The Book of Poison Ivy (II)

[Arkham]

My goal, if at all possible, is to have this wrapped up by next weekend. It's a tall task, but if we can make it happen, it's going to put my next 2 designs on track to where they need to be time wise. Currently, I think we'd be good to go with 3 sets of tests, and I can follow up with another set if need be.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Arkham

Of course, you can always create your own map if you're allowed to, with a good mix of grass/swamp + trees.

The one I have up for personal play fits that description precisely.
I am not allowed to use it.
Arse.

[Arkham]

C3G INITIAL PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM

NAME OF THE TEST UNIT Poison Ivy II

___________________________________________________________

Army Test 1
Map: Custom
Units:
Poison Ivy II(185), Harley Quinn II(180), Amanda Waller(195), Deadshot(150) (700)
vs.
Luke Cage(190), Iron Fist(260), Spider-Man(250) (700)

Spoiler Alert!

Attack Damage:


Plant Animation 12:
R2T1: 1 wound on Spider-Man, and 1 wound on Luke Cage.

Toxic Love


Notes:
R1: Cage is the Special Assignment.
R1T2: Harley puts 1 wound on Cage with PGSA(botched defense), removes 3.
R1T2: Spider-Man puts 2 wounds on Ivy, Luke Cage puts 1 wound on Ivy.
R1T3: Ivy takes 1 wound from LEA, Harley puts 1 wound on Cage.
R2: Cage is the Special Assignment.
R2T1: Iron Fist heals 1 wound from Luke Cage, Luke Cage puts 1 wound on Ivy.
R2T2: Harley puts 1 wound on Iron Fist.
R2T2: Iron Fist puts 1 wound on Harley, Luke Cage kills Ivy.
R2T3: Deadshot puts 1 wound on Cage.
R2T3: Spider-Man puts 1 wound on Harley(botched defense).
R3: Cage is the Special Assignment.
R3T1: Iron Fist kills Harley, heals Luke Cage 1 wound.
R3T1: Deadshot puts 1 wound on Luke Cage.
R3T2: Luke Cage puts 1 wound on Deadshot.
R4: Cage is the Special Assignment.
R4T1: Deadshot puts 1 wound on Cage, attacks again and kills him.
R5: Iron Fist is the Special Assignment.
R5T2: Iron Fist puts 3 wounds on Waller.
R5T2: Deadshot puts 1 wound on Iron Fist.
R5T3: Deadshot puts 1 wound on Iron Fist.
R6: Spider-Man is the Special Assignment.
R6T1: Deadshot kills Iron Fist.
R6T1: Spider-Man kills Deadshot(botched defense).
R6T3: Spider-Man kills Waller.


Spider-Man with 1 wound.

Ivy failed many rolls in this game. Didn't have much luck with Plant Animation or Toxic Love rolls. Out of ~10 attempts, she succeeded 2 of them.

___________________________________________________________

Army Test 2
Map: Custom
Units:
Poison Ivy II(160), Kingpin(220), Gamora(310) (690)
vs.
Hawkman(225), Hawkgirl(225), Cap(240) (690)

Spoiler Alert!

Attack Damage:
R2T3: 2 wounds on Hawkgirl.

Plant Animation 12:
R3T2: 1 wound on Hawkgirl.

Toxic Love
R2T3: Heals 1 wound.

Notes:
R1T2: Gamora puts 1 wound on Cap.
R1T3: Hawkgirl puts 4 wounds on Kingpin(botched defense, was boosted by Ivy's MN).
R2T1: Cap takes 1 wound from attacking Gamora.
R2T2: Hawkgirl kills Kingpin.
R2T3: Hawkgirl puts 3 wounds on Ivy.
R3T1: Cap puts 2 wounds on Ivy(botched defense).
R3T2: Hawkgirl puts 1 wound on Gamora.
R3T3: Gamora puts 1 wound on Cap.
R4T1: Cap takes 1 wound from LEA, kills Ivy.
R4T2: Hawkman puts 3 wounds on Gamora, then takes 2 wounds from MMA on 2nd attack.
R4T2: Gamora puts 2 wounds on Hawkman, hits Godslayer roll, kills him.
R4T3: Gamora kills Hawkgirl.
R5T1: Cap puts 1 wound on Gamora.
R5T2: Gamora kills Cap.


Gamora with 3 wounds.

Very close match. Gamora did 85% of the wounding in the game, which they needed after Kingpin got destroyed early on. In the end, it came down between Cap and Gamora, which they traded shots that were blocked a couple of times, but Gamora's MMA proved too much for Cap.

THOUGHTS ON THE TESTED UNIT'S COST, BALANCE, & DRAFTABILITY: I played these 2 games on a slightly adjusted map from previous games. In these games, the Jungle Pieces were a little easier to avoid, as there was a 1 hex row down the center that was out of the Jungle Piece range of 2 for Ivy. So this allowed the other team a little bit more breathing room. Overall, Ivy can be good when in ideal circumstances, and her rolls are going well for her, but if she can really fall quickly if the pressure is put on her, and has less potential if the map isn't crowded with Jungle Pieces. I'm thinking 175 is fair so far, as she lost her 1st game here at 185, and won the 2nd at 160, but neither were that strong of a showing for her. 185 isn't out of the question in the most ideal of circumstances.

[Arkham]

I'm looking forward to see what others come up with. So far so good!

[Arkham]

Just out of curiosity, as I don't think anyone has started playtesting the design, how would people feel about this alteration:

NAME = POISON IVY
SECRET IDENTITY = PAMELA ISLEY

SPECIES = METAHUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = CRIMINAL
PERSONALITY = MANIPULATIVE

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 175

PLANT ANIMATION 12
After moving and instead of attacking, roll the 20-sided die for all opponents' figures within two spaces of an Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece that is within 6 spaces of Poison Ivy, one at a time. If you roll 12 or higher, the figure receives one wound.

TOXIC LOVE
While on a grass or swamp space, or adjacent to an Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece, Poison Ivy adds 1 to her attack and defense, and may roll the 20-sided die after taking a turn. If you roll 12 or higher, you may either remove one Wound Marker from this card or choose a figure adjacent to Poison Ivy to receive one wound.

MOTHER NATURE
If there is at least 1 Order Marker on this Army Card, figures you control without the Superstrength Special Power may move an additional 2 spaces on grass or swamp spaces, if their entire move consists of grass or swamp spaces, including the starting space.

All it's changing is dropping the defense offered from Mother Nature, and instead offering a +1 to her own attack and defense when on a grass or swamp space or adjacent to an Evergreen Tree or Jungle Piece, much like how Water Strength, Sand Construction, and Ice Resistance etc. work for figures benefiting from those elements.

It simplifies Mother Nature to just the road like bonus, which then we could further consider removing the OM requirement since it's now just a movement boost for her team.

This change shouldn't offset my playtests much, as she didn't attack more than 2-3 times in total throughout all of my games, and she often was killed pretty decisively without it coming down to a single wound. Other figures didn't often benefit from the defense boost either.

Anyways, just an idea I had. No real desire to change the design, I'm fine with it as-is, but I figured I'd throw the possible slight alteration out there before more tests are done.

[Lazy Orang]

Not sure how I like that. With the present version, she'll already lose most of her value on any map that even resembles Gotham vaguely - at least the present version, though, could use future plant animations for the defensive boost to her team, and this cuts that out.

[TrollBrute]

Well, it simplifies Mother Nature, which I like, but it just muddles Toxic Love. I guess I'm not seeing the reason for making the change?

[Viegon]

Not really a fan personally; I liked how the defense boost was going to work with the Plant squad, and I don't like how it really makes Toxic Love two separate powers crammed into one.

[Arkham]

Fair points all around. We'll stay the course.

[Lazy Orang]

Here's Ivy's first test:

Name Of The Playtest Unit: Poison Ivy (vII)

Army Test 1
Map: Quasatch Playground (no glyphs)
Armies:
Poison Ivy (vII), Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn (vII), Shocker, Mother Russia, Captain Boomerang (Owen Mercer) (1,005 points)
vs.
Professor X, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Iceman, Beast, Angel (1,000 points)

Spoiler Alert!

Overview of Poison Ivy’s performance:
Damage inflicted through normal attacks: 1 wound on Iceman
Damage inflicted through Plant Animation: 1 wound on Angel, 1 wound on Beast
Damage inflicted through Toxic Love: 1 wound on Cyclops.
Wounds healed through Toxic Love: 4
Movements helped through Mother Nature: 1 from Mother Russia, 1 from Shocker, 2 from Poison Ivy.
Wounds blocked through Mother Nature: 1 on Shocker, 1 on Poison Ivy.

Round One

The Suicide Squad claims the initiative, and Amanda nominates Cyclops as her Special Assignment. Mother Russia and Shocker advance, with the helps of plants!
Angel flies Cyclops forwards, and Cyke opens fire on Shocker, but the damage is blocked - with the help of plants!
Shocker advances, firing two shots at Cyclops, inflicting two wounds on Cyclops and knocking him backwards. Captain Boomerang advances.
Angel flies Jean forwards, into engagement with Shocker. She fails to throw him, but strikes him from height for two wounds.
Poison Ivy runs forwards.
Cyke runs to height, shooting Captain Boomerang for one wound. Jean fails to throw anyone, and strikes Shocker for a wound.

Round Two

The Suicide Squad claim the initiative, and Amanda takes out a hit on Jean Grey (a plan I can definitely get behind ). Owen throws an Acid Boomerang at Jean, and the acid spills out, burning into Angel’s flesh. Angel flies back, ready to carry someone else up. Shocker charges Jean, shooting her from equal height, inflicting a wound and knocking her backwards. He shoots her again, knocking her back into combat, surrounded by Ivy, Owen and Mother Russia, but failing to harm her. Jean is now out of the range of the range of Xavier’s mind.
Angel flies Iceman up, and he encases Shocker in a deep coating of ice.
Mother Russia snaps Jean’s neck. Owen throws an Acid Boomerang at Angel, but fails to achieve anything.
Cyclops fires an Optic Blast at Owen and Ivy - he inflicts one wound on Captain Boomerang, but Ivy blanks, inflicting a wound. Iceman attempts to freeze Captain Boomerang, but he blocks.
Ivy holds her ground and heals herself.
Cyclops fires a blast, killing Owen and inflicting two wounds on Ivy. Iceman inflicts a wound on Ivy.


Round Three

The Suicide Squad claims the initiative, and Amanda takes out an assignment on Iceman. Harley runs forwards and fires a shot at Iceman, which he blocks. Mother Russia advances.
Cyclops fires a shot through Harley and Mother Russia - they both block. Iceman fails to freeze Mother Russia.
Harley charges Iceman, inflicting two wounds and knocking him off his perch, allowing Mother Russia to claim it. Mother Russia inflicts a wound on Iceman.
Cyke lines up a shot through Mother Russia and Harley, inflicting two wounds on the first and one on the second.
Iceman inflicts a wound on Mother Russia.
Ivy inches forwards and heals.
Cyclops takes out Mother Russia, and Iceman fails to hurt Ivy.

Round Four

The X-Men claim the initiative, and Amanda takes out a hit on Cyclops. Cyclops and Iceman both fail to harm Harley.
Harley strikes Cyke for a wound, knocking him into the water. Ivy takes this opportunity to strike him from height. Her normal attack fails to kill him, but her toxins do the job. Sadly, Harley got cocky and decided to rebel, necessitating the bomb in her brain being detonated.
Beast leaps forwards, while Iceman freezes Ivy for two wounds.
Ivy falls back a long way, healing as she does so.
Angel flies Professor X to the central hill and Iceman moves in, but fails to harm Ivy.
Ivy moves to strike Iceman from height, but he blocks, and her toxins fail.

Round Five

The Suicide Squad claims the initiative, and Amanda takes out an assignment on Iceman. Ivy’s normal attack and toxins both fail.
Iceman fails to harm Ivy, and Beast advances.
Ivy kills Iceman, but fails to heal herself.
Beast charges in, but miraculously fails to harm Poison Ivy. Angel also charges in.
Amanda advances.
Ivy uses Plant Animation to inflict a wound each on Angel and Beast, before healing herself.
Beast knocks out Ivy. Angel swoops in to punch Amanda.

Round Six

The X-Men claim the initiative. Angel throws a punch, but misses wildly. Beast charges Amanda, inflicting two wounds.
Amanda shoots Beast, but he dodges.
Angel is apparently drunk, as he blanks for the second time in a row, and Beast knocks Amanda out.


X-Men victorious - Angel 2 wounds, Beast 1 wound, Professor X unwounded.

Overview: Okay, that was... interesting. Her support powers were really not that useful in this game, though maybe this wasn't actually the best map, even though it looked good. However, when she actually finally got involved in the fight, she got better luck than I expected, and made a really good last stand - she was actually a lot of fun then. Needing an Order Marker on her was a real liability - I always put the 3 on her, as I didn't want to risk one of the Suicide Squad rebelling without me being able to turn their grey matter into soup, but this was a real liability to me. I don't know what to make of her.

[Arkham]

Thanks for the test thus far! Very appreciated.

As for the result, I find her performance summary to be pretty decent at 175. Caused 4 wounds, healed 4 wounds, added additional movement here and there, and prevented a couple of wounds. That's certainly reasonable at 175, IMO. Keep in mind, the Animated Vines will obviously help her usefulness down the line.

When it comes to the Suicide Squad, she's really not that great of a pairing with them. I know some wanted that, but unfortunately that's where the OM requirement begins to butt heads. Her thematic pairings however, don't seem to have any issue with her having the X.

[Ronin]

Yeah, she's not great in a Suicide Squad build because of the OM requirement. Usable, but it won't be one of her best.