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Q - What is Play-Testing? A - Play-Testing is a term used to describe what people do to "test" a new game or game component simply playing the game through a series of prescribed tests to check for brokenness or game compatibility.
Q - Who can Play-Test? A - Anyone can Play-Test.
Q- How do I know what to play-test? A- The current list of figures ready to playtest are linked to the top of this post.
Q- How do I play-test? A- Here is a detailed list on how to play-test each Design type.
Spoiler Alert!
The following are the minimum requirements for Playtesting.
Figure Design: 2 Playtesters are required. Each test should be done on a BoV map. Each playtester should complete a Full Feedback Sheet (see link) that includes detailed reports of the following tests: five tests versus heroes of the same or close to the same point cost (can either be one "heavy hitter" or two mid level heroes), one test versus a squad of the same or close to the same point cost, and 2 army tests with the tested Design as part of an army battling another army of the same point cost.
Q - Are there any hints, tips, or guides on how to Play-test? A - This post can be very helpful in listing a few things that you should look for when Play-testing.
Spoiler Alert!
CHECK LIST FOR FIGURE UNITS
- THEME TEST/ Check to see if there are any powers or stats on the test unit card that does not accurately reflect the theme or likeness of what the character would and could do. Also consider destructible objects, and whether or not this characters powers should affect them. - MIRROR TEST/ Check to see if the unit were played against itself, if there would be any loops that would upset the balance of the Game. - BONDING TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing Bonding abilities to make sure there are no continual Bonding possibilities that do not stop appropriately or do not stop at all. This is to prevent loops in Bonding. - SYNERGIES TEST/ Compare the unit card with all possible currently existing synergies to make sure there are no factors that could break the game by making any unit to powerful or too weak. - POWER CHECK/ Consider the test unit and all existing units and all glyphs to compare to and check for any powers that could be over amplified and break the game. Each power must define when it takes place, who or what it affects, and What are the stipulations on the power if there are any.
- FUN TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play.
- FUN COMPETITIVE TEST/ Consider whether or not the design was fun to play against. - DRAFTING TEST/ Consider whether or not this design is worth drafting. - USAGE TEST/ Consider whether or not all of the powers on this card were used or at least usable. - STRATEGY TEST/ Consider whether or not the design offers any real strategy or interesting tactics to the overall game.
PLAY TEST LIST FOR FIGURE UNITS
When play testing, each separate section below must be done individually and played on any BoV map of your choice. If the test unit has a power or powers that are specific to Lava terrain, you must test play on this map, Fire Isiles, per section. If the test unit has a power or powers that are specific to Tundra terrain, you must test play on this map, Arctic Divide, per section.
Do not use any other Heroes of Fiction customs that have not been finalized when playtesting, you may only use Official Heroscape cards to test against the single unit you are working on. Do not use any glyphs when play testing.
- HEAVY HITTER TEST/ Play 5 games with the test unit card against a single Hero that will have the same approximate cost as the test unit. If the test unit is 300 points or more, 2 of these tests must be against 2 or more mid-level Heroes that once combined, equal the Hero that you are testing. Some suggestions are, but not limited to, Crixus, Hulk, Krug, Superman, or Darkseid.
- SQUAD TEST/Play a single game with the test unit card against a squad or squads that will have the same approximate cost as the test unit. Some suggestions are, but not limited to, Stingers, 4th Mass., Knights of Weston, or Kyrie Sentinels.
- ARMY TESTX2/ Create a competitive army using the test unit as a base, and then play a single game with the test unit in a competitive army against another competitive. Both armies should have the same approximate point cost, 600 is a great competitive point range. A suggestion is, but not limited to, Superman and Batman (600 points). Be sure to run this test twice, using different armies in each game.
Q - How do I document my play-test results? A - Here is aLINKto a download. This download is a form that should be filled out when playtesting units.
Q - Where do I post my Feedback Form when I have completed it? A - Post your results in this thread.
Q - Do I need to use Order Markers and other conventions of the game (like initiative rolls) when I do Heavy Hitter and Squad tests? A - You need to play both the Heavy Hitters and Squad tests like a normal game. Meaning, you don't just roll for initial initiative and then just go back and forth alternating turn. You use OM's like normal. So if the tested unit had the last turn in one round, if he wins initiative, he can have first turn in next round.
Q - How in depth should my feedback be? A -
Master Playtester Hahma from C3G said:
I keep a notebook with me when testing and I write every turn down when testing. You don't have to, but you should at least jot down a note here and there to acknowledge certain points during a test that might be important. If either team wins because of winning most of initiatives to get advantage, that's worth noting. If either team rolls unusually good attack or defense, that's worth noting. Anything that might be worth the readers of the test sheet needing to know to get a better idea of the events during the test can be noted. If nothing else, keep some notes so that if someone questions your test results, you can go back and say, "well this happened that was unusual or that happened, or so in so had height advantage throughout the game or whatever." That can help people judge test results better.
Also, here is a Document that can help organize your playtests and keep track of each event.
Q - Is it possible to play-test on my own without an opponent? A - Yes. See below.
Spoiler Alert!
What you need to do to Solo-Scape is to decide before beginning that you will not change the results based on what you want. So if you roll a 20 for Mind Shackle, then you must honor those results. Also, there are many times in competitive games where predicting your opponents Order Marker placement is a huge factor. Since you "know" where your "opponents" markers are because you are your "opponent", you will need to exercise some selective memory. Don't try to remember where the orders are, instead, role play as yourself. By this I mean, you should make a decision that you believe you would make if you did not know what the "opponent" is thinking. Also, it is important when rolling for initiative to have a system for knowing when a team is rolling. What I do is I always assume that the first Initiative roll is for the "unit" that I am testing. Another method would be to use two separate colored D20s, one color for each team. Lastly, and my favorite, you should set the mood in your Scapeing environment. What I like to do is test at night when my kids are asleep, then I turn on some music or a comic cartoon, and I put some drinks and snacks out. I also set up right next to my computer so I can type as I play or right after I play a game, that way the results are fresh in my mind and my test sheet is accurate.
Feel free to ask any questions on Playtesting, as we will be dealing specifically with the ins and outs of Play-testing here.
Again, I want to thank C3G for putting together this comprehensive and easy to use Play-Testing turtorial. You can find a list of all of their figures here.
I think we should get some playtesting done before we card the figures. Testing is the best way to make sure the points are correct.
I'm working on some TrekScape projects then should have some time to do some tests. I was even able to pick up the Phantom Knights to have some undead to test Simon Belmont against.
Very nice card for Simon mac...heres the temporary one I made up. Includes the hitzone for my current proxy..the drow chain fighter. I love playing scape but I dont have a lot of time to play that often so I am hoping to get to play this coming weekend.
OK, I am not totally finished playtesting Simon yet, but since I probably won't get to play again for at least a week and a half I will go ahead and post what results I do have. I tested him several times against each opponent just to minimize "luck-of-the-roll" as much as possbile.
NAME OF THE TEST UNIT: Simon Belmont
-THEME TEST: Pass
-MIRROR TEST: Pass
-BONDING TEST: Pass
-SYNERGIES TEST: Pass
-POWER CHECK: Not sure yet.
-FUN TEST: Pass
-FUN COMPETITIVE TEST: Not sure yet
-DRAFTING TEST: Not sure yet
-USAGE TEST: Pass
-STRATEGY TEST: Pass
-HEAVY HITTER OR MID-LEVEL HERO TEST 1
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Cyprien Esenwein Simon wins on turn 2 of round 2 with no wounds. Cyprien wiffed quite a few defense rolls and didn't get Chilling Touch on any of his turns.
TEST 2
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Cyprien Esenwein Cyprein wins on turn 2 of round 2 with 7 wounds; a very fun and very close game.
TEST 3
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Cyprien Esenwein (one more time) Simon wins on turn 2 of round 2 with 2 wounds
TEST 4
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Tandros Kreel Tandros wins on turn 2 of round 2 (are you noticing a pattern here) with 4 wounds.
TEST 5
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Tandros Kreel andros wins on turn 3 of round 2 with 4 wounds
TEST 6
Map: Quasatch Playground
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Tandros Kreel Tandros wins on turn 2 of round 3 with 2 wounds. Simon wiffed every attack roll for round 2.
SQUAD TEST TEST 1
Map: QP
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Stingers x2 Gee, take a guess who won Stingers win on turn 1 of round 2 but Simon did take out a full squad first
TEST 2
Map: QP
Units: Simon Belmont vs. KOW x2 KOW win on turn 1 of round 2; Simon took out 2 knights
TEST 3
Map: QP
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Zombies of Morindan x2 Simon wins turn 1 of round 3 with 4 wounds
TEST 4
Map: QP
Units: Simon Belmont vs. Zombies x2 Zombies win on turn 1 of round 2 with only 1 zombie destroyed. I changed strategies for this game and they tore Simon up.
TEST 5
Map: QP
Units: simon Belmont vs. Zombies x2 Simon wins on turn 1 of round 3 with 1 wound. I tried the same strategy with the zombies as in Test 4 but I saw a hole in it and Simon slipped through that hole and decimated the zombies.
Conclusion so far:
Against undead Simon rocks! The Sense Undead ability is an awesome advantage. It almost didn't matter who won initiative. With both Cyprien and the Zombies, strategy was the winner of the day so I think he is well balanced against them. Simon definitely is worth his points against them each, especially against Cyprien who is 150 points vs. Simon at 120.
What keeps him at 120 even though he can beat Cyprien in a match up is that he isn't all that great against non-undead; at least not yet. he didn't win a single match-up against non-undead units. So far this makes him a great counter draft hero.
For the army test these are the armies I will be playing when I get a chance:
Simon Belmont 120
KOW x2 140 4th Mass x2 140
400 points (can anyone say All Valiant Defense Bonus)
(Test results subject to change after army tests)
-THEME TEST: Pass
-MIRROR TEST: Pass
-BONDING TEST: Pass
-SYNERGIES TEST: Pass
-POWER CHECK: Conditional Pass. I don't see a problem here, but I am in no way a Heroscape scholar. There may be something I've missed.
-FUN TEST: Pass
-FUN COMPETITIVE TEST: Pass
-DRAFTING TEST: Pass and Fail. Pass vs. Undead and Fail vs. Living
-USAGE TEST: Pass
-STRATEGY TEST: Pass
Battlefield: BoV Fossil
Test 1: Simon vs. Phantom Knights Simon wins easily taking only 1 wound.
Spoiler Alert!
Simon wins initiative and moves toward the Knights. Simon chooses not to use Sense Undead as it would allow all the Knights to engage first turn. Two Knights engage but can't score a hit on Simon. Simon stays engaged but moves for height and cuts down a Knight. Having good position, Simon again does not use Sense Undead. One Knight scores a hit. Simon destroys a second Knight. Simon wins initiative and takes out the last PK.
Simon wins with 1 wound taken.
Test 2: Simon vs. PK's x2 2 Squads of Phantom Knights win with 2 figures remaining.
Spoiler Alert!
PK's win initiative and Simon uses Sense Undead to move up a level. PK's move to higher ground. Simon swoops in a takes out the PK in the center. Sense Undead allows SB to move in position to minimize engagement possibilities. 2 PK's engage and score 1 wound. SB eliminates the PK blocking his retreat avenue. Sense Undead allows Simon to move for height, but takes a wound in the process. 2 PKs engage. The first whiffs but the second scores a wound. The PK successfully blocks Simon's attack.
Round 2: Simon wins initiative, but can't risk 2 leaving engagement strikes. Simon does eliminate one PK. Simon uses Sense Undead to remain engaged with a PK but gain height - this also put him out of range of one remaining PK. Simon cuts down one PK. With 4 wounds, Simon can't risk taking a strike using Sense Undead so he remains in place. PK6 joins PK5 in attacking Simon. Simon only blocks 1 of 3 skulls and falls to the Phantom Knights.
Phantom Knights x2 win with 2 figures remaining.
Simon vs. PK's x2 - the rematch Simon wins with one wound to spare.
Spoiler Alert!
PK's win initiative and Simon uses Sense Undead to gain a level. PK's move cautiously toward Simon. Simon uses his move to gain another level and position himself where only 2 PK's can engage. PK's position themselves so all are in movement range of Simon who waits in position. To avoid height disadvantage, only 1 PK engages and attacks Simon. Simon successfully defends against the attack. Simon rolls 4 skulls and quickly defeats the PK.
Round 2: Simon wins initiative but chooses to remain in his defensive position. 2 PK move to engage. The first whiffs and the second is blocked. Simon attacks and destroys 1 PK. Another PK engages. Both engaged PKs attack. The first misses, but the second rolls 3 skulls. Unfortunately for Simon, he rolls all skulls, too. 3 hits on Simon. Simon destroys another PK. On their last turn, another PK replaces his fallen comrade. Simon successfully defends against both attacks.
Round 3: Simon again wins initiative and quickly strikes at a PK, destroying it. The last 2 PKs now engage and attack Simon. The first scores a hit, but Simon defends against the second. Simon destroys his 5th PK. The last Knight attacks Simon but misses. Simon misses on his last turn this round, as does the PK.
Round 4: It comes down to initiative. Simon wins again and destroys the last PK.
Simon wins with one wound left.
Thoughts: Simon is extremely tough against Undead, but not invulnerable. Vampire Hunter all but makes it a sure kill, but swarming squads can overwhelm him. Not sure he's playing up to 120 pts. Tests against a Non-Undead squad may shed more light.
Simon Belmont vs. Nakita Agents Nakita win losing only 1 figure.
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1: Simon wins initiative and moves for height and cover. Nakita move to use range. Only 1 can target Simon, but that 1 scores a wound. Simon maneuvers attempting to engage a Nakita but cannot reach her. The Nakita move to strike. This time 2 Nakita have Simon in range. One misses, the other scores 2 wounds. Simon moves to engage a lone Nakita but pays with an Engagement strike wound. The Nakita pays with her 1 Life. The remaining 2 agents move in range. The first scores more wounds than needed to finish off Simon.
Nakita Agents win with 2 figures remaining.
Thoughts: Simon, like many melee heroes falters against ranged squads.
Simon Belmont vs. Agent Carr Agent Carr wins with one life remaining
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1: Carr wins initiative and moves for height. Simon moves around the flank to stay out of range. Carr moves in range for a shot but misses. Simon moves to engage Carr, but stops short to use Whip and scores two wounds on Carr. Carr engages and uses his Sword of Reckoning but scores only 1 wound. Simon scores 1 more hit.
Round 2: Carr barely wins initiative again and strikes. 5 skulls to 1 shield spells doom for Simon.
Agent Carr wins with only 1 wound to spare.
Simon vs. Carr – the Rematch. Agent Carr wins with 1 life remaining, again.
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1: Carr continues his initiative streak and moves toward Simon. Simon moves toward the other side of the battlefield to stay out of range. Carr moves closer and takes a shot but Simon blocks. Simon moves close enough to use Whip and scores a hit. Carr engages with height and scores 3 wounds. Simon moves to Carr’s level and scores 2 more wounds.
Round 2: Beginning to suspect Carr is using a loaded d20 as he wins initiative yet again. Sword of Reckoning lives up to it’s name as it fells Simon yet again.
Carr wins with 1 wound to spare again.
Simon vs. Cyprien Esenwein Cyprien wins with one life remaining.
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1: Simon wins initiative and moves for height just out of Cyprien’s flight range. Sense Undead allows Simon to move a few more spaces away. Cyprien flies toward Simon. Simon moves within Whip range and attacks causing one wound. Cyprien moves to engage and attempts Chilling Touch, but fails. Simon also successfully defends against Cyprien’s attack. Staying engaged, Simon moves for height and strikes. Cyprien moves to the same level and attempts Chilling Touch, but again is unsuccessful, as is his attack.
Round 2: Cyprien wins initiative. Chilling Touch fails, again, as does his attack, again. Simon strikes and inflicts 2 wounds. Cyprien finally scores a wound with Chilling Touch and a wound with his attack. Simon hits again, putting Cyprien one wound away from being destroyed. Chilling Touch hits for 2 wounds then Cyprien’s 3 skulls to Simon’s 2 shields ends the match.
Cyprien wins with one wound to spare.
Thoughts: So far, Simon Belmont seems worth his 120 points against Undead figures. He lost to Cyprien, but with a 30 point advantage, that should not be unexpected. He split the 2 games vs. the Phantom Knightsx2. I would definitely draft him if I knew I was facing Vampires or Zombies. Against the living, Simon will most likely watch from the sidelines.
Powers:
Sense Undead very thematic and useful. Whip came in handy when trying to avoid engagement. Vampire Hunter definitely a great ability against Undead.
If we want Simon to be a counter against the Undead, we're on the right track. If we want Simon to be a more "well-rounded" figure, we're going to have to tweak the stats. Maybe a double attack in exchange for a reduction in the Vampire Hunter to 1 less defense die (just a thought).
Hope to have at least one army test done tomorrow evening. Well, that didn't happen. I'm trying to carve out some time to finish this playtest and hope to have the army tests done by this weekend.
Since there's not a huge amount of enthusiam for playtesting, let's only require two playtests per custom. Anyone else that chooses to playtest can choose The Doctor or Agent J.
Army tests for Simon Belmont
Using Panopticon's Burial Marsh (not a BoV map, but has a nice variety of terrain, elevations, and LOS blockers)
Test 1: Simon, AE, Charos, Greenscales vs. Fen Hydra, Phantom Knightsx2, Stingersx2, Grok Riders.
Round 1: AE fail to drop. Simon's army wins initiative. Charos and Greenscales begin their moves toward the enemy as does a squad of Stingers. Charos and Greenscales can't reach the Stingers, so they maneuver toward the shadows to set up defensive positions. The Stingers move and 3 have a shot on Charos. However, a 1 on Stinger Drain stops them in their tracks. Turn 3 sees Simon and the Hydra move toward the battle.
Round 2: AE drop fails again. Simon's army wins initiative. Charos flies to attack the Hydra from height, but the attack is blocked. The Greenscales swarm the nearby Stingers and kill 2. Stinger Drain fails but does not kill a Stinger this time. Unfortunately for the Stingers, they don't kill anything either. On turn 2, Charos again attacks the Hydra but again cannot score a hit. Greenscales eliminate another Stinger. Stinger Drain finally works and the Stingers strike at the Greenscales killing 1. Simon continues toward the battle. The Hydra kills a Greenscale and puts a wound on Charos, then on its 3rd attack misses and takes 2 wounds from Counter Strike.
Round 3: AE successfully drop. Hydra's army wins initiative and the last 2 Stingers move to shoot at the last Greenscale. The first misses but the second finds his mark. The AE move up and engage a variety of targets, killing a Stinger and a Grok. The last Stinge kills one AE. Grok Riders move toward the battle. Simon finally enters the fray and kills the final Stinger. 3 Phantom Knights move into battle, the first failing to hit an AE the second and third score 2 hits on Charos.
Round 4: Hydra's army wins initiative. The remainder of the PKs move to battle and 3 attack. One kills an AE, a second scores 2 wounds on Charos, but the 3rd falls to Counter Strike. The AE strike, hitting Hydra for a wound but missing a Grok rider. The PKs strike, killing the last 2 AE. Charos misses his attack on the Hydra (again!). The PKs strike Charos, and 2 pay with their un-lives. Simon does what he does best and destroys a PK.
Round 5: Hydra's army again wins initiative. The Grok riders move to engage Simon to keep him away from the PKs. 1 scores a wound. Charos finally kills off the Hydra. The PKs try to kill Charos but they fall to Counter Strike (as does OM2). Simon kills the adjacent Grok Rider then on turn 3 Whips the last Grok, ending the game.
Simon's army wins with Simon (1 wound received) and Charos (6 wounds received) remaining.
Simons army wins with Simon and Charos remaining. Simon was able to use Whip on a few non-undead figures and was able to use Vampire Hunter on one Phantom Knight. His presence did cause the opposing forces to adjust their strategy to minimize Simon's chances against Undead figures. Simon definitely plays up to his 120 against this type of army. If time permits later tonight, I'll try it against an army with no Undead figures.
Simon Belmont army test 2 - Opposing army has no Undead figures
Panopticon's Burial Marsh
Simon Belmont, Syvarris, Brandis Skyhunter, Warriors of Ashra, Greater Ice Elemental vs. DW9000, DW8000, Zettian Guards, Deathstalkers, Deathreavers, Dumutef Guard
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1: Soulborg army wins initiative and the Rats move out. Syvarris moves toward height and attacks the Rats, killing 1. Scatter allows the surviving Rats to move toward the archer. 2 Rats engage and attack Syvarris, but are blocked. Brandis moves toward height on the other end of the battlefield. The Deathstalkers move out. WoA move out to assist Syvarris. Their first attack misses and Scatter allows all Rats to engage Syvarris. The second Warrior hits and kills a Rat.
Round 2: Simon's army wins initiative and Syvarris strikes at the Rats engaging him, but misses. The Deathstalkers advance. 1 engages Syvarris and another engages Syvarris and a WoA. The first misses, but the second Mauls the archer for 3 wounds. WoA advance and engage 2 Deathstalkers. No shields means 2 dead Deathstalkers. The last Deathstalker engages and kills Syvarris. The WoA strike and kill the last Deathstalker and a Rat. The last Rat Scatters to engage Simon, then attacks Simon inflicting a wound.
Round 3: Simon's army again wins initiative. Simon strikes at the Rat, killing him. DW9K advances and hits Brandis for 1 wound. Simon moves forward. DW9K gains height on Brandis and kills him and OM3. DW8K moves toward the fight
Round 4: Simon's army again wins initiative. GIE moves toward the Deathwalkers. DW9K attacks but misses the GIE. GIE engages DW9K and attacks; DW9K defends successfully. DW9K whiffs his attack. GIE makes the Soulborg pay for that error: 5 skulls beats 4 shields. Zettians move to support DW8K. One gets a shot off against GIE but misses.
Round 5: Initiative - Simon's army. GIE engages DW8k and attacks. GIE has become a regular DW killer and takes out the second large Soulborg (and OM1). WoA move toward the Zettians. The Zettians attack GIE and inflict a wound. Simon follows the WoA. The Zettians again attack the GIE and inflict another wound.
Round 6: Simon=Initiative. Simon closes on the Zettians. The Zettians attack GIE again but miss. Simon moves to engage a Zettian and attack - no hit. Zettians return fire against Simon, hitting for 1 wound. Simon attacks again - a Zettian falls. Dumutef Guard engages GIE - Ice Spikes misses - and the Guard attacks but misses.
Round 7: The initiative streak is broken and Dumutef maneuvers to road space and attacks GIE hitting for 1 wound. Simon Whips the last Zettian but misses. Dumutef attacks but misses GIE. Simon tries Whip again but misses again. The Zettian attacks but misses again. Simon moves and Whips the Zettian once again, misses again.
Round 8: Zettian/Dumutef win initiative again. Dumutef attacks GIE taking the ice monster down. Simon maneuvers for height against the Zettian and attacks but is blocked. Dumutef turns his attention to Simon, but Simon defends agains the creature. Simon strikes Dumutef with 4 skulls, but 4 shields out of 5 block the attack. The Zettian hits Simon for his 3rd wound. Simon strikes Dumutef yet again but again is blocked.
Round 9: Z/D win initiative again. Dumutef attacks Simon. Simon rolls no shields against the 3 skulls of Dumutef. Simon falls having fought bravely.
Due to the lateness of the hour and the fact that Simon was no longer in the game, I suspended play.
Simon fell in the 9th round of a real slugfest. He seemed to acquit himself decently against an army with no Undead figures. I still don't think he quite plays up to his 120 point cost in this sort of situation, but I feel if we lower his points, he would overpowered against the Undead.
OK I finally got to do the army playtest for Simon.
The results... inconclusive.
I won't go into too many details but out of 3 games Simon never made it past the third round (in 2 games he didn't make it past the 2nd turn of the 2nd round). However, this had nothing to do with Simon's stats. It was all because of the dice.
The Armies:
Simon Belmont
KoW x2
4th Mass x2
Cyprien
Zombies x2
Stingers x2
Isamu
For clarification in the following, I do not classify a "bad" roll (i.e. rolling only one shield when you need 4) as a wiff. To me, a wiff is when you roll absolutely nothing of what you need.
Out of the 3 games Simon was attacked a total of 8 times. He completely wiffed his defense roll a total of 4 out of those 8 (in one game he had 4 wounds and was rolling five defense dice against 1 skull- wiff, then he was dead).
Out of the 3 games he attacked a total of only 4 times (because he kept dying before he could really do anything) and he wiffed those attacks a total of 3 times- yes, he completely wiffed 75% of his attacks.
So, after three dismal games I gave up in frustration with my rolls for Simon. Simon's performance had nothing to do with his design.
It is the Lamaclown Curse in action. My friends just sort of snicker every time I pick up any of the dice because they know I will roll all skulls....... if I am defending
If I base it on just the previous tests I concur with mac122- he is most draftable against an army that has undead in it.
Based on those tests: Simon Belmont: PASS @ 120 points.
I hoping to get something done with Dr. Who this week so I can try out Agent J in the near future. I just finished cleaning off my game table (trying to get more organized yeah, right) so it's clear for a new map build.
Dr. Who playtests: The Doctor vs. Heroes
Had to try out the home-made Thaelenk Tundra I just finished, so all battles were on Arctic Divide from the BoV. Played with normal ice and light snow.
The Doctor faced off against Sir Denrick, Agent Carr, and Syvarris, winning all 3 matches. Carr was the only opponent that came close to defeating The Doctor.
No glyphs were used for the Hero battles, so Sonic Screwdriver did not come into play.
Brilliant was amazingly effective. If I counted correctly, Brilliant was 13/15, obviously well above probabilities.
Run! helped the Doctor control the game and usually set up an attack with Brilliant.
The Run!/Brilliant combo was much more effective than I had imagined. IMO, even if Brilliant's rolls had been closer to the 50/50 you'd expect, Run! still would have helped the Doc and prolonged the game long enough for Doc to whittle away with Brilliant.
I know it's only the Hero tests, but at this point, Dr. Who looks a little underpriced at 100. If time permits, I will have some squad tests posted tomorrow evening.
Spoiler Alert!
Dr. Who vs. Sir Denrick
Round 1
Denrick wins initiative. Denrick and the Doctor both begin their trek to the middle of the battle field. The round ends with both jockeying to make the first strike.
Round 2
Initiative – Denrick. The Doc has kept just out of Denrick’s move range, so Denrick moves to ensure that The Doctor can’t get height. Doc moves in range and attacks with Brilliant scoring a wound. Denrick engages and attacks. Run saves the Doc from taking a wound. Brilliant hits Denrick again. Denrick attacks again. Run fails this time, but Doc defends successfully. Brilliant misses.
Round 3
Doc wins initiative and strikes with Brilliant and hits again. Denrick strikes and Doc Runs. Brilliant scores a 4th wound. Run again saves the Doc. Denrick is finished off with a 5th Brilliant strike.
The Doctor wins taking no wounds.
Dr. Who vs. Agent Carr
Round 1
Carr wins initiative and moves around the flank. Doc moves toward the middle. Turn 2 sees more maneuvering. Turn 3, Carr gets close enough for a shot and hits for a wound – Run fails. Doc uses Brilliant to return the favor.
Round 2
Doc wins initiative and hits with Brilliant. Sword of Reckoning deals 4 wounds…hold it, the Doc runs. Carr argues with the judges to no avail. Brilliant hits yet again. Sword of Reckoning hits for 3 wounds and… Run fails! Doc uses Brilliant one more time to deal the final wound on Carr.
Dr. Who wins with 4/6 wounds.
Dr. Who vs. Syvarris
Round 1
Initiative: Syvarris. Turns 1 and 2 see maneuvering with Syvarris moving around the flank then toward the middle. Doc initially moves to the right flank then backtracks toward the ruins on the left. Syvarris moves in range and takes a shot. If not for Run, Doc would have taken 2 wounds. Run allows Doc the safety of the ruin wall. Doc can’t get close enough to take a shot with Brilliant, so he moves further behind the ruin to block Syvarris’ LOS and force the archer to move closer.
Round 2
Initiative: Syvarris. The elf moves cautiously to his left, making sure to stay out of range for Brilliant. Doc moves to his left keeping glaciers between him and Syvarris. The elf moves and takes a shot at Doc’s leg but misses. Run sends the Doc scurrying behind a glacier again robbing Syvarris of his second shot. The round ends with Doc scoring a hit with Brilliant.
Round 3
Initiative: Syvarris. Syvarris moves for height and takes a shot. Run again saves Doc – glacier again prevents a second shot. Doc moves out of hiding and hits with Brilliant. Syvarris shoots, Doc runs, no second shot. Doc pops out of hiding and misses with Brilliant. Syvarris shoots. Same story, Run saves the day. Doc hits for a third wound with Brilliant to end the round.
Round 4
Initiative: Syvarris. FINALLY, Syvarris hits for a wound and Run fails. Run fails for the second shot, but Doc defends. Doc misses with Brilliant. Syvarris amazingly gets 2 shots at Doc, again. Run fails both times but plenty of shields for Doc prevent damage. Brilliant ends the match.
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Dr. Who Squad Tests and 1 additional Hero test
BoV Map: Arctic Divide
Dr. Who is a squad-killing machine. The Run/Brilliant combo proved super-effective again.
The Snipers were able to score 3 wounds thanks to some failed Run rolls, but Brilliant denied defense rolls and took them out relatively quickly.
Brilliant was just as effective against the Krav - especially since Stealth Dodge didn't even come into play.
I did finally find someone around 100 points who could take out the Doctor 1 on 1 - The Feral Troll. His Regenerate ability constantly removed the one wound that Brilliant could inflict. The Doctor's only chance was to gain high ground and hope for 2 skulls with each normal attack. The only other option was for the Doctor to continually move around the battlefield not allowing the Troll to engage then wait for boredom to set in with the players.
Spoiler Alert!
Dr. Who vs. Omnicron Snipers Round 1
Snipers and Doc maneuver through the first two turns. The Snipers get one shot on turn 3, hit for 2 wounds, and Run fails. Doc uses his last turn to take cover behind a ruin wall. Round 2
Snipers again win initiative and move to surround the Doc. Doc moves out of cover on the far side and attacks a Sniper with Brilliant and takes it out. The remaining snipers move to take shots at the Doc. The first scores a wound when Run fails, but Run works on the second attack. Doc uses his Run move then his regular move to close on a Sniper and hit with Brilliant. The last Sniper moves to the same level and attacks, Run works again. Doc moves to use Brilliant but misses. Round 3
Doc wins initiative and hits the last Sniper and hits with Brilliant.
The Doctor wins with 3/6 wounds.
Dr. Who vs. Krav Maga Round 1
Krav win initiative. Maneuvering for all 3 turns. Krav spread out across the battlefield while Doc heads for a ruin wall. Gambling, on his last turn, Doc moves to a position to be able to strike a Krav should he win initiative. Round 2
The gamble pays off as Doc wins initiative. Brilliant misses, though. Two Krav set up for shots. Two successful Run rolls allow the Doc to slip away. Doc eliminates a Krav with Brilliant. One Krav scores a wound as Run fails. The second Krav misses as Run works. Brilliant scores again. Run fails but Doc defends against the last Krav’s attack. Round 3
Krav win initiative, but Run keeps Doc from taking a wound. Brilliant takes out the last Krav.
The Doctor wins taking only 1 wound.
Dr. Who vs. Feral Troll Round 1
Doc wins initiative. Maneuvering…blah blah blah. Round 2
Troll wins initiative, but still can’t quite reach Doc. Brilliant scores a wound. The Troll engages and attacks. Run fails and Doc takes a wound. Troll regenerates. Doc moves away. The Troll follows. Brilliant misses. Round 3
Initiative: Doc. Doc moves to high ground and hits with Brilliant. The Troll engages, Run fails, but Doc defends. Regenerate removes a wound from the Troll. Doc chances disengagement to move behind the ruin wall, and doesn’t take a wound. Doc’s only chance against the Troll is to gain high ground and try for two wounds per turn. Troll moves toward Doc. Doc gains high ground and waits. Troll moves closer. Round 4
Doc wins initiative. Brilliant hits. Troll engages Doc who defends against the attack. Regenerate removes the wound. Doc hits for only one wound. Troll attacks but Doc engages again. Wound removed. Doc takes his 2nd wound. Height advantage doesn’t help Doc who scores only one soon to be removed wound. Another wound for Doc from the Frenzied Troll. Round 5
Unless Doc can start hitting for 2 wounds per turn, he will soon be dead. Troll wins initiative and scores 2 more wounds. Doc whiffs his attack. The Troll grants Doc a swift death.
Even with the Troll's success, at this point, I still think Dr. Who is either underpriced or overpowered. I'm going to try to get an army battle in tonight before bedtime.
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Army Test BoV map: Arctic Divide. Glyphs: Nilrend and Wannok Dr. Who, Agent Carr, Sir Denrick, Omnicron Snipers, Krav Maga vs. Sonlen, Syvarris, Major Q10, Feral Troll A long, 10 round battle came down to Dr. Who vs. Major Q10. Doc didn't have the amazing success with Run or Brilliant this time around, though it did keep him and some of his friends in the game longer. The Doctor is vulnerable to specials that place a wound without an attack. Sonlen's Dragon Swoop was able to hit Doc on occasion. Feral troll fell before having a chance to go after the Doctor.
Spoiler Alert!
Round 1 Sonlen’s army wins initiative. The Troll uses all 3 OMs to reach a glyph. The Troll reveals Nilrend, a special gift for Doc. The d20 roll is only 2 – no negation. Snipers use OMs 1 & 3 to intercept and score 2 wounds, while the Krav use OM2 to move toward the second glyph. Round 2 Initiative: Sonlen. The Troll engages a Sniper, killing it, and Regenerates a wound marker off his card. The Snipers knock out the Troll (and OM2) with 2 Deadly Shots from height. A Krav moves and takes the Glyph of Wannok. The other 2 take up defensive positions. Sonlen begins a move toward his left flank. Snipers use OM3 to take up defensive positions. Round 3 Initiative: Sonlen. Sonlen continues his maneuver to the flank. Carr moves to intercept. Q10 begins his move around the right flank – Machine Pistol kills the Krav on Wannok. Denrick follows Carr. Syvarris follows Q10 and takes shots at another Krav – Stealth Dodge saves the day. Doc follows Carr and Denrick. Round 4 Initiative: Doc. 1 Krav takes Wannok and a shot at Q10, but misses. The second Krav shoots at Syvarris and scores 2 wounds. Q10 takes 4 shots at the Krav on Wannok with Machine Pistol, but again Stealth Dodge makes the save. Snipers move into range of Syvarris and score a 3rd wound. Sonlen moves in behind the Snipers. Dragon Swoop takes one down and 4 skulls from his normal attack kill the last Sniper. One Krav finishes off Syvarris, the other attacks Q10 but fails. Machine Pistol still can’t get through Stealth Dodge. End of round roll for Wannok: 5. Sonlen takes the wound. Round 5 Initiative: Doc. Doc moves in Sonlen’s direction. Dragon Healing fails then Sonlen moves in range of Doc. Dragon Swoop fails as well. Sonlen attacks Doc. Run fails and the Doc takes 2 wounds. Carr moves to engage Sonlen. Sword of Reckoning scores 2 wounds on Sonlen. Dragon Healing again fails. A 14 means Dragon Swoop fails again, too. Sonlen attacks Carr, scoring 2 wounds. Denrick moves toward Sonlen but can’t quite get in range. Q10 can’t buy a hit on the Krav holding Wannok. End of round roll for Wannock: Q10 takes the wound. Round 6 Initiative: Sonlen. Dragon Healing removes a wound from Sonlen. Dragon Swoop hits Carr for his 3rd Wound. Sonlen doesn’t roll enough skulls to finish off Carr. Doc moves into range of Sonlen and Run range of his friends. Brilliant hits Sonlen. Healing fails, but Swoop places another wound on Doc. Carr falls to Sonlen’s normal attack after Run fails. Denrick engages Sonlen and hits for 1 wound. Q10’s Machine Pistol finally cuts through Stealth Dodge and kills the Krav on Wannok. Denrick puts the 5th wound on Sonlen. Round 7 Initiative: Doc. Just one little skull to finish off Sonlen with Brilliant, but no, Sonlen survives. Healing fails as does Swoop. Denrick takes 2 wounds from Sonlen’s attack. This time, Brilliant hits and Sonlen falls. It’s now Q10 vs. Doc, Denrick, and 1 Krav. Q10 moves in range of Denrick, but all shields prevent any wounds. Doc moves against Q10, but Brilliant fails. Q10 attacks Doc with Wrist Rocket. Run sends Doc and Denrick scurrying behind glaciers, robbing Q10 of his second attack. Round 8 Initiative: Q10. In the previous round, Denrick was unable to stay within Run range of Doc. 4 skulls on Wrist Rocket prove too much for Denrick and he falls (Denrick had OM1, hoping to use his boosted attack against the Large Soulborg). The second attack targets the last Krav. Stealth Dodge saves her. Q10 engages the last Krav and uses Wrist Rocket. The Krav rolls just enough shields to thwart the attack. Doc attacks with Brilliant but misses. Q10 stays engaged to the Krav but gains the same level. Wrist Rocket attack 1 defeats the Krav. Wrist Rocket attack 2 misses as the Doc Runs. Doc again misses with Brilliant to end the round. Round 9 Initiative: Doc. Brilliant hits for Q10s second wound. Doc’s Run roll fails, but he defends successfully against Wrist Rocket. The second WR fails as Doc Runs. Brilliant pushes Q10 to the brink of destruction. Wrist Rocket fails and Doc Runs again. Doc’s Brilliant roll fails on OM3. Wrist Rocket hits Doc for 2 wounds when the second Run roll fails. Next wound ends the game. Initiative roll will probably decide the outcome. Round 10 Initiative……Q10. 4 Skulls for Wrist Rocket 1. Run roll…..FAILS! 2 shields. The Doctor falls after a valiant fight. Well, he did run away frequently, so maybe valiant isn’t the right word.
Edit:
Random thoughts...
... Dr. Who would be absolute murder against the Deathwalkers.
... High-life heroes and Negation may be the best defense against the Brilliant/Run combo.
After all the tests, I still believe Doc is underpriced. Maybe not as much as I originally did. Somewhere around 120, maybe slightly more. Hopefully someone else will get a chance to test the Doc and perhaps that will give us a better handle on the points.
I'll add my Theme Test thoughts tomorrow evening. Too late tonight...head tired...eyes heavy...almost dozing off at keyboard...
I used Mad Wookie's Kaltengeist map for these tests. It's not BoV, but it is a well-designed map with many LOS blockers and challenging terrain. I found it a little tough on double space figures, but it was a fun map.
I pitted Agent J against Sir Dupuis, Major Q10, Kaemon Awa (2 battles), and the Fen Hydra. Though beat up, J defeated bothe melee figures. The ranged heroes, however, handed J his lunch. The multiple, ranged attacks were too much for J in these one-on-one tests.
Taunt and Neuralyzer did not come into play in these tests. Neuralyzer may see some testing vs. squads, but Taunt likely won't see action until the army tests.
Early thoughts: I know it's only the hero tests, but J doesn't feel right. One-on-one fights should be where he shines (think J vs. the Bug at the end of the original movie). Though, that was a melee fight and J did well in those tests.
Spoiler Alert!
Agent J Playtests
Mad Wookie’s Kaltengeist
Hero Tests
Agent J vs. Sir Dupuis
Round 1
Initiative: J. By the second turn, J moves in range and fires the Angry Cricket scoring 1 wound without taking damage. Dupuis engages with height but his attack is blocked. J disengages (no leaving engagement damage) and moves to a same height hex and fires the Cricket again scoring 1 more wound and not taking damage. Dupuis engages but his attack is blocked again.
Round 2
Initiative: Dupuis. J again defends against Dupuis attack. Noisy Cricket hits Dupuis for 2 more wounds, but this time J takes a hit as well. Dupuis can’t seem to roll more than 1 skull and J successfully defends against the knight’s attack. J’s Noisy Cricket roll whiffs (3 shields, 2 blanks) and he takes another wound himself. Dupuis rolls 3 skulls! However, J rolls 3 shields and again blocks the attack. Noisy Cricket hits Dupuis for his 5th wound and J takes no damage.
Round 3
Initiative: Dupuis. Dupuis finally breaks through J’s defense and scores a wound. With height, J rolls 4 skulls to Dupuis’ 2 shields to finish the match.
Agent J wins with 1 wound remaining.
Agent J vs. Major Q10
Round 1
Initiative: Q10. Q10 moves toward the middle of the map behind the large glacier. J is able to move to his right and get a shot off, but Q10 defends. Q10 advances and attacks with Wrist Rocket, inflicting 2 wounds. J rolls 3 skulls with Noisy Cricket, but Q10 rolls 4 shields. J takes 1 wound from the Cricket. Wrist Rocket misses J. J moves to height and takes a normal shot, but Q10 defends.
Round 2
Initiative: J. J shoots and hits Q10, inflicting 1 wound. Wrist Rocket finishes the match.
Major Q10 wins with 3 wounds remaining.
Agent J vs. Kaemon Awa
Round 1
Initiative: Awa. KA moves to his left. J moves to his right, gets in range and hits Awa for 2 quick wounds. Awa responds with Quick Release and hits J for 2 wounds. Noisy Cricket is blocked, then J adds injury to insult by rolling a skull and taking a wound. Quick Release finishes J.
Kaemon Awa wins with 2 wounds remaining.
Agent J vs. Kaemon Awa rematch
Round 1
Initiative: Awa. Awa moves up but stays behind a glacier. J moves to his right and into a shadow tile. Awa moves in range and uses Quick Release, hitting J twice. J moves up for height advantage, but his normal attack is blocked. Awa moves to the same level and hits J one more time with QR. J’s normal attack is again blocked
Round 2
Initiative: Awa. Quick Release makes quick work of Agent J.
Kaemon Awa wins taking no wounds.
Agent J vs. Fen Hydra
Round 1
Initiative: Hydra. Hydra moves forward, trying to keep some LOS blockers between him and J. J finds a spot to squeeze off a long-range shot and hits for 1 wound. Hydra moves behind a glacier. J follows but his attack is blocked. Hydra uses the road bonus to engage J and gain height advantage. J takes 2 wounds. J moves up 2 levels and attacks, but Hydra defends.
Round 2
Initiative: J. J rolls 2 skulls with his normal attack. Hydra whiffs his defense roll and takes 2 wounds. Hydra’s 1 remaining attack is blocked. J uses Noisy Cricket and hits the Hydra for the last wound.
Thanks for the great report and analysis, mac.
Now that I am finished with the other rather ambitious and time consuming HS project I had been working on, I hope to test some of these figs myself.
) with 4 wounds.
yeah, right) so it's clear for a new map build.