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May 30th, 2009, 03:11 PM
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wriggz's Customs: AotP Conversion - Valkrill - 2022-05-27
I've been working on customs for years now, but never got around to posting them much. Now I have a very robust collection, I think it may be time to share and maybe inspire some, and get feedback from others.
I'm a sucker for Factions and theme, so I will be posting a few cards that go together at a time. Overall Designer Observations:
Spoiler Alert!
These notes are by no means definitive or even instructive. They are merely some of the guidelines I use when designing units. - Unique Squads should have a reason to be unique. Marro Warriors and Krav Maga are good examples of units that would be a nightmare if they were common. - Common Squads should be simple. The more figures you have the simpler the power set, the easier it is to play with and against a unit. - Names should mean something. I normally go to Google Translate and look up what various English translate into. This is where some of my Kyrie names come from. - I try and Keep special attacks special. Total Cards - 641: - 120 (My Designs) - 40 (Other Creators Designs) - 208 (Classic) - 89 (C3V) - 22 (SoV) - 11 (Heroes of Star Wars Scape - HoSS) - 127 (C3G) - 10 (Classic Marvel) - 14 (My Comic Designs) Custom Links Call For Jandar Customs Custom Terrain Classic Terrain Cards Epic Treasure Glyphs Classic Redesigns Transformers Customs Design Choices and Point Cost Suggestions for Designing for Classic Scape Design Choice and Synergy So I've had these customs kicking around for a long time after painting the mini for the game. They are not well playtested, but there are some cool designs, so I figured I would share. There are obviously a few heroes, but the Squads are all Unique allowing for investigating some interesting design spaces. Arena of the Planes Walker - Valkrill The penultimate general for AotP customs is Valkrill. Here we have only 4 units focusing on the undead faction. More than any other general, these designs need to be played with other units - specifically C3V units. Nidhogg Cultists  Design Notes: Another set of Cultists to work with demons, the Nidhogg cultists are designed to summon previously destroyed demons. The D20 boost from near by cultists represents a summoning circle. While returning a 100-200 point figure on a D14 is strong, the Cultists are made of paper, and only have a meager 2 attack from range 5. You also have to destroy a cultist to get the demon, as Valkrill units are wont to do. Legion of Nastrond  Design Notes: Applying Rejected by Death to a squad can be very powerful and here you pay for it. Low defense also keeps them in check, but 3 attack of 4 can be very hard to ignore, especially when they can pop on beside figures on the front lines. They may benefit from a Defense/move reduction. Court of Annellietia  Design Notes: This squad of weaker vampires represents "new" vampires which are more lustful for blood. They lack flying by make up for it with high move and potential frenzy turns. They might be too powerful against lower defense units, as 7 is a fairly low bar for frenzy. Okunnigr  Design Notes: One of my favorite customer to come out of the AotP box Okunnigr needs to be paired with the thrall army. increasing the odds of activating more thralls, his cheerleading makes the Thralls much more competitive, while creating a target for assassins. Although Okunnigr can be activated by Mindless pack, he is more likely to wait in the starzone for clean up due to his commanding value. Arena of the Planes Walker - Vydar
Spoiler Alert!
The next featured general is Vydar. Like Einar, there are less tech units in AotP so I dipped into the undead theme a bit, as well a the tricky aspect of the general. Vofa and Illusions   Design Notes: Here we have another paired card similar to the Irksa and the Retchets. Vofa can keep bringing the Illusions back, but at the cost of an attack, which can allow the enemy to further cripple the illusionist. Of course Vofa has other tricks such as switching with the illusions, and the chance to avoid damage by putting an illusion in his place. The Illisions basically evaporate when they are engaged due to the 0 defense, but last longer when attacked by range. Special attacks eat them up, but that keeps them in check. Vofa benefits form the Illusions moving up the board with flying and he can quickly gain high ground with his 3 range 5 attack. Unchained Specters  Design Notes: One of the few units that have synergy outside the AotP box, the Specters feed off commons. Like the Airborne they don't start on the board, instead "rising up" during the game along side your existing forces. This allows them to be positioned for Possess, and keep the the common figure in play. Rinse and Repeat. This forces the decision to attack the common figures, or the stout 5 defense Specter to stop it ever coming back. This does encourage some turtling, but also causes clumping (great for splash damage) and is un-reliable. Ilyena Esenwein  Design Notes: Not my design but Son of Arathorn, Ilyena was a design I liked so I slapped it on the black Planeswalker. I suppose she had a falling out with the other Esenwein clan, and ended up with Vydar. I suppose she drives figures crazy with her domination and forces them to self harm and attack those around them. Although it is interesting she can feed off those she dominates. Doctor Frokensteen  Design Notes: Clearly the correct spelling of the famous doctor, Frokensteen, is the most tech related unit in the bunch. His weapon is a bit of risk to use, but on a good role can throw serious dice from range. Smokescreen is in the same vein as the Nakita agents Smoke Power, but more forgiving to the attacker. A fun cyberpunk unit that serves the role of pre Clayton lawmen. Arena of the Planes Walker - Einar
Spoiler Alert!
Continuing around the General colour wheel we have Einar. This is much more of a mixed bag, since Einar is typically not well represented outside historical figures. Some of these choices for general would be more controversial but it is my collection after all. Ajax  Design Notes: The only historical figure, I pigeonholed this figure into a Gladiator with a whip rather than make another magic user. He looks close enough for me, and allowed me to make him a bit of a "pit-boss" figure. Here you have high risk/high reward as there are some really strong Marauders (Hydra/Rachiem/Marthuka) but there is a risk of loosing one permanently. Originally I had a limit to only OM 1 like Ornak and a D20 increase for each wound on the heroes card, but removed both. Looking back I'm going to need to add one of those back otherwise Ajax is broken. Diceroes Chargers  Design Notes: Here is a fun and simple unique Squad, the chargers greatly benefit from staying in formation like the romans before them. IF you can keep them in a pack they really are a Steamroller, but once they start to fall, they fall fast. I always enjoy adding units that require formation so that figures like DW9000 have good targets for splash attacks. Mosdratanus  Design Notes: Flip a few letters in a name and you can pay homage to one of the most infamous oracles of history. Normally Einar doesn't do magic, but the colour scheme fit well, and auras require positioning to use. Basically, Mos is a cheap, less mobile, unreliable Raelin. Not a bad filler, and sometimes knowing your opponents plans can turn the tide in the endgame. Wisborg Nobles  Design Notes: Who says Einar cannot have his own vampires. In this case the Vampires are more noble than the dregs that Valkrill and Utgar dig up. These nobles are like a squad version of Cyprian, able to fly and heal. The attack boost against undead makes them very dangerous to many undead armies. Vladimir Orlok  Design Notes: A hero to go with the squad, there is no synergy here, but not everything needs to have synergy web. Here we have a tormented vampire trying to fight his inner thirst. He has a very strong attack for a stealth flying figure allowing him to be a strong assassin, but there is always the risk he may turn on you, or an opponent might drop him in lava if its on the board. Arena of the Planes Walker - Ullar
Spoiler Alert!
Next up is Ullar designs. Due to the magic nature of Arena, there were a lot more oppertunties to add to Ullar, and as one of the lower count generals, I was happy to expand his ranks. The numbers of cards also look larger due to the "dual" werewolf cards. Oxshire Rangers and Ravagers   Design Notes: I liked the AotP mechanic of one card turning into another, and copied it here. Staring with the Rangers you have a solid ranged unit which can do even more damange over short range. This is a great lead up to the figures taking a wound and becoming the Ravagers. Allowing you to move the OM's make for possible choice moment as you may have one Ravager and one Ranger on the board. When the Ravagers do hit the board, you have moon fury which gives them the attack power to get revenge on whatever caused them to change in the first place. of course the Ravagers have a 15% chance of reverting to Rangers and are left as sitting ducks. Jiner and Wolven Jinner   Design Notes: Starting with Jiner on the board, you have the potential of infecting another figure with Lycanthropy just like the werewolf lord. She is not a bad ranged figure on her own, but things change when she finally has enough damage to transform. Once transformed Wolven Jiner can enhance other Hybrid D20 rolls including the afore mentioned Werewolf Lord. With so many Hybrid fillers around she can pull them into the action with Moon Frenzy or take turns with infected heroes. Once on the board, Wolven Jiner has a strong attack and decent move. Standard survivability keeps her in check, though due to the transformed power, she does not have to be developed from a start zone. Betri Rangers  Design Notes: A simple Elf squad, they are move consistant at dishing out skulls at the cost of higher potential attack. On a forested map they behave like KRAV, but in the open they are much easier to take down. Feylin Pathfinders  Design Notes: I really wanted to get the feel of Scouts with this two man unique squad. They have the move and bouse move power to get them up the board quickly to allow ranged Elves (like Elf wizards, Betri ranges, or the Aubrien Archer) to get the bonus attack dice. You want to bring them down before they engage, as defensive agility can be a pain to deal with. Ilisabiph  Design Notes: Sure we already have 9 elf wizards, but why not more? Ilisabiph is very much cribbed off her planswalker template. Shorter range keeps her from kitting to much with fleet foot. A nice range enhancement make her worth drafting with other elves. Arcane Firecats  Design Notes: With all the Wizards floating around, I felt giving them some synergy would make them more draftable. The firecats are basically a wall of flames that acts as a screen for the wizard. They don't have much attack power, but that is not their primary roll as you can set them up to give the Wizard(s) more time to set up on high ground to rain flames down. I like how they vanish if you loose your last wizard as if they are a conjured spell. Pummelroot Protectors  Design Notes: Finally, what if the wildwood faction was a squad? These wildwoods have the potential to keep coming back and are priced accordingly. their slow move easily keep them in check, just like the inspiration of their design. Arena of the Planes Walker - Aquilla
Spoiler Alert!
Next up is Aquilla designs. This is on of the smaller General additions with a Magic User and expanding on the water theme that the Water Elemental set. Kyndill  Design Notes: Arena of the planeswalker added a bunch of medium fantasy figures and Kyndill is another example. I decided to make her a Pyromancer instead of a wizard to limit some synergy. I like adding these elemental mages mimicking Mika Connour as a shadow mage. In play she runs hot with the double attack, and fire leaping around the board. With such low range the 5/3 Life/Defense doesn't last long. Thelxieope  Design Notes: Named following Greek Mythology, this merfolk queen is a great support unit, even when maps lack water. Again following Mika, she can add water around the board potentially messing with enemy plans. With Water carry she can move other units around the board which is a nice boon. Triton  Design Notes: Another Water Mage, here I wanted to add some Wizard synergy. More attack orinated than Thelxieope, Triton can be especially powerful on water maps with his superior range and attack. Drafting the pair can allow you to set up a go postion for Triton to snipe from high ground. Water Sprite  Design Notes: Finally another unique squad of Elementars. Potentally throwing 6 attacks of 3 can be very strong, so they have a high point cost, and can work well with figures like Thelxieope dropping water on the map or other figures that introduce water spaces. Any way to avoid ranged attacks is quite powerful, but water is stationary and normally on low ground so it keeps them in check. Arena of the Planes Walker - Jandar
Spoiler Alert!
First up is my Jandar designs, which include the new race of Azurians. There is minimal synergy here, but I'm not to worried about it. I also added more to a possible Palandin/Cleric faction. Azurian Chasers  Design Notes: Removing OM can be very powerful, thus limiting it to this melee unique squad. Orber Wite  Design Notes: Simple flying special attack, nothing special here. Edith Ado  Design Notes: Like Mika before her, Edith is a "Terrain" mage allowing her to alter the map. I think the team of a Lithomancer is very clear here. Ordre de Ni  Design Notes: Their very name inspires fear in their enemies. Double turns can be very effective and make them very versatile on the battlefield. I like their lawful good theme. The ability to help after death is the gift that keeps on giving. Retari  Design Notes: Coming up with Raelin stand ins can be difficult, but adds variety to the draft pool. 210 points for defense boosters is a lot, so I don't think he would be broken with Raelin. I know the design allows for Ritari to be drafted WITH undead and use his own figures as bombs, but I find that sort of synergy interesting. Phoenixes of Rennoc  Design Notes: Finally these are my Phoenixes. They can be annoying to deal with since they can keep popping back up, but they are tied to unique heroes, and need to survive an opponents attacking turn before being able to activate. They are also made of paper making clearing them out easier than other regenerating units Members of Order
Spoiler Alert!
I’ve noted elsewhere that a significant percent (24% to be exact) of the customs I use not including C3V/SOV are created by or inspired by other Custom Designers. I figured I would give credit where credit is due. Many of these I took at face value, but a few I have made some tweaks to them, to have them fit my collection and taste. I selected these as units I feel fit with classic scape well and flush out existing factions or bring something unique that I really liked. These aren’t necessarily perfectly balanced, but I haven’t come across any issues yet. If one of these is your designs and you prefer me not to share them, feel free to let me know. List of Designers you should check out for the source Cards: Arch-vile - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=37042 BiggaBullfrog - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=32315 Capsocrates - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=38153 Dok - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=33792 and https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=29679 Kinseth - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ead.php?t=8569 IshMEL - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=39853 Superfrog - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=41669 Super Bogue - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit....php?p=1298148 Smithy Winfred - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=51802 Soundwarp SG-1 - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ead.php?t=2885 and https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=47436 Scytale - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=35751 Son of Arathorn - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=38604 TheAverageFan - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=51246 Vegietarina18 - https://www.heroscapers.com/communit...ad.php?t=47897 First is a list of Cards you should go find minis for right now and download the cards for, like I already did. I can’t believe how much of my collection is from Scytale. His work is excellent and in my opinion is equivalent or superior to much of the cannon. Scytale: - Baran Krael - Braetian Honor Guard - Chain Golem - Clementine Ford - Crawford Slade - Frostfur Warband - Demoloisher G2 - Glauben Riflemen - Glauben Vanguard - Lok - Myconid Guard - Sasuke - SPS Agents - Troglodyte Brutes - Oakwood Warriors, Dok: - Goblin Warmachine Pavin Nahz (Arch-vile) Here is another straight copy. I think he is a cool support hero, which encourages hero play.  Mantodeia (Son of Arathorn) I pretty much just copied this design; it’s a fun, fast, fragile figure.  Agent Unter – Scytale Scytale’s units are really well balanced and designed so messing with them is akin to messing with classic cards. However, some of you may be familiar with my Classic Scape Redesigns, so you will know I don’t hold existing designs as sacred. I added the Adaptive Armor found on the corresponding squad, it makes him stronger against squads and multi attack heroes, but not so much that he becomes broken.  Magnatech Agents – Scytale The change here is moving them to Jandar, since the figures I had match that colour scheme much better, and fills out the Jandar forces more. They do lose their agent and Vydar synergy, but not so much that I think it in validates their price.  Berg (Son of Arathorn Halgo) I picked up this Giant figure, and liked the power set that Son of Arathorn had put on this Halgo custom. The deformed Giant didn’t seem to fit with Ullar so I went with Valkrill since I had few huge figures under that flag. A corresponding stat and price increase were also applied.  Dzonokwa (Smithy Winfred) As a Canuck, I recognize Sasquatch from Alpha Flight instantly, however this pathfinder mini is much more in keeping with the other hunters. I wanted to limit call of the wild to non-Marro figures, so I needed to have a direct call out. I like the upgrade of Techno rage to a special attack since it implies increased skill with age.  Green Wyrmling (Dok’s Thread) The green wyrmling has been a common hero that had been around for a long time. I simply choose the stats I liked the most from the thread and threw it on the copper wyrmling.  Lila Cloudrider (Dok’s Griffon Cavalry) I wasn’t going to spring for multiple miniatures of this one, so I gave the unit a unique name. I also change double attack to focused strike, which is a little bit weaker, but not enough to require a point change in my opinion.  Halgo (Jarapara by Kinseth) Some might recall a certain rock throwing giantess passing by the SoV. I had collected this Giant mini, and while he is fairly rock trollish, he is not a far cry from Joten, and they are both Giants after all. The problem was that Jaraptara was small and her stats reflected that. I upped Halgo’s power levels and point to be reflective of his stature.  Jane Dieulafoy (IshMEL Dr. Dieulafoy) I love the way Heroscape calls back to tropes, and the brave archeologist is one that I’ve always loved. In this case I changed her general since Jandar can always use more love, and gave her a way to dash to glyphs which I think is really thematic.  Jeanne D’Orleans (Soundwarp) I really liked this Soundwarp design but as previously mentioned he makes his own figures. I found this figure with the Fleur d’lef on her breast plate and painted her to fit in with Jandar. Instead of using markers I decided to use figures to count the losses. It is cool that she won’t get the benefit from lost Zombies that are re-deployed.  Sundol, (Vegietarina18 ) This fire giant was missing something when he went through SoV. I’m not a fan of a one trick pony that just fizzle out. Adding Searing Intensity makes him more dangerous to swarms and helps him earn his point before he goes up in smoke.  Tom "Tomb" Stone (Create-a-Unit 2 Thread, Sam Sixkiller) There are those that rub up against Law man synergy, but with Ninja and Monk commanders populating my collection a lead Lawman seemed natural. I painted this figure, and regret not giving him a bright white hat. I never saw Aquilla as a “leader” type so my guy goes to Jandar.  Warden 772 (Dok) This unit did not pass SoV and would be less likely now that the Dark Trooper is so familiar since the Force Awakens came out. Even so, I liked the design but the Warden was too Anti-hero, so I added his pulse net that freezes up common figures as well. I figure if Dund can clear out OM’s from an entire army Warden can stop a few soldiers in range.  Ymir (Dok) I actually like terrain based units and felt that a frost titan should be more at home in the snow and ice. I tweaked wording to match air elemental and gave snow and ice movement.  Gilian Gold Beard (Ol’Yarsferd - TheAverageFan) My pirate faction is filled with units that have a “negative trait” so this pirate custom from TheAverageFan fit perfectly. I came across this dwarf pirate and painted him up to fit my army. I made my version a little more stout to go with his Dwarveness, but also slowed him down, since he has a peg leg after all.  Alina and Farbolt (Malidar the Firey, Superfrog) I just couldn’t pull the trigger and allow for a figure to potentially get 4 automatic skulls (high ground + aura or spirit) so I fell back on the special attack to get 2 automatic skulls. Again Jandar can always use some love and the colour scheme of the mini I’m using is a better match.  Ryppor, (BiggaBullfrog) I really liked this design, but I scaled back the climbing to be more vertical than horizontal. As a result I scaled back the range, but upped the move. I also shrank his life pool to compensate for the ability to get to high ground quickly.  Saar (Saar Whisper Scout, Northwest Heroscape Customs) I loved this mini, so much so I got the mini first without having a design in order. I searched this sight to see if anyone had any designs, and found the North East Heroscape group had an uncommon hero. I was not about to go buy multiples so I flipped him into a Unique hero and made him a Hybrid as well. An extra life point and attack point later, at a new point and he becomes a potent offensive force.  Danzo (Sumiko - Soundwarp-SG1) I really liked Soundwarp’s card for Sumiko when I first saw it, but alas Soundwarp makes his own mini’s so I would have to find my own. This Hand ninja was inexpensive but did not look very “Ullar”. AS a result I linked the Red colour with Isumu and made him Utgar. Additionally he is clearly male so a name change was in order and I figured a call back to the Ninja Danzo who was perpetrated the myth that ninjas were magical aligned nicely with his inability to be hit from range and phantom walk skills.  Araan the Undying (Super Bogue) I had the original mini at one point but he was lost during a game night, and as such I had to sub out the figure. Other than that great overall design and a nice addition to the Death Knights.  Hero Pack 3 – Heroes of the Mirrored Sea
Spoiler Alert!
With this collection of heroes, they have all been inspired by other designers work. I take great pride and pleasure in the group of units I have directly added to my collection from other designers and will one day make a list to post here. In the meantime the heroes below are homage to some of those designers. Additionally, two of my goals as a designer are to create simple units with one or two easy to understand powers, and keeping the base stats as low as possible while still creating a useful figure. It is easy to fall into “Complex creep” where the novelty of complexity replaces the beauty of simplicity. I also think there is a temptation to over power units in the base stat (such as avoiding defense and attack numbers of 2 or 3) to make a unit super useful, which can lead to boring play. I believe these heroes have met both goals. HILT  Figure - D&D Mini 11/60 LG 32 Warforged Body Guard Design Notes: I was inspired by one of the submissions to the SoV workshop thread, but ended up with something very different. Other than species the Warforged don’t have anything tying them together, and Hilt aims to change that. He has a type of reverse movement bonding inspired by Toemo, This allows him to keep pace but always trail behind as a “rear guard”. Where Hilt really shines is setting up Tactical switch with engagement strike for free hits. Not always easy to execute but cool when it works. Alenia and Farbolt  Figure - Elven Falconer #044 Mage Knight Uprising Design Notes – Alenia was inspired by Superfrog’s custom, which simply had a power that converted all attack dice to Skulls. I couldn’t get past the potential of glyphs and aura boosts, breaking the figure and went with a more toned down version with a special attack. While 2 auto skulls might seem powerful, it is still only one attack per round and is unable to ever one shot kill a hero, unlike Zetacron who has much more damage potential even on level ground. As a precise archer she is also unlikely to ever see any synergy. Jon Jate Jobin  Figure – Stix #0100 Rookie Indy Heroclix Followers of HoSS will recognize Bounty from a few of their cards. I really liked the mechanic and this figure seemed too grim to be a traditional lawman. I see him as a bounty hunter on Acrotious explaining the “space gun”. I really wanted to get his singlemindedness across, and I think Driven does a good job of that. Jon doesn’t like being tied down more than most other ranged attackers. With his superior range and considerable attack, he is a reasonable Raelin killer, but after that he is a mediocre clean up hero at best. Maluc Gir  Figure - Star Wars Mini 44/60 Fringe 9 Devaronian Soldier This unit was inspired by two of Scytale’s customs. The Glaubens are a really neat 2 man squad, and when I found this figure, I thought he would make a good complementary hero. For his power I toned down the Run and Gun special attack found of one of Scytale’s Lawmen/Outlaws, which had to be done, since I didn’t want him too overpowered as a bonding hero. While Ironium armor may seem strong it is no more powerful (on average) that Iron Resolve found on the Nhah Scrih Cultists and speaks to the rust color of his armor. Mac O’Dhogan  Figure - Firefighter #074 Freakshow HorrorClix (modified) I struggled with the un-modified figure for a long time; he is just a guy with an axe after all. It wasn’t until I gave him a fancy shield that the idea of a mirror to Drake took hold. I really like adding to the mythos of Heroscape and I think Shield of Woden does that in the same vein as the Thorian Speed. Surprising, with his shield he is a good counter draft to a number of builds such as the Wyrmlings. Fire Expertise is a nice thematic add on, except when you combine it with Woden, makes him an excellent counter draft to the Firestorm. At the end of the day this is an old timey firefighter with a magic shield which I think is cool. Wolves and Gunners
Spoiler Alert!
Varkannan Redfang  Figures Design Notes: I ended up picking up this Pack of Wolven a long time ago and struggled with coming up with a design that fits with the other Varks. I ultimately landed on “Hero killer”. I understand there are lots of anti-hero units out there, but I felt that this design fit in the best without overlap with existing units. They also end up being super simple, since Blood Frenzy is lifted directly from the Sanguine Raider. Gorillazords  Figures Design Notes: The Gorillazords are what I envision the Zettian guards could have been. The interaction between the Targeting and Double attack on the same figure makes them highly dangerous to hero figures, as they amp up with each attack. With 8 Range they can fire across most boards and may even claim high ground despite their pitiful move. I wanted to keep them slow since they need an Achilles heel, and as “gunners” there is no concern of them getting moving synergy. Being able to throw 3 + 4 + 4 + 5 from high ground is a considerable amount of dice. These Guys also love Langor and really inspire drafting him with this two man squad. Ullar’s Insects
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: Within the forests of Ullar it is not uncommon to hear the eerie clicks of the Acridin, an ancient race whose origins are only known to Ullar himself. Their odd appearance and unique language distances them from the Elves and other Kyrie who make up Ullar’s army, but it does not make them any less useful. Dispatched as scouts and skirmishers, the Acridins appear suddenly and when attacked disappear just as quickly. Death is certain for those who get caught in their stunners, as paralysis sets in before being swarmed by the rush attackers. Those who survive an attack from the Acridins swear both that they are impossible to hit, as if they sense the attack coming, and that they will never set foot in Ullar’s forest again. Designer Notes: All thought people familiar with Star Wars Episode II will recognize the Genosians pretty quickly, they looked like generic insect aliens enough that I thought they would make a nice common squad and hero. As much as it would have made sense to have the Insects follow Aquilla, I already have a number of additional factions following Aquilla, so this was an opportunity to flush out Ullar. Having the species of the Acridin and Caelif be insects, instead of Insectoids allowed for bonding with Sujoah, who could use some dusting off. Those familiar with entomology will recognize when the names came from. Acridin Chasers  Figures – Geonosian Overseer #42 Clone Strike Star Wars Miniatures, Geonosian Drone #41 Clone Strike Star Wars Miniatures When I was designing the Acridin Chasers, I wanted them to act like the grasshoppers I see every summer. The two things that stood out is they “Leap” but don’t fly and they are incredibly skittish. The logical solution was to steal Steal Leap without the leap from the Monks and the Spider Sense from Spiderman allowing for multiple figures to move. I really liked the result as they leap around the map, but still get tied down with engagement. Their hyper senses still protect them from attacks while engaged, but also allows for repositioning, which can be very powerful. I like the bonding with Sujoah since she can use some company, and the Chasers have the speed to keep up. I’m not a huge fan of the name “Chasers” but it is the best I could think of to describe their playstyle. Caelif  Figure - Geonosian Soldier #44 Clone Strike Star Wars Miniatures Caelif’s “stunner” is a simple OM removal power, but works great with the bonding squad, and creates some neat in game choices and deeper consideration of OM management for both sides. A 25% chance of removing an order marker is not too high, especially when the “X” marker is in play. Even with 2 attack; flying and range can still do damage, so Caelif and the Acridins should not be underestimated. Hero Pack 2 - Heroes of the Rift
Spoiler Alert!
It has been a while but this is my latest batch of customs. After 108 customs cards I have to say my collection is more than complete. I have a couple more ideas for a few heroes or a squad or two, but it will be a while before I put anything down on paper. I have tried to keep the Hero/Squad balance close to the classic, but this collection throws it fairly out of whack. These are not my best customs, but they are worth including for completeness. Dree "Digger" Flaz Figure: Phreggs #117 Mage Knight Nexus  While Scytale added an undead outlaw under valkrill, I went to Atrocious for mine. A Tuatark like Siiv, Dree has clearly been inspired by earth’s Wild West in the same way Calibrax has been. A neat by annoying filler figure, Dree is specialized in running away and living to fight another day. I’m not sure why he is carrying a shovel, but that is just the type of weirdness that fits into Heroscape sometimes. If you have 15 points left Isumu is likely a better bet, but I still like the little outlaw’s theme. Helevil Figure: Confrontation: Hero Box - Azael  Now this is one figure that I’m not sure about. An undead queen to go along with the Death Knights, her enslave special attack makes perfect sense for bringing back expensive squad figures. I’m sure her Death’s Aura breaks all kinds of rules, but I think it is a neat trick. It is like Kira’s exploit weakness, but it also impacts attack based powers like the Minion’s Deadly Strike. It is such a corner case power that I’m not sure how valuable it is, but it mostly for flavour anyway. Thera Figure: Catfolk Wilder #14 Deathknell D&D Miniatures DDM  Similar to Agent Kottur, this was a hard design to pin down, and is still something I’m mulling over. Again Thera has use in unconventional builds being able to be combined with the Spiders or the Werewolf Lord. She specifically benefits form the Fyorlag Spiders web with her recycled Hunters advantage. Nothing outstanding, but they cannot all be awesome. Prince Husain Figure: Galeshi Sorcerer #090 Mage Knight Dark Riders  Named for the owner of the Flying carpet from 1001 Arabian Nights, Prince Husain is one of my few magic users and only Wizard. The mini is fantastic and I really like how he looks with my other Arabian warriors despite having no synergy. With Electric bolts and flying he is a bit of a mini Nilfheim. Sandstorm is a great anti-range aura, however it requires him to get right into the fray to utilize and with only 2 defense that is a very dangerous prospect. Astrid Figure: Regal Skymage #050 Mage Knight Sorcery  The final custom I have left is, fittingly a Kyrie. I really wanted to create something that has lots of appeal, but no specific build in the same vein as Raelin. Astrid is able to give any melee army a boost, but unlike Raelin you have to keep pushing her up to get the benefit of the movement boost as well as the attack. I lowered her life by one, and kept her points reasonable to keep her from being totally broken. Because of how it is worded her aura only works if the figure starts within 4 clear sight spaces so she can launch figures out to attack. I know Astrid would be broken with the Fen Hydra, however one day my son will be old enough to play and she will be an excellent starter figure. Hero Pack 1 - Dawn of Forgefell
Spoiler Alert!
Rounding out my customs is the true essence of Heroscape… Heroes! Looking back I’m surprised how few of my heroes fall into the factions featured in previous weeks. Some of the following heroes help or complete existing factions while others are based on cool figures I found or ideas I came across and had to utilize. Charun Figure: Shoanti Gladiator - From the Pathfinder set the lost coast  Another figure that I recycled a couple of powers on, Charun is my take on a gladiator hero. Histroical note, Charun refers to the costume an attendant would wear who would dispatch fallen Gladiators who were no longer fit to fight. I really like how engagement strike 15 and knockback 15 interact and represent his clawed glove and large hammer. He has some neat tricks but I think Crixus is still a better all-around option. Catch Figure: Warforged Infiltrator #48 Dungeons of Dread D&D Miniatures DDM  My only Warforged addition, Catch refers to the part of a crossbow that holds the drawstring. He is such a great clean up figure with his two recycled powers and modest stat box. Get him on top of a hill and he can throw 4 dice from 8 range, but at the end of the day he is just a single attack solo hero so he is not going to upset the metagame much. He is great fun in a dungeon run scenario. Nyrloth Figure: Drider Fanglord #12/40 - Savage Encounters D&D Miniatures  Cast Shadow is a huge boon to the Drow army, so I had to make it contingent on activating Nryloth. As a side effect, you end up Charging Nryloth into battle since, you may as well attack and his aura is only 3 spaces for the mostly melee army. With 6 life and 3 defense (4 after casting shadow) Nryloth is not exactly a bruiser but he should be able to stay around for a bit. He might be a bit over costed, but that seems to be part of the Drow’s theme anyway. Svartalf Figure: Bladebearer Hobgoblin #27 Aberrations D&D Miniatures DDM  Such a fun figure, Svartalf takes the goblin army and amps it up. 7 move goblins and 6 move bugbears are terrifying. The balance comes from attacking him in the early to mid-game where you can get him to attack his own figures. It can be dangerous to leave him to the end game since each wound on him can lead to a counter wound if the attacker is in range. I upped his life to 6 and move to 6 while keeping defense to 1 to further solidify the Berserker aspect of his stat box and make him a risky investment. Proftaka The Kyrie Warrior Figure: Phooka #029 Mage Knight Minions  Rounding out my Glyphs to Kyrie customs, Proftaka is my trap caster. Oddly she can do pretty well in a hero only game, but due to the nature of her power is useless against commons. I considered having her affect commons, but I found it to be too over powered since it can basically freeze and entire army for entire rounds, while a player gets all their figures into position. A fun but basically niche figure, her flying plus range make her somewhat viable if Atlaga didn’t already exist. Cloak and Dagger - Vydar Hero Agents
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Bio: Vydar’s strength has always been in the shadows. There are few that suit his methods better than the Agents of earth. Continuing the trend set by Skahen and Carr, Vydar has summoned Valkyrie who is as comfortable on her motorcycle as she is on foot. Agent Ghost is likely the most skilled agent in all of Vydar’s whether attacking with his machine gun or katana. So impresses was Vydar with the silent and deadly Smoke, he lent her his Cloak of invisibility, making her more dangerous to his enemies. Finally the hybrid Agent Kottur is a fast as she is cunning, hunting down her prey with ruthless focus. Design notes: I love the addition of Sci-Fi to Heroscape, since along with recent history units (unlike romans and samurai who could fit in a fantasy game) it is what makes Heroscape such a hodgepodge of genera. Vydar agents were among the first units, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to develop my own additions. By definition Agents seem to be standalone figures, but I especially like the soft synergy that Agent smoke brings to the faction. Agent Ghost Figure: Street Samurai #032 HorrorClix Nightmares  There is a clear Matrix influence in the original master set with Carr a stand in for Morpheus and the Krav looking like Agents and Trinity, so adding in a Neo only made sense. I based this figure almost exclusively on the scene where Neo and Trinity tear up the lobby near the end of the movie. Playing Agent ghost can be a blast, especially on maps with lots of line of sight blockers since it is almost impossible to hit him from range. He has solid stats to back up his power set making him a beast on the battlefield. Agent Valerye Figure: Valerie Elle #088 The Lab HorrorClix  I always liked adding Agents to Vydar as they define the near future sci-fi genera that is such a contrast to high fantasy and historic. In this case Agent Valerye pushes the limits of range and speed. She can be devastating on the right map, able to get away from dangerous opponents. Her short range keeps her from kiting slower units too much, but the ability to pull away from engagement is significant even though it prevents an attack. Not having full disengaged keeps her from being an assassin. Agent Smoke Figure: Magdalena #029 Experienced Indy Heroclix  A late addition to my custom pool, her cloak of Vydar and Surprise Attack are essentially a single power broken into 2 powers for simplicity sake. I love idea of having an agent with a cloak of invisibility, where she can choose to disappear on her turn or if she manages to avoid taking damage. The first benefit of the cloak is that she cannot be attacked while “hiding”, so she will not be a sitting duck. With surprise attack you get the duel benefit of moving her up the board and a second attack. I don’t feel that surprise attack is over powered since it requires you to draft and keep alive a unique agent. Additionally you can only use surprise attack if you give up a turn early on with Agent Smoke or if she is attacked which is somewhat in your opponents control. Kottur Figure: Pride Warrior #055 The Lab HorrorClix  One of my least favorite customs, agent Kottur is simple melee assassin type figure. Within my own customs she can be combined with the SS Herrenvolk as one of the bonding options if you have Natzweiler so she has some use there. She is also not a bad addition to an agent army since she works with Agent Smoke above. Finally she can be added to a Werewolf Lord build as a Hybrid making for an interesting army in a heroes only battle. Sprint Slash lets her grab an occupied Glyph in a single turn, but she is fairly frail despite being able to survive multiple attacks on the same turn with Heightened Senses. Lands of the Valhalla - Terrain Figures
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For something a little different here are a couple of the units I designed to fit in with my custom terrain. One of the things that I liked about Heroscape was the diversity of terrain. While others may disagree I like designs that are terrain dependent giving a reason to create different maps and draft different units. I guess it is all about how you play, but I don’t mind using the Dzu-Teh on a heavy snow and glacier map or the Obsidians on a map rife with lava. I think the key to a good terrain figure is to make it viable in a few army builds when the terrain is not available but not over powered in its natural habitat. Acid Elemental Figure: Acid Ooze #047 Mage Knight Pyramid  Acid Terrain  I found this little guy in when looking at Mage Knight Figures and thought he would be a great addition to the Kurrok force. I also had some water tiles I painted to be acid or wasteland, and thought that tying the two together would be in keeping with some of the terrain expansions. Acid pool doesn’t have a huge negative impact, so ignoring it is not worth much. As a valkrill figure he can cut through defense which I feel is kind of his signature. Little Acidy has a chance to wound all adjacent figures on death, making him an interesting sacrifice option when surrounded and goes with the Nihilist personality I lifted from Thanos. Arabian Blade Figure: Steppe Ranger #076 Mage Knight Uprising  Quicksand Terrain:  Another cool figure I came across, I felt she would be great as a common figure. Marrying her with my quicksand tiles was a no brainer and gives her real strength on sand tiles upper her to 3 attack and 4 defense. Your opponent has to be careful with placement since she can be deadly on sand with focused strike. The addition of Einar Warlord Bonding ties her with lots of different builds, but a warlord is not really necessary on a sandy map to get her points worth. Amir Ghazi Figure: Amir #081 Mage Knight Pyramid  Between Amir, the Arabian Blades and Arashara Goshiri from the C3V team, I have a decent little Middle Eastern faction. I like how the Blades and Amir work together with focused strike and whirlwind assault to take out heroes and commons alike. I really like their pairing with Arashara since she can get Amir into excellent position, or move a Blade in for a nasty attack. Amir is a fine addition to a Roman or Greek build too. Assassins of Durock Figures: Confrontation: Temple - Executioners Unit Box  I have been playing around with this design for a long time. They originally had room for a third power that I kept tweaking, which upped their attack. It wasn’t until I removed it after realizing it confused the card and made them hard to price that they came together. They can really close in on a target with potential 4 attacks of 4 and the ability to remain hidden from range and get to tricky spots with sneak. The Assassins have soft synergy with the Fortress of the Archkyrie since they benefit from tall objects like the castle pieces, although Evergreen trees, Jungle pieces and ruins all work. Also, Sneak was specially designed to let the Assassins to scale the outside of castle walls. Endless March - Einar Common Squads
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BIO: It would be a day that Valkrill would never forget. After terrorizing and laying waste to the lands of Einar, it was time for the alliance to hit back at the upstart Archkyrie. This would be no small attack, as Einar had spent considerable energy amassing forces from across the fabric of time. It is difficult to imagine the scale of the force marching in rank and file. Scouts from the 21st Recon lead the charge invisible in the forests. Rifles, muskets, and ball and powder pistols were all held at the ready. Col. Benjamin Hudson had been selected to lead the charge, his discipline and military tactics would be key in the coming battle, which Einar hoped would shift the balance of power in Valhalla forever. Design Notes: Due to the nature of the post official scape world common squads are not as common as they once were, due to availability and cost. It can be hard justifying purchasing 9 or more figures to use with a single unit when you can get one solid hero for a fraction of the cost. It seems most of the common squads I did pick up fall under the Einar banner. I’m happy with this since Einar has always been about large forces too me ever since the early days with the Romans. Draconian Riflemen Figures: Confrontation: Temple - Fusiliers Unit Box  These snipers are one unit that I cannot really place historically. I actually like the idea of them being from Atrocious. They are a hard counter to the 4th Mass and Raelin being able to cut through Valiant Defense Bonus and Defensive Aura. On open ground or in melee they are made of paper, and even when they can get some cover from terrain or line of sight blockers they are fairly squishy. Requiring the checking of line of sight is one of my favourite parts of the game and I wish a power like tactical cover had been included in the overall rule set since day one. 21st Recon Figures: Tannhauser: Shogunate Troop Pack  The 21st Recon was a lucky find for a 2 man squad. The two figures look fairly different, but so do some of the classic squads so I’m fine with that. They add some more historic figures to my collection and I wanted to capture the samurai legacy that the Japanese Army had in WWII. They are a great draft option on a Jungle or Tree map, or a fine filler against a primarily melee build. As soldiers they have lots of synergy. Gen. Benjamin Hudson Figure: Scene-a-rama Revolution Pack  Originally he was a repaint of a 10th and only a Colonel, I promoted him when I got the Revolution pack that C3V is using. A lot of people are wary about giving a movement power to the 10th and 4th, or having an attack synergize with those units, however I’m not concerned. In this case you are paying 40 points more than another squad of 10th for the flexibility and the special attack requires clumping which is easy to exploit. Additionally when you take a turn with Hudson, you are giving up an attack with the 10th which can be 4 attacks of 2 (8 dice) up to 4 attacks of 4 or more with WTF or Bayonet Attack from high ground (16 dice). What is really neat was that he gives cohesiveness to all my common solider heroes and squads which were totally accidental. Hunters of the Firebrand Figures: Confrontation: Temple - Demon Hunters Unit Box (6)  Based on the witch hunting pilgrims of early America, in lieu of ever actually getting a cowboy squad, I felt these guys would be a good bonding squad. Their bonding power works kind of like cover fire where the leader can only move up and shoot if the squad stays in position. Since they are religious they are better equipped to fight against demons, which to them is anything that is not human. They have strong base stats that puts them on par with Stingers against anything but humans, but they cost 15 points more and have conditional bonding with fairly low ranked heroes. Giddon Simons Figure: High Inquisitor #28 Unhallowed D&D Miniatures DDM  What would a squad be without a signature hero to match? In this case we have Gideon Simmons who is a great front line fighter. This guy is crazy running into battle to attack demons with his sword and torch, but is weak against humans since he values human life. I like throwing lore related powers every once in a while, hence the Torch of Raknar. Once you get Gideon into position you can get a fairly good attack on the next turn from the Hunter of the Firebrand, assuming they all survive that long. Fists of Iron - Martial Artists
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Bio: Tales differ but it is rarely clear how the masters of kung fu met their end. To witness these masters was to be in the presence of the divine, something past down from heaven, not as a way to fight but as a way to live. What could have become of Ng Mui, who developed an art where there punches flowed faster than a rushing river or that they could pluck arrows out of the air? Who could have fallen the Zui Quan, the Master of the Drunken form of Kung Fu? It is believe that these masters never fell, but instead ascended to a higher realm to bring peace where there is only war. Even the mysterious Ronin Kenji has found his way into the plane of war. Having lived long as a lone wolf, his pride, not orders determine when he will fight. Nu Mui  Figure: Whirling Steel Monk #12 Deathknell D&D Miniatures DDM Based on the legendary creator of Wing Chun, Nu Mui is a monk that thematically goes with the Shoalin Monks, but has no direct synergy in the same vein as pre-Dashi Ninjas. She seemed like a good addition to Jandar forces as a noble warrior and based on the figures colour set. Chain punches mimics the key form of Wing Chun. I really like the addition of Arrow Catch as it adds nice thematic flare, while making her a hard counter to Kaemon Awa and Syvaris. Master Zui Quan Figure: Drunken Master #17 Dragoneye D&D Miniatures DDM  This was a design that took a while to pin down. The design started as a superfast samurai, which morphed into a Drunken Monk leaping all over the battlefield. He is a hard counter to normal ranged attack since he has a chance to take out attacking figures on their turn. His special attack requires some imagination, where Zui is jumping around attacking figures instead of using a projectile weapon. He has a high point cost, but solid stats, a fairly decent special attack and 30% of wounding figures after a successful defense against a normal attack is a fairly strong power set. Ronin Kenji Figure: Isumi Samurai Repaint  Another old design that shifted over time, he is currently my only repaint. I really liked this sculpt and actually picked it up in a trade since I only ever purchased one Master set new with figures. He was redesigned after Tomoe showed up to be more filler than a major player. I like how simple he is as a back up to a unique squad where he may or may not help out on any given turn. I envision Ronin Kenji as a bit lazy but he has some solid stats and makes a reasonable clean up hero. Twilight Clan  Figure: Hand Ninja #015 Avengers/Defenders War, Hand Ninja #004 Xplosion, Hand Ninja #009 Xplosion Marvel Heroclix Designer Notes: Designing a three man melee squad can be very challenging to make them relevant. With the Twilight clan I wanted them to work well with the ninja heroes, but no bonding. The idea I had was to allow them to be Disguised, and then when attacked suddenly reveal themselves to be a hero. In the case of the Good Ninjas (Kumiko, Moriko and Shiori) they all have slightly higher defense, and benefit from getting to move up the board without taking fire. On the evil ninjas suddenly the attacker might have to deal with Counter strike or Vanish. Within my own customs there is Kunoichi who has disappearing ninja. This power also works with the Ninjas of the north wind, so all the ninjas play nice together. Finally Otonashi ends up being fodder keeping a Twilight clan member alive for another day. Weapon Upgrade - Mariedian Advanced Tech
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Bio: The resistance had been going on as long as anyone could remember. It almost seemed like this was a game to the Soulborgs, how long could they draw out the war. Some even believed that the Borgs kept the battle going because they were originally programed to fight, not to win. Grigs had no time for such philosophic questions. A Deathreaver had been spotted in one of the bays, so it was certain that a detachment of Zettian would be on their way. The critical personal had been moved out and only a small contingent of Heavy Corps remained. The plan was to give up the appearance of resistance and then bug out. However, no one anticipated the sheer numbers of inbound Deathborgs. Grigs had been saving a special weapon for such an occasion. It would have taken everyone out, the Borgs, his friends, himself, it was the only way. Aquilla had other plans, and right before he could detonate X-331 he found himself and the rest of the V-33 Heavy Corps deep in the Archkyrie’s jungle. Design Notes: Mariedian tap into one of the least accessed tropes in Heroscape: near future tech. While the soulborgs fill the robot niche, other than the Microcorp Agents there hasn’t been much in the way of advance weapons. To that end I added a couple of common advance systems: Mech-suits and a remote Drone. With Mariedians you have to be mindful of Guerilla Tactics in the same way you have to be mindful of the Hive with the Marro. Xam Grigs and X-331 Figure: Tannhauser: Ramirez  In the same way Iskra and the Rechets are eternally linked, Xam and his creation are considered a package. On his own, Xam himself is a fairly simple ranged unit, not bad in a clean-up roll, especially if you can get him into position with Guerilla Tactics. Where he comes into his own is when you deploy X-331. Unlike Iskra, the deployment has a 75% success rate and same has direct bonding with X-331. I did not specify bonding with X-331 in case I create another custom robot. With Cybernetic Targeting and height Xam can throw 5 dice, but it requires X-331 to be around long enough to set up the big attack, since X-331 moves after Xam. Although, there is the potential of Xam being on the front lines, dropping X-331 and then running away to take a shot.  X-331 is a mobile bomb, but as mentioned above also acts at a targeting beacon for Xam, so it is worth keeping around for more than one round. I imagine X-331 started as a Deathreavers so it has the same stats. It has a 75% of issuing a wound to all adjacent figures, but it is a onetime use and costs 25 points (not to mention the in game point value when combined with Xam and acting as a mini screen). I think there are lots of little tricks you can do with X-331 beyond deploying and blowing up next to a few figures. Grabbing a glyph early, improving Xam’s attack, and even bogging down a few figures as a mini screen while Xam gets to higher ground are all fun tactics. V-33 Heavy Corps Figure: AT-43: U.N.A. - Jam TacArms Unit Box (3)  Now this is unit I was excited about when designing. I have always enjoyed unique squads and how you can do things with them you can’t do with commons. For example drafting a squad of these gives you a guaranteed chance of bring back a squad of M-43s. For an extra 25 points you sacrifice the order marker management but gain a serious advantage against ranged Soulborg armies and as large figures they can dance around Gladiatrons too. They are short range, have an average attack and 5 defense fails fairly often so I don’t think they are over powered. Clockwork and Magic - Dwarves
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: Thus far those who faced the fearsome dwaven armies of Aquilla had learned to expect steadfast bravery wielding axes and swords. However, there is more to these clever warriors than their blacksmithing as a few stray Orc would soon learn. Lost and isolated, a small detachment of Arrow Gruts begin to search about for a strange buzzing that seems to be all about them. Familiar with the insects of Aquilla's jungles they expect to see the Giant wasps or Fire ants on wing. As they ready their bows they realise there enemy is not a mindless swarm, but a coordinated attack of Dwarves upon great mechanical flies. An arrow volley later and only a single Grut remains to over hear a conversation between a Dwarf within a suit of iron and another carrying numerous potions. "It seems the tests are going well. Soon we shall turn to offensive and take what Utgar has claimed." In a flash the Grut is enveloped in lava, unable to carry a warning of impending attack. Design notes: As I'm doing my shopping for C3V or C3G minis I will often check out figures from other lines to see if anything inspires me for a low cost. Normally, I'm not one for dwarves but, in the following cases a mini or idea would come to my mind and I would feel compelled to add it to my collection. The trickiest thing about Dwaves is that they all bond with the Axegrinders, so you always have to be mindful of power levels. Durtil Ironskin Figure: Steam Tinker #041 Mage Knight Dark Riders  This was an incredible sculpt I picked up that just had to be made into a Heroscape card. I really liked how the tiny dwarf in the mechsuit looked so steampunky and fit in with the like of Mok. Basically he is just a hard hitter with a bit of flare. I find it is neat how Power Fist and Saw Blade work when considering various powers. For example Saw-blade might be better against counter-strike, while Powerfist is better against units with more life. Cadell Charmstone Figure: Dwarf Artificer #03 Deathknell D&D Miniatures DDM  It always kind of bothered me that races other than Human were inevitably linked to specific generals (Dwarves = Aquilla, Elves = Ullar). Since C3V has started spreading the dwaves out among the generals, I figured I would add in a magical dwarf for Ullar. This is based off one of @Taeblewalkers custom Warforge, but I cannot seem to fine the original. Being able to add Lava to a map is fairly powerful, but he has fairly weak stats. Duplication is a neat power but very dependant on the available Glyphs. Razorwings Figure: Soaring Crossbowman #094 Mage Knight Lancers  Originally a unique hero, I ended up with 3 of these so I figured a common hero would work too. These guys are fast and brittle so they need to be played carefully. They are however a ranged flyer, which can be deadly on the right map, but as double spacers they are kept in check. Aerial Maneuvres allows them to stay in the game a bit longer, and act as a bit of a counter draft to a flying army. Tribal Magic - Totems and Aldet
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: The tribe’s shaman, known as Raven’s Claw, began preparation for the ceremony. In his time he had seen wondrous things. He recalled the year of the great Salmon run, where you could walk across the river upon the backs of fish, there were so many. Then there was the Night of blinding light when the spirits of the heavens who normally only shimmered in the far northern, set ablaze the sky as bright as day. He had seen men wounded in battle who should have passed on recover and once he even witnessed a child frozen solid return to life. In his mind he feared these events could all be explained, that his magic was only myth. It was pouring rain as he danced to the tree of life as his ancestors did, when suddenly he was struck by lightning. In that moment Raven’s Claw found himself before a great being, the Archkyrie Aquilla. She gave him the tools to make his magic real and invoke the spirits of the animals to aid his brethren in their fight against evil. Design notes: Historic figure are easily the hardest to track down. Moreover, compared to fantasy and sci-fi they can seem drab or un-interesting. I have long wanted to flesh out the Tribesman faction, but was at a loss for both the aforementioned figures and inspiration. Then I realized that I could empower the historical figures in the same way Ullar empowered Dead Eye Dan’s rifle and Jandar empowered Finn and Thorgrim’s weapons. I wanted to have a shamanic feel to my heroes and keep them related to nature. Ravenclaw Figure: Crow Shaman #15 Aberrations D&D Miniatures DDM  One of my first customs is Raven’s Claw. He comes from the D&D Crow Shaman figure and looks perfect with the Mohicans. He may be a bit too “Cowboys and Indians” in his stereotypical theming, but I think he is super cool. His mystic axe has the potential to run an entire viper army since he jumps with each attack (unlike DW8000). However, he is fairly expensive and not very durable at 4 life, and 3 defense. I added the death’s ally power for flavor, and it doesn’t really add much to his survivability most of the time. Bear Spirit Figure: Warbear #039 Mage Knight Sinister  Back when I played RISK, if there was one army piece that seemed to win battles over and over again he was promoted to legendary. I wanted to capture that same spirit with my Spirit Bear custom. Piggy backing on the idea of squad figures becoming heroes I had with the Curse of the Wereshark, Spirit bear comes into play after successfully destroying a figure. He has great stats, but is dependent on a D20 roll to see play and ends up costing you the replaces squad figure. The figure itself is a bear with wooden armor and other than the chain looks very tribal, so I’m happy with the result. Raven Spirit Figure: Wereraven #027 Mage Knight Minions  On the opposite side from Spirit Bear is Spirit Raven who enters play when a unit survives an attack. He ends up being a solid clean up figure with stealth flying and a fairly potent attack. Again cost of the lost unit is factored into the cost. It is worth noting with both Spirit Bear and Spirit Raven, they will have to survive up to 3 rounds of play before the player even has a chance to put an order marker on their card, so it is almost imperative that they receive the bonding benefits of War Cry. Originally, I was going to use the figure as a Kyrie, but was too much bird-like, or a Raptorian, but was too Human-like, so a hybrid had to do. Bio: Jandar had seen the bravery of a pair of Aldet’s and spared their lives so that they may continue together in Valhalla and hopefully help bring about the peace they deserve. They had volunteered to challenge the Utgar’s dreaded general Cyprian Elswin upon the heath of Bleakewoode. The arrogant Cyprian struck out towards the weaker Seqinek, but found himself face to face with Tatqim, empowered by his fierce protective instincts. The battle was vicious, with the combatants engaged in a death spiral. Cyprian was only able to claim victory when Tatqim sacrificed himself from an unseen attack by Sonya on Seqinek. When all seemed lost , the true strength of the Aldet was shown. Through pure force of will Seqinek revived Tatqim to full health and the lovers were reunited. In fear the Vampires withdrew for they had seen the power of love. Tatqim Figure: Snow Centaur #025 Mage Knight Dark Riders  I wanted to create a counterpoint to the Elswins (the only known lovers in the Heroscape universe) and I think I accomplished it with the Aldets. They had to play off each other but still be valuable in their own right. I started with Tatqim who acts as a protector for Seqinek. Lovers Protection also works as movement bonding, if Seqinek is attacked making order marker management easier. I like how powers can reinforce a theme, so when Seqinek is finally destroyed Tatqim goes Berserk and is truly a force to be reckoned with. Finally, snow and ice movement are added for flavor. Seqinek Figure: Snow Maiden #031 Mage Knight Dark Riders  Seqinek is not much for attacking and doesn’t have much in the way of defense, but has the ability to bring Tatqim back from being destroyed. The pair poses a challenging decision. Do you try and destroy Seqinek first and end up having to deal with her enhanced 7 defense and potentially deal with a 6 attack Tatqim, or destroy Tatqim first and face the chance that he will be returned at full strength by Seqinek? Both options are less than ideal, making the pair very formidable. Venom's Sting - Valkrill's Cobra
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: While Ullar sends out his vipers to protect his forest, Valkrill elsewhere in the history of Marr. The Vipers are not the only race of reptiles lurking amongst the ruins and swamps. Isolated by nature and magic is the cunning and devious race of Cobras. Using their dark arts they have long manipulated the planetary wars of the Marro, Vipers, Raptorians and Gorrillanators. Despite their cunning, Valkrill can glimpse past their camouflage defenses and pick warriors to strengthen his own legions. Truth is no one will miss these villains, on the chaotic world of Marr. Design notes: The Cobra was one of my first custom factions. I picked up a bunch of Yuan-Ti figures online but realized too late that they would be too small for additions to a Viper army so I decided to switch them to a new but related Cobra race and have them fill out Valkrill’s army a bit. The Cobroc Shaman loosely ties this mini-faction together (and with the vipers) but they mostly function on their own. Crimson Cobras Figure - Yuan-ti Malison #60 Desert of Desolation D&D Miniatures DDM (Slightly Modded)  I wanted to have a ranged contingent of Snakes, and I always liked unique squads so I created the Crimson Cobras. They are a basic mod, created by repositioning heads and arms. They aren’t as competitive as the KRAV, but who is? In the end they are a fun skirmish unit that can get to high ground fast and with a few lucky Frenzy rolls, do lots of damage. Cobrac Shaman Figure - Yuan Ti Malison Incanter #29 Demonweb D&D Miniatures DDM  I often have a hard time coming up with “wizard” powers that aren’t too generic and add to the theme of a unit, but I feel that Cobrac Shaman is a very flavorful design. In this case the Madness Special Attack gives the impression of figures attacking themselves. He can hold his own against solo heroes or some squads but suffers when fighting both. Interestingly low attack figures with special attacks like the Elves are an excellent counter draft. Snake shroud can stack with Raelin’s aura, but none of the Snakes have much defense, Vipers work best when moving, and it creates an order marker nightmare, so I think it is okay. Cobrac Darklord Figure - Hooded Assassin #064 Mage Knight Pyramid  The Cobrac Darklord has been a unit that has been influx for a while. His design started the days when the Wolves of Badru only had one bonding option. I figured an evil snake hero would be a good option for a dark lord. He also started with Drow like poison weapons, but I didn’t feel that power was interesting enough and I ended up recycling it on Kunoichi. Using the Marro Gnids as a template, I really liked the idea of having a poison effect that did not impact life. He has a 50% chance of taking out 3 squad figures or poising 3 Heroes, so he isn’t just an assassin. His low defense keeps him in check. Camiloc Champion Figure - Yuan-ti Champion of Zehir #59 Desert of Desolation D&D Miniatures DDM  One of my favorite designs is the Camiloc Champion. I know that Camilion is totally spelled wrong, but it is a local dialect. I originally had Camilion Camouflage as a complete copy of Stealth Dodge, but decided to re-use Camouflage from the Siofra but up it by 2. I prefer allowing for the weakness to special attacks since they should be special right? The decision factor associated with Chameleon advantage is fun and gives him impressive speed, with a great attack in melee. Finally, I thought it would be fun to make him a Gladiator and add some loose synergy with the Human Gladiators without giving him bonding. Next week Heroes of the Tribe! Knights and Their King
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Bio: For too long have the armies of Utgar and Valkrill plundered the lands and brought chaos and fear to these lands. The mighty Valkyrie Jandar, peers once again into his Wellspring, and sees a warrior, a knight, a King! Not dead but asleep, he waiting to rise and bring justice and glory to the world again. Jandar knows this is the one who will bring peace to his lands. But a King cannot lead on his own. With the sleeping king, Jandar seeks out his loyal band of Knights. Moreover, archers who have beaten impossible odds and a Legion formally loyal to a certain French Emperor, are called forth to serve this great hero. Forces of evil beware, the King is back. Design notes: After starting so strong in classic scape, it seems that Jandar’s forces have waned. As I previously said, I think it is related to the difficulty with creating interesting units, when the heroes have to be so noble and true. For me there is no greater hero than King Arthur, thus we have Pendragon. To go with him is the Knights of the Round, English archers and Legion of Honour based on Napoleons elite forces. The trick here was creating something new without stepping on the Knights of Weston and existing Knights and Champions. I think these additions add to the Knight faction nicely. King Penndragon Figure - Confrontation: Hero Box - Temple of the West - Tarkhyn  I love tapping into historical/legendary figures and felt that King Arthur is a perfect addition. The Sculpt is not perfect, but with the companion squad of knights it looks pretty good, and definitely a step above the Knights of Weston. Once and Future King serves a dual purpose. On one hand it is and incentive to focus attacks on other Knights so it keeps Pendragon going longer. On the other side it allows Pendragon to come back if he falls to pot-shots. Excalibur is a strait up attack bonus. Knights of the Round Figures - Confrontation: Unit Box Praetorian Guards  To go along with their King I created the Knights of the Round. First off they do not bond with their King, which was over powered given their power set. Sending out Pendragon first and waiting for him to take a few wounds then bringing up the Knights of the Round is a reasonable strategy, which may result in a fully healed Pendragon. You could use them to boost a range army but that 100 point price tag and 10% of a loss of figure is a fairly heavy investment for 1 extra defense dice that promotes clumping. I actually think they are a fun micro army when combined with a Knight or Paladin hero like Sir Dupris or Rhogar. High King’s Archers Figures - Confrontation: Lions Unit Box Archers  One of my favorite battles was the battle of Agincourt in which the English defeated the French despite being greatly out numbered. Part of the reason was the tactics of the English long bowmen who used the terrain and longer range to their advantage. I know they may seem sneaky with their Tactical Retreat, but I still think they fall under Jandar in theme. I like how Long Shot and Tactical Retreat can work together to give them a fair punch against stronger forces and limits the potential of counter screens. Legion of Honour Figures - Eagle Knight Officer #23/55 Legends of Golarion Pathfinder Battles, Eagle Knight #22/55 Legends of Golarion Pathfinder Battles  Under Napoleon the Eagle Knights were some of the most elite fighters. I can picture Jandar summoning these Soldiers, handing them runic swords and sending them into battle. Both Heroic Charge and Commandant’s Command are lifted from other designs, but I think combination here is unique and makes sense. The Juggling of order markers is dangerous so you don’t want to build your force solely on these guys. A part of me thinks it would be comical to have a few squads of the Legion to back up Alistair and the MacDirks. Sure if Alistair dies it is all over, but until then it is powerful two squad force. Next week Valkrill Cobra. War of the Clones - Valkrill's Clones
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It had been a few decades since Mars had been colonized and new challenges faced the new civilization. Despite the advancements of humankind in, somehow the old evils of the species still managed to take root in the hearts of men. Emboldened by the history of the twenty century the madman Dr. Ravensbruck rejected the ethics of Solar Law and began cloning his army. Assisted by the ruthless Officer Natzweiler and Ninja Kunoichi his plan was to march upon the government and make the planet his own. No one is sure what happened to his lab, but whether by fate or divine intervention Mars would keep its peace and Ravensbruck was never heard from again. Design Notes: Okay they are space Nazis. I found Tannhauser minis for the heroes and realized I had to make another faction, and i felt that they fit well with Valkrill. The squad that brings them all together are reaper minis that I painted myself. They ended up darker than I would have liked, but I’m still happy with the result. As far as humans following Valkrill go, I think this is the only way to go. I question the ethics of ever having a proper WWII German unit in a fun fantasy game, but space clones is okay by me. SS Herrenvolk Figures - Reaper Bones - Nova Corp Rifleman, Soldier, Guard - Painted  Like many factions the Clones are centered around a bonding squad, the SS Herrenvolk. Only 100 points for a 3 man ranged squad with bonding and 3 attack/4 defense might be a steal, but you have to consider the investment of the heroes. Unlike the 4th mass or Sacred Band you really won’t seen any other Clones so you have to pull Ravensbruck or Natzweiler to get the most out of them. I guess you could draft only SS Herrenvolk but then you loos out on bonding and may as well go with Stingers and Raelin instead. I like how the bond with Red Skull from the marvel set out of the box. Ravensbruck Figure - Tannhauser - Hoss  Normally, I prefer to have units points be self-contained but with this army the cost of the heroes are raised to account for the squad they work with. With Ravensbruck you have a fairly strong melee hero, but he grants the flexibility of adding any unique unit to your army. This can be handy in bringing in a special attacker like Q9 or a cheerleader like Raelin. I was tempted to add a “undead” and “Soulborg” caveat, but this guy is a scientist. It is telling that Ravensbruck himself is a clone. Natzweiler Figure -Tannhauser - Yula  Natzweiler is a fairly weak ranged figure, but with bonding and her superior range she can come in handy. Again being able to add a unique hero to the fill out your army is useful, and she actually likely outclasses Ravensbruck in this regard, except for the medium restriction. I love how with Natzweiler you can add Garret Burns as a bonding option. Kunoichi Figure – Tanhauser - Mizu  Rounding out the heroes is Kunoichi the ninja. While she is not a clone herself, with either Ravensbruck or Natzeiler she can bond with the SS Herrenvolk, so she belongs here. Out of all the ninjas, she is the most assassin like. I love what you can do by combining powers from different units, in this case Deepwyrm Drow and the Ninjas of the North Wind. She also makes a great addition to the Ninja faction. Next Week... Week 15 - Planes of Laur - Large Figure Pack 2
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Entire games have been built on the idea of small squads and giant heroes including MechWarrior, Golum Arcana, Monsterpocalypse, and D&D itself. These huge figures are part of the DNA of Heroscape and look amazing on the battlefield. I think it is one of the aspect that captures the interest of people as much as the terrain that makes up this great game. Sarfiro Figure - Stormrage Blue Dragon #31 Demonweb D&D Miniatures DDM  I have had this mini kicking around for a while and finally came up with a theme. Even though everyone has their own Pre-Quahon-Aquilla-Blue-Dragon, I thought I could come up with something a bit different. I wanted to keep him melee, and give him a real punch when attacking. I took the idea of Trample from the AotP game and made it into Lighting Charge, which could be seen as a bit of a lighting cone attack. I also added Arcane Riposte to give him some staying power and speak to the both the lighting power and intelligence of this dragon. Deathmauler 900 Figure - Blood Golem of Hextor #32 Unhallowed D&D Miniatures  When I first say this guy, I figured he would fit right in with the other Deathborgs, and may be a bit of an early model. I like how Whirling Flail has the potential of taking out a bunch of low level squads or doing real damage on the 3rd attack against a big hero as if the flail is getting up to speed. I also wanted to update the DW7000 exploding mechanic so I made the explosion take place upon death. It is only 30% effective and can wound your own figures as easily as your opponents. The roll of 20 can be devastating if you haven’t kept your own forces far away. King Khon Figure - Derhii #31/55 Legends of Golarion Pathfinder Battles  Now this is Heroscape! I love the whimsy of mixing awesomeness in a blender to see what comes out. I am fairly sure that is where Drake came from, and that is definitely the inspiration behind a winged gorilla with a giant sword. Simple flying, a nice area of attack special attack (contingent on moving) and solid stats make him a beast on the battle field. He is super fun in an arena style one-on-one death match. Balor Figure - Balor #04 Legendary Evils D&D Miniatures  I wanted to catch the flavor of the Balrog from Lord of the Rings, and between his Whip and high stats I think I got close. He is very imposing on maps while not seeming out of place (an issue that can affect many large figures). Fire whip is very wordy for a simple idea, but so is Throw so I’m not too concerned. I also like the theme of all 6’s in his stat box. Occulx Figure - Beholder Ultimate Tyrant #06 Legendary Evils D&D Miniatures  Finally there is my Beholder. Is there any more signature D&D monster (maybe gelatinous cube)? For me this was a tricky design, since you needed to balance the attacks of all the eyes, the signature gaze attack of the main eye, and the obvious melee bite attack. I’m fairly happy with the balance between the Eye Ray special attack, normal attack, and augmented normal attack of Eye of the Beholder. Best of all he looks awesome on dungeon run maps and can really tear up a party of heroes. Week 14 - Walls of Lore - Large Figures Pack 1
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This week I will be deviating from the Faction format I have been using for my updates and feature a collection of large/Huge figures I have assembled. After seeing Scyths post on his Chain Golum, I was reminded that the huge figures on the battlefield were one of the original aspects of Heroscape that drew me in. When designing Large and Huge figures I like to have centerpieces that can mostly function on their own. These are Titans not concerned with trivial skirmishes of those underfoot. Rokkaku Figure - Aspect of Hextor #28 War Drums D&D Miniatures DDM  Meaning Six-corners or Hexagon, Rokkaku is my take on a Japanese Demon or Oni. Sometimes simple is better, so I opted for a simple Triple attack power. The danger of a strait triple attack is giving him enough bite on his own without breaking him when boosters like Finn and the other attack auras and glyphs are taken into account. Keeping with the Japanese theme, Counter Strike ties him in with the Samurai faction, without adding explicit synergy. As a guard like Gurei-Oni he benefits from synergy with the Tomb Guardians, but it is hardly a broken build. Bjorn Figure - Werebear #13 Angelfire D&D Miniatures DDM  Man, do I ever love this figure. Giant bear, giant axe, how could this go wrong? Literally meaning axe bear, Yxa Bjorn is kind of an inverse Krug. As you pile on the wounds he only gains more defense, so you either need to kill him when he is at 4 or 5 wounds or suffer the consequences of trying to take out a 7 or 8 defense double attacker. Other than that he is a fairly simple figure, but the extra staying power and consistent attack output, makes him worth the extra points despite no bonding options Bzoren Figure - Elder Copper Dragon #16 Lords of Madness  Many have tried to though a Valkrill dragon into the mix, and I think Bzoren is a fair attempt. I wanted to go with a power set implied by the very dynamic figure so I choose to remain melee and base him in Arial powers. I think Airborne is a simple way of implying that he attacks and defends from the air. Swoop with Stealth Flying and consistent height advantage gives him a consistent attack of 5 that is hard to tie down. This is one figure to be afraid of in the late game. Shryk Figure - D&D Miniatures—Legendary Evils: Elder Iron Dragon  Another amazing sculpt that was begging to be made into a Heroscape dragon, Shryk is my take on a disrupter figure. His Piercing Cry can potentially clear away annoying squads who try to tie him up, or knocking figures off walls when perched on a mountain or castle wall. Six life and 4 defense is a fairly sturdy for a Dragon adding to his point total. As an older design he has the unintended synergy with the Skeletons of Annellintia, however I don’t mind him having a bit of Necromancy in his skill set. Trevok Figure - Treant #64 Giants of Legend D&D Miniatures DDM  After seeing what could be done with figures controlling terrain, and having purchased this amazing Treant figure, I created Trevok. He is a bit gimmicky, but that is one of the joys of Heroscape. The potential of trapping a figure with trees or messing with the dynamics of an established map ensure Trevok can never be a truly fair design. I like how high life and low defense lead themselves to suggest a wooden hide and the addition of Treelike only adds to the overall theme. Next week... Aquilla's Gray Alies
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Bio: The vastness of space was but a minor obstacle for the crew of the Blue Sigma. Having left orbit only a few days earlier the situation was normal. The leader, Pi One was happy to be off that last Planet with its heavy gravity and back to the low G of his ship after determining there was no advantage to setting up a colony, setting up a new home. Suddenly the scout ship found itself in the fall of a Veiled Black Hole, invisible to sensors until it was too late. His death and those of his crew would warn the colony ship of the danger. There was peace in that. In the final moments before the ship was crushed the merger crew found themselves amidst a jungle and in the presence of a beautiful being. The Gray had been summoned by Aquilla. Design notes: The Gray faction was the result of happy purchase when boxes of AT-44 were sold off. At the time Aquilla forces paled in comparison to the other generals and I wanted to fill out her ranks. To me Aquilla was less tribal and more about small powerful forces, guerrilla tactics and defending her land by any means while remaining on the side of righteousness. So the technically advanced Gray fit right in. They do overlap thematically with the Mariedian a bit, and have a similar army structure to the Varkaanans, which was a nice coincidence. Pi One Figure - AT-43 Cogs Army Box: Hero  Pi One is the engine that keeps the whole group running. He is a very fragile command figure so you will want to keep him very far from the action. I figure since the Gray evolved on a low gravity world and developed telepathy he makes both thematic and mechanic sense. Alpha Tribe Figure - AT-43 cogs Army Box: Warmongers  I used Greek letters and “tribe” to denote the different groups of Grays to give them a futuristic name that fit Aquilla. For the Alpha tribe you would use the X marker to neutralize ranged forces around each member and prevent camping. It is worth noting you can’t activate them with Pi One unless their Disruption field is down. They pack a fairly high price but have the punch and speed to match. Delta Tribe Figure - AT-43 cogs Unit Box: Stalkers  These ghosts of the Grey are really awesome to look at. Again they cannot be activated by Pi One unless their shields are down. However, as long as the X marker or even 3rd order marker is on their card they cannot be attacked by range with keeps them safe and sound in your start zone. Again, they are fast and can hit hard but are fragile. Gamma Tribe Figure - AT-43 cogs Army Box: Sharpshooters  The Gamma Tribe is the super stars of the Gray Army. You have to take out three of the four squad members before their attack output goes down. Great range helps them find targets. It is worth noting they can be disrupted by Alphas so it is best to keep them separate. Omega Tribe Figure - AT-43 Cogs Army Box: Gunmen  What happens when you throw armor on a scientifically advanced species from a low gravity planet? The Omega Tribe. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be able to get height advantage with jump jets and their adaptive armor keeps them running against low attack squads. Pot shots are completely wasted against these guys, so hit’em hard first. Tau Ten Figure - AT-43 Cogs Army Box: hero  Finally another hero: Tau Ten. I gave him the Jump Jets of the Omega Tribe, and threw in a nice special attack. He has the potential of throwing up to 9 dice at a figure, albeit the first attack is unlikely to do much damage. Adaptive targeting also suffers against builds with diverse species such as Vydar Range Pod. He is fairly comparable to the Q brothers, but is much more maneuverable, so I price him between the two Majors. Next week Mysterious Cobras Return of the Missing - Vydar Kyrie
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Bio: Vydar’s forces are quickly dwindling. Any sense of loyalty instilled in his troops is fast eroding with his seemingly routine shifting of alliances. One moment Soulborgs may find themselves adding the Meridians of Alpha Prime’s past, where the next Gorrillinators are coming to the aid of the Marro that terrorized their Marr. This coupled with the previous desertion of his people into Kinsland, there are few Kyrie who stand beside the cunning and enigmatic leader. Those who do are among the most feared and respected Kyrie Warriors in all of Valhalla, whose reasons are only known to themselves.
Design Notes: Okay, Vydar Kyrie. I know it is almost sacrilege to attempt to create Vydar Kyrie, we were specifically told they abandoned their leader. However, for completeness I felt this was a hole that needed to be filled and I think I came up with a good work around. Additionally when I came across these figures for Mage Knight, I knew they had to be turned into a race of Kyrie, and Vydar seemed like the logical choice. Stjorn Figure - Quavon #106 Mage Knight: Resurrection Starter  In the spirit of Calibrax and adopting troops from other regions of Valhalla, I created Stjorn. His Mercenary Bonding is a great way to get around the “No common Kyrie squad for Vydar” and very much keeping the flavor of Vydar intact. Coupled with the Book of Orm and the ability to bring back expensive Kyrie and you have a Kurrok like command Kyrie. With Stjorn in your army you can play a very large army of Kyrie against any other faction for an all-out faction war. Rannreig Figure - Lord Varatrix (2 Bases) #024 Mage Knight: Resurrection Heroclix  Rannreig is a design I have been kicking around for a while. His Call Lighting special power is great for clearing out squads, especially those foolish enough to get close. He can still hold his own against hero figures, and can really mess with any flying figures (even those on within your army). He also looks great on the battle field. Oskra Figure - Solonavi Siren #059 Mage Knight Uprising  Rounding out the heroes is Oskra and her deadly voice. Again a great looking figure, I departed from linking Glyphs and Kyrie heroes and went with a negative cheerleader. Her short range and average survivability makes her easy to take out, but Deafening cry forces your opponent to focus their attacks on her. I like the theme of Shriek, as if her voice is either fully absorbed by the target or it spills over to adjacent figures. Next Week, Gray Aliens for Aquilla Space Zombies - Valkrill's Therians
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Bio: To this day it is unclear if the Therians evolved or were designed. The Carbon-Silicon construction and hive behavior has been seen in both biological and digital beings, so even the most advance scientists are still unsure. Some even hypotheses that the Therians survive off necrotic energy, fueling their bodies as they hunger for power. Ruthless and cunning the Therians are feared far beyond their own planet. Concerned only with resources and advancement, new Queen takes a small collective of elite warriors and set out to colonize a new world regardless of the existing inhabitants. It is just one of these ships that Valkrill has picked out of the wellspring to join his forces in Valhalla. Design notes: First and foremost, I am aware of the Havech eradicators. I had picked up the AT-44 figures and heroes and was already working on a faction before they came out. Since the Havech were a great designs, I merely changed their species to Therian (I have more than enough Marro) and removed Cybernetic Parts. As for the rest of the faction, I started with a simple melee bonding squad to pull the heroes together and went from there. I wanted my heroes to be focused on attacking rather than cheerleaders, since that feels more Valkrill to me. Hopefully it is clear I was going for a “Borg” vibe, Space Zombies if you will. Here are my re-worked Havechs:  Therian Strikers Figure - AT-43 - Therians Storm Golems  As mentioned the Strikers are a simple bonding melee Squad where both you and your opponent takes risks in disengaging. They are fairly priced for a three man squad with solid stats. It is easy to underestimated 3 attacks of 4 from such speedy units. I think their heroes really add to their strength, but the heroes have been priced accordingly. Azule Auun Figure - AT-43 - Therians Hero Box omega tiamat  I wanted to have a hive feel for the Therians, so I started with a Queen. Azule Auun serves the purpose well with an ability to convert squad figures into more Therians. This works well with the Strikers or the Havechs, and makes up for some of the synergy the Havechs lost. She definitely is not very fast on flat maps, but on hilly terrain she can get to tough spots really quickly with her Tunnel power. I also like how you can use the bulk of her sculpt as her own line of sight blocker. It is worth noting she also works with Tomb Guardians adding a hint of “undead” to the faction. Axitus Figure - AT-43 - Therians Overseer Storm Golem  Axitus is a strait up attacker. I like the choice between the automatic skull or rolling two dice. It is kind of like reverse Deadly strike reducing overall variance. Coupled with Reaper blades, Deadly Accuracy almost guarantees destruction of squad figures, while you may be tempted to roll 5 dice against heroes with deep life pools. As a lord he can synergize with the Skeletons of Annellintia, which furthers the undead feeling of the units. Artis Auun Figure - AT-43 - Therians alpha atis-astarte  Finally we have Artis Auun. I always felt one of Valkrill’s signatures was reducing the number of defense dice of your opponent. In this case I wanted to pull in the D20 and create a poor man’s Cyprian. She has fairly good survivability, maneuverability and with a hot D20 can put wounds on the toughest hero. However with only 3 attack dice, you have 2 chances two whiff out on your rolls, so unless the D20 and attack dice get along, there is a good chance this assassin figure will be left out to dry. Next week: Vydar Kyrie Heroes! Invisible Lightning - Aquilla's Siofra Faction
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Bio: Something other than giant insects and Aquilla’s Moon Tribe stir in the Jungles of Valhalla. Secretive and elusive a small band of mysterious figures have been rumored to be hunting Utgar’s encroaching forces. Some reports claim they are 20’ tall, others claim they have a dozen arms with knives for hands. One elf claimed they had no mouths but he could hear them speaking to him nonetheless. An old dwarf claims they strike with lighting speed and ferocity unlike he had ever seen. All the stories of their colour have been contradictory, with some claiming they are blue, grey, green or even purple, as if their very skin changed with their surroundings. They are the Siofra of the Jungle, and they now fight for Aquilla. Designer notes: I came across these figures while looking over the old Mage Knight figures and knew I needed to create a mini faction for Aquilla. They reminded me of old stories of fey folk in Ireland, so I decided to call them Changelings in Irish, or Siofra. I gave them all a slight edge to ranged attacks with Camouflage 1 to tie in with the Changeling title (I also like how they blend in on Aquilla cards). I placed them with Aquilla because they matched her tribalism more than the naturalism of Ullar. Siofra Blade Figure - Darkfen Blade #024 Mage Knight Omens  The Siofra Blade is the meat of the Siofra faction. I adopted Josie Whistlestop’s Quick Shot into Quick Strike on the melee heroes. They are a little pricy on their own, but the 4 defense dice from range, and 4 life can let them stay around long enough to use the quick strike and 6 move is pretty fast. They also have a few immunities that come from being Large Heroes. Laidir Figure - Shyft Fiend #027 Mage Knight Omens  The Siofra leader Laidir gets his name from the word “Strong” in Gaelic. His shield does a great job keeping everyone alive and really boosts up the Siofra Blades. With 4 standard defense and 1 for camouflage, he is basically rolling the equivalent of 10 defense dice from range, making him quite the tank. Boosted with Raelin and he can be nigh unstoppable, with an incredible attack output of 12 potential dice. However without range he can still fall to commons and other dangerous heroes. Draoi Figure – Shyft Summoner #070 Mage Knight Omens  The last member of the Siofra is Draoi which is Irish for wizard. His speed boost alone makes him worth including with other Siofra. Draoi still benefits from the Shield of Carw and adds a much needed ranged attack further solidifying his role in a Siofra build. His Psychic Influence is my take on squad mind control and adds a very interesting aspect to the game. Rolling 17 or higher is just outside the realm of likely, so it is a bit of gamble, but it can really pay off. I’m sure his mind control leaves a lot of corner cases but for home games that is fine. Next Week... More Valkrill Nhah Scirh Heroes and Archers
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: A golden Dragon has been spotted in the western region of the Hcul Mountains. Immediately the high Priest issues the order for regiments to seek out the foul creature and dispatch it in the name of Nhah Scirh. Only through the blood of Dragon kind can they be purified. Lead by the Cleric Arachnu and Priestess Scairpa the band of Dragon Hunters embark on their hallowed task. Each Cultist knows the danger and has already sworn their lives away to the hunt. None are more committed than the warrior Tarantor, who seeks out Dragons with a reckless fervor. At the foot of the mountain upon which the Dragon makes its layer, the band stands at the ready. But this is no common Dragon. Long sought, he is a cunning and wizen elder dragon. A mighty and terrible laugh rings out as the mountain comes down. This dragon will live to fight another day, and Valkrill has new warriors to fight in his war. Designer notes: Before the Nhah Scirh Cultists ever came out I had a small collection of the Confrontation Scorpions that I wanted to use for my own customs. I put my own common squad designs on the back burner, and created 3 heroes to go with the Cultists. I wanted them to really have the flavor of Dragon Hunters without compromising their ability to fight other armies. I think each hero brings something unique and interesting to the army and can mostly stand on their own. Arachnu Figure - Confrontation: Creatures of Dirz - Shamir Hero Box Sykho Volesterus  With Arachnu I wanted to have a control figure, and created a Slave master. He has a neat little dragon on his staff which I imagine is a spirt that takes over a dragon. His enslave has a 5% chance of backfiring and a 10% chance of success so it hardly breaks the figure. He doesn’t really add much to a wyrmling or Dragon build on his own but adds synergy with the Cultists, with Leadership. Definitely has some interesting uses, but for the most part a niche figure. Scairpa Figure: Confrontation: Creatures of Dirz - Shamir Hero Box Claudia Nessalith  While Scairpa isn’t a direct threat to dragons her Deathscythe can really cut into them if she is able to build up a couple of Soul Drain Markers. With a ranged attack she is able to take out weaker units in order to take out the bigger heroes, which makes her well suited to take on Hivelord or Lizard King builds. The self-healing keeps her in the game assuming there are lots of possible targets for her attack. A fun complex figure for sure. Tarantor Figure: Confrontation: Creatures of Dirz - Kheris Hero Box  On the opposite side is Tarantor who is simple as they come. I had previously updated Sir Denrick’s Giant Killer to include a boost against large figures, and I copied it over here. The additional of Iron Tough makes Tarantor a threat to special attackers. With Arachnu he becomes devastatingly fast. Really it is about pointing him at a big hero and sending him off like a missile to do as much damage as possible. Nhah Scirh Archers  Figure: Confrontation Scorpions Crossbowmen Designer Notes: Another 3 man squad, the Archers are about as suicidal as they come. With only 1 base attack, even with height advantage and against large/huge figures they are only throwing 3 dice. Are 2 auto skulls worth 20 points? Consider they have a good shot of throwing 3 skulls 3 times in a single turn, which can crack the defense of some heavy armor. Additionally, with Arachnu (in my Nhah heroes) they get a +1 move, allowing them to get into position even faster and secure that first strike. Next Week: Aquilla’s Mysterious Allies. Vydar Unique Squads
Spoiler Alert!
A little different this week, 2 Unique Squads for Vydar. Bio: With the ever expanding War on Marr the Primidons yearned for a land they could call their own and find peace. Knowing that as long the Marro plagued their world they would be forced into conflict, a small band looked to the heavens for their answer. An expedition was planned for a nearby moon, a last hope for peace. Supplies were loaded, the crew was trained and observances were made. All the while the Arch Kyrie Vydar watched the ill-fated flight. He mused that These Primadon’s would be valuable pawns in his game and would be well worth of hiding his alliance with Utgar to recruit. More and more Vydar found his master plan coming together, with the addition of the Gorrillanauts. Gorillanauts Figure – AT-43 Karmans Yeti Unit box  Designer notes: When designing Unique Squads there has to be a reason they are unique. Marro warriors have their cloning and the Krav have incredible survivability. For the Gorillanauts I created a flying ranged squad that can effectively hide from ranged attacks. They also have incredible attack output from high ground and very good survivability with 4 defense, having advanced battle suits, and Being Large. Couple these guys with Viking or Varkaanan Sprits and they can be deadly. Bio: He was a high ranking official in the Twilight Clan. Countless has lost their lives either by his hand or by his order. These injustices could not go un punished, and the Kabuki would see it fulfilled. They would utilize their cunning, their skill, and their beauty to infiltrate the Rising Moon Celebration and strike their target. All was going to plan until it seemed a rival Clan had beaten them to their revenge a bomb was planted that would destroy the whole building. Yet, Vydar had acted even faster Summoning the female warriors to assist him in furthering his own goals in Valhalla. Kaboki Dancers Figure – Shi #060 Veteran Indy Heroclix, Kabuki #076 Rookie Indy Heroclix, Keiko #204 LE Indy Heroclix  Basically a riff on the Ninjas of the North Wind, the Kabuki Assassins have a few slight modifications. For the same price they have 1 less attack die but have a targeted double attack on a single figure. They have a 10% less chance of shrugging off wounds from normal attacks and the chance to wound an adjacent figure, which could work for or against a player, I think they are fairly equally weighted. I like how the lower attack makes them vulnerable to counter attack from samurai. Next Week... Icarian Heroes Valkrill Kyrie
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: Throughout Valhalla sinkholes have appeared, scaring the war torn lands. There are those that claim this is the very world responding to the wars above. The more scientifically minded link the holes with the depletion of the wellsprings as they are taxed with summoning vast armies to server the Archkyrie. There is one who knows their true purpose. The vile general Valkrill has been guiding the great earth worms to bore out these caves to serve as homes to his bat like followers. Soon the longest night will arrive and his Soldiers will fly out to bring chaos and destruction to all. Designer notes: Like Aquilla, I wish Valkrill had been fleshed out a bit more with Heroscape staples like Cowboys, Flag barriers and complete factions (heck even a single hero would have been nice). One of the key aspects of any General are their Kyrie (or lake thereof for Vydar). For me, Valkrill’s signature is about limiting the defense dice of those being attacked, so I used that as a template for my Kyrie. Valkrill’s Harpies Figure – Shrieking Harpy #55 Desert of Desolation D&D Miniatures, DandD Miniatures Dragoneye: 53 Harpy  I was able to pick up a few D&D harpies which looked vile enough to serve Valkrill. The different colouring and wings are a bit of a stretch, but beggars cannot be choosers. There are those that may question using Harpies as Kyrie, but I would happily point to the Minions (demons) as a counter example. The movement bonding keeps cheerleaders in tow (great with Andask) and thematically harks back to Utgar’s orders. Vigdis Figure – Lady Vol #36 Night Below D&D Miniatures DDM  Vigdis was another old design, and I was amazed how much she matched Andask when he came on the scene. Here is another Kyrie using a glyph (Wannok in this case) for inspiration. She can be a very annoying clean up figure since that auto wound a figure. She is also great against hero heavy armies. She would be broken against Marvel. Odyrskot Figure – Vampire Archer #071 Mage Knight 2.0  With Odyrskot I recycled a power I designed for Starscream (Deceptions forever!). He just seems like such a devious figure taking free shots at figures within range. As another Mage Knight figure he matches Andask perfectly and the skulls on his cloths are a nice addition to any Valkrill unit. Pairing him with the Harpies is a perfect marriage and fleshes out the faction nicely. Next Week Vydar Unique Squads The Law Returns - Jandar Lawmen
Spoiler Alert!
It was a lost cause and they all knew it. Lt O’Malley was doing the best he could organizing the evacuation out of the tunnel. He had decided he would be the last man out only after every civilian had reach safety. O’Malley wasn’t alone as there were more than a few other officers form the 44th that felt the same way. In his gut he knew that he would never see the sun rise again, but felt pride that he had done good work. That bus of kids, the newlyweds, and the plumber heading home, all would tell the tale of the fearless cops that risked their lives to get them out. Then it all went black. Soon after awaking in Valhalla, O’Malley was protecting people in a whole new way. Honoured with the sword of the legendary warrior Astrid, while his fellows received some form of magical protection better than any vest, they were tasked with upholding law and order on a whole new world. It is here where tales of their bravery would be sung for a thousand years. Designer notes: Lately I have been lamenting the lack of Jandar units in the world of Heroscape. Something about the challenge of designing figures matching the “Paladin” trope seems to keep them down. I found some great Police figure in the Heroclix/Horrorclix line and decided to flesh out the Champion of the Archkyrie. Lt. O’Malley Figure – Officer 7 #046 Freakshow HorrorClix/Officer Friendly #048 Freakshow HorrorClix  Lt. O’Malley’s figure had a wicked sword, so I knew had to make him interesting. After multiple iterations I settled on a Skahen clone with more melee attack power in place of Stealth dodge. He costs a bit less, but I think he captures the spirit of Jandar well. Also lore bonus for Saber of Astrid. 44th Precinct Detectives Figure – Gotham Undercover, #008 Experienced DC Heroclix Unleashed, GCPD Detective #004 Streets of Gotham DC Heroclix, DEO Agent #002 Experienced DC Heroclix Unleashed  Continuing in the spirit of Vydar clones are the 44th Precinct Detectives. Against low attacks they function just like the Krav Maga Agents, and only when attacked at higher levels (3 skulls or more) does the difference present itself. Is that worth 10 points, maybe not, but there are fewer Vydar synergies here (Langor) so I’m okay with the price difference. Delta Platoon Figure – S.W.A.T. Heavy Weapons #010 Rookie Marvel Heroclix Critical Mass, SWAT Officer #010 Rookie Marvel Heroclix Xplosion, SWAT Specialist #013 Rookie Marvel Heroclix Xplosion  Finally we have the Delta Platoon (nod to the LAPD SWAT), a fairly simple short range squad. I think they could give the 10th or stingers a run for their money. I’m tempted to add a “special attack” caveat to Body Armor, to help retain the special in special attack. Next Week... Valkrill Units Mysteries of the Moontribe - Aquilla Kyrie
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: A patrol of Marro recently emerged from their grotesque hive marches through the dense Ticalla Jungle. These spawn of Utgar’s lust for power and dominion are an affront to Aquilla’s rule, and the order has already been dispatched for their quick destruction. Already the trap has been set as Aquilla’s most loyal and fearsome warriors are waiting to strike. Emboldened by heroic leadership the Marro fall to Aquilla’s Moon Tribe, before any cry for alarm can be raised. The jungle is cleansed for now, but secretly Aquilla fears these guerrilla tactics can only protect her lands for so long. Aquilla’s Moontribe Figure – Figure – Crystal Sprite #011 Mage Knight Whirlwind, Warrior Sprite #008 Mage Knight Sinister  It has always rubbed me the wrong way that the mythic Moon Tribe never saw official production. After coming across a few Mage Knight sprites I knew I had my Moon Tribe squad. Sadly there were only two useable figures, but with the proliferation of 2 man squads in the fan era, and the opportunity for bonging I was less concerned. The Valiant and Resolute bonding brings a few of the lesser used Kyrie (Saylind, Concan, SotM Raelin) to the table and allowed me to put a couple more heroes with Aquilla. I like Hunters advantage as it makes them feel more opportunistic, which is a quality I fell matches Aquilla well. Flettu Crystal Protector #012 Mage Knight Minions,  When it comes to Kyrie Heroes, I like drawing inspiration from Glyphs in the vein of Kelda. In this case Oreld works well with Hunter’s advantage for both Flettu and the Moon Tribe. She makes a great clean up figure too since, you have a good chance of gaining height and gaining that extra attack before the end of round. The X marker keeps her in check since it prevents a single remaining unit from have all the order markers removed. Drifa Figure – Trumpet Archon #10 Angelfire D&D Mini  Drifa with her Horn of Lodin was an old design, that I stepped up with Kyrie Attack Aura when the bonding presented itself. I realize that she looks very different than the rest of Aquilla’s kyrie, but Kelda doesn’t really fit in with Jandar, so I don’t feel it is too earth shattering. That 5% bonus to all D20 rolls and 10% on Aquilla is very tough to balance for. Currently I’m not to bothered by it since she is 80 points with almost no attack output. I suppose with Manauvi and Jarek Guy she may be a bit over powered, but I’m not sure enough to change it. Next Week Jandar Lawmen Everyday Heroes - Common Soldiers
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: Throughout human history wars have raged across the world. No wars have been bloodier or more total than WWI and WWII. Countless acts of valour and discipline have been recorded, which caught the attention of the Archkyrie Jandar and Einar as they bolster their forces against the threat of Utgar and his allies. From the Medic summoned before an air raid to the solider pulled from an bitter storm, at home they would be counted among the honored dead while continuing the fight for freedom on the fields of Valhalla. Designer Notes: Figures and units from the modern era are few and far between. With the release of the 8th Pathfinder, it seemed that there was room for a few more soldiers in Jandar’s and Einar’s forces. After finding the Excellent Pathfinder Russians (which C3V are using as a 2 man squad) and the Heroclix Medic I decided to go the wyrmling route to build synergy. 52nd Mountain Gunner Figure – Russian Machine Gunner #13 Reign of Winter Pathfinder Battles  The 52nd Mountain Gunner can mow down low defense figures and may be able to pierce stronger figures armor with repeated attacks. He is a good rat exterminator but at 35 points is a fair cost for a 3 defense 1 life figures. The Common Soldier is what runs this “faction” allowing turns with other soldiers including 8th Pathfinders. 17th Guards Granadier Figure – Russian Soldier #10 Reign of Winter Pathfinder Battles  While the 52nd Gunner can choose more figures, and has a longer range, the 17th Grenadier however can throw more dice to clumped-up figures. The Lob lets him stay safe undercover, while threating multiple squad figures. Again the common soldier bonding keeps the group together. 19th Field Medic Figure – Easy Company Medic #005 Experienced DC Heroclix Cosmic Justice  Rounding out the soldiers is the 19th Field Medic. I wanted to have him act as a support for human figures rather than recycling a Parmenio style aura that protects common figures. Giving him the speed boost to get to wounded heroes gives him the Jandar bravery. He still has some punch with his attack and the merciful keeps him out of 4th Mass armies. Next Week… Aquilla Kyrie Eniar's Kommandos
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: The battle continued to rage upon the mountains between Einar’s Golden Place in Lindesfarme, the mountains of Bleakwoode in the east and Aunstrom to the north. With Vydar’s betrayal the war draws ever closer to Einar door step. In his desire to protect the stillness of Mirror Lake, Einar begins to abandon his dedication to the ancient art of war. He looks further ahead in the history of Earth where Vydar has already turned his glance. There he sees soldiers of unrivaled discipline and order. Before a madman’s bomb can lay waste to the unit, Einar brings these soldiers and their commanders to the fields of Arch Kyrie War. The Kommands of the Third Red Army have been called to the battle of Valhalla. Designer Notes: This is one of my personal favorite factions, having played more games with them than virtually any other unit from my whole collection (Still love the 10th though). I really wanted to bring Einar into the 21st century and figured a “Russian” army from the future would be a good way. It also made naming the Commanders fun and interesting. There is a bit of theme clash with the Incendiborgs, but I’m okay with that. A quasi bonding ranged unit is always a tough design, but I really think I balanced it out, while still keeping the theme. Squadron Red 31 Figure –Attachment Box - Spetsnatz Kommandos : AT-43 Red Blok  Squadron Red 31 is the engine of the whole faction. They need their leaders to be around to be of any reasonable use. By using “Kommando” and “Leader” it keeps the synergy down with other units, however there is one short Leader that still works with them, which is one of the best aspects of Heroscape. Cdr. Boris Jakov Figure – Hero Box - captain pavel vrachov : AT-43 Red Blok  To me Boris is as necessary/logical with Red 31s as any of the classic bonding pairs. His Kommand power steps up the board control of the Squad a lot but the limit of 6 spaces keeps the units bunched up, which could lead to splash damage (such as from DW9000). He is a fair clean up hero in the end game with a good survivability and attack. Cdr. Natasha Dmitrieva Figure – AT-43 Hero Box sergeant anastasiya timofiyeva  Natasha is where things get fun. Her take on the Nakita’s Smoke bomb is really interesting and can really hurt ranged squad heavy armies like the 4th Mass or Stingers. Again it keeps your army bunched up and is vulnerable to special attacks so it is not overpowered. Her special attack adds some fire power to your army when you get her imposition and can really clean through rats. Cdr. Ivan Pavlov Figure – Attachment Box - Spetsnatz Kommandos : AT-43 Red Blok - Medic  Ivan is an nice healer addition to the army, helping out both Squad figures and Heroes. Again you have to keep him bunched up with the Kommando’s so Deathwalker loves fighting against this faction. Since you really want to get that third attack dice out of the squad, you may be tempted to put him and the other heroes into harm’s way, but hopefully Ivan can keep them alive for a bit longer. As it stands his Med kit requires a whole turn to get any use out of and cannot be triggered by moving with the Red 31’s, which I may change in the future. Ullar's Centaurs
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: As Ullar gazed upon the wellspring that gave life to the great forests of Valhalla, he glimpsed warriors upon horseback not unlike the Templars that ride for Jandar in the north. Yet, as the vision grew clearer it became obvious that the warrior and their mounts were one in the same. These were proud and powerful heroes, these centaurs of the Feylaund. As proud and determined as any race summoned thus far, the Centaurs could prove to be an edge that Ullar needs to ensure the safety of his lands from the encroaching threat of the Marro that have already infected Aquilla’s Jungle. Their bravery will serve them well, as they strike fast and then vanish into the forest preparing for their next attack, whether from blade, bow or the power of magic. Design Notes: I was able to assemble a motley crew of centaurs form a few mini lines. While they are not all of the same scale, they are close enough for me, and I figure they represent different races. I really liked developing their names to reflect their hide colour and weapons, since I think it gives a hint at a deeper culture. I choose Ullar since I think they fill out his army nicely and fill the mythological theme nicely. I tied the whole faction together with a leader and Tactical disengagement. I think reducing the chance of engagement attack to 25% opens up a lot of freedom without giving them strait disengage. Keeping this army moving is the key to success, however it does mean they don’t play nice with Raelin since they are unlikely to stay in her aura, which is a knock against them. Cloudsteel Figure – DandD Miniature Deathknell 15-60 Centaur Hero  Cloudsteel is what brings the group together. As I mentioned I like theme, and felt that the Centaurs needed something to bring them together. I personally like command type figures since they give people a reason to draft Assassins in their army, where they normally would just go with a heavy hitter or a swarm of commons. The 6 space limit keeps the group together and makes you push Cloudsteel into the fight rather than just using him for clean-up and feel more like a leader. His strong move, range and attack make him a dangerous figure on the board. Earthlance Figure – D&D Centaur War Hulk #15 Blood War  Speaking of heavy hitters, Earthlance can be a force on the field if figures are clumped up. I wish there was more bonus in clumping figures in Heroscape since so many powers work this way, and some of my personal commons reflect this. Additionally I prefer to use @hextr1p ‘s excellent partial cover rules which encourage adjacency. Again speed is key here. Umberbow Figure – Centaur Archer - Reign of Winter #29 Pathfinder Battles  When it comes to the centaurs, Umberbow is a steal. She has great stats and the recycling of Asterios and Komiko’s special attack in ranged form is something we see from a lot of designers. You really could fit her in with so many armies as a solid clean up hero or even in the mid game if you are not playing commons. Her 4 life and 3 defense is fairly frail though. Vinemane Figure – Centaur Shaman #005 Mage Knight Sorcery  Vinemane is the most interesting to me. At first Binding Vines just looks like Paralizing stare, however the “duration of your turn” bit makes her valuable with the other centaurs under Cloudsteel, since she can negate their defense before one of the other Centaurs attack, leading to an awesome 1-2 punch. It is not always easy to pull off and only works on one figure at a time but it can really do some damage. Again 4 life, 3 defense for a short range figure is living dangerously. Next Week the Red Army. Ship of the Damned - Pirate Heroes
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: Between the Captain and the crew of the Black Swan there were the officers. Pirates, who threw guile, treachery and recklessness, had proven themselves more infamous then the common rabble. While others who follow the Banner of Utgar do so for Power, out of Fear or mindless loyalty this pirates were different only out for plunder and spoils. Worst still their greed was contagious and spread to other races who had found themselves upon the shores of Valhalla. How long before one of the other generals offered these miscreants a better offer resulting in betrayal, was a concern Utgar had not known until now. Design notes: This week I have 5 heroes to go with the pirates. Each is fairly inexpensive in cost, but may hamper a player in some other way. Over time those D20 rolls stack up and it is only a matter of time before they result is a critical fail. Jacquotte Dieu-le-Veut Figure – Xandressan Captain #062 Mage Knight Minions  First up is Jacquotte who can be lured away with a handy treasure glyph. She is a fairly good all around figure with nothing too special. Feels like some of the outlaws and lawmen, with her range attack and meager stats. Johnny Sawkins Figure – Cloudreaver #44 War of the Dragon Queen D&D Miniatures DDM  A very cheap filler, Johnny can be useful at snatching a treasure glyph from a strong hero. His weak stats make it likely he will fall soon after, but he may get one good attack in. I specifically left disengage off the card and gave him 3 life to keep his points down. Poweder Keg Pete Figure – Xandressan Windsman (2 Bases) #004 Mage Knight: Resurrection Heroclix  I love Powder keg Pete. The one time use of his powder keg and the chance of him getting destroyed and blowing up half your start zone is awesome, even though it is very unlikely. His strong stats otherwise makes him a great addition to the pirate army. Janak Figure – Tsadok Goldtooth #21 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles  This is where we get away from humans. Who’s to say Captain Blackbeard couldn’t inspire some more to join his crew. First off is Janak, an orc that didn’t quite fit in (he is green not blue). He is the strongest of the Pirates, but still could self-wound and if you are not careful destroy one of your more valuable squad figures. His price may be a bit low, but I’m okay with that since other than with the pirates he has very low synergy and attack output. Yellow Claw Figure –Jakaw Razorbeak #26 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles  Finally Yellow Claw is a simple filler and another Raptorian. Most maps don’t have much use for Glide, but if you get a good mountain or castle going it is a nice addition. Showing off an order marker to avoid wounds is not a great penalty most of the time but can hinder in the end-game. Special attacks still rip him apart and the 3 life/2 defense is pitiful. Next Week – Centaurs of the Forest. Crew of the Black Swan - Pirate Captain and Crew
Spoiler Alert!
Bio: With Valkrill pulling Monsters and Villains that formally been the sole domain of Utgar, the Valkyrie General had become somewhat desperate in his search for new recruits for his legions. Believing them to be too treacherous and disloyal Utgar had long past over the crew and officers of the Black Swan. Now in his quest for power he has decided to summon the worst Pirates the seas of Earth had to offer. As he gazes into the wellspring, Utgar can see the battered ship about to sink below the waves amidst a storm whose violence is only matched by the ill forsaken crew. In a blaze of light the ship and all aboard find themselves in port of the Volcarren Wastelands. Utgar reflects on the decision that only time can tell if he will regret. This week I present my take on pirates. Before discussing the figures you will notice a theme of Betrayal among these figures. While Disney type pirates can go with any general, I settled on the self-destruction and negative powers and hence the decision of Utgar. This is a ruthless crew that seems like a great bargain at first, but a cold D20 can do your opponents work for them. Captain Blackbeard Figure – Kerdak Bonefist #22 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles  First up is the Pirate of legend – Black Beard. He is clearly the commander of the Pirates, and will be very useful with the next batch of heroes, with his Command Bonding. Additionally his price is balanced by the chance of wounding your own figures with both Pirates Orders and Drunken strike: Pirates of the Black Swan Figure – Arronax Endymion #27 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles, Barnabus Harrigan #17 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles, Pirate Sailor #13 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles, Pirate Smuggler #14 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles, Tessa Fairwind #24 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles  While I am aware that C3V is working on a common squad, these figures were hard enough to track down that I opted for a unique squad. Designing unique squads can be tricky as you need to have a reason for them not to be common. For example common Marro Warriors or Krav would be game breaking. I think the same is true with the Pirates. First they needed to work well with Captains Revenge above. Additionally their ability to run when attacked and not be shot as well as potentially fleeing when engaged can be very powerful. Most importantly a 5 man squad is unheard of in Scape. All this is balanced by the fact that you may simply lose out on attacking for a whole turn while they could potentially fall to melee attack. Wereshark Curse Figure – Wereshark Pirate #12 Skull & Shackles Singles Pathfinder Battles  Finally this week I have The Wereshark Curse. I swung back and forth on making it Unique or Uncommon and settled on Unique for balance reasons. Here you have a Rechets potential of never getting to use the figure since with Pirate Squad you only get 5 chances to summon. Additionally it is literally a shark demanding order markers and attack to avoid self-wounding. It is weak on clean up since a fast hero can keep running until the Wereshark destroys itself. You really have to be careful with placement since the Wereshark will attack friendly figures which is not always possible since it could show up at any time. I also like the synergy with the Werewolf Lord: Next week – Pirate Heroes! Feedback is always welcome. wriggz's custom Figures and Terrain Have a Question? Take it to the Dump. Want to Learn More? Go to the Library. Last edited by wriggz; May 27th, 2022 at 01:24 PM. 
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
Lodin the Kyrie Warrior
Ronin Keji Lunda
Spoiler Alert!
Lodin the Kyrie Warrior Species Kyrie Class Warrior Type Unique Hero Personality Tricky Size Medium 5 LIFE 5 MOVE 5 Spaces RANGE 1 Spaces ATTACK 3 Dice DEFENSE 2 Dice Lodin's Gamble: When the 20-sided die is rolled for a special ablity or power of any figure that you control and is within 4 clear sight spaces of Lodin, you may choose Reveal one unrevealed order marker and re-roll the 20-sided die. The previous value of the D-20 die is disregarded and the new value is used. Lucky Defense After your opponant rolls attack dice when defending with Lodin, your opponant must re-roll all attack dice that show skulls. Lucky Defence can be used only once for each attack roll. Flying When counting spaces for Lodin's movement, ignore elevations. Lodin may fly over water without stopping, pass over figures without becoming engaged, and fly over obstacles such as ruins. When Lodin starts to fly, if he is engaged he will take any leaving engagement attacks. First Up: Ronin Keji Sclupt: The White Robed Samurai Painted Grey with Black Highlights and Red Hair. life 3 move 5 range 1 Attack 4 def 5 points: 90 Species Human Class Samurai Type Unique Hero Planet Earth Personality Tricky Size Medium 5 Hired Sword After taking a turn with a unquie Samurai Squad you may take a turn with Ronin. During this turn Ronin's Move and Attack value are the same as the chosen Squad. Ronin may use all special ablities and attacks listed on Chosen Squad's card for the duration of this turn as if he was a member of that squad. Counter Strike When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from an adjacent attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure. This power does not work against other Samurai. No Allegiance Before taking a turn with the Keji, you must roll the 20 sided die. If you roll a 19 or higher, Keji may not move or attack this turn. (If for any reason you didn't have any other samurai (all samurai are dead, didn't draft, etc) then counterstrike would not be their for ronin to copy, so it is necessary. I also didn't want to add other specials since ronin is ment to "join" a squad rather than be a stand alone figure most of the time.) Second: Lunda Doggin Hunter Unique Hero Tricky Large 4 Life: 4 Move: 6 Range: 1 Attack: 2 Defence: 5 Points: 80 Second Sight: When rolling a 20 sided dice for a medium or large Figure who follows Vydar, you may re-roll the dice once. Blinding Look: When any Unique Hero you control, that is adjacent to Lunda, is targeted for a normal attack from a non-adjacent opponent, you may roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 10 or higher, The targeted figure no longer has any visible hit zones for the duration of the targeting figure's turn. Carry: Before moving Lunda, choose an unengaged friendly small or medium figure adjacent to Lunda. After you move Lunda, place the chosen figure adjacent to Lunda. Thrid: Boshinto Unique Hero Human Samurai Disciplined Medium 5 Life: 3 Move: 6 Range: 1 Attack: 3 Defense: 5 Points: 90 Fient Specail Attack If Bosinto is attacked when leaving an engagement he may defend normally. If he is not attacked he may attack each figure he is leaving engagement with 2 dice. Bosinto cannot attack the same figure more than once a turn. Counter Strike When rolling defense dice against a leaving engagement strike or normal attack from an adjacent attacking figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure. wriggz's custom Figures and Terrain Have a Question? Take it to the Dump. Want to Learn More? Go to the Library. Last edited by wriggz; January 16th, 2010 at 10:46 AM.
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#3
May 30th, 2009, 04:56 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
Question about Ronin. Does he need counter strike? Because according to his first ability he would automatically recieve Counter Strike from any samurai squad you chose.
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#4
May 30th, 2009, 05:13 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
The following two "Customs" are ripe offs of some of the best customs I have seen that fill holes in existing armies. The Ninja I loved the name and "borrowed" it, but i have have no idea from who. The Cowboy is from the Create a Custom group effort a few months ago... so I guess it is public domain. I figure this sight is about keeping my customs in one place until I make the cards and print them.
Spoiler Alert!
Thomas "Tomb" Stone Human Unique Hero Lawman Valient 4 Life, 5 Move, 7 Range, 3 Attack, 3 Defense, 100 Points Posse! Instead of attacking with Thomas "Tomb" Stone, you may move up to 3 Lawmen within four clear sight spaces of Thomas "Tomb" Stone up to four spaces each. Shootout! Instead of Moving Thomas "Tomb" Stone, you may attack normally with upto 3 Lawmen you control within four clear sight spaces of Thomas "Tomb" Stone. Sensiko Human Unique Hero Ninja Tricky Range: 1 Attack: 3 Defense: 3 Move: 6 Life: 4 Points: 120 Invisible Aura When Ninjas you control withing 4 clear sight spaces of Sensiko roll defense dice against an attacking figure who is not adjacent, one shield will block all damage. Sensiko is also affected by Invisible Aura. Ninja Orders When an Order Marker is revealed on Sensiko, you may instead take a turn with any other Ninja Hero you control. Phantom Walk Sensiko may move through all figures and is never attacked when leaving an engagement. wriggz's custom Figures and Terrain Have a Question? Take it to the Dump. Want to Learn More? Go to the Library. Last edited by wriggz; February 2nd, 2010 at 12:27 PM.
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#6
June 1st, 2009, 09:30 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
Interesting. I could see some people using him and others setting someone like Krug or Grimnak right next to him just in case.
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#7
June 1st, 2009, 10:20 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
I like the on my mark ability
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#8
June 1st, 2009, 10:22 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
Huson seems a little cheap. You could roll 12 or more attack dice very easily.
EDIT I do like the power though. You're going to need a bigger table.
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#9
June 1st, 2009, 11:12 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
What if On my Mark, had a limit of say 7 attack dice, would that even things out?
wriggz's custom Figures and Terrain Have a Question? Take it to the Dump. Want to Learn More? Go to the Library.
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#10
July 20th, 2009, 05:11 PM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom - Input Request 20/07
Anti-range Samurai Hero
Spoiler Alert!
Kenish Unique Hero Human Samurai Disciplined Medium 5 Life: 4 Move: 7 Range: 1 Attack: 4 Defense: 6 Points: 150 Disciplined Speed: All enemy figures within 3 spaces and are not 5 levels up or down from Kenish are considered engaged and can be attacked by Kenish's normal attack. Phantom Walk: Kenish can move through all figures and is never attacked when leaving an engagement. Counter Strike: When rolling defense dice against a normal attack from an engaged figure, all excess shields count as unblockable hits on the attacking figure. *** NOTE How does the Disciplined Speed sound? Does this one-line express the fact that all ranged figures within 3 spaces must attack Kenish and face counter strike? That all figures moving 3+ spaces away must take a leaving engagement strike? Is it too weird that Kenish could attack a figure that is behind a tree or wall? I need some help here. Thanks wriggz's custom Figures and Terrain Have a Question? Take it to the Dump. Want to Learn More? Go to the Library. Last edited by wriggz; February 2nd, 2010 at 12:28 PM.
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#11
July 21st, 2009, 10:17 AM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom - Input Request 20/07
Quote:
1. There is a strong precedent that humans' maximum move is 6. 2. I would give Kenish Disengage or Tactical Disengagement 7 and make him have to move into true adjacency when attacking, though figures within 3 spaces would still be considered engaged. That obviates the strange scenarios where he could attack people behind walls and things of that nature. Perhaps an even better power would be one that is similar to Scatter. It would allow Kenish to move X spaces towards any figure initiating an attack within 3 spaces of him (this would be in conjunction with Disnegage or Tactical Disengagement 7). This power seems to achieve the same goal as your version without some of the quirkiness. 3. Disciplined Speed is a very creative ability and a good fit for a Samurai.
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#12
July 21st, 2009, 10:30 AM
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Re: Wriggz's Custom Repaints and Theme Additions
Quote:
Not only that, but he allows them to combine their normal attacks, which can be modifed by height and WTF, against a single figure? They could be rolling an attack of 16 with some regularity. I don't know if you even get that many dice in a master set... Col. Benedict can force your opponent to FORFEIT ALL ORDER MARKERS without so much as a D20 roll? Need I say more?
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