[Pod 2] Vlad III (Sorin) - Editing

[Captain Stupendous]

The Book of Vlad III

Arena of the Valkyrie Master Set

Pod leads: @flameslayer93 @Captain Stupendous
Pod members: @Alexandros @Zetsubo @Skinderella @NecroBlade @Astroking112




Printer-Friendly PDF

Species = Human
Unique Hero
Class = Lord
Personality = Sadistic
SIZE = medium 5

LIFE = 5
MOVE 5 / BASIC
RANGE 1 / BASIC
ATTACK 4 / BASIC
DEFENSE 4 / BASIC

125 POINTS

IMPALEMENT 13
After moving and before attacking, choose any small or medium figure adjacent to Vlad III. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 13 or higher, the defending figure cannot roll defense dice if attacked by Vlad III this turn.

HORRIFYING DISPLAY
After taking a turn with Vlad III, if Vlad destroyed at least one figure, you may move each enemy squad figure engaged with Vlad up to 1 space, if possible. Any figures moved with Horrifying Display take any leaving engagement attacks that apply. Figures with the fearless personality are not affected by Horrifying Display.

The figure used for this unit is

Character Bio:

Spoiler Alert!

-Rulings and Clarifications-
TBA

-Combinations and Synergies-

Synergy Benefits Received
TBA

Synergy Benefits Offered
TBA

-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-
TBA

[Owlman]

Here's a card I made a way back. I personally love his current name "Sorin" (Not really big on the eternal thirst part), and I'm all for him to being an Esenwein!

(Or perhaps he could be a rival Vampire, mebbe one who fights for Vydar, since Vydar's had a little Undead too!)

Let's bounce idea's around, guys!

[Astroking112]

Just popping in to offer some thoughts on Sorin!

I get that the sculpt looks like a vampire, but he's one of the few historical opportunities that we have in this box, so I wanted to bring up my idea of turning him into

Vlad the Impaler

Vlad the Impaler

again. This was the rough draft that I posted in the Pre-Brainstorming Thread about a year ago, for reference:

Vlad III

Human
Unique Hero
Count
Cruel

4 Life
5 Move
1 Range
3 Attack
4 Defense
70-90 Points

Paralyzing Stare 13
After moving and before attacking, choose any small or medium figure adjacent to Vlad III. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 13 or higher, the defending figure cannot roll defense dice if attacked by Vlad III this turn.

Gore
If Vlad III inflicts one or more wounds on a Unique Hero with a normal attack, you must place 1 additional wound marker on the defending figure's Army Card.

The idea is that Gore symbolizes the torture and cruelty that Vlad was known for without fiddling with an aura of fear or other complex mechanics, and Paralyzing Stare is just downright nasty to heroes with that combo. Lower stats allow for a lower point total, too, since the majority of our units are hovering around 100 points right now.

Anyway, I just wanted to bring up the possibility of a take on Vlad again in case the idea was buried by the passage of time. Given that Vlad III inspired the tale of Dracula, I think that the pale-skinned Sorin looks like a great opportunity for a loose take on the character.

Feel free to pick anything out of that draft if it sticks. I look forward to seeing what y'all come up with in any case.

[Owlman]

Nice idea! Tbh, I really feel he should be a vampire, and at the bery least have the Lifedrain ability, especially since his face is super pale, too. Unless we did a historical/fiction version, call him "Vladmir Dracula" perhaps...? Like he's back from the grave hundreds of yrs later!

EDIT: I really like that Paralyzing power. Vampire 101.

[Owlman]

What about something like this?




OORrrr....Instead of "Whirlwind assault", if we really wanna go full out Dracula, how about something like this:

Superhuman Assault: After moving, when Vladmir Dracula makes an attack, he may continue to use the rest of his movement, if any, after the attack resolves. (Vladmir Dracula must legally be able to end his movement.) Or something like that...that would jack up the price though.


:evilgrin:

[flameslayer93]

Sorin doesn’t need to be a vampire. We still have a very good vampire oppurtunity in Lily.

[Zetsubo]

My initial thoughts were a Vydar Vampire, but that's more of a Sorin conversion. I think we should stay away from making him a vampire (not a fan of Lily as a vampire either, but that's not up to me) to make him something unique.

I like the idea of basing him off of Vladimir "Dracula" Tepes, but maybe not directly turning him into the historical figure. A brutal but effective warlord that demoralizes his enemy.

[Heroscaper Guy]

I mean honestly after trying to think on theme all day, the best way to represent stakes outside of markers (which I dont think is the way to go), is just have the enemy team be horrified and take a bit to go through. Just change the name of the air elys Vortex power. Then maybe do like a brutal leader or something like that and have where once a round you can sacrifice a figure to give a boost to all figures on that army card (for the turn maybe).

[flameslayer93]

I can see him being a particularly brutal warlord. Nothing wrong with that.

Gore + Attack Aura 1 (from Finn/Gilbert) makes sense for a Master Set, since it's simple and effectively portrays a jerk of a man. It also shouldn't tread too much on MDG/Finn/Gilbert's turf because they all have secondary purposes that really make them distinct.

One special note about him being a vampire though, as @Astroking112 over in the discord pointed out*, he will need to sufficiently different from existing vampires in scape. Otherwise it will just end up feeling like a Cyprien clone, which nobody really wants.

Of the 'Scape Vamps, we have these themes:
Full Aggro: Cyprien
Cheerleader: Sonya
Abomination/Filler: Marcu
Summoner: Iskra
Necromancer: Nicholas

Nicholas ties a bit into Cyprien's aggro territory with overextend, but doesn't get 2 "attacks" per turn like Cyp does. When I originally drafted a design for the mini, I designed him with undead supremacy (+1 to all undead d20 rolls) and a ranged special attack (hellfire). Since that scheme probably isn't needed in this MS, I won't propose it should be an option. We're already going to have ranged heroes, and probably at least 1 more special attacking unique hero.

*I accept no liability for mistaking who said this.

[Owlman]

Ok, lemme take another stab at a vampire and also warlord human type figure here...be back soon!

[Owlman]

Here's what I got:



Ruthless Warlord
Once per Round, when a Squad figure you control who follows Utgar misses a normal attack roll within 8 clear sight spaces of Vlad Tepes Dracula, you may choose to immediately destroy that Squad figure. If you do, all other figures you control who follow Utgar may add +1 to their attack dice for the remainder of the Round.

Terrifying Presence
All Squad figures you control within 4 spaces and clear sight of Vlad Tepes Dracula subtract 1 from their defense dice.

My thinking was make him a good bargain for his points, but at the same time there's a drawback if you keep Squad figures behind to guard him.

Should we perhaps make it so any Squad figure can be destroyed, or just Utgar figures? Also not sure of his point cost either for what he does right now. 110 is just a guess. He's a warlord so the romans will have a filed day with him lol

[Owlman]

And here's an undead version of him too, which I like a little better, tbh:



(We could make this a warlord too, either way instead of vampire)