THE NEXT LOST TWENTY

Hey, folks. I took many months, but I finally got around to loading the stats for The Next Lost Twenty (completed in late 2010) into the customs database. You can find the set here:

http://www.bloomilk.com/Custom/Set/1036/the-next-lost-twenty

Here's the setlist:

1-Gryph
2-Admiral Saul Karath
3-Darth Zannah
4-Captain Fordo
5-Master Tholme
6-Alto Stratus
7-Tycho Celchu
8-Admiral Daala
9-Jerec
10-Joruus C'Baoth
11-Ben Skywalker
12-Saba Sebatyne
13-Celeste Morne
14-Chief Chirpa
15-Vergere
16-Watto
17-Cassus Fett
18-Demagol
19-Supreme Overlord Shimrra
20-Yammosk

BALANCE OF POWER

In addition, I am reviving one of my old virtual set ideas from the Wizards of the Coasts boards. The set is called Balance of Power, and is geared toward helping out the "lesser" factions. It will be a 40-piece set, and is very much a work in progress.

Right now, I have rough drafts for 16 of the 40 pieces (and any of them could be cut before the set is finalized). I'd be happy to get feedback and have discussion on these pieces. If enough people are interested, I'll see if the admins at the SW Customs Database forums can open up a sub-forum for the set.

You can find the work-in-progress set here:

http://www.bloomilk.com/Custom/Set/1038/balance-of-power

Here's where the setlist currently stands:

Admiral Forn Dodonna (R)
Echaning Dueling Master (U)
Gryph (R)
Krynda Draay (V)
Tarsus Valorum (V)
Darth Maladi, Hologram (V)
Hanharr (R)
Sith Officer (U)
Duchess Satine (R)
GenoHaradan Operative (C)
Wookiee Laborer (C)
Death Watch Assassin (C)
Death Watch Engineer (U)
Mandalorian Rally Master (U)
Mandalorian Royal Guard (C)
Yuuzhan Vong Master Shaper (U)

Please offer feedback, suggestions, etc! Thanks!

If you click on the links, it should take you to the custom sets. The Next Lost Twenty is final (although it was being worked on at the same time as DotF, so some of it is already outdated).

Balance of Power is a work in progress, and I'd love feedback on the individual pieces, as well as suggestions for rounding out the setlist. The focus will be on the Old Rep, Sith, and Mandos, with a lesser emphasis on the Vong and Seps, but I want at least 1 piece for each faction (although they might also help the "lesser" factions: for example Duchess Satine, as currently statted, is Rep with Affinity for the Mandos).

Quite a setlist, Surf! (Out of curiosity, which mini were you using for the Gand Bodyguard?)

As I add more pieces, I'll definitely be checking out your list (as well as the V-Set wishlist threads, which have already given me a few new ideas...).

Since I know it can be a pain to click into the sets, here are the stats for the 16 piece I currently have drafts of, including design notes:

OLD REPUBLIC

Admiral Forn Dodonna (16)
Hit Points 50
Defense 15
Attack 6
Damage 10
Rarity: Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Saviors of the Old Republic (For the rest of the skirmish, Unique Old Republic allies gain Bravado 10)

Commander Effect
Non-Unique followers within 6 squares gain Impulsive Shot. Allies named Old Republic Recruit gain Rookie.

Design Notes: I’ve been fiddling with different versions of Forn Dodonna for years. This is similar to the one that I had in the last version of Balance of Power. Stat-wise, she’s not spectacular, but she’s designed to buff her squad-mates (and priced accordingly). Although the V-Sets are helping, the Old Rep is generally a little weak in the area of beatsticks, so her Saviors of the Old Republic ability helps bolsters some of the characters who might otherwise be pushed to the side.

With respect to the first part of the commander effect, I noticed that a few of the Old Rep heroes give something in death (eg, Cay), so I figured why not build on that idea? It presents the interesting balance challenge of having enough non-Uniques to take advantage of the deaths of the Uniques. The second part of the commander effect is an add on because I hate that the Old Republic Recruit is a completely useless piece as-is. As soon as I saw the V-Set’s Rookie ability, I thought “The OR Recruit needs that!”


Echani Dueling Master (26)
Hit Points 80
Defense 20
Attack 12
Damage 10
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Double Attack (On his turn, this character can make 1 extra attack instead of moving)
• Affinity (Sith)
• Energy Shield (When this character or an adjacent character is hit by an attack from an enemy that is not adjacent to either, that character takes no damage and the attacker takes damage equal to the prevented damage; the attacker can avoid this effect with a save of 11.)
• Teräs Käsi Style (Whenever this character takes damage from a melee attack, reduce the damage dealt by 10)

Commander Effect
Allies within 6 squares gain Close-Quarters Fighting and Teras Kasi Style.

Design Notes: Like Admiral Dodonna, this piece is really designed to assist existing pieces (although he’s fairly impressive in his own right). Originally, I had played with multiple different pieces for the Old Rep and Sith that would help “deliver” melee combatants to the fight, then I realized I could combine them into an era-specific “neutral party” like an Echani.


Gryph (26)
Hit Points 40
Defense 15
Attack 0
Damage 0
Rarity: Very Rare
Base: Small

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Befuddle (Replaces attacks; target living adjacent enemy is considered activated this round and cannot make attacks of opportunity this turn; save 11)
• Diplomat (If an attacker has line of sight to any enemies without Diplomat, this character is not a legal target and does not count as the nearest enemy, even if adjacent)
• Disruptive (Suppresses enemy commander effects within 6 squares)
• Rapport (Characters named Jarael or Zayne Carrick cost 1 less when in the same squad as this character)

Commander Effect
Droids are subject to this effect: At the end of this character's turn, 2 allies within 6 squares of this character who are the same size may switch positions.

"You gotta love an elite killing force that you can fool by putting on a hat."

Design Notes: Gryph is one of my signature pieces. This is the version that appears in the Next Lost Twenty set, which was finalized before the first V-Set came out. At the time, the Old Rep was in dire need of help, so it’s possible that he may now be too powerful (especially his commander effect). It would also be viable to downgrade Diplomat or Disruptive to Aggressive Negotiations of Distraction, respectively, but I kind of like him the way he is.


Krynda Draay (43)
Hit Points 80
Defense 18
Attack 8
Damage 20
Rarity: Very Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Jedi Reinforcements 20 (During setup, after seeing your opponent's squad, you can add up to 20 points of characters with a Force rating to your squad)
• Rapport (Characters with a Force rating cost 1 less when in the same squad as this character)

Force Powers
• Force 5
• Anticipation (Force 1: Reroll initiative once per round)
• Force Visions (Force 2, replaces turn: For the rest of the skirmish, this character gains the following commander effect: Followers with a Force Rating within 6 squares gain Intuition)

Design Notes: When I was working on Balance of Power pre-V-Sets, Krynda seemed like an excellent idea, and just what the Old Rep needed. In the wake of DotF, though, Anticipation isn’t quite as necessary for the Old Rep and when paired with the newer version of Gryph, her movement breaking Force Visions might be too much (in the old BoP set, Gryph’s commander effect wasn’t a swap). I still like the character, but have some concerns that she might be showing her age a little.


Tarsus Valorum (12)
Hit Points 10
Defense 14
Attack --
Damage --
Rarity: Very Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Diplomat (If an attacker has line of sight to any enemies without Diplomat, this character is not a legal target and does not count as the nearest enemy, even if adjacent)
• Old Republic Reserves Request 20 (Replaces turn; If your next initiative roll is 16 or higher, you can add up to 20 points of Old Republic characters to your squad immediately before your first activation of the round)

Commander Effect
Your squad may include non-Unique Republic characters without Order 66 only for purposes of special abilities with names that include Reinforcements or Reserves. Allies within 6 squares gain Gregarious.

"To win a world, you must win the hearts and minds of its people."

Design Notes: This is a slightly different version than the one I worked on in 2010, but, like Krynda, I’m not sure if he’s still necessary. I like the idea of “Reserves Request” but would like to hear how people think it would fare in practice (in particular, when paired with the Revanchist, it might be far too powerful).

The character has always been designed, in part, around the controversial idea of bringing non-Order 66 Republic characters into the Old Republic. I don’t necessarily dislike the idea of more variety for the Old Rep (I think this allows access to an additional 19 pieces, many of them Wookiees and Gungans), but with continued support from the V-Sets, it doesn’t seem as necessary as it did a year ago. Similarly, I think Gregarious is a great commander effect for the Old Rep, but if that’s all that’s left after some discussion, there are probably better places for it.


SITH

Darth Maladi, Hologram (15)
Hit Points --
Defense --
Attack --
Damage --
Rarity: Very Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Affinity (Non-Unique characters whose names contain Stormtrooper may be in your squad regardless of faction)
• Assassination Mission (Replaces turn: choose 1 adjacent ally with a Force rating to gain Ambush and Cloaked for the rest of the skirmish)
• Hologram (Ignores all terrain. Cannot open doors. Cannot attack or be damaged, and does not count as a legal target. Does not provide cover. This character is defeated if she activates when no Trooper ally is within 2 squares.)

Commander Effect
At the end of this character's turn, choose 1 Trooper follower within 2 squares. That follower gets +10 Damage until the end of this character's next turn, or until this character is defeated.

Design Notes: In some ways. Darth Maladi is the Sith answer to Forn Dodonna. Like Forn, she does double duty buffing the faction’s heavy hitters while also providing support for the fodder. Her Affinity actually only allows for 9 distinct new pieces to join the Sith, although I think their trooper ranks might be able to use a little variety (and given that even post-R&R there will only be about 50 Sith pieces, an extra 9 doesn’t hurt, especially when 3 of those options are commanders who can help existing troopers).

Her commander effect probably needs a little work. It’s sort of a placeholder, but I wanted there to be a reason to keep her alive past her use of Assassination Mission, which is probably the biggest thing she brings to the table. Post DotF, though, is adding Ambush and Cloaked to a Sith lord too much?


Hanharr (34)
Hit Points 150
Defense 11
Attack 10
Damage 20
Rarity: Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Wookiee
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Double Attack (On his turn, this character can make 1 extra attack instead of moving)
• Bloodthirsty (+10 Damage on melee attacks against enemies at half Hit Points or less)
• Bounty Hunter +2 (+2 Attack against Unique enemies)
• Deadly Attack (Scores a critical hit on an attack roll of natural 19 or 20)
• Rend +20 (If both of his attacks hit the same adjacent enemy, this character's second attack gets +20 Damage)
• Rolling Cleave (Once per turn, if this character defeats an adjacent enemy by making an attack, he can immediately move 1 square and then make 1 attack against another adjacent enemy without provoking an attack of opportunity)


Design Notes: Yeah, I know he’s got a ton of abilities, but he was a pretty tough customer. This piece is the result of a lot of discussion, and the general feeling was that this was pretty accurate, barring pricing him much higher.

He’s a bit of an anomaly in the Sith faction in that he doesn’t have a Force rating (also, yes, I know he wasn’t technically Sith, but I thought he was a little too evil to be Fringe). Technically, he wasn’t Force-sensitive, but perhaps 1 Force point and Indiscriminate Rage might work? On the other hand, although I like Hanharr, he’s also not one of the most innovative pieces in the set, so he could always be cut.


Sith Juggernaut (29)
Hit Points 110
Defense 19
Attack 11
Damage 20
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Double Attack (On his turn, this character can make 1 extra attack instead of moving)
• Draw Fire (If an enemy targets an ally within 6 squares of this character, you may force that enemy to target this character instead if it can; save 11)
• Invigorating Strike (Whenever he defeats an adjacent enemy, remove 20 damage from this character and this character gains 1 Force point)
• Soresu Style (When hit by an attack from a nonadjacent enemy, this character takes no damage with a save of 11)

Force Powers
• Force 1
• Sith Rage (Force 1: +10 Damage on all attacks this turn)

Design Notes: This guy comes courtesy of SWtOR and D&D 4E. In considering non-Uniques, I looked at the different classes and advanced classes to see which ones hadn’t been used. The Sith Warrior and its advanced class the Sith Juggernaut were on that list. Then, I started to think “What can each add to the faction?” These are “tank” characters in SWtOR, but it’s a similar concept to the defender role in 4E, whose job is usually to soak damage (allowing others to do the “real” damage). Usually, defenders are a bit stand-alone, rather than relying on others to heal them, so Invigorating Strike, the heart of the Sith Juggernaut, was born.

Although this guy doesn’t necessarily excel at dishing out damage, he packs enough punch to take down most low-end scrubs. The fact that each piece he kills makes him more powerful makes it a little more risky to bring the cheap pieces to the board.


Sith Officer (22)
Hit Points 40
Defense 16
Attack 8
Damage 10
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Rapport (Trooper followers cost 1 less when in the same squad as this character)
• Sith Military Reserves Request 20 (Replaces turn; if your next initiative roll is 16 or higher, you can add up to 20 points of non-Unique Old Republic followers without a Force rating to your squad immediately before your first activation of the round)

Commander Effect
Trooper followers gain Avoid Defeat and Draw Fire.

A good officer understands that his troops live to die.

Design Notes: I have mixed feelings on this piece. Although I’ve fiddled with it a bit (adding Sith Military Reserves Request), the core of this piece goes back to the original Balance of Power set (pre-V-Sets). He’s integral to a Sith concept I call “the trooper defense.” The idea goes like this: you play a mix of troopers and Sith warriors and the Sith charge across the field at the enemy while the troopers draw fire (literally) and die. Problem is, in earlier iterations, we found that the troopers weren’t worth their cost. Could be that’s still true. Could be that the Sith Juggernaut is a better, more effective way to draw fire away from other Sith warrior types. Still a bit of a work in progress, I suppose.


REPUBLIC

Duchess Satine (13)
Hit Points 50
Defense 16
Attack 7
Damage 10
Rarity: Rare

Special Abilities
• Unique
• Affinity (Mandalorian)
• Aggressive Negotiations (This character is considered to have Diplomat until it makes an attack or is targeted by an enemy character. Characters with Ambush, Backlash, or It's a Trap can ignore this ability for the purpose of attacking this character.)
• Scramble (A Droid enemy or an enemy with Mounted Weapon hit by this character's attack is considered activated this round; save 11. Huge and larger characters ignore this effect.)

Commander Effect
Mandalorian Royal Guards within 6 squares gain Bodyguard. An ally named Obi-Wan Kenobi gains Protective +10 (+10 Damage while a wounded ally named Duchess Satine is within 6 squares).

Design Notes: Satine in the Republic? I’m sure people will immediately have some trouble with that, but I’m trying to be creative. Looking down the list, you’ll also see that the Mando Royal Guards have Republic affinity. Taken together, Satine and the Royal Guard provide some decent anti-Droid measures (for a Republic or Mando squad). And of course the second part of her commander effect makes the many Republic Kenobis even more effective (although it is probably a little challenging to set up consistently), so Satine plays very differently depending on what kind of squad you put her in.


FRINGE

GenoHaradan Operative (11)
Hit Points 10
Defense 14
Attack 17
Damage 10
Rarity: Common

Special Abilities
• Aggressive Negotiations (This character is considered to have Diplomat until it makes an attack or is targeted by an enemy character. Characters with Ambush, Backlash, or It's a Trap can ignore this ability for the purpose of attacking this character.)
• Headhunter (+4 Attack and +10 Damage against enemies with commander effects)
• Poisoned Blade (+10 Damage to 1 adjacent target; this counts as a melee attack. This attack deals an extra 20 Damage to a living enemy; save 11.)

Design Notes: Another holdover from the old Balance of Power set (and before), the GenoHaradan Operative exists to serve one purpose: killing commanders. Dishing out up to 50 damage vs a living commander, this guy can eliminate the majority of non-Unique commanders with a single strike.

He previously had Disguise, which was basically Aggressive Negotiations without the second line, but I figured why not make use of the new V-Set abilities? Also, his commander-hunting ability was originally called Defiant, but I saw “Headhunter” in the V-Set wishlist thread and liked it better.


Wookiee Laborer (10)
Hit Points 20
Defense 13
Attack 3
Damage 10
Rarity: Common

Special Abilities
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Gregarious (+4 Attack if an ally is within 6 squares)
• Lift (Replaces attacks: touch; move 1 adjacent Small or Medium ally to any space adjacent to this character. This move does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)

Design Notes: Not a game-shattering piece, but still, I think, a fun addition. Who doesn’t want more Wookiees? This piece was originally designed for another set by Sharrakor (as the Wookiee Slave), but I asked permission to appropriate him many moons ago.


MANDALORIANS

Death Watch Assassin (16)
Hit Points 50
Defense 16
Attack 10
Damage 10
Rarity: Common

Special Abilities
• Affinity (Separatist)
• Assassin (+4 Attack and +10 Damage against Living enemies)
• Cunning Attack +20 (+4 Attack and +20 Damage against an enemy who has not activated this round)
• Internal Strife (On an attack roll of natural 1, this character joins the opponent's squad until the end of the skirmish)
• Stealth (If this character has cover, he does not count as the nearest enemy for an attacker farther than 6 squares when choosing targets)

Design Notes: In the same way that I’ve developed Satine and her Royal Guard as an anti-Droid component that can go in either a Mando or Republic squad, I’m also working on a Death Watch ‘sub-faction” that can go in either a Sep or Mando squad (Pre Viszla is on the way). I may have gone a little overboard with the DW Assassin compared to the existing Death Watch Raider. Probably some room to fiddle here.


Death Watch Engineer (24)
Hit Points 40
Defense 16
Attack 8
Damage 30
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Blast Cannon (+10 Damage against targets within 6 squares)
• Blast Cannon Upgrade (Allies within 6 squares with nonmelee attacks that deal exactly 30 Damage gain Blast Cannon)
• Flamethrower 20 (Replaces attacks: range 6; 20 damage to target and to each character adjacent to that target)
• Internal Strife (On an attack roll of natural 1, this character joins the opponent's squad until the end of the skirmish)

Design Notes: Another part of the Death Watch :sub-faction,” this guy is a tech piece who can dish out a pretty solid amount of damage. His big gimmick is helping 30 damage allies (which includes a bunch of Separatist droids and a few Mando big guns). Perhaps an additional damage boost was the wrong way to go, though?


Mandalorian Rally Master (18)
Hit Points 50
Defense 17
Attack 10
Damage 10
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Relay Orders (Each allied commander can count distance from this character as well as from itself for the purpose of commander effects)

Commander Effect
Non-Unique followers within 6 squares gain Mandalorian.

Design Notes: Another BoP holdover, although I was actually working out the kinks on a version before WotC released the Mouse Droid, this guy has sort of Mando Conscription Lite. I think the benefits are the piece are pretty straightforward and apparent, and I think anyone who has read the KotOR comic knows exactly where I’m pulling the idea from.


Mandalorian Royal Guard (14)
Hit Points 40
Defense 18
Attack 8
Damage 10
Rarity: Common

Special Abilities
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Affinity (Republic)
• Electrostaff +20 (+20 Damage against adjacent nonliving enemies. An adjacent living enemy hit by this character's attack is considered activated this round; save 11.)
• Parry (When hit by a melee attack, this character takes no damage with a save of 11)

Notes: I’ve said most of what I wanted to say about this piece under Duchess Satine, but I think it’s a nice addition to the Mando faction that brings something a little different.


YUUZHAN VONG

Yuuzhan Vong Master Shaper (17)
Hit Points 60
Defense 16
Attack 6
Damage 10
Rarity: Uncommon

Special Abilities
• Melee Attack (Can attack only adjacent enemies)
• Force Immunity (Enemies cannot affect this character with Force powers, or spend Force points to reroll attacks against this character or to respond to this character's attacks and abilities)
• Homicidal Surgery 20 (Replaces turn: touch; deal 20 damage to a living character. An allied character can instead remove 20 damage from itself with a save of 11.)
• Master Shaper (Savage allies lose Savage but gain Dejarik for the rest of the skirmish. Allies with Dejarik count as Yuuzhan Vong and gain Vonduun Crab Armor 11 for the rest of the skirmish.)

Design Notes: Yet another piece pulled directly from the original BoP project, this piece probably needs some updating post-DotF/R&R. Obviously, the name “Master Shaper” is now taken as a special ability, and the idea of taking away the YV Firebreather’s Savage gives me nightmares. Perhaps the ability should be limited to Fringe pieces. I have a few other ideas, but they’re related to stats from R&R that haven’t been spoiled yet (I’ll admit I checked out that Polish site when they had all the stats up), so it wouldn’t be right to discuss them just yet.

I haven't gotten much response... but I doubt that will deter me from continuing to fiddle with the set as an intellectual exercise.

Parademon Warrior is a cool choice. I'd be interested in seeing your stats, cards, minis...

I've been thinking a bit about what I want to accomplish with Balance of Power. Although it's part wish-list (for me!), I'd also like to respond to some of the things that the community seems interested in. In looking at some of the future v-set related threads, there are things like "more movement breakers," "more sub-faction/species support," and "making non-Droid Seps useful," so all of those ideas will probably creep into the set.

Since posting the stats above, I added a new character called the Old Republic Gunslinger, which may wind up being part of an Old Rep "sub-faction": http://www.bloomilk.com/Custom/6670/old-republic-gunslinger.

I'm also thinking of ideas for some of the more populous species: Rodian, Ewok, Wookiee, Trandoshan.

I liked your inclusion of the Morgukai Warrior for the Seps, so I'll probably add one of my own (I'd definitely like to see your stats on that one), which also got me thinking about the Anzati assassin trainers from the Republic comic. They, and maybe something like "Count Dooku, Hologram," might go a long way toward making non-Droid seps interesting.

Although in general I'm looking at function rather than (or at least in concert with) just adding popular characters, I'd like to include a few fan favorites, like Embo and Savage Oppress. Not sure how I would stat Embo yet, but I'd see him being similar to Jarael or Dash, where he's priced mid-20s or so, and can be useful in many different squads.

Hopefully, I'll eventually hit on something interesting enough that other folk go "Hey, that's a cool piece! Let me check out the rest of the set!" :)

And if not, hey, it's still a fun way to exercise the brain. I have to say, I'm looking forward to the stats for R&R being out there because a few of my ideas play into what I saw when I skimmed that Polish spoiler site, and I really want to get a look at the final versions.

Thanks for the feedback, JS. I skimmed it and an not unhappy about any of it. :) I'll probably respond to some of the points after I've had time to give them a little more thought.

You commented that a few of the pieces, especially the Old Rep pieces, are aggressively priced. Yeah, that's my weakness. I think the V-Sets are helping equalize things, but even with them, I feel like the Old Rep has gotten the biggest shaft of all the factions, so I'm always very soft-hearted when it comes to them.

I appreciate the comments. This is the kind of stuff I'm looking for. A lot of these ideas are pretty old (around the time of the last 2-3 WotC sets), so they may be very abusive combos with newer pieces. It's also hard to price fairly unqiue pieces (like Darth Maladi) so I'm always happy to have feedback.

In some cases, I think you're 100% correct. In others, I think you're 100% correct--and that was exactly my intention! :)



Are you sure "rest of the skirmish" isn't needed? I want to make it apparent that if Forn Dodonna dies, that is still in effect, and I thought "for the rest of the skirmish" usually was included in most circumstances like that (for example, Medical Supplies and Dark Inspiration).

You're right that the majority of the unique Old Republic characters already cost less than most beatsticks. But that's only part of the equation. They're also WORSE than most beatsticks, and worse than comparably priced characters from other factions. The V-Sets are correcting this little by little, but when WotC ended it's run, the most playable Old Rep characters were the non-Uniques. I think this inequality persists (each V-Set can only do so much!).

Still, I will admit that Dodonna is priced VERY aggressively (although, I would argue, probably no more than the average Rebel or Republic commander...). What would you think would be a reasonable but somewhat aggressive cost?



I will agree that I went a little overboard on the EDM. (Given his defensive abilities, for example, he should probably have 40-60 HP, tops).

Honestly, I think you are over-valuing both Energy Shield and Close-Quarters Fighting. Yes, Energy Shield can do significant damage, but only against a player foolish enough to fire on a character using it. Further, in order to use it effectively, you need to cluster your characters together, making them vulnerable to direct damage attacks (against which the power is useless). Also, note that at least 2 characters in the second V-Set have an ability called "Overwhelming Power" that would allow them to ignore this ability. It IS a potent ability, but I don't know that it's as valuable as it appears on first look.

With respect to CQF, in my experience, some of the least valuable commander effects are those that bump up Attack, because they are pretty common and also seem to produce the most overage. CQF isn't really going to make much of a different for a character like Bane (your example). His average attack roll is 26, which will already hit any character in the game. Making it 30 doesn't have any impact. This is actually more valuable for low-end pieces (many of who are non-Unique and/or followers, and have access to other possible attack boosts).

Throwing Teras Kasi on the CE, though, probably WAS overkill... I'll take all of this into consideration when I re-vamp the character.



If I went with Aggressive Negotiations, it would really be to drop his cost by giving him "Diplomat with a Weakness" (regardless of whether he attacks or not, he could still be targeted by characters with Ambush, Backlash, and It's a Trap!, of which there are a ton).

Any thoughts on changing the commander effect? Especially when combined with Krynda, it might be overkill.



Reserves Request is something new I'm trying out. It doesn't necessarily need to stay as it is, but I wanted something that sort of falls between regular Reserves and Immediate Reserves. What if it was only on an 18 or higher, or if it required that the character have line of sight on an enemy when using the turn (which would make it much riskier to set up)? I want to make it an interesting variation on existing abilities.



Yes, that's a pretty scary combo... but is it any scarier than combos that the Rep, Imps, and Republic already bring to the table on a regular basis? I think not. Exar can already easily do two attacks (Lightsaber Assault). Sure, having properly placed Stormtroopers is great... for the first two turns, until they're all picked off, and the best Exar can do is take out one opponent per activation (in this example, I think he largely falls prey to the dilemma of GMLS, who can take out almost any single character at will... but only one character at a time, unless your opponent uses inferior positioning).

Ultimately, though, that's neither here nor there. You are probably right that Assassination Mission is too valuable at her current cost, so the question becomes: up the cost or change the ability? I definitely DON'T want to make it for non-Uniques only. I think Unique characters are de-valued enough in this game, and the whole concept behind Maladi is that she can buff your Big Bad and send him off too play. Without changing the target, another possibly change would be to split it into 2 abilities, so that if you want Ambush and Cloaked, you need to spend two turns getting it. Not necessarily a major detriment, but it's taking your big gun out of commission for 2 turns (and that's assuming you only want to use it on one character), which will probably not be without ramifications.

Interesting note: The most recently announced Sith character (Darth Maul from the Battle of Theed, with Sith affinity) has Ambush and Cloaked (well, Force Cloak). Surprise, surprise. Also, for the record, Teras Kasi Style... all for less than 60.



Reasonable, although there IS precedent for giving characters who aren't Force-Sensitive an FP.



Riposte is something to consider, although it might be overkill. If this were a Unique, I think it would be an awesome combo. The HP are probably a little high, athough the fear of him killing off Uggies is EXACTLY what I'm going for. Stop bringing those cheap pieces to the table!



Ah, the mixed blessing that is Cut-and-Paste. :)



Reasonable. Should the CE just be "Kenobi" (to allow use with General Kenobi)?



Yeah, the attack is a mistake. I think it's supposed to be +7, but I need to check older drafts. You're probably right that the cost is a bit low, although I honestly don't think it's THAT low, especially when you look at the low-end pieces with Cunning +20, some of whom can also dish out 40-50 points situationally.



I'll almost certainly raise the HPs here. This isn't the first time the low HP has come up.



Hey, I said in the design notes that I probably went a little crazy with him. Thoughts? Do you think it would be better to raise the cost or fiddle with the abilities a bit?



I DID intend to give him Affinity... although I haven't yet decided if he'll have it on his own, or if it will be via Pre Viszla (who will be able to bring all Death Watch Mandos into the Seps).

I agree with you that the additional damage may be a little too much, but I thought it would be nice to do something for the 30-damage folk. Any suggestions?



Good catch.



Dejarik was an intentional choice, since it allows for broader use of the Dejarik-based abilities (for example, Enraging Screech). I know it's a little awkward, but one of my objectives is always "Can I design this so that pieces that might not normally see play become more interesting?" I think the Dejarik angle helps bring a few pieces a little more to the fore (and, honestly, only a few of the Dejarik pieces have Savage, but I wanted to include them in the "monster squad" idea; they SO look the part!).

Thanks for the comments! Even where we don't agree, you've made me evaluate and re-evaluate the ideas.

I tried to go with the Cerean Higher Order Thinking; I figured, frankly, he'd be dead within a turn or two (Big Target)so the Master Tactician would only be used once or twice and the odds that Reserves would actually happen would been equally low. Perhaps a 14 for defense would ensure it better.



I liked the idea of a female Falleen killer; I just made her a great shot; +4 wouldn't bother me. Maybe a 7 for Attack.




Informant was an idea that he has information but it's a flip of the coin on its accuracy. His Attack is strictly from his shear size (Momentum & Lift) and a similiar sized mini, the Yuzzem, has exactly the same Defense, Attack & Damage; I gave him %0 HP instead of 40 only because he's a Unique.



I saw the pic, looked up the species and said why not :)




I aimed for a cross between the two Zuckuss mini's, going towards the lower end. The 60 only reflects his Intuition and it's ability to "forsee;" giving him evade would have been a little too much.




My aim here was to make Felucian's worth using; 2 shot's of Force Blast would make them more playable. His low HP ensured he wouln't necessarily last long and he's only 1 point higher in Defense & Attack than the Felucian piece.




Agree on the change in the CE; his other stats compare favorably with the Jawa Scout, considering he's a Commander. Furious is more of the idea that they nseem to be in a Frenzy when things happen.



I like the idea of him being Fringe; frankly he should have been at 5/10 for Attack/Damage. Just a cheap Doorman.




A fun joke actually. I got a Hallmark Max ornament and put him on a Large base. The "Don't Shoot Me" is simply a Diplomat ability with a new title; He'd make a great blocking piece and could play on while everyone around him shoots it out in a barroom fight ... hey when your last game you rolled like I did, you gotta have a sense of humor.




I found the pic while Surfing ... that's my name :) An interesting idea; supposedly after Revan's time some Rakatan's may have survived and maybe found their Force sense.

The card should have read +10 for Blaster Damage for +10 Damage. The meager +5 for melee was more of the idea that he's better at defensive fighting (Parry) than hitting. I was thinking with the Ithorian he'd be a better Melee hitter.

Just my thinking on some of the pieces; I'm still refining things in between working on the house.

So, I noticed you mentioned the Cerean in the other Thread? What's your take on him? Merc CE that removes Merc movement limitations?

Anything else or are we moving on?