Kolakoski’s Pre-SoV Custom Corner

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Or this:

Pathfinder Battles Iconic Heroes #4,
Lirianne, Half-Elf Gunslinger

CAPTAIN XUE
General: Utgar
Race: Human
Uniqueness: Unique Hero
Class: Pirate
Personality: Ruthless
Size: Medium 5
Life: 5
Move: 5
Range: 7
Attack: 3
Defense: 3
Points: 120

HAND CANNON
When Captain Xue attacks an opponent's figure, you may choose an opponent's figure adjacent to that figure. If the defending figure receives any wounds from Captain Xue, the chosen figure receives 1 wound. When Captain Xue attacks, she may attack 1 additional time.

SMOKE BOMB 13
When any figure you control within 4 clear sight spaces of Captain Xue is attacked with a Special Attack, roll the 20-sided die. On a roll of 13 or higher, that figure may defend as though it were a normal attack.

MUTINY
After a Unique Captain you control recieves a wound or is destroyed, any or all Pirate Squads you control that chose that Captain for The Captain's Way special power may choose Captain Xue to be their chosen Captain for the rest of the game. If you do, remove all wound markers from Captain Xue.

[chas]

You need to clarify whether the Special Nerf Powers work for the figures themselves as well!

[Blue Trails]

I think you could make such a power work, but some restrictions might be necessary.

First, as much as I like generally effective powers, I think this one might be best as a factional buff; i.e. just pick your favorite group of units that are destroyed by special attacks and make a new figure to support them. Certain units, such as Deathreavers, Warriors of Ashra, Mezzodemons, and Gorillitroopers, are harshly punishing to armies that lack special attacks, and a broadly reaching power like what you describe would thus benefit them far more than it would benefit weaker units such as the Ninjas of the Northern Wind. I assume you're trying to pass this concept through the SoV as well, and I think you might encounter resistance if your power gives a significant advantage to units that are already hard to crack.

Second, it's important to note that although giving units weaknesses to special attacks is a legitimate design decision, special attacks are exempt from certain defensive powers not purely for balancing reasons, but also because the ones that affect multiple figures simultaneously would create mechanically nebulous situations. For instance, what would happen if Gurei-Oni were to destroy DW8K partway through Explosion SA, before all affected figures have rolled defense dice? What about if a Marro Divider were to Cell Divide another one into the path of Mimring's Fire Line, or adjacent to a figure targeted by Zelrig's Majestic Fires?

Basically, I would restrict the power to a left-box synergy and specify that it would only work if the defending figure is the only one affected by the attacker's specual attack. You'd still protect your figures from units like Q9 or Nilfheim, but you'd need not worry about breaking figures that are already strong, or about encountering murky rulings with AoE special attacks.

As for the theme and mechanics, I think you have a lot of creative freedom. Part of the fun of Heroscape is that such an effect could be equally well achieved by a magical ward, a technological gizmo, or a simple inspiring presence that makes a figure fight harder and defend itself more vigilantly. I do like the Captain Xue model better than the Phoebe Runecaster one, though; this is still a niche power, as armies with few or no special attacking components are fairly common (especially when they run massed common squads), and I fear that its owner would be deadweight against such compositions unless it had some other merits or it were quite cheap.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

At least it isn't outright illegal.

The Ninjas of the Northern Wind are the units I would like to help the most. What I gather from your post, @Blue Trails (thanks for commenting in such detail), is that I need to find a ninja/assassin sculpt and be real specific about applying the power. I'll see what I can do . . .

[kolakoski]

Well met!

I've been mucking around with the figure below for some time.

Pathfinder Battles Iconic Heroes #4,
Lirianne, Half-Elf Gunslinger

Hand Cannon seems to need a Range reduction (lowered to 5). If she is going to Mutiny (and remove OMs), she needs to take more risks before then. She sort of helps the Ninjas . . .

CAPTAIN XUE
General: Utgar
Race: Human
Uniqueness: Unique Hero
Class: Pirate
Personality: Ruthless
Size: Medium 5
Life: 5
Move: 5
Range: 5
Attack: 3
Defense: 3
Points: 120

HAND CANNON
When Captain Xue attacks an opponent's figure, you may choose an opponent's figure adjacent to that figure. If the defending figure receives any wounds from Captain Xue, the chosen figure receives 1 wound. When Captain Xue attacks, she may attack 1 additional time.

SECRET ARMY
After revealing a numbered Order Marker on this card and taking a turn with Captain Xue, if she did not inflict a wound, you may take a turn with any Ninja or Assassin hero or squad you control. Any figure that is taking a turn with Secret Army must be within clear sight of Captain Xue before moving.

MUTINY
After a Unique Captain you control receives a wound or is destroyed, any or all Pirate Squads you control that chose that Captain for The Captain's Way special power may choose Captain Xue to be their chosen Captain for the rest of the game. If you do, remove all wound markers from Captain Xue.

[Myriadite]

Hand Cannon is a good way to incorporate double attack without any normal / special attack confusion. I like it!

What's the story / theme behind Secret Army?

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Originally Posted by Myriadite

Hand Cannon is a good way to incorporate double attack without any normal / special attack confusion. I like it!

What's the story / theme behind Secret Army?

Thanks, @Myriadite! Ranged Cleave, but against any unit, not just squaddies. Look out adjacent Deathwalkers . . . Earlier version:

HAND CANNON
When Captain Xue attacks, roll the 20-sided die. On a roll of 15 or higher, add one automatic skull to whatever was rolled. If Captain Xue attacks an adjacent figure, add 3 to your roll. When Captain Xue attacks, she may attack one additional time.

Captain Xue is devious and ruthless (see Mutiny), although she wasn't always (see earlier iterations. As you may have noticed:

Originally Posted by kolakoski

The Ninjas of the Northern Wind are the units I would like to help the most. What I gather from your post, @Blue Trails (thanks for commenting in such detail), is that I need to find a ninja/assassin sculpt and be real specific about applying the power. I'll see what I can do . . .

Then I thought of Secret Army. It's sort of Fu Manchu-ish.

[chas]

Brainstorm! I like Secret Army!

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Changed Secret Army, a la Werewolf Lord, to prevent taking a turn with a Bonding Pirate squad and Ninjas(s) in the same turn. (I wouldn't mind, but SoV might have a problem with it.) Also added Assassin to include Siiv.

SECRET ARMY
After revealing a numbered Order Marker on this card and taking a turn with Captain Xue, if she did not inflict a wound, you may take a turn with any Ninja or Assassin hero or squad you control. Any figure that is taking a turn with Secret Army must be within clear sight of Captain Xue before moving.

Captain Xue is looking good! We'll test her soon.

[SkyWhale]

If you're considering SoV, I'm not sure how they'd feel about giving bonding to a bonding target. And I like the thought of adding more synergy to units that are lacking, but don't see the thematics of this.

[kolakoski]

Well met!

Originally Posted by SkyWhale

If you're considering SoV, I'm not sure how they'd feel about giving bonding to a bonding target. And I like the thought of adding more synergy to units that are lacking, but don't see the thematics of this.

The Werewolf Lord is my model for this, as aforesaid. Secret Army is like Moon Frenzy, a conditional bonding separated by "After revealing a numbered Order Marker on this card" from the "normal" bonding.

As to the "thematics," Captain Xue is a Ruthless mastermind, a la Fu Manchu.

She plots behind the current Captain's back planning a Mutiny, and has a Secret Army, behind the scenes, to facilitate her more wide-ranging, nefarious plans.

She might even have a Secret Island Base somewhere . . .

[SkyWhale]

Werewolf Lord works well the way it does because you don't start with that conditional bonding. You can lead with the WoBs bonding with Werewolf Lord until it gets a Hero to control, and then switch to putting OMs on the Werewolf Lord to try and control that Hero.

I'm not sure the thematics you intend show through with the conditional bonding you are proposing. It seems like that may be better represented by Hire Crew or Mutiny, as shown in the AH campaign.