Heroscape & Arena of the Planeswalker

[caps]

I like the idea here of integrating the two games as a whole, rather than making either subservient to the other. My interpretation of how it's done:

A pure heroscape army plays exactly like it would in a game of Heroscape (no spell deck or summoning)

A pure MtG:AotP army plays exactly like it does in arena (essentially, every OM is on the planeswalker--I would probably rule that a planeswalker can lose an OM like anyone else, but others might differ)

A planeswalker is a figure, and has an army card, but is not a hero or squad figure, nor is it unique or common. A planeswalker is also inherently immune to permanent mind-control effects. When negated, a planeswalker can still cast spells and summon units.

All Heroscape figures are "creatures"

Heroscape figures cannot be unsummoned, (except perhaps the Rechets, since they have a mechanic for being reaummoned)

Magic:AotP figures do not belong to any general

Heroscape figures do not belong to any "color" in magic

In a mixed army, Heroscape figures start on the board alongside the planeswalker

A planeswalker of the appropriate color is required to summon AotP units

Etc. Basically the idea is to make as few modifications to the rules of either game as possible.

[chief]

Originally Posted by capsocrates

I like the idea here of integrating the two games as a whole, rather than making either subservient to the other. My interpretation of how it's done:

A pure heroscape army plays exactly like it would in a game of Heroscape (no spell deck or summoning)

A pure MtG:AotP army plays exactly like it does in arena (essentially, every OM is on the planeswalker--I would probably rule that a planeswalker can lose an OM like anyone else, but others might differ)

A planeswalker is a figure, and has an army card, but is not a hero or squad figure, nor is it unique or common. A planeswalker is also inherently immune to permanent mind-control effects. When negated, a planeswalker can still cast spells and summon units.

All Heroscape figures are "creatures"

Heroscape figures cannot be unsummoned, (except perhaps the Rechets, since they have a mechanic for being reaummoned)

Magic:AotP figures do not belong to any general

Heroscape figures do not belong to any "color" in magic

In a mixed army, Heroscape figures start on the board alongside the planeswalker

A planeswalker of the appropriate color is required to summon AotP units

Etc. Basically the idea is to make as few modifications to the rules of either game as possible.

[SlyQC]

Since creating the topic, I've been doing a lot of playtesting. I will eventually give you my interpretation of what I now call Heroscape Arena (blending of both games, with minimal adjustment)

[chief]

Updated below

[wriggz]

what is the logic of using the X order marker to take turns? it seems that crests more confusion.

[caps]

I would probably count AotP figures as part of the starting zone. The airborne elite and rechets count towards such a limit in Heroscape.

Do AotP cards not have personalities? If they do have them, I'd leave the section on personality out, otherwise I agree with it.

A unique hero *is* a creature. Unique Heroes in AotP are creatures. I don't see a reason to distinguish them in Heroscape.

I would leave the 'X' order marker stuff out.

[chief]

Updated as per feedback. AOTP figures do not have personalities so I left that in. But I removed the X order marker rules. However they can still be placed on unsummoned cards. Thoughts?
____________________________________________________________

Arenascape:
This is a guide to be used for blending the game system of Heroscape (HS) and Magic the Gathering: Arena of the Planeswalkers (AOTP) into one fluent game system, useable for leisure and competitive play. It will be broken into three sections, drafting armies and using units, using order markers, and using spell cards. Each section will be a piece of the puzzle, explaining how to use this system. Unless stated or explained in the rules below all AOTP rules only apply to AOTP army cards, and all HS rules only apply to HS units, except for terrain rules which apply to all army cards and figures. In Arenascape there is a figure graveyard, figure reserve, and spell card graveyard. When attacking or defending Power is Attack, Toughness is Defense, and vice versa.

Drafting Armies and Using Units:
When drafting an army for Arenascape a player may draft army cards from both games, but may not draft army cards from AOTP if they do not draft a Planeswalker army card. Players may never draft two Planewalkers army cards into the one army. In addition to drafting certain rules apply to the use of units.
- When any AOTP figure is destroyed it is placed into that player’s figure graveyard and when a HS unit is destroyed it is removed from play but is not consider to be in the figure graveyard.
- HS figures are never placed into the figure reserve and can never summoned or unsummoned.
- HS figures never belong to any color, and AOTP figures never belong to any General.
- If an ability on a HS card would activate due to a personality, AOTP figures negate that ability. (i.e. The 4th Mass. Valiant Army Defense Bonus does not activate if there is a AOTP figure in that army, and is on the board.)
- A Planeswalker unit is a figure, but is not a hero or a squad figure. Nor is it a unique, common, or uncommon figure.
- If a Planeswalker is negated it may still summon units and cast spells.
- All HS figures are creatures.

Using Order Markers:
Arenascape operates using all of the rules of the HS order marker and initiative rules. In addition to this system include the following rules.
- Order markers may be placed on unsummoned army cards but the turn with that order marker must be given up if no figures from that army card are on the board when the order marker is activated.

Using Spell Cards:
Each player starts the game with a spell deck of 12 cards and 200 points, if they have a Planeswalker in their army. Each player starts the game by drawing three cards from their spell deck. A player may not have more than seven spell cards in their hand a time, and must discard to the card graveyard until they have seven, if that limit is ever broken. All other AOTP spell card rules remain constant. Because HS figure are never considered to be of a AOTP color, they can never be equipped with any type of enchantment.
Spell cards may be used before after revealing an order marker, but before moving. Spell cards may also be used after attacking with all the allowed figures during a turn, before ending the turn.

[caps]

Re: order markers, I would say that an AotP army would not use order markers. A mixed army would put Order Markers on the Planeswalker to take a turn like in AotP (decide which AotP card to activate, summon units if the chosen card is a planeswalker, etc.). My reasoning is that a planeswalker is implicitly "bonding" with the units it summons.

Now, would a mixed army need to put OMs on summoned units to activate them after the planeswalker is dead? Probably? I think?

[Targanth]

In the section Drafting Armies and Using Units, there is much discussion about partial squads. Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't remember HeroScape allowing the draft of partial squads (though start zone size might require some be dropped) and I don't recall Arena allowing the selection of partial squads. As far as I understood, the single point values on the Arena cards was only for the purpose of scoring points in a game that was not kill the Planeswalker.

Have I missed something?

[KingZombie]

I've been following this topic with much interest. I can't wait to try it out when I finish the map I'm working on. Keep up the good work. I really like how we're not trying to convert but rather combine into one game.

[chief]

Originally Posted by capsocrates

Re: order markers, I would say that an AotP army would not use order markers. A mixed army would put Order Markers on the Planeswalker to take a turn like in AotP (decide which AotP card to activate, summon units if the chosen card is a planeswalker, etc.). My reasoning is that a planeswalker is implicitly "bonding" with the units it summons.
Now, would a mixed army need to put OMs on summoned units to activate them after the planeswalker is dead? Probably? I think?

In AOTP you choose to take a turn with one of your army cards. The bonding is really only present when you are summoning. I think that if if that's the case should be in order to take a turn with a card it requires an order marker.

Originally Posted by Targanth

In the section Drafting Armies and Using Units, there is much discussion about partial squads. Perhaps I am missing something, but I don't remember HeroScape allowing the draft of partial squads (though start zone size might require some be dropped) and I don't recall Arena allowing the selection of partial squads. As far as I understood, the single point values on the Arena cards was only for the purpose of scoring points in a game that was not kill the Planeswalker.

Have I missed something?

No ... I may just be explaining something that doesn't need to be explained. I have deleted that from the post above.

What else guys?! We are making great progress!

[caps]

Originally Posted by chief

In AOTP you choose to take a turn with one of your army cards. The bonding is really only present when you are summoning. I think that if if that's the case should be in order to take a turn with a card it requires an order marker.

I disagree. I think this is imposing a rule from Heroscape onto Arena--that is only necessary when one is using an army from both systems.