The Book of Sauron

[IAmBatman]

And testing in the public in the meantime always helps too!

[tcglkn]

Yep, if there's nothing for us to test we will have to focus our attention here.

[Splash]

No rush, just making sure it was all good. I'll get on that bio!

[Lord Pyre]

Yeah I’ve definitely been focusing on public stuff since there’s been so much sitting. Once that clears out a bit it’ll be better for new designs.

[Splash]

Been workin' a lot, but managed to put together a bio tonight!

Also, should I add Ferocious in synergies, I don't think there are any interaactions at the moment: https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...&postcount=547

[IAmBatman]

Heh, love a bio with links!

Do we have a Savage Land map? If not, we need one of those.

[Yodaking]

The link takes me to one!

Why does the X-men link take me to Havok though, was he the actual student being discussed?

[IAmBatman]

I either missed that or Splash edited it in after I posted! Very cool, though! That was what I was hoping for.

And, yeah, I was wondering the same thing about Havok.

[Splash]

Yeah, put that that in right after, it was a great idea!
Yeah Havok was the first mutant victim who kicked it off, makes sense cause he's almost just limitless energy.

[Lord Pyre]

I have one more sanctum test I'm currently working on, then I'll hit this. Not sure how fast it'll be though.

Also just to reiterate, is things seem stagnant, the best thing to do to move things forward is public testing! Those are almost always a priority for everyone over new designs (so we don't have a backlog)

[IAmBatman]

C3G INITIAL ARMY PLAYTEST FEEDBACK FORM
NAME OF THE PLAYTEST UNIT: SAURON
VERSION TESTED

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = SAURON
SECRET IDENTITY = KARL LYKOS

SPECIES = MUTATE
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = RULER
PERSONALITY = FEROCIOUS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 330

MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER
After attacking an adjacent figure that is not an Android, Construct, destructible object or Undead, remove 1 Wound Marker from this card if the defending figure received one or more wounds and if the defending figure is a non-Human Unique Hero, Sauron adds one to his attack and defense for the remainder of the round.

HYPNOTIC GAZE
After taking a turn with Sauron, you may choose an adjacent Unique Hero and roll the 20-sided die, adding 4 to your roll if that Hero has the Hypnotized personality. If you roll 13 or higher, take control of the chosen Hero and immediately take a turn with it. At the end of that turn, control of that Hero returns to the player who controlled it before Hypnotic Gaze. You may not take any additional turns with other figures you control. For the rest of the round, the chosen Hero has the Hypnotized personality instead of what is listed on its card.

CLAW CARRY
After moving and before attacking with Sauron, you may choose a small or medium figure Sauron passed over this turn. Place the chosen figure adjacent to Sauron, and you may roll one unblockable attack die against the chosen figure. When the chosen figure is moved by Claw Carry, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

SUPER STRENGTH
FLYING

Army Test
Map: Country Road
Units: Sauron (330), Moloids (x15) (150), Zombie (120) (600) vs BIRDS OF PREY: Green Arrow (I) (150), Red Arrow (150), Black Canary (190), Oracle (110)(600)

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1: Sauron starts with the Amulet of Damballah. He is the chosen Ruler for the Moloids. Initiative Savage Land Monsters. Sauraon carries Zombie up behind a wall, then the Moloids advance seven figures. Zombie walks forward two spaces. Red Arrow advances. Sauron carries Zombie up to the bridge. Seven Moloids advance. Zombie walks forward two spaces. Green Arrow Skill Shots Zombie for four wounds, following the Secret Attack Plan. Sauron Claw Carries Zombie forward, but can’t get into attack range. Moloids advance five. Zombie hits Green Arrow for a wound with Walking Dead. Black Canary hits Zombie for one wound.

Round 2: Initiative Birds of Prey. Black Canary follows the Secret Attack Plan and KO’s Zombie. Sauron grabs Green Arrow to height disadvantage and hits him for a wound, then hits Green Arrow for one wound, but fails to hypnotize him. Speed Shot can’t hit Sauron, but Green Arrow rolls all skulls and punches Sauron for two wounds. Sauron takes a swipe from Green Arrow in order to fly, then fails to KO him with Claw Carry. He one shots Black Canary from height, healing one wound and buffing his stats for the round. He just misses hypnotizing Red Arrow. Red Arrow engages Sauron on even height but rolls terribly and does nothing. Sauron KO’s Green Arrow from height, healing a wound, then he Hypnotizes Red Arrow and has him shoot Oracle from height for three wounds.

Round 3: Initiative Savage Land Monsters. Sauron carries Red Arrow to height disadvantage, fails to wound him, then hits him for one wound and heals his last wound. Then he Hypnotizes Red Arrow, but can’t manage to finish Oracle with him. Red Arrow engages Sauron (he can only do so at height disadvantage) and follows the Secret Attack Plan, but he fails to inflict a wound on two attacks. Sauron takes a swipe, Claw Carries Red Arrow and inflicts a wound on him, then KO’s Red Arrow with an attack and heals that wound. Moloids advance five. Oracle can’t hit Sauron. Sauron takes a swipe, Claw Carries Oracle to height disadvantage, fails to wound her, but then KO’s her with his normal attack and heals a wound.

Unit Summary: Wow! What a beast! Claw Carry on a package that doesn’t mind taking swipes to disengage and that can set up height advantage for big attacks is a force to be reckoned with. The bonus for attack and defense didn’t come into play here much because of the targets, but it didn’t matter. Hypnotic Gaze was a secondary aspect here, but whenever it failed there was typically an opportunity for a Zombie or Moloid turn, so it was OK (the exception being two turns that I put Order Markers directly on Sauron in hopes of bonding with Zombie, but Zombie got KO’ed.).

• Damage Done (Normal Attack): Inflicted (10) wounds on (Green Arrow (2), Black Canary (4), Red Arrow (3), Oracle (1))
• MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER: Healed (4) wounds and enhanced stats (1) time (2 player turns).
• HYPNOTIC GAZE: Rolled (2) of (4) (Red Arrow, who hit Oracle for 3 wounds).
• CLAW CARRY: Used to move figures (7) times and inflicted (2) wounds on (Green Arrow (1), Red Arrow (1))

Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Sauron with Full Life and all 15 Moloids win.

___________________________________________________________

VERSION TESTED

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = SAURON
SECRET IDENTITY = KARL LYKOS

SPECIES = MUTATE
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = RULER
PERSONALITY = FEROCIOUS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 330

MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER
After attacking an adjacent figure that is not an Android, Construct, destructible object or Undead, remove 1 Wound Marker from this card if the defending figure received one or more wounds and if the defending figure is a non-Human Unique Hero, Sauron adds one to his attack and defense for the remainder of the round.

HYPNOTIC GAZE
After taking a turn with Sauron, you may choose an adjacent Unique Hero and roll the 20-sided die, adding 4 to your roll if that Hero has the Hypnotized personality. If you roll 13 or higher, take control of the chosen Hero and immediately take a turn with it. At the end of that turn, control of that Hero returns to the player who controlled it before Hypnotic Gaze. You may not take any additional turns with other figures you control. For the rest of the round, the chosen Hero has the Hypnotized personality instead of what is listed on its card.

CLAW CARRY
After moving and before attacking with Sauron, you may choose a small or medium figure Sauron passed over this turn. Place the chosen figure adjacent to Sauron, and you may roll one unblockable attack die against the chosen figure. When the chosen figure is moved by Claw Carry, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

SUPER STRENGTH
FLYING

Army Test
Map: Country Road
Units: Sauron (330), Moloids (x10) (100), War Machine (270) (700) vs A.I.M. HYDRA: Crossbones (160), Red Skull (II) (240), Scientist Supreme (160), A.I.M. Agents (x2) (140) (700)

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1: Moloids choose Sauron as their Ruler. Crossbones is the Servant of the Skull. Initiative Savage Land Monsters. Sauron carries War Machine up to the road. Moloids advance with all ten. Scientist Supreme creates a Cosmic Control Rod. Sauron carries War Machine to the other end of the bridge. Moloids advance with seven. Scientist Supreme has the AIM Agents shoot at Sauron three times from height disadvantage and they hit him for two wounds. No screwing around with Sauron this time. He’s the biggest threat (as a giant dinosaur with psychic powers should be!). Sauron grabs an AIM Agent, but neither Claw Carry nor Auto Chain Gun hit it. Sauron KO’s an AIM Agent from height and heals one. Moloids advance with five. Red Skull reveals the “X” and Crossbones hits Sauron for a wound from height disadvantage on two attacks. Red Skull hits Sauron for one wound on two attacks.

Round 2: Initiative AIM HYDRA. This is a huge initiative switch. Red Skull flips the “X” and his Trigger Man KO’s Sauron with attacks of four and three. Red Skull hits War Machine for a wound with a double attack. Five Moloids advance and one fails to take out an AIM Agent. AIM Agents KO two Moloids. Moloids advance seven and KO an AIM Agent. Scientist Supreme does not know how to use the Cosmic Control Rod and she takes a wound and it flies to War Machine’s feet. Scientist Supreme blasts a Moloid. Moloids advance five and hit Scientist Supreme for a wound.
Round 3: Summary: Red Skull KO’s a Moloid. War Machine takes a wound trying to use the Cosmic Control Rod then hits Red Skull for four wounds with his Armor Piercing Rockets. AIM KO a Moloid. Crossbones hits War Machine for a wound with the Cosmic Control Rod. War Machine KO’s Red Skull and an AIM Agent and hits Crossbones for two wounds.
Round 4: Summary: War Machine punches out Crossbones from height. War Machine’s Armor Piercing Rockets continue to go off and take out two AIM Agents and Scientist Supreme.

Round 5: Summary: The last AIM Agent KO’s a Moloid. War Machine KO’s the last AIM Agent to end it.

Unit Summary: A big initiative switch, some solid rolls, and tons of firepower from Red Skull and Crossbones finished Sauron early. However, they had no answer to War Machine, who cut down everything in front of him, mostly with his Armor Piercing Rockets. After how brutal he was last time, it’s good to see Sauron’s still vulnerable, even if it’s to Nazis! The results on this one are definitely misleading, as Sauron himself did next to nothing other than draw a lot of fire.

• Damage Done (Normal Attack): Inflicted (1) wounds on (AIM Agents (1))
• MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER: Healed (1) wounds and enhanced stats (0) times.
• HYPNOTIC GAZE: Never had a chance to roll.
• CLAW CARRY: Used to move figures (3) times and inflicted (X) wounds on (X)

Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): War Machine with 1/4 Life and 4/10 Moloids win.

___________________________________________________________

VERSION TESTED

Spoiler Alert!

NAME = SAURON
SECRET IDENTITY = KARL LYKOS

SPECIES = MUTATE
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = RULER
PERSONALITY = FEROCIOUS

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 6

LIFE = 6
MOVE = 6
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 5
DEFENSE = 5
POINTS = 330

MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER
After attacking an adjacent figure that is not an Android, Construct, destructible object or Undead, remove 1 Wound Marker from this card if the defending figure received one or more wounds and if the defending figure is a non-Human Unique Hero, Sauron adds one to his attack and defense for the remainder of the round.

HYPNOTIC GAZE
After taking a turn with Sauron, you may choose an adjacent Unique Hero and roll the 20-sided die, adding 4 to your roll if that Hero has the Hypnotized personality. If you roll 13 or higher, take control of the chosen Hero and immediately take a turn with it. At the end of that turn, control of that Hero returns to the player who controlled it before Hypnotic Gaze. You may not take any additional turns with other figures you control. For the rest of the round, the chosen Hero has the Hypnotized personality instead of what is listed on its card.

CLAW CARRY
After moving and before attacking with Sauron, you may choose a small or medium figure Sauron passed over this turn. Place the chosen figure adjacent to Sauron, and you may roll one unblockable attack die against the chosen figure. When the chosen figure is moved by Claw Carry, it will not take any leaving engagement attacks.

SUPER STRENGTH
FLYING

Army Test
Map: Country Road
Units: Sauron (330), Captain America (240), Star-Lord (250), Jocasta (180) (1,000) vs Cyclops (II) (240), Nightcrawler (Kurt Darkholme) (230), Storm (II) (270), Archangel (260) (1,000)

Spoiler Alert!

Round 1: Initiative X-Men. Cyclops advances, has Nightcrawler advance, and Storm places down a blizzard. Captain America advances. Cyclops blasts Cap but can’t hit and has Archangel advance and Storm lay down fog next to him. Star-Lord advances and hits Nightcrawler for a wound from height disadvantage. Cyclops can’t hit Star-Lord, Archangel can’t slash Cap or Star-Lord, and Storm puts out a thunderstorm. Sauron carries Jocasta forward and fails to Hypnotize Cap.

Round 2: Cyclops reveals the “X.” Initiative Savage Avengers. Cap tosses his shield at the forward three X-Men, each attack from height disadvantage. He misses Archangel, hit Cyclops for FOUR wounds, and Nightcrawler evades and moves around Cap and Jocasts with his Ruthless Teleport, but can’t hit either. Cyclops uses his special attack, hitting Star-Lord for four wounds, Sauron for three wounds, and Jocasta for one wound. Nightcrawler’s Ruthless Teleport misses on Cyclops and Jocasta, but hits Star-Lord to finish him. Archangel whiffs an attack from height on Sauron. Sauron avoids a swipe and Claw Carries Archangel for a wound. Then he KO’s Cyclops from height, healing one wound and buffing his stats, then Archangel hits Jocasta for a wound (missing Cap and Sauron) and Sauron just fails an attempt to Hypnotize Archangel. The rest of the X-Men markers were on Cyclops, so Sauron goes again to end the round. He avoids a swipe, Claw Carries Archangel to height disadvantage and hits him for a wound, then attacks buffed and from height, hitting Archangel for three wounds and healing once. At this point I assume the stat boost is not meant to stack, so I play it as such, but this should be noted somehow in the power. Archangel flies over all three opponents and slashes Cap for a wound. This robs Sauron of a Hypnosis target.

Round 3: Initiative Savage Avengers. Cap hits Nightcrawler for a wound. Nightcrawler hits Cap and Jocasta with Ruthless Teleportation wounds and moves Sauron to height disadvantage and then attacks, and hits Sauron for two wounds. Sauron takes a swipe to carry Archangel next to him and fails the Claw wound on Archangel. He KO’s Archangel from height, heals and buffs, then fails to Hypnotize Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler uses his Ruthless Teleportation to wound Cap and Sauron and to get Sauron in a place where neither Jocasta nor Cap have clear sight on him. Nightcrawler can’t hit Sauron with an attack, though. Sauron avoids a swipe and Claw Carries Nightcrawler for a wound and to height disadvantage next to Cap. Then Sauron punches out Nightcrawler and heals a wound. He lacks a Hypnotic Gaze target. Archangel had OM3.

Round 4: Initiative X-Men. Storm advances and puts a Thunderstorm next to Jocasta. Cap advances, but can’t see Storm through Fog. Storm moves a Tornado. Sauron carries Jocasta forward, then Hypnotizes her. Jocasta moves into the fog and punches Storm for a wound. Storm moves a Tornado closer and fails an attack on Jocasta. Sauron fails to hit Storm with a wound from Claw Carry, avoids a Tornado, hits Storm for a wound from height and with Cap’s buff, heals one, buffs his defense for the round, then fails to Hypnotize Storm. Storm hits Sauron for a wound, which Jocasta takes, also giving a wound to Storm.

Round 5: Initiative X-Men. Storm uses Fog to block Jocasta and Sauron off from Cap’s boosts, then hits Jocasta for a wound. Cap stumbles through a blizzard. Storm moves a Thunderstorm to Sauron but fails to hit him with an attack. Sauron takes a swipe and fails to hit Storm with Claw Carry, but puts her at height disadvantage and himself back in clear sight of Cap, then he KO’s Storm and heals one.

Unit Summary: This one swung hard when Cap caught Cyclops whiffing from height against an all skulls shield toss from Cap, leaving him vulnerable to an early exit, at which point the X-Men lacked the turn efficiency they needed here. Still, Archangel and Nightcrawler did some damage before falling to big attacks and Claw Carries from Sauron. Storm struggled to do much in end game, and Sauron finished things off.

• Damage Done (Normal Attack): Inflicted ( wounds on (Cyclops (1), Archangel (4), Nightcrawler (1), Storm (2))
• MUTANT LIFE FORCE HUNGER: Healed (6) wounds and enhanced stats (3) times (for 7 player turns).
• HYPNOTIC GAZE: Rolled (1) of (5)
• CLAW CARRY: Used to move figures (6) times and inflicted (3) wounds on (Archangel (2), Nightcrawler (1))

Who won? List figures remaining in the winning army (include life remaining for heroes): Jocasta with 1/5 Life, Cap with 2/5 Life, and Sauron with 3/6 Life win.

___________________________________________________________

[IAmBatman]

Like any dedicated healer, you really have to focus on Sauron to take him down. And great chances at auto-wounds, big attacks, getting height advantage thanks to figure displacement, easy attack boosts that stack with other attack boosts, and mind control as mostly a throw in here makes him both a really nasty defensive and offensive figure!

I think he's solid as is mechanically (though I'd clarify that he gets up to 1 in power boosts with the first power, unless you're really wanting him to be able to get a boost for every wound he does with his attack) and I'd consider bumping his cost up quite a bit going into public testing or, if that's not desirable, bumping down some of his base stats (life, attack, defense) to keep his cost down some. Keep in mind that unless you're on very flat terrain, he should usually be attacking with height advantage thanks to Claw Carry.