The Book of Cosmo

[Arkham]

Alright, he's gone 2-5-1(4-6-1 counting initials) in his games. I'd say 150 is a reasonable end point. He's lost more than he's won, but I feel the results say he's done his part in each game, and the rest just came down to the dice/luck etc. At 150, it's hard to feel like you're wasting points on a unit that can save your team from a big attack or two each round. So I'm satisfied with him as-is.

[Yodaking]

In that second game did you ever use both X OMs for Psychic Defense on the two different cards in the same round?

[TrollBrute]

No offense, because you're a fine tester, but I'd like to see more tests from someone who isn't the LD before voting forward.

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by TrollBrute

No offense, because you're a fine tester, but I'd like to see more tests from someone who isn't the LD before voting forward.

Glad I stayed up late to run them then.

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

In that second game did you ever use both X OMs for Psychic Defense on the two different cards in the same round?

Prof. X. was bombarded in the SZ in round 3, just out of Cosmo's reach, so they couldn't pull it off. Cosmo used both multiple times.

[Tornado]

If YK and Ronin are cool with 150 I will support.

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by Tornado

If YK and Ronin are cool with 150 I will support.

@Ronin @Yodaking

FWIW I'm not tied to 150. It's not something I'm pushing for or feel is absolutely necessary for the design to work. 150 is only preferable based on offense wise he's proven nearly useless throughout everyone's tests, and as a support, he's only going to last so long given his low life. Multi-turns, multi-attackers, and auto-wounders will have his number, and the majority of synergies have those options.

-Psychic Defense X is a vetted power and we pretty much know what that brings to the table. A great power, but it's only going to stand for as long as the opponent decides to allow Cosmo to stay around.
-Telepathic Paralysis has proven to be pretty much a non-factor in most cases as you're not really encouraged to take a turn with him, and even if you do, the low attack makes it a complete gamble on whether it even hits(and it's skulls OR OM removal), and even then it's not a guarantee the figure has an OM, and that you pull something beyond an X. So yeah, this is purely a flavor power.
-Cortex can be useful, but overall the price you pay for it keeps it in check. Giving up a turn and burning a marker(generally the X, which is Cosmo's life support), to teleport a figure into or out of your start zone(if Cosmo is in the start zone)...it's certainly a teleport mechanic that has its checks and balances.

So yeah, not terribly worried here at 150, but I'm not opposed to 160. I don't think it'll make a radical difference on whether Cosmo is drafted with the Guardians.

[Yodaking]

I'm cautiously optimistic with him at 150, but I too would actually like to see another set of tests from a tester that is not the LD. That has nothing to do with Arkham and everything to do with seeing how he does when someone who has a different play style tries to make use of his power set. Having a wider range of players test a product just insures you have more of your bases covered. Then support units like this are just by their nature a little trickier to nail down in cost. It isn't as easy to quantify the impact they have on a game as a brawler is.

Some units I really struggle to make good use of can shine in another players hands, it is just a product of having different personality traits and gaming experiences. I tend to be a bit more aggressive player by nature and less apt to sit back and bide my time for a perfect opening. I think we have the double X, pod play, and start zone bomber ideas pretty well covered in tests thus far, but what if none of those are the most effective use of his powers?

In both of my games I spent the opening round teleporting out 3 units to the middle of the board so I could get the battle started up right way in the second round. I was trying to examine his pod play potential even though I'm not the best pod player. Someone else may look at his teleport power and think, 'if I can draw my opponent out of his start zone and force him to spread his forces out a bit, starting in round 3 or 4 I can start dropping assassin type figures in behind his lines.' Maybe that is his best use, waiting to launch a surprise attack. Use OM3 to drop someone into position and then hope to win initiative and attack right away on OM1. Can a Blade or Elektra type of figure dropped in behind enemy lines disrupt things in a significant way by assassinating your opponents support units and then get pulled out to safety right after?

Yet another player may think, 'start zone first aide center.' Perhaps pairing him up with a healer unit and leaving the two of them in your start zone is the best use of Cosmo. Send out one big brawler out on attack like Superman, Thor, Doomsday, Hulk, etc. and as soon as they start to find themselves in trouble call them back and start healing them. If they are your only attacker they will already have OM1-3 on their card and so as long as they don't suddenly take 3-4 wounds at once to get KOed you will have an OM already on him ready to retreat. Just not sure who the best healer would be right now. Iron Fist and Black Tarantula both use the X OM for healing. Maybe Zatanna with her ability to remove wound markers via the d20 or Aquaman, especially if you can get him a water tile to stand on, could make an effective first aide station. May need two brawler figures to properly execute, one who leads the attack, then one who continue to keep the pressure on while the first one gets healed back up. Then recall the second figure for some healing and send the first one back out.

Then again perhaps just the best way to work the healing angle is to pair him up with all X healers. Some combination of Marrow, X-23, Wolverine, Sabretooth, & Deadpool paired up with Cosmo. Send one out at a time, recall them once wounded and send the next X healer out. You would have to burn an OM2 to recall your healers once in a while but the X just keeps healing everyone up at once, both those in your start zone and those out on the front lines.

How well would it work to have Beta Ray Bill & Thor both drop into the middle of a battle already back-to-back? Maybe someone from the CRB has a different idea all together that I would never have thought of.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Yodaking

Yet another player may think, 'start zone first aide center.' Perhaps pairing him up with a healer unit and leaving the two of them in your start zone is the best use of Cosmo. Send out one big brawler out on attack like Superman, Thor, Doomsday, Hulk, etc. and as soon as they start to find themselves in trouble call them back and start healing them. If they are your only attacker they will already have OM1-3 on their card and so as long as they don't suddenly take 3-4 wounds at once to get KOed you will have an OM already on him ready to retreat. Just not sure who the best healer would be right now.

Alfred Pennyworth - just make sure your big brawler is a human, i.e. a Green Lantern, Black Adam, Doctor Doom etc..

[Arkham]

I didn't take it as a personal slight by wanting another tester, I get that the more unique pair of hands on it the better, I was just laughing at the fact that it would have been nice to know that prior to doing another set.

I'm not in a rush here, so I can wait for another tester, but I'm the type when someone says "I'd like to see another set before moving forward", I'm not gonna sit on my hands hoping someone comes along, if I can take care of it myself.

[Lazy Orang]

Originally Posted by Arkham

I didn't take it as a personal slight by wanting another tester, I get that the more unique pair of hands on it the better, I was just laughing at the fact that it would have been nice to know that prior to doing another set.

I'm not in a rush here, so I can wait for another tester, but I'm the type when someone says "I'd like to see another set before moving forward", I'm not gonna sit on my hands hoping someone comes along, if I can take care of it myself.

I might be able to throw something together next week. I can't guarantee it, though - priority is going to Ant-Man for me, and I think I'll try to get a couple of sheets down for him.

[Arkham]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

Alfred Pennyworth - just make sure your big brawler is a human, i.e. a Green Lantern, Black Adam, Doctor Doom etc..

Do you want to run a couple games with that strategy? Have Cosmo stay back and try to run teleporter, with a big bruiser being pulled back before death to try and heal. Meanwhile, the opponent is trying to get to Cosmo and the healing unit to take him out to stop the tactic.

I might be able to throw something together next week. I can't guarantee it, though - priority is going to Ant-Man for me, and I think I'll try to get a couple of sheets down for him.

I'll gladly test Ant-Man if you can make time. I need to test 2 units before my next anyways.