Designing Faction Abilities - Revisions
Entry posted by Melcavuk
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Alot of the time when I design a unit or faction ability I get alot of questions as to how I can tell what is "Fair" on the battlefield, mostly I like to think i have a good eye for what makes for a fun, thematic but balanced faction and unit within the factions but there are times at which I can get it wrong. Through copious playtesting the Suneaters one thing came to mind as an oversight on my part, the GOTHI became an autoinclude as they very faction abilities meant to come by selecting the faction are keyed to their prayers, so you could never benefit from allegiance without having to spend copious points on the priests. After playtest number 4 or so I've revised a way of keeping the Pyres thematic and limited whilst allowing for list diversity, here is the new Allegiance abilities:
BATTLE TRAITS
An army with the SUNEATER TRIBE allegiance gains the FEEDING THE FLAME and CREEPING DEATH special rules
CREEPING DEATH: The Suneaters do not simply bombard a foe with rocks and arrows like lesser races, every attack sends great gouts of flame, burning oils or incendiary devices down the field as much waging war on the very lands around them as they do the foe. Enemy Models may not benefit from COVER against a Suneater Tribes ranged attack, every would be shelter soon descending into a fire drenched tomb.
FEEDING THE FLAME: Before either army deploys on the battlefield select one piece of TERRAIN and place a single INFERNO MARKER, it is possible for other INFERNO MARKERS to be placed throughout the game through abilities or artefacts, when placing an INFERNO MARKER, it must be placed wholly within a terrain feature and not within 6 inches of another INFERNO MARKER. Each turn you may enact the below rule in your hero phase:
In each of your HERO PHASE any SUNEATER HEROES within 6 inches of a terrain feature may attempt to call forth a Pyre. Roll a D6, on a 4 or more you may place an INFERNO MARKER on that terrain piece.
PYRES OF THE SUNEATER
In your hero phase count the number of INFERNO MARKERS currently on the battlefield and select an army wide ability from the chat below. You may select one ability to enact until your next hero phase up to the number of pyres you have (you may select a lower number ability if you wish) to channel the favour of the Suneater. Only one such Pyre Ability may be in force at any one time.
Once an ability has been enacted roll a D6, on a roll of 1 you must remove 1 INFERNO MARKER from the battlefield as it is drained of its energies.
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INFERNO MARKERS |
ABILITY |
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1 |
Choking Smoke – With the smoke from the Pyre hanging low over the battlefield the Suneaters can conceal themselves with ease. Until your next Hero Phase, subtract 1 from any attacks targeting a SUNEATER TRIBES unit in the shooting phase |
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2 |
The Leaping Flame – Until your next Hero Phase SUNEATER TRIBE models may re-roll failed charge rolls this turn, in addition any successful charge that rolls a 9+ immediately inflicts 1 mortal wound on an enemy unit within 3 inches. |
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3 |
The Roaring Blaze – SUNEATER TRIBE units may run and shoot, or run and charge for the duration of this turn. A unit may not elect to do both however. |
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4 |
Undying Embers – SUNEATER TRIBE HEROES immediately heal D3 wounds, additionally increase the attack characteristics of their weapons by 1 until your next hero phase. |
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5 or more |
Shimmering Heat – Until your next hero phase SUNEATER TRIBE units that suffer a wound or mortal wound may ignore them on a D6 roll of 5+ this turn as the heat of the blaze warps away otherwise mortal blows. |
GOTHI PRIESTS
Now ofcourse this meant that the Gothis prayer on their scroll needed changing, once more it should be keyed to the Pyres that they attend to for their god but since they intuitively can summon pyres through factional allegiance it should be something new. I actually took Prayer 6 off of the original prayer list and tweaked it allowing them to weaponise summoned pyres instead of making new ones by praying:
All Gothi Fyri know the Spark of Destruction prayer and may additionally select another from the Suneater tribe prayer list. They may attempt each prayer they know during each of their HERO PHASE.
SPARK OF DESTRUCTION: In your HERO PHASE select an INFERNO MARKER within 15 inches of this model and roll a D6. On a roll of 4 or more that INFERNO MARKER erupts in a glorious explosion, any enemy units within 6 inches of the marker immediately suffer D3 Mortal Wounds
Which means the new replacement Prayer 6 makes sense in the times of magic that are now ravaging the realms giving even a Volsungrless Suneater list the potential to consume spells.
PRAYER LIST
1) Wrath of the Blackened Wyrm – A priest channels his will into the thick black smoke billowing from the pyres, coiling it like a serpent to obscure the Suneaters from their foes. Pick one TERRAIN feature within 15 inches of this priest and roll a D6, on a roll of 4 or more enemy models may no longer draw line of sight through or over that terrain feature until the beginning of your next hero phase.
2) Judgement of the Suneater – The best blades are formed in the hottest of flames, pick a friendly unit within 12 inches and roll a D6, on a 4 or more that unit immediately heals D3 wounds. On a roll of 1 however they are found unworthy and instead the target unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.
3) Volcanic Blows – Pick a friendly unit within 3 inches and roll a D6, on a 5 or more that units weapons are charged with the force of a volcanic eruption. Until your next hero phase whenever your target unit rolls of a 6 or more to hit increase their rend by 2.
4) Under the heel of Gork – Select an enemy unit within 18 inches and roll a D6, on a roll of 5 or more that unit counts its SAVE as its movement value until your next hero phase (A unit with a save of 3+ now has a move of 3) as they feel the weight of Gorks mighty foot pushing down upon them.
5) Burning Blood – Select a friendly unit within 3 inches and roll a D6, on a roll of 4 or more that unit is enchanted. Until your next hero phase, if at the end of any combat phase that unit has lost wounds in close combat their attacker suffers D3 mortal wounds as their foes blood burns at their skin.
6) Spell Eater – Roll a D6, on a 3 or more the PRIEST channels the flames hunger for the arcane magicks permeating the realm. Until your next HERO PHASE this model may attempt to dispel 1 spell each turn as though he were a WIZARD.
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