Scytale's customs

[Scytale]

Originally Posted by TheAverageFan

Well hey, 4 defense is miles ahead of the Einar Imperium, as far as I'm concerned.

~TAF, who wishes his favorite General got some better Kyrie

I'm actually a fan of the EI and have even taken them to tournaments. Alongside Raelin and Kiova they have Deathwalker-level defenses. That gives them limited mobility, obviously, but adding a ranged component to draw your opponent in can make them terrifying.

Their biggest problem is that the game has a number of autowound powers and attackers with high enough attack to punch through that level of defense. Most dragons will tear them apart, for example. Having to keep them within the Raelin/Kiova bubble also makes it so that range can just sit back and plug away at them.

[TheAverageFan]

You've got some valid points, and I don't think the EI are awful, per se. Mostly I just wish they weren't so darn expensive.

~TAF, who will say they make great guards for figures like Raelin

[Scytale]

unit highlight 8/17/15

I did a little bit to expand the Monk faction, going in a couple different directions.

My first Monk design was the Flying Lotus Monks. They are a few D&D figures, one of them slightly modded, and repainted to make them look like a squad.

The second group are githzerai, D&D humanoids that are best known for being good monks (as in the D&D class) due to their psionic abilities and their societal structure. These units are rather special in that they're some of the only collaborative creations in my collection. My cousin pcservbot came up with the original concepts, and I found the figures and came up with the specifics of the designs.

Flying Lotus Monks -- Wind Walk gives these guys some pretty good mobility (though not as good as Flying), and they have a solid attack. Uncanny Dodge gives them some nice extra survivability, though like other unique squads, they really suffer when losing a figure.

Psionic Monks -- At first blush bonding with most Unique Heroes in the game seems crazy-powerful, but it's far more limiting than it first appears. Having to stay close to the bonding hero makes it quite difficult, actually, especially against an opponent that is actively trying to mess you up. It is easiest to use them with ranged heroes as protectors. Unfortunately, some heroes like Kato Katsuro that don't have an "after revealing an order marker" clause make them questionable, but I haven't seen a truly game-breaking combination.

Master Grezth -- Psychic Control is an attempt at a "take over another figure and make them attack" ability. It's on the complicated side but not too bad. Mind Block is the really interesting ability, able to really mess up an opponent's strategy. Obviously it's better if you get initiative, making it nice to have initiative-boosters in your army.


Earth Shugenja (D&D Underdark) repainted
Whirling Steel Monk (D&D Savage Deathknell) repainted
Drunken Master (D&D Dragoneye) repainted, slightly modded


Githzerai (D&D Archfiends) slightly modded
Githzerai Zerth (D&D Dangerous Delves)


Githzerai Cenobite (D&D Legendary Evils)

[Lazy Orang]

Those Flying Lotus Monks have confusing wording in Uncanny Dodge. First off, 'When defending with a Flying Lotus Monk, each shield counts as two blocks.' Simple enough, easy to understand, but not the way it would be officially worded - on Shields of Valour, it's 'each shield counts as one additional block'. Strangely enough, this is how the second part is worded, and I think it means the same, because if it did, you could just have easily said that each shield just counts as two blocks - but, according to wording and precedent, that is what your power says. I've always been confused by this one.

I've liked the look of your Githzerai for a long time, though.

[Scytale]

Originally Posted by Lazy Orang

Those Flying Lotus Monks have confusing wording in Uncanny Dodge. First off, 'When defending with a Flying Lotus Monk, each shield counts as two blocks.' Simple enough, easy to understand, but not the way it would be officially worded - on Shields of Valour, it's 'each shield counts as one additional block'. Strangely enough, this is how the second part is worded, and I think it means the same, because if it did, you could just have easily said that each shield just counts as two blocks - but, according to wording and precedent, that is what your power says. I've always been confused by this one.

Yeah, it's confusing if you compare with the Shields of Valor. But I think it's clear if you read it on its own: the first shield is two blocks and each additional shield is one block.

[Ixe]

Flying Lotus Monks
I agree with Lazy Orang that the wording could be improved. Might I suggest the following:

When rolling defense dice against a normal or special attack, if at least 1 shield is rolled, a Flying Lotus Monk adds 1 automatic shield to whatever is rolled.

This is functionally identical and uses the wording for Warforged Resolve as the base instead. I think the Uncanny dodge power is interesting and can help them keep alive against higher attacks although they can always whiff the roll. The dodge name is appropriate. Wind Walk is an interesting flying variant although I'd imagine there is little distinction on most maps. They have a lot of comparisons to the Ninjas of the Northern Wind and seem about right for the cost in that capacity.

Psionic Monks
And I thought the Death Knights of Valkrill had a wide bonding pool. These guys have comparisons on that front but I'd say come out worse in the comparison save having versatile bonding to a lot of heroes who otherwise lack that sort of synergy. Having to keep them so close is limiting, but I could imagine having some fun using them alongside multiple unique heroes. I suppose using them with Master Win Chiu Woo is pretty useful at least, though I wouldn't be surprised if they did best supplementing already good powerful using Raelin and powerful heroes like Nilfheim or Fen Hydras.

Master Grezth
Unfortunately Psychic Block is a bit of a "non-bo" with the Psionic Monks (the abilities do not synergize together because of the OM 1 reveal. I like the temporary negation. It's tricky to set up but I can see it being quite potent if you neutralize an expensive squad with powerful abilities (Minions) or just a key hero (Raelin). Hitting commons can really be crippling to some armies which alone could make the opponent really have to play around this guy, although I suppose they will be able to see it coming when its time to place order markers. Psychic control is a little clunky and, since it is an "instead of attacking" ability, feels like it will frequently be used as a ranged attack if swinging in melee isn't an option. It all makes sense when you keep the theme in mind. Cool hero in any case.

[TheAverageFan]

Originally Posted by Ixe

Master Grezth
Unfortunately Psychic Block is a bit of a "non-bo" with the Psionic Monks (the abilities do not synergize together because of the OM 1 reveal.

Just move him up the first turn, and then catch up with the monks on OM 2, since their bonding is after they take their turn. In fact, that pretty much works for anyone, so long as everyone keeps moving together in the same direction.

~TAF

[Scytale]

Originally Posted by Ixe

Flying Lotus Monks
I agree with Lazy Orang that the wording could be improved. Might I suggest the following:

Oh yeah, of course. That's way better. Thanks.

[Scytale]

unit highlight 8/24/15

Who wouldn't want ents in Heroscape? Well, not "ents" necessarily, but tree people. If Heroscape would have continued I suspect it was only a matter of time.

The D&D Treant figure is too awesome to not use, and it fits a Heroscape peanut really well. I also stumbled upon some workable Mage Knight figures that made for a good squad with a little paint. I have been asked why I didn't make the Oakwoods a Common squad; I didn't simply because I couldn't find more of the models.

For some reason toughness seems to be the natural thing to do with tree people. Toughness of wood, I suppose. I went with it. Both units fit into the defender role, despite being Unique.

Oakwood Warriors -- They're slow and don't hit hard, but they're tough as nails on a forest or jungle map. Special attacks are trouble, though.

Yggdrasil -- Big, tough, and hits hard. Nature's Fury is pretty nutty for a special attack; it really pushes the bounds of the rules, but I think it's ok. Not particularly effective, but it can scare people into avoidance.


Oak Warrior (Mage Knight Sorcery) repainted
Oak Mage (Mage Knight Sorcery) repainted
Wood Golem (Mage Knight Rebellion) repainted


Treant (D&D Giants of Legend)

[wriggz]

I really like your Ents. I felt the same about the Big tree figure, but Decided to go even further down the Evergreen road, by letting him place two from his card onto the battle field. A D20 roll take the place of the special attack.

The Unique squad is a nice take on the Treants. I also found the 3 figures, and will likely go down the same path (maybe a full copy . I'm assuming you went with Aquilla instead of Ullar to fill out her ranks at the time of design. I'm guessing you would have gone otherwise now that C3V filled them out a bit.

[Ixe]

Oakwood Warriors
I've been looking around for good prepainted miniatures of plant creatures for a while now and I was surprised see some as fantastic as yours. I see you did them with repaints but they still look phenomenal. Forget a jungle map, these guys are already tough as nails. I suppose they are a little more vulnerable against special attacks but 4 defense is already pretty good on that front. Add in tough and these guys are a force that armies can break themselves upon. Offensively they aren't that much to look at, however, probably making more like the Izumi Samurai to act as a daunting for your real attackers to hide behind.

Yggdrasil
Naming him after the World Tree seems apt for a mini like that. That is one I had been keeping my eyes on but I was concerned his feet were too large to actually fit on a double peanut base. Its good to hear that he works great in that capacity. I've gone a similar route with the Nature's Wrath power before (same name even), but I like your take on it with the special attacks. What it loses in rules issues it makes up for in really carrying across the theme that the plants are literally attacking. Otherwise this guy is a tough beater who can soak hits and smash through with his huge attack. I like him a lot.

[Scytale]

Thanks for the reviews and kind words!

Originally Posted by wriggz

I'm assuming you went with Aquilla instead of Ullar to fill out her ranks at the time of design. I'm guessing you would have gone otherwise now that C3V filled them out a bit.

Originally I did make them Aquilla to help fill out her ranks, though I don't think I would change it even now. Ullar seems to have a "friends of the forest" vibe (elves and whatnot) while Aquilla has a more feral, monsterous side.

Originally Posted by Ixe

Oakwood Warriors
I've been looking around for good prepainted miniatures of plant creatures for a while now and I was surprised see some as fantastic as yours. I see you did them with repaints but they still look phenomenal.

Someone else around here did a vastly better paint job with these minis. I wish I could remember where.