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Soldiers of Valhalla - nominations and discussion

Nordlüng by @Sherman Davies

Nordlüng has received mostly minor changes from Nordlung (other than the addition of an umlaut): slightly reduced range on the long-range special, a slight decrease in height, and a slight cost decrease. The one more impactful change is the reworking of Omnicron Pulse Rifle Special Attack to Shock Rifle Special Attack. Most of what I wrote in my prior review still applies.

The change in the special attack's effect is key to changing my vote from last time. Losing turns is just no fun at all and is highly impactful to a game. Defense reduction is much more modest but still quite meaningful. I don't really get why Jandar Soulborgs are excluded, but whatever. Non-Jandar Soulborg players still hate Nordlüng, and there's still no real mitigation, but they do get to play the game.

The range reduction on the special attack matters too, in a good way. Long-range sniping while flying around is Nordlüng's best use, and the range loss, while small, definitely matters, especially on some maps trying to find a landing spot with his double base. It allows for the opponent to get in close a bit more quickly. That's for the best, I think, and justifies the small point cost reduction.

Nordlüng is fixed Nordlung. I am quite happy with this version.

I vote Yea to induct Nordlüng into the SoV.
 
Shards of She-Kal-Ra Withdrawal: Unfortunately, I expected this outcome. I really like them in concept but that interaction with the stingers is really problematic. I have a few ideas on what you could change SKR's Influence to to make it less problematic. Reach out if you want to hear my thoughts.

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Jan Sobieski Submission and Acceptance for Review: This version of Jan is interesting. I think there might be a bit of a theme breakdown here for me. GDC makes it so he wants to lead from the back and GC really wants him to be on the front lines. It seems like an interesting balancing act to get the maximum value out of all of his abilities. IDK whether that's a good thing or a bad thing yet.

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Jedidiah Mulroney Submission and Removal: I think the Outlaws really need something like Outlaw Ambush. I think the other judges had some really good critiques, I don't have much to add.

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Diorite Defender Removal: Hmm, I understand the downvotes., but I hope to see this guy again. It seems that an off turn movement power would help him. Maybe Gain Higher Ground becomes something like "After taking a turn with an Elementar Army Card you control, you may move Diorite Defender up to 1 space. This space may be up to 4 levels higher." That way he can move on GGs turn.

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Nordlung Basing: I found it really easy to get the right base angle if you make sure he can stand next to the 6-hex glacier. See image below. @HolyDiver you got it backwards.

20220916-130359.jpg


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Ichthius Faction Submission and Acceptance for Review: Oooooo, Cool! A lot to like here but not much that hasn't been already said. :up: if it mattered. FWIW I'm 100% ok with changing Slither to Aquatic or something for non-snakelike water-based units.
 
Vydar_XLIII said:
Nordlung Basing: I found it really easy to get the right base angle if you make sure he can stand next to the 6-hex glacier. See image below. @HolyDiver you got it backwards.

20220916-130359.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, realized that after the fact. :? I may or may not go back and re-rebase him, so far it hasn't really given too many problems. Appreciate the followup though!
 
So...

Rujin and Agrith-Naar submissions were inducted thirteen and seven months ago, respectively.
I wonder how the finalized army cards are coming along... :unsure:
 
One of the cards has been finished for a while but can't be uploaded to the new site yet.
 
What is the process of making the cards like? Is there anything we as players can do to help?

What's the snag with the site? I've been uploading the Renegade official cards when doing Book work without issue.
 
quozl said:
One of the cards has been finished for a while but can't be uploaded to the new site yet.
Click to expand...
Unless it's a different process we've had plenty of cards posted over in C3G land. Like 100s of cards since the new site. Maybe you need more people in the art department? 13 months is a really long wait.
 
Ericth74 said:
Unless it's a different process we've had plenty of cards posted over in C3G land. Like 100s of cards since the new site. Maybe you need more people in the art department? 13 months is a really long wait.
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I think there's a an issue with permissions and/or .pdf size?
 
Brigdhe by @Shadowking

Brigdhe: [rapidly, almost angrily, and in a thick Scottish accent] Arr! Lang may yer lum reek, and may a moose ne'er leave your girnal with a tear drop in his eye! Haste ye back, me lassie!
Agent Nora: [Aside] “What did she just say?”
Kira Jax: “We can’t understand her; she is from the OTHER project.”

Balance
When considering Brigdhe, while it is possible to play her standalone or with Guilty and the Tarn Viking warriors, it is obvious to compare her against other bonding options for the MacDirks and Dreadguls. Brigdhe’s survivability (5 Life + 3 Defense) is fairly standard, if not slightly beefy for a ranged attacker. On threat range (Move 5 + 6 Range) Brigdhe can take potshots at incoming forces while ferrying common squads to the front line. You don’t want to put much stock in her paltry attack of 2, but that is hardly why you draft Brigdhe in the first place.

While Protective Clanmother affords protection for the Dreadguls, Highland Champion is tailor made for the MacDirks. When drafting her as a Champion, at 80 points, Brigdhe competes directly with Thorgrim. Both Brigdhe and Thorgrim offer a protective power, however Brigdhe has the bonus of a ranged attack. Brigdhe is limited in how many wounds she can soak up, but being able to keep MacDirks on the frontline while increasing their attack with Highland fury is a powerful combination. Moreover, as a ranged unit Brigdhe can fall back when the highlanders are sufficiently enraged, a balance that is trickier with her melee counter parts. At 80 points she feels like an equal option, rather than an auto include.
With the Dreadguls, Brigdhe is competing with Gage and Pel for a bonding spot on the team. Brigdhe is unique in that she offers a defensive boon, rather than focusing on attack power. Since the Dreadguls are able to muster 4 attack dice when they forgo bonding, they tend to favour Brigdhe when facing squishier armies. As such drafting Brigdhe really depended on the composition of your opponents’ army, adding to the variety of the faction.

Theme
Perhaps not acclaimed as the rest of the Disney Princess, Brigdhe channels Merida from Brave, continuing the classic tradition of borrowing tropes from pop culture. The parallels steam from her fiery red hair, proud stance and a solid stat box representing competence. Brigdhe’s leadership orientated special powers aligns with the trope of strong female leaders that dot human history. Fortunately, Brigdhe has not been overdesigned, keeping a modest attack, locking her into the cheerleader role.

Creativity
I imagine everyone and their Clanmother has tried to improve the MacDirks with a bonding option without absolutely breaking the Knights of Weston. While Protective Clanmother is fairly “meta gamey” it feels organic on the battlefield following in the prescient of Jim Whitecloud’s Law of Land. It was not an easy feat to give both the MacDirks and the Dreadguls a cheerleader bonding option that naturally fades into the background once the battlelines are drawn. With only 2 attack dice, I wasn’t frustrated at pulling a wounded Highland Champion back from the fray or allow the Dreadguls to let their wild arms fly. Brigdhe seamlessly fits into both armies’ synergy webs, so much so that you would be mistaken believing they were designed as a unit.

Playability
As I’ve been alluding to throughout this review, Brigdhe belongs with one of two common squads. With the MacDirks the key question is whether to choose her for Highland Fury or not. As their chosen champion you can get the MacDirks up to 6 attack dice while shepherding them to the front lines. As a ranged figure she can quickly retreat out of thread range while you continue to activate one of the most threating squads in the game. Alistair is a strong alternate able to close the field after leading with Brigdhe. Sir Gilbert continues to be a strong lead for the MacDirks offering superior move, while Brigdhe acts as a waystation for the squishy Scots.

Brigdhe plays similarly with the Dreadguls protecting them as you develop multiple squads by moving them up the board. The key difference is that once you have the Dreadguls engaged, you can either switch to attacks of 4 dice or develop a more threating figure depending on the resilience of your opponents’ forces. As a cheerleader Brigdhe is competing directly with Raelin for identical points, but Brigdhe has the distinct ability to guarantee the survival of up field Dreadguls, while still applying pressure with her bow. With both squads, Brigdhe excelled when facing lower defense ranged figures, while stronger attackers were more valuable against more stalwart advisories.

Summary
Another bonding options for both the MacDirks and the Dreadguls, Brigdhe brings some welcome cheerleading to both builds without making either overpowered. Fitting naturally into the gameplay of both squads Brigdhe is a welcome addition to either army without overshadowing existing units.

I vote Yea to induct Brigdhe into the SoV.
 
Wulfing Hunters
“Wanting to stay, we go, all beings here on God’s earth, wherever it is written that we go, taking our bodies from death’s cold bed to unbroken sleep that follows life’s feast.” – Beowulf

Balance
The closest comparison for the Wulfing Hunters is the Zettian Deathwings. Both squads only have 2 figures, they both have movement enhancing powers, strong attack options and superior defense against range. There are some obvious differences is playstyle but similar Survivability and attack output suggests that 50 points is in the right range. At 25 points per figure, they are also comparable to common heroes that bond with other common heroes such as the Nottingham Brigand/Beakface Rogue, Drow Assassin and Chainfigther and the various Thralls. While each common hero duo is distinct, they all have potential for above average attacks and stronger than average defense, again putting the Wulfing Hunters in the right ball park.

Looking at the Hunters in detail they have strong survivability against ranged attacks but suffer against melee, hinting at their optimum playstyle. With 2 potential attacks of 4 dice, coupled with disengage, they can reliability wound many heroes and have a greater than 50% chance of destroying most single life squad figures. The most interesting aspect of the Wulfing Hunters is their threat range. While 5 move on melee figures is nothing special, they have the ability to move up the board on opponents turns, move after attacking, and disengage. It is all too easy to develop the Wulfing Hunters up the board, claim high ground and strategically choose their targets, however this movement flexibility is offset by limited attacks per turn and their single life point.

Theme
To really sell the them as a group of hunters, the Wulfing Hunters needed to offer focused targeting while levering advantage against their prey. Stealthy (rather than Evasive) is an intuitive feature of a hunting unit using cover and terrain to mask their approach while synergizing with movement driven by Stalkers. Disengage allows them to choose their target, while Stalkers allows the hunters to move into position. Strike and Fade feels most thematic when used against stronger heroes with the hunting party using hit and run tactics against a stronger opponent or drawing figures into suboptimal position on follow up attacks.
The figures chosen are fitting as a human “wolf clan”, which is reinforced with their playstyle favouring coordinated movement and attacks. While Aquilla would have also been a strong option for general, high manoeuvrability can be loosely associated with Ullar as a call back to the Venoc Vipers and Acolarh carrying Ullar’s Amulet.

Creativity
While I prefer units with few powers, the challenge of making a 2-man squad effective can require increase complexity. For the Wulfings, all 4 powers are simple to understand, with two of them recycled from past units, lowering the cognitive load. Calling back to my review on Olog and Clayton, one of the simplest ways to make a unit effective is to allow free movement outside of normal activations. While moving a unit without revealing an order marker can be game breaking (see pre-errata Deathreavers), tying it to the activation of a single hero keeps the Wulfing Hunters in check. As a consequence of how Stalkers is worded, control heroes like Kurrok, Xandar and Kato Katsuro do not trigger Stalkers preventing the Wulfing Hunters from feeling like pure Assassins. Passive cheerleaders like Raelin are also poor choices for Stalkers, encouraging players to focus on bonding heroes or primary attackers in the vein of a hunting party.

I appreciated that due to their free move, the Wulfing hunters have novel activation timing. With only two figures you don’t want to make the Hunters the bread and butter of your army, but depending on their chosen prey they can be in advantageous attack position well before the endgame, avoiding them being relegated to a clean up roll. Their unique power set allows players to pivot to activating them in the early to mid game. Being able to step into battle after your early attacker have fallen, can mitigate a loosing position or further advance victory.

Playability
As mentioned, I don’t think the Wulfing Hunters excel at being the bread and butter of your army. Throwing 4 attack dice with strong ranged defense is good, but being limited to two attacks per activation cannot compete with most squads in the game. I found myself enjoying playing them as a early to mid game unit, taking advantage of their advanced position as a result of Stalkers, when my initial forces were weakened. Depending on the hero chosen for Stalkers, the Wulflings could even claim Glyphs or harass advancing units, while the core of my army moved up. However, 25 points is high cost for a screen that wilts when engaged (even to ranged fire), so I preferred to flank, and choose valuable/vulnerable targets when activating them.

The Wulfing Hunters benefit from a draft format since swarm armies such as Dividers or Goblin Cutters deny them a target for their keynote power. Fortunately, many armies feature either a lead bonding hero (Sir Gilbert, Marcus, Wildwood Monarch) or a multi attacking hero (Major Q9, Nilfheim, Fen Hydra) which you can choose for Stalkers. I actually found myself enjoying drafting them against Dragons which is fitting given Beowulf’s history. The theme of the Wulfing Hunters really comes alive when they are able to attack a dragon, but fall back with Strike and Fade. With careful planning it is occasionally possible to attack, but limit the defending figure’s ability to re-engage, limit multi attacks from units like Q10 or the Hydra, or simply force melee attackers to attack with disadvantage on reprisals. Strike and Fade can also be used to advance the Wulfing’s position with an effective move of 8 after destroying a screening squad figure.

Moving an additional 4 figures, 3 spaces each turn for the first few rounds’ results in strong board control, but comes at the sacrifice of army cohesion (i.e. drafting another squad to your core army). Playing against they Wulfing’s can feel oppressive in the early game with just how many figures your opponent is moving, especially given their superior defense against range. However, once the battle begins in earnest, the Wulfing’s free move becomes more of an annoyance. Towards the midgame either the chosen hero for stalkers has fallen or the bulk of the Wulfing Hunters have reached ideal position, so Stalkers may only be used to grab a freed glyph or gum up advancing forces. Of course, many bonding armies have drafted an alternative bonding hero, so smart opponents will not often let the Wulfings move 9 spaces in a single round.

The key with the Wulfing Hunters is the timing for activation. You want to be able to switch to them at an opportune time to best leverage their moderate attack and disengage. There is a bit of theme break when you ignore their chosen prey, and choose to use the Wulfing Hunters to attack a cheerleader like Raelin or pick off stray squad figures. However, when hunting a heard the pack may monitor the movements of the strongest Buck while attempting to isolate weaker prey. Then again you might just as often focus on removing the biggest threat and focus directly on Crixus or Grimnak when the opportunity presents itself.

Summary
The Wulfing Hunters present a player with a number of options in-game, able to play in parallel with many core armies. Including them does come at the cost of army cohesion and requires careful order marker management to use them optimally. Their considerable movement options are offset by limited attacks per turn easing possible frustration in your opponent when faced with free movement. While not powerful enough to take out Grendel on their own…

I vote Yea to induct Wulfing Hunters into the SoV.
 
Sounds like you had a good time and really got to engage with a lot of the depth. Thanks for the review.
 
Shiftrex said:
Sounds like you had a good time and really got to engage with a lot of the depth. Thanks for the review.
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It's funny, I avoid looking at designers notes and other reviews to avoid being bias until after I'm done my own write up.

I tried to run the wulfings as a core army a few times before resolving them to a second strike force, even though that suggestion was right in your submission.
 
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