pre-SoV thread first though?

Without thinking carefully (or reading the bio which shows up in an unreadable colour on my settings) I'd say the use of "blanks" and the range of 3 are only going to fly with some more justification. Striking "blanks" and making the range either 1 or 4 are easy fixes, but maybe the consensus will be that there's nothing that needs fixing or that these aspects are worth the stretching of the canon.

I especially like Mental Shield as a small bit of added flavour.

Not planning to run it through the Workshopping thread - this isn't something I designed specifically with SoV in mind and I don't really plan to rework it, it's just a card I'm happy with and thought I'd try submitting.
Range of 3 I think should hopefully fall under the 'weird range' distinction the Varja has on account of being telepathic (seriously, why is this deemed a problem? The Varja's already gone there, and I swear the only reason it didn't appear officially is because the official designers didn't get around to designing anyone who they felt needed it.) As for the blanks, that was mostly so that she'd be mixedscape compatible and so that if any units I create in the future use blanks she can effect them - I think it's a line it'd be wise to keep to future proof her, but I won't fuss about cutting it for an official version if that's what people would need to review her, I'll just use the original version at home without much distinction anyway; I already tweaked the General, after all.
I tweaked the bio colour, btw.

[superfrog]

This is a bold submission, and I like that.

Range 3 doesn't bother me here, and the inclusion of blanks doesn't, either. Classic Scape doesn't count blanks, so it can be harmlessly axed in editing.

I'm most bothered by Posthuman, to be honest. I understand what you're getting at, but it feels like it crosses a line into a bit too much weirdness.