Well, I actually got out the Xacto blade and rebased Kaelex. He looks pretty good though I was worried that I was going to slice off his feet : P
Play-testing proceeded ...
After playing against the Templars of Ascalon on Friday, I decided to get them into the action again.
EINAR:Saylind
Baron Sebastian
Templars of Ascalon x3
Richter
vs
UTGAR:Commander Kaelex (100)
Mistress Isadora
Alpha-Prime Enforcers x4
Drow Chainfighters x4
Dumetef Guard x2
Zettian Guards
Map:
Round 1:
Einar OM1, 2, 3 – Templars OMX – Richter
Utgar OM1, 2 – Kaelex OM3 – Isadora OMX – Zettian Guards
Initiative: Einar (15, 13)
Forced March works well to move 3 Templars onto the road.
OM1: Saylind moves out on OM1 and summons a Templar within 1 space of a glyph. The Templars go and the squad reveals a Glyph of Wounding. Utgar responds with 1 of each guard (Dumetef, Chainfighter, Enforcer) moving up and angling toward the occupied Wound glyph.
OM2: Saylind flies forward but misses the Summon. Still she takes out a Dumetef using height advantage. Templars move up from the start zone. Drow Chainfighters advances but misses the grab on Saylind. A second Chainfighter also misses the grab which would have pulled Saylind close to the enemy start zone. An Enforcers moves up but cannot attack.
OM3: Saylind engages a Chainfighter, misses her summon and her target rolls a 20 for hide in darkness. A Templar on the road moves up to help and rolls 3/3 on skulls to take out the lead Enforcer. Mistress Isadora springs into action but fails to Imprison the Templar on the glyph. Her normal attack does destroy a Templar.
Wound Glyph places a wound on Commander Kaelex
Round 2:
Einar: OM1, 2, X – Templars OM3 - Richter
Utgar: OM1, 3 – Kaelex OM2, X – Isadora
Initiative: Utgar (19, 7)
Forced March fails, wound on The Baron
OM1: Both Chainfighters miss their grab on Saylind, so the Kyrie is safe. Third guard to go is an Enforcer who makes it up to height to slay the Templar on the Wound glyph. Saylind risks a wound to leave engagement (and takes a skull) but she lands on the wound glyph. She doesn’t wound the Enforcer but pulls in a Templar who rolls 3/4 skulls to take out the soulborg guard. Another Templar reaches a Unique Attack glyph.
OM2: Isadora imprisons a Templar and Enforcers move up to support. Saylind leaves the wound glyph for a height + unique attack shot at Isadora. She rolls 3/5 skulls and Isadora takes 2 wounds (leaving her with 1 life). Saylind does succeed at summoning Richter (who lands on the Wound glyph).
OM3: Chainfighter moves up and grabs Richter off the wound glyph but doesn’t inflict any damage. Chainfighter # 2 is engaged with a Templar but Saylind is within 3 spaces and gets a lucky grab to pull her down and hit the kyrie for 2 wounds. This clears the path for an Enforcer to sneak up and land on the Wound glyph. Richter takes a step forward to be engaged with a Chainfigher, Isadora, and the Enforcer on the Wound glyph. I try the Lightning Hammer SA but roll 2/4 skulls. The Enforcer rolls 2/5 shields to block so no additional attacks.
Wound glyph activates and 1 wound goes on Richter.
Isadora rolls a blank and her imprisoned Templar ‘escapes.’
Round 3:
Einar: OM1, X – Templars OM2, 3 - Richter
Utgar: OM1, 2, 3 – Kaelex OM X - Isadora
Einar wins initiative (11, 5)
Forced March succeeds which moves 2 Templars into engagement
OM1: Saylind moves to height, rolls a 20 to summon and 5/5 skulls against a Chainfighter. Bam! Templars just miss destroying Isadora and an Enforcer but do kill a Chainfighter. This leaves the Zettian Guards, Kaelex, 1 Dumetef, 2 Enforcers and 2 Chainfighters. Utgar moves up Guards to support (way out of position).
OM2: Richter starts his turn engaged so no Bionic Leaping but how about 4/4 on Lightning Hammer to destroy an Enforcer, then 3/3 shields against Isadora. A Chainfighter moves up to engage Saylind and a Templar but can also chain-grab Richter. It works and the Drow throws a wound on the Bionic Gladiator. This leaves an opening for a Dumetef to run up and take an attack on Richter from the road. I roll 5/5 skulls and Richter rolls 1/5 shields – which destroys him! An Enforcers rolls 3/3 skulls against a Templar on height, who doesn’t defend. Weird swing in the battle.
OM3: Richter is destroyed, so Utgar goes again. Chainfighter misses a grab but takes out another Templar. Enforcers slides up to the Wound glyph and takes out a Templar on height. Dumetef moves up to Saylind but doesn’t inflict a wound.
Wound glyph damages The Baron.
Round 4:
Einar: OM1, 2, 3 – Templars OMX – The Baron
Utgar: OM1, 2, 3 – Kaelex OMX – Isadora
Utgar wins initiative (17, 15)
No attempt at Forced March
OM1: Chainfighter pulls down Saylind for a wound, and Dumetef advances up the hill to attack a Templar. No wounds however after a nice 3/4 shields on defense. Saylind takes out the Drow and then a Templar sneaks in a 3/5 attack on the last Enforcer to take it down.
OM2: Poor positioning of a Chainfighter has him out of line of sight for Kaelex to activate. I move up the Commander to get a better view but a 2/3 skulls is blocked by a Templar on height. Saylind flies up to engage the Commander and summons the Templar off of the Unique Attack glyph (which was clear across the board, and I only have 3 Templars left). Saylind fails to wound Kaelex. The summoned Templars inflicts 2 wounds on Kaelex (who now has 1 life left), another Templar lands on the Wound glyph but those Templars cannot take down the Dumetef.
OM3: Chainfighter can now be seen by Kaelex and jumps in to help. Chain grab works to pull a Templar free of the Commander (who will then be unable to engage Kaelex) so the Drow takes a shot at Saylind but is 0/4 on the attack. Dumetef takes out the Templar on the Wound glyph. Saylind fails to summon a Templar adjacent to her to attack Kaelex but rolls 2/4 skulls and Kaelex only responds with 1 shield. This activates Deadman’s Switch and I roll a perfect 3/3 skulls. A figure can only receive 1 wound from Deadman’s switch and Saylind is the only figure adjacent to Kaelex – but 1 wound is enough to kill her. I could blow up my remaining 2 guards and kill the last 2 Templars .. which leaves a 1 life Isadora and 2 Zettian Guards against a 3 Life Baron Sebastian. Since the Templars are going to go next – this seems logical so Boom! the explosives go off.
Round 5:
Einar: OM1,2,3, X – The Baron
Utgar: OM1 – Isadora OM2,3,X – Zettian Guards
Einar wins initiative (14, 9)
No Forced March
OM1: Baron Sebastian heads to height and rolls 3/5 skulls against Isadora (who has 1 Life). The Soulborg Warden gets lucky and rolls 3/6 shields. Whew! She’s up next and slides over the Wound glyph and hopes to Imprison Sebastian. She rolls a 4 and then nothing on her normal attack.
OM2: Sebastian strikes back with with 2/5 skulls but it is enough to end the Warden. Zettian Guards move up and take a few shots at the Baron to no effect.
OM3: Hard decision. Sebastian can land on the Wound glyph and have a 95% chance to kill a Zettian Guard at the end of the round - but then he needs to survive a round of attacks, or he can advance and take a 5 attack versus 7 defense shot on one Zettian. With 3 Life left, it seems the
Valiant option. He rolls 3/5 skulls but the Zettian blocks perfectly. The Zettians move to even ground and fire back – 1 skull then 3 skulls. Sebatian blocks the first attack but then rolls 0/4 on defense and is taken down by the Zettian Targeting computers.
Utgar wins with 70 points remaining.--
Thoughts:The "Guard Army" is probably much more balanced with a Hero having those activations. Kaelex basically sat back and held the OM's for the team though Isadora snuck in a few activations. In hind-sight, the Warden 816 would have been much better for the +1 Move bonus. If I had more Enforcer figures, I would have swapped out 2 other guards for them since Isadora needs more support.
Commander Kaelex did have one turn where he was out of position for the line of sight restriction on Guard Patrol. It was a good balance.
The big game-changer was the Deadman's Switch (a la "Dying Swipe") when Kaelex was destroyed. It was pretty awesome, though a 3/3 as a perfect detonation of the power was probably the main reason for the change in the tide of the battle. In most situations 1 skull would have at least taken out Saylind but having to destroy a Dumetef and a Chainfighter to guarantee a kill on the remaining Templars was great for an "end-game" power. Since Kaelex is going to stay back - it is likely that there won't be many guards remaining to blow up .. but it was an impressive power.
FORM:
- Spoiler:
NAME OF THE TEST UNIT: Commander Kaelex
THEME TEST: Are there are any powers or stats on the test unit card that do not accurately reflect the theme or likeness of what the character should be able to do? Also consider whether or not this character's powers should affect destructible objects.
PASS.
FUN TEST: Was the unit fun to play?
PASS. Very fun to get the Dumetefs and Chainfighters rockin' on the battlefield. The double-chain grab is particularly awesome, since one drow can grab and attack, and another drow could potentially grab the same figure and strike again. This is very nice against glyph holders.
FUN OPPOSITION TEST: Was the unit acceptable to play against? Could it be considered annoying?
PASS, but The Guard army is powerful on the right terrain. Chainfighters with dungeon or shadow are very effective in multiples and Dumetefs on Road are nasty (5/5). With Warden 816 and the +1 Move the Guards are swift and deadly but not more annoying than lots of Wait-then-Fire shots.
USAGE TEST: Were all of the powers on this card used, or at least usable?
PASS. All powers were used and are usable. Deadman's Switch was potent in the end-game and might need the 'special attack' avoidance clause at the Frost Giant has but Deadman's is more limited (only 1 wound from the power).
STRATEGY TEST: Does the unit offer any real strategy or interesting tactics to the overall game?
PASS. New ways to think of using Chainfighters and bringing in other Guards. The Enforcers are the weakest Guards for "attack" value but they are stronger on defense. Since the Enforcers aren't required for Guard Bonding I could see less of them in a true Guard army. They are now more likely to be supportive to Wardens and Soulborg heroes.
BONDING TEST: Compare the unit card with all currently existing Bonding abilities. Are there any Bonding loops that do not stop appropriately?
PASS. No loop.
SYNERGIES TEST: Think of all the current cards that would have synergy with the unit card. Are there any factors that could break the game by making a unit too powerful or too weak?
INCONCLUSIVE. It is conceivable to have Kaelex and 16 Drow Chainfighters for a 500 point army. That is 3 chain-grabs per turn and 16 or higher for Hide in Darkness against normal attacks. With good Line of Sight, that is pretty sick, and requires some play-testing (though I don't think we have more than a dozen Chainfighter figures across all three of our collections : )
POWER CHECK: When considering the test unit against all existing units (including released C3V and SoV units) and all glyphs, are there any powers that could be overamplified and break the game?
PASS, but again multiple chain-grabs can be powerful, but they are sort of like 3 Warforged figures performing 3 tactical switches. Though in this comparison the Warforged can only Switch a single figure once, but multiple Warforged can attack a figure that has been switched. Point wise, you can have 9 Warforged soldiers for 240 points versus Kaelex and 6 Drow Chainfighters to match the same number of Attacks per Order Marker (225 points).
DRAFTING TEST: Is this unit worth drafting?
PASS.
MIRROR TEST: Consider the test unit against itself. Are there any loops that would upset the balance of the Game?
PASS.