The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries

[Lazy Orang]

The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries

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Comic PDF

Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Dark Knight Rises set.
Its model number and name are #008 / Mercenary.

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls set.
Its model number and name are #012 / Mercenary.

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Iron Man 3 Movie set.
Its model number and name are #05 / Extremis Soldier.
Its model number and name are #105 / Extremis Mercenary.​

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Character Bio - The international criminal underworld breeds all sorts of degenerates - men and women willing to fight and kill for whatever cause they're paid for. Often employed by terrorist organisations such as HYDRA, these soldiers of fortune are a diverse lot, coming from all across the world, and from many different backgrounds - criminal, ex-military, or some simply psychopaths drawn to such work from the beginning. Regardless of their origin, these stone-cold killers generally share certain traits - efficiency, professionalism, and a complete absence of morals or empathy.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• As Mercenaries, Madripoor Mercenaries have these Mercenary Synergies.
• Madripoor Mercenaries can either move or attack when an Order Marker is revealed on a Mastermind, Mercenary, or Terrorist Unique Hero.

Outgoing Synergy:

• N/A

Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses:

• As Common figures, Madripoor Mercenaries interact differently with certain special powers.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• N/A

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: Lazy Orang
• Second playtest: Lord Venoc
• Third playtest: Yodaking
• Fourth playtest: Tornado
• Art: Comic, Figure, Background
• Art by Soundwarp SG-1

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

MADRIPOOR MERCENARIES

HUMAN
COMMON SQUAD (3)
MERCENARIES
MERCILESS
MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 1
MOVE = 5
RANGE = 6
ATTACK = 3
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 95

PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACT
After revealing an Order Marker on the Army Card of a Unique Terrorist, Mastermind or Mercenary Hero you control, you may do either or both of the following:

• Instead of moving with that Unique Hero, move any 3 Madripoor Mercenary figures you control;
• Instead of attacking with that Unique Hero, attack with any 3 Madripoor Mercenary figures you control.

CUT AND RUN 6
At the end of the round, roll the 20-sided die, one at a time, for every unengaged Madripoor Mercenary you control that is not within 6 clear sight spaces of a Unique Hero you control. If you roll a 6 or lower, remove that Madripoor Mercenary from the game.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Figure:

Spoiler Alert!

Figures

Comic:

Spoiler Alert!

Background:

Spoiler Alert!

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Here's where we are right now. I'm sure it will change a bit. I'm happy to rework how their synergy works/divvy up different effects to different classes, but I don't want to cut any of the three classes they're working with now.

 

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

OK, I've been waiting for an opportunity to suggest this. AotP proves that the game designers were eventually going to create Squads with more than one Life. My suggestion for you to consider (since this one has 3 Unique sculpts) is to make them Unique and give them 2 or 3 Life. I know it feels groundbreaking, but AotP proves it can work. Just a thought.
For the record, it would also reign in their interactions since there would only ever be 3 of them.

 

[IAmBatman]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Make it work off their Order Marker and I have no concerns.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

OK, I've been waiting for an opportunity to suggest this. AotP proves that the game designers were eventually going to create Squads with more than one Life. My suggestion for you to consider (since this one has 3 Unique sculpts) is to make them Unique and give them 2 or 3 Life. I know it feels groundbreaking, but AotP proves it can work. Just a thought.

I don't mind the idea, but it feels more 'elite' than I'm going for here - these are meant to be absolute generics. That means Common and no stronger than S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. I like the idea, but this doesn't feel like the place for it - I want these guys to feel like they belong in a similar space to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and Orion Arm Ravagers.
Plus, AotP has special tiny cube wound markers for a job like that... HS wound markers wouldn't fit on a base, and we can't assume everyone has AotP. Also, I imagine I'd get a lot of resistance on that one! It's design space I'd like to explore, but this doesn't feel the place to do it.

 

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

So this, @IAmBatman?

PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACT

After revealing an Order Marker on this Army Card, you may:

• Before taking a turn with this Squad, take an immediate turn with either a Unique Mercenary or a Unique Terrorist you control; or,
• Instead of taking a turn with this Squad, take an immediate turn with any Unique Mastermind you control.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Let me think on this... I might have some ideas percolating.

 

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

OK, I've been waiting for an opportunity to suggest this. AotP proves that the game designers were eventually going to create Squads with more than one Life. My suggestion for you to consider (since this one has 3 Unique sculpts) is to make them Unique and give them 2 or 3 Life. I know it feels groundbreaking, but AotP proves it can work. Just a thought.

I don't mind the idea, but it feels more 'elite' than I'm going for here - these are meant to be absolute generics. That means Common and no stronger than S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents. I like the idea, but this doesn't feel like the place for it - I want these guys to feel like they belong in a similar space to the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and Orion Arm Ravagers.
Plus, AotP has special tiny cube wound markers for a job like that... HS wound markers wouldn't fit on a base, and we can't assume everyone has AotP. Also, I imagine I'd get a lot of resistance on that one! It's design space I'd like to explore, but this doesn't feel the place to do it.

See, I feel this is the place, with an Uncommon Mercenary fitting into the spot you envision this squad fitting. Take into account the power that I rewrote with Bat's suggestion and see how they would interact. I really think this would be golden.

EDIT: Also, I never put the wounds on the base in AotP, I put them on their pictures on the card. We could put a lightly watermarked spot to stack WM on each figure's pic.

 

[Ronin]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Don't like the idea of multi-life squads. Definitely not feeling it here.

 

[IAmBatman]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

It would see a bit odd to me for these mooks to have multiple life and not, say, something heavily armored like Lex Corp Security. I don't terribly mind the idea of a Body Armor type of power that grants a second life (basically marked on the figure) but I'm not sure this unit is the right fit for it.

 

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

I guess I see their specificity implying that they are reknown Mercs (they'd have to be good to survive first Patch, aka Wolverine, then Viper, and now Taskmaster as the law in Madripoor), and them being a legit squad. Maybe this idea is better saved for the Wild Pack.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

I guess I see their specificity implying that they are reknown Mercs (they'd have to be good to survive first Patch, aka Wolverine, then Viper, and now Taskmaster as the law in Madripoor), and them being a legit squad. Maybe this idea is better saved for the Wild Pack.

Madripoor is mostly there to give them a bit more flavour to their name, i.e. Crime Alley Crooks, 5th Precinct Beat Cops, Orion Arm Ravagers etc.. They're basically meant to be a generic merc squad.
That could probably work for the Wild Pack, though, as you said - there, it would interest me.

 

[Spidey'tilIDie]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Yeah, I think I convinced myself too.

 

[Yodaking]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Just need to make sure any bonding has the 'no other turns with other figures language in it' somewhere. I know it's been mentioned before, but it still hasn't been added in. As for the other details, I'm going to give Lazy some latitude here on what she wants to see in terms of theme and mechanics. I know she and I had different visions for the Yakuza, so if she is looking for something quite different than them, put me down for as being on board.

I only ask two things, everyone please take a 2nd look at how Vipers card works and factor her into any suggestions on how bonding should work. She's been sitting On Deck for a long time now so I'm not surprised most people have forgotten about how she works. If she doesn't play well with Madripoor Mercs then that would be a big theme fail, Madripoor is her territory. Taking a second look at the Yakuza wouldn't be a bad idea either if you have not used them in a game yet.

2nd request is to just once again reconsider using that mini with the pistol and camo pants. It is one I already use as a proxy for street thugs, and he just looks like a street gang thug more than a professional merc to me. With minis hitting the shelves every few months, I'm sure another more merc looking option can be found. I'm looking for a more professional soldier vibe, and that figure doesn't do it for me.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Just need to make sure any bonding has the 'no other turns with other figures language in it' somewhere. I know it's been mentioned before, but it still hasn't been added in. As for the other details, I'm going to give Lazy some latitude here on what she wants to see in terms of theme and mechanics. I know she and I had different visions for the Yakuza, so if she is looking for something quite different than them, put me down for as being on board.

I still hope to do a Yakuza Unique Squad at some stage to stand beside yours and as an homage to the Classicscape Samurai squads of yore at some stage - not high on my list of priorities, but if others are cool with it, it's something I'd like to see.
I do appreciate that, chap.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

Okay, I've been having a really hard time working out how these guys would effectively work with Viper if the OM goes on their card or they have the usual 'no extra turns' language stuck on. Her main attraction is being a bonding partner for a Merc or Assassin if the OM is on their card. Plus, I don't want it to feel too much like generic squad bonding, which I feel it might easily start to. As such, how about this as a sort of synthesis of my initial concept and the adjusted idea:

PRIVATE MILITARY CONTRACT

After revealing an Order Marker on the Army Card of a Unique Terrorist, Mastermind or Mercenary Hero you control, before taking a turn with that hero you may take an immediate turn with a single Madripoor Mercenary you control. After revealing an Order Marker on this card and after taking a turn with the Madripoor Mercenaries, you may take a turn with any Unique Terrorist, Mastermind or Mercenary Hero you control and may not take any additional turns with other figures you control.


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So, they can partake in chain-bonding (which I do like since it allows them to fit into those groupings), but only one of them can be activated if you do that, or you could use them as more of a full bonding squad.

 

[IAmBatman]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

So worst chain bonding would be ...

Red Skull: Order Marker, Single Madripoor Mercencary takes a turn, Bodyguards move instead of Red Skull, Cosmic Cube goes off, he uses normal attack and has a good chance of activating another Unique Hero OR he has the Hired Guns attack

Deadpool: Order Marker, Single Madripoor Mercenary takes a turn, Deadpool takes a turn, Viper takes a turn.

Does that seem about right?

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

So worst chain bonding would be ...

Red Skull: Order Marker, Single Madripoor Mercencary takes a turn, Bodyguards move instead of Red Skull, Cosmic Cube goes off, he uses normal attack and has a good chance of activating another Unique Hero OR he has the Hired Guns attack

Deadpool: Order Marker, Single Madripoor Mercenary takes a turn, Deadpool takes a turn, Viper takes a turn.

Does that seem about right?

Yep, that's about right.
First one is pretty good but really no worse than just using HYDRA Agents (giving up a turn with 4 of them and Red Skull's movement for 3 Bodyguards moving and a Merc being activated). You could use the Hired Guns in that situation instead, but that cedes Red Skull's attack and becomes at worst on par with Black Mask II's chain. The second one isn't that bad, either.

 

[IAmBatman]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

You can't use Bodyguards on a HYDRA Agents turn because Bodyguards require the Order Marker reveal on the Mastermind or Crime Lord. Same with Hired Guns.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

You can't use Bodyguards on a HYDRA Agents turn because Bodyguards require the Order Marker reveal on the Mastermind or Crime Lord. Same with Hired Guns.

I think that's what I just said....
I was mostly making a point that it was really no worse than the HYDRA Agents anyway.

 

[IAmBatman]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

OK. You're saying it'd be like if you could activate one HYDRA Agent on Red Skull's marker.

 

[Lazy Orang]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

OK. You're saying it'd be like if you could activate one HYDRA Agent on Red Skull's marker.

I'm saying that one Merc, Red Skull and three Bodyguards moving instead of Red Skull is no more powerful than 4 HYDRA Agents plus Red Skull. I'm also saying that one Merc, 3 Bodyguards moving, Cosmic Cube and the Hired Guns attackin is no stronger than the 3 Bodyguard, Hired Guns, Criminal Hero turn Black Mask (vII) can give you, particularly once the Cube is tweaked.

 

[Yodaking]

Re: The Book of Madripoor Mercenaries - Design Phase

You don't have to bend over backwards trying to chain Viper with her Merc/Assassin right hand man/woman and the merc squad. The Yakuza don't chain together and I still draft them all at once. It gives you options, I reveal the OM on Silver Samurai and I can bond with Viper or a Yakuza, which ever one seems like the best move at the time. Then after the Silver Samurai goes down, when I reveal OM's on Viper I can still bond her with any Yakuza that are still in play.