Arthadan

@Vincent255 I hope you have had a great time as well!

We are pretty close to a beta release, I just need to playtest an alternate River configuration. Currently we have one that works but it takes too long to bring Thorgrim and Rexor to the table, and we have tried a second one trying to solve that but it doesn't quite work. So I'll try a new one between those two and quite probably you'll have the two best River set-ups in the beta.

I just want to present things as polished as possible even if it's just a beta.

Boris is doing it again!

I've updated the gameboard rules with the clarification that nobody can stand on the black stones and I've updated  the cards with the Heavy Axe layout we've discussed.

8 hours ago, Xaltotun said:

Guys, sorry for my delay... I had horrible days recently. 

I'll try to answer you in the next days.

No problem, take your time!

On 9/12/2017 at 11:38 PM, Xaltotun said:

The big problem appeared from the game is that 2/3 of the map was completely unused during the game. 

 

-as the game began, Conan took the Heavy Axe and Subotai collected all the arrows, then they run to the Yasmina's mound, since both the players recognized it as the best defendable position. This way they were safe behind the palisades, and Yasmina was safer behind them! 

 

 

Subotai (red line) stood on the top of that hill, behind the palisades, shooting at everything was coming by.

Conan (blue line) changed his weapon and run to the Yasmin hill too, but he stopped on the top of a black stone to kill some of the upcoming knights.

After a first attempt to help Conan, Akiro (orange line) tried to escape on Yasmina hill too, but he was intercepted and killed in the marked position (orange cross). Poor Akiro was completely ignored by Doom riders: he was killed only because a rider stopped his movement in the same area and had nothing else to do. I fear the poor Akiro felt himself a bit useless... 😢

There is something I'd like to point out: If you can place only one token per area (the bow token gives you 5 arrows, and the arrows token 5 each)  and you have to make a simple Manipulation to pick up a token (thus losing the rest of your free movement) and crossing the pallisades is 2 extra movement points... Subotai must spend 7 gems out of 10 in his first turn to do all that!

Then the OL will move his units (4 movements points) and he can double the movement points spending gems meaning he could attack a quite weak Subotai in his first turn!

Quote

 

 

Attention: almost half of the game passed, before some fight happened.

The OL can spend gems on movement benefit at any time, meaning he can have at least some of his units engaged since his first turn.

6 minutes ago, Florentin said:

For the heavy axe:  two red dices with one reroll each !

Perfect, then I'be been useing it as intended! Then I'll change the card to follow the standard format if you don't mind.

One more thing:

BLACK STONES

You can junp over them, but you can't stand on them! Only stones you can stand on are the fallen monoliths and the altar, tha black stones are supposed to be too small to stand on. Think of them as a banister or a fence.. Perhaps they shouls be a bit smaller?

@Xaltotun thanks for your playtesting! I'm biased when testing it.

Some quick comments:

GAMEBOARD RULES

I know there are some that won't be used in the scneario. Nobody will fly to the top of a monolith nor use Feline Grace to squeeze through the narrow gaps. My point here is to make the map reusable in other scenarios by other players. I was thinking in the bigger picture here. Besides, Valeria does have Feline Grace and in the campaign mode she may be alive in this scenario.

MAP USE

Adding the OL victory condition of killing the heroes means that the OL must come for them! Subotai can fire his arrows to Princess Hill from the border of the monolith field and Conan can figth his enemies inside the monolith fields (and Akiro is better protected inside the monolith fields as well). Imagine Subotai getting a free reroll to all his arrow shoots thanks to Akiro's support skill, both protected by Conan in the monolith field.

In your game, the heroes decided to go to the Princess Hill, which leaded to using a small part of the map. It's a valid strategy but not the only one possible. 

REXOR & THORGRIM

I guess you have tested the first River setup. It works but it's difficult to kill one of these before turn 6 because they appear late. I'm working on a new River setup, with Thorgrim coming in 3rd position and Rexor 7th or so, so the heroes have more time to kill one of them.

It was cool Rexor got dishorsed by Conan during the fight, never happened in my games yet!

TOO MANY WEAPONS FOR THE HEROES

I agree obvious choice for Conan is the heavy axe, but the other one can be thrown! So if Subotai runs out of arrows and need to recharge, Conan can save the day throwing it. Also, the helmet is a great asset when playing defensive in the monolith field, it all depends on your strategy, this just give you more options.

Regarding the design of the Heavy Axe card, it was made by @Florentin. I've always played it like  but now that I think about it, maybe is meant to be an exception to the rules allowing a single reroll per dice (unless you spend gems on rerolling). @Florentin what was your original intention, two rerolls of a single red dice or two red dices with one reroll each?

OL UNITS HIGH ARMOUR VS HEROES IGNORING 1 POINT OF ARMOUR

This is on purpose! I want the players get the feeling their heroes are powerful and roll many dices. Besides, in the campaign mode they may get Level 2 for the previous scenario and in that one having those skills will make a greater difference.

Added the gameboard rules to the Downloads section.

14 hours ago, Xaltotun said:

What do you exactly mean with this, please?

 

At the start of every OL turn from turn 6 onwards you have to check if these two conditions are meet:

- Thorgrim or Rexor is dead.

- Any other tile is dead.

If so, remove these two dead tiles from the River and place Mounted Thulsa Doom and the purple Riders of Doom at the end of the River. Place their miniatures in the area with the number 1 in the map (behind the altar). They can be activated as normal this turn.

On 2/12/2017 at 12:27 PM, drmauric said:

Right, I understand that for up and down, from level 2 to level 3 for example. The up and down rules are laid out in each scenario.

 

I meant from a window on a level to another window on the same level. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

I see. There are no official rules for that. I guess it would be a bit messy to have the heroes ending their movement outside the tower.

I plan to test it next weekend in a local games shop with new players. Thing is the game is almost unknown here, since it's not translated so I'll play with people new to the game.

How is your testing progressing?

Tried the "agressive" river setup. First OL victory, but I didn't like how it plays out because Thorgrim and Rexor teamed up against Conan and our hero was overwhelmed (no options left but playing defensive and eventually running away).

I'll try a mix of the two river setup, with Thorgrim coming early in game but Rexor far later.

32 minutes ago, drmauric said:

Are there official rules for moving from window to window around the outside of the tower?

 

Thanks

If I recall correctly, you need the Climb skill and spend 2 movement points to move one floor up or down, from window to window.

6 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Maybe some tiles must be modified in the river to give a chance to the OL to succeed in killing the heroes in 4 turns ? 

I suggest we try different ideas, once they are tested we can chose what we like best and works better.

Just now, Florentin said:

You are right ! 

So maybe the solution would be: 

• from turn 1 to 4 OL have to kill the heroes
• From turn 4 to ... OL have to captured the princess

And If Thorgrim & Rexor die then kill the princess!

It's impossible to kill the heroes in 4 turns, trust me. Anyway, playtest your idea and let me know the result.

5 minutes ago, Florentin said:

To my opinion, Thulsa Doom want to take its revenge after the Caves attack by killing the heroes !

He thought that should had be easy and then he would had got the princess.

But that wasn't the case and he realized this when he saw both Thorgrim & Rexor killed....then he decided to kill the princess !

 

But before that some soldiers try to grab the princess. That's what we see in the movie.

9 minutes ago, Xaltotun said:

 

Sure, I know. But what's the point in attacking them directly, if you can attract them outside their best position capturing the princess first?

 

 

 

This is could be a solution, but I'm not sure it can change the point: if I was the OL: I'd sacrifice some unit, to let the other move as fast as they can to the princess. If the OL hold her, then he'll be the defender and the heroes will be forced to go out their best areas and attack. 

 

My my idea is more simple: 

-Kill the heroes.

-If Rexor and Thorgrim died then kill the princess (but the scenario will end in a kind of draw, or give the OL less victory points...)

 

Not to sure it's the best solution, obviously. Personally I like more the original idea, but I really fear it can't work properly.

 

This is something I began to think since I started my small tests at the table...

Tried that as an OL and it didn't work. Subotai and his arrows took care of all the unit trying to capture the princess. I think it only makes sense the heroes are forced to defend her, and it's more like the movie.

I suggest you try this out yourself, you'll see it's not easy at all to grab the Princess amd run all the way back to the reinforcement points..

And the point of killing the heroes = immediate OL victory is that when TD appears, perhaps his best shot to win the game is using his spell to finish off a heroe instead of shooting at the princess. In my last game, the princess wasn't on Princess Hill (has been captured, then the unit carrying her killed), so TD han no line of sight to her, but he did have Conan in line of sight and his spell ignores armour...

42 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Capture the princess and (&) kill the heroes for objective or

capture the princess or(+) kill the heroes ?

Sorry past boolean algebra lectures are making me confuse ! ☺

And.

1 hour ago, Xaltotun said:

I think that the OL objectives could generate some problems.

 

If 'the Princess must be captured and taken outside the board bu the zone with the reinforcement token' the OL could eventually decide to sacrificste some figure in traps and engaging the heroes to move as fast as he can to the princess, ignoring the monolith field.

 

Surely, the river system could slow him but, once he got her, the heroes will be oblied to play an offensive battle against overwhelming forces with high value of armour.

I think in this way victory will be quite difficult for the heroes, maybe too difficult.

 

 

 

Ithink that the primary object for OL could be to kill Conan and Subotai.

 

Kill the heroes is an immediate win for the Overlord at any point.

I suggest:

- Before Doom enters the game: capture the princess (as it is) + kill the heroes (as you suggest)

- when Doom enters the game: kill the princess OR kill the heroes

Thing is heroes are tough as nails with their armours and with Thorgrim and Rexor coming late in game, they're pretty hard to kill. So doing this we ensure the game will last at least until Doom enters the scene, which is a good thing.

This combined with the "aggressive" River setup could spice things up.

What do you think?

30 minutes ago, Florentin said:

Hi guys !

I have read the scenario and I found it very good ! It was a real pleasure to read it and the introduction (once again) is very well written and immersive !

 

However, I need some information because there is something I do not understand very well.

Maybe it is a consequence of my lake of conan game practice ?

 

• After setup heroes do not move any gems from their reserve to their fatigue zone ? What does it means ? Why such thing ? After each new phases setup ? or only at the first setup ? To my understanding each new game phase gems are going to move from the fatigue zone to the reserve ? If this does not occur at each new heroes phases, the hero would not be able to have action ?

 

Thank you !

 

That's only at the start of the game, as part of the setup. Usually , heroes don't start with their full number of gems in Reserve, that's why it's specified. Our heroes are well-rested and expecting their enemies!

Glad you like the scenario!

Boris is working on Rexor, is taking shape!

9 minutes ago, Florentin said:

I have printed your beautiful work yesterday evening!  I will work on it this evening! 

At present,  the map and all the stuff files are at the printer Shop ! Hope all would be ready for this evening ! I'm dying to test the scenario ! This is a great day !!!

Thanks  to you guys, an old child dream is going to come to life!

 

I felt exactly the same when I played it for the first time!

When you have time, please tell me if everything is clear in the Scenario or there is something confusing which would need a better explanation.

I'm eagerly awaiting your battle reports this weekend!