CORRECTIONS/NOTES: -1:33:31: I tried to cover this in my "Pros" on-screen text for the Marro Drones, but it didn't come out in the audio. Frenzying units have a theoretically unlimited number of consecutive possible figure activations in an order marker, if they chain their Frenzies. So nothing can beat that, and here I say the Drones may have "the highest figure possible consecutive figure activation in the game." That's true only if you take out Frenzying units, to my knowledge anyway. -1:43:52: Not sure how I missed this, but a "B" rank appears over Me-Burq-Sa's card for a little bit midway through coverage of him. It goes away after awhile, but he's definitely A-ranked on this list. I think the "B" got accidentally copied from another part of the video and appeared on his card, I just never caught it. -1:53:02: Minor point, but I misspeak here when talking about Me-Burq-Sa's Delta price adjustment. I say "he's 35 points," when I meant to say "he's up 35 points." -2:21:45: I say here that Knight Irene costs "exactly the same" as Sir Denrick in classic points. Not true. She's in fact 110 in classic. Her Delta price at time of this video is 100 points, so I got the two confused during my writing phase. - @skywhale8214 asked where I got the "Delta" rankings in the sections I did going over Heroscape.org Power Rankings, and that's when I realized there aren't any Delta-specific rankings. I put those up on screen in case there were a few units that might've changed ranks with Delta, but turns out those weren't needed. Will remove "Delta Rankings" in future videos, focusing only on Classic and VC-Inclusive Power Rankings going forward. As always, if you see any notice any other factual mistakes I made in the video, feel free to call them out in the comments and I'll credit you here.
Nice to see your review of wave 2. I like how you don't just throw out d20 based units like so many other players do because they aren't consistent. I'm sure it won't be for awhile but I eagerly await your review of Swarm of the Marro
Your videos are so detailed and well thought out. You reference all the right material, and give great insight. Honestly some of the best heroscape material out there!! I’ve watched this twice now, once through the audio of my car during my commute lol. PLEASE MAKE MORE OF THIS WONDERFUL CONTENT
I came across this channel 4 months ago and it felt strangely familiar. I felt like I knew Doggin Days. This week I found out that you’re Genuinely Synthetic. Wild. I watched all your beating Doom 3 with only pistol streams, Total War 2 streams, and Heroscape streams. Really weird going from the only streamer I watched consistently to one of my favorite RUclipsrs. I remember talking to you about doing more Heroscape content and you not reciprocating considering the medium. I finally understand that this is the final product.
That's amazing, and I certainly recognize you from my streaming days. Glad you found your way here! I briefly advertised my Twitch on this channel when I was starting out, but decoupled it after I realized I just don't have the time to consistently stream anymore and am putting my efforts elsewhere. That old Twitch is still up, and I may go back to it someday. And yes, I remember all those streams! I believe it was Quake 4 pistol only (which, sans mandatory vehicle sections, is actually possible even on hardest diff!). We gave DOOM 3 a go with pistol only, but I don't think it's possible. Either way, thrilled you're here and welcome to the channel!
I'm not sure about the assertion of giving MBS many different options for targets. If he has multiple targets, that means he is also within their threat range. He's so flimsy, that generally I would think it would be more advantageous to, if at all possible, only give him 1 target, so if he takes it out, he can't be attacked back. Very much enjoyed your review!
That's a great point. His flimsiness really makes him a fun challenge to use. You know he can do incredible things, but overextend too much with him, and he's toast. I'm gonna test out both approaches and see how your strategy works. He's one of my lesser-played units in this Wave, so I'm sure I've got more to learn.
You would ideally be advancing your Roman Legionnaires or Deathchasers to run interference for him after taking your turn with him, making his survivability better.
Great analysis. I always feel like the 4th mass have 1 too much of everything. 1 too much move, 1 too much range, 1 too many units, 1 too much defense. I feel like if the 4th mass dropped any of these they'd be a lot more balanced, and less oppressive. Khosumet is only fun with incendiaborgs and taelord on a hill. Then you can unleash a true rain of fire.
Definitely. It's the opposite of how I feel about Taelord. I just wish they bumped one of his stats up somewhere for what he costs. For the 4th Mass, you're right. Maybe shave off 1 from Move (if we took off their defense, they'd start to feel like Ashigaru). Then that way they're harder to get onto height. Realistically though, Delta's just gonna price them up. I've never tried that Vulcanmechs with Taelord and Khosumet build. Holy heck that sounds fun. Seems like it would be hard to set up, but fun.
I'm so happy to see this. I can't believe you posted this 5, now six hours without me seeing it. I was asleep when you did. I will watch this and re watch this like your other excellent videos.
That's fair. Thanos is absolutely up there with Rejected By Death, and I do think Silver Surfer's stats make him top-tier in that set as well. Certainly don't think Hulk is bad. My issue with him is that despite amazing stats, he's extremely expensive, and can only attack once per turn, not counting his Stomp AoE Special. It also depends if we're talking Delta or Classic points, and if it's Marvel only or mixed Marvel/other units. Cap I really value for his Tactician power and base stats, plus Counter Strike and Shield Throw are great too. Would love to hear your argument for Hulk though, if your time allows.
@doggindays2631 The points are definitely a big handicap, but whenever I play, we usually use larger armies(500-900 points, depending on the time we have), so his points don't usually feel that bad to me. Also, the fact that he can move 10 spaces in 1 turn is very powerful. Movement/positioning is one of the most important things in heroscape. And if I'm not mistaken, he has some of the best survivability in the entire game, with 8 health and 6 defense. His offense is top tier as well, with 6 base attack, with the potential of 11 with his ability((I forget the name of it. The one similar to Krug's wounded smash) or 12 attack with high ground). I think the thing that makes his ability superior to Krug's, though; is that he doesn't need to be at 1 health to be at maximum power. I rarely use his stomp special attack, as I use super jump a lot, and I've always preferred to use one high damage attack over several low damage ones. But in recent years I've learned the game a lot better, so I'll be making more use of his special attack in the future. I've never been a super competitive player, and Hulk was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. So I always chose him when we would play. I never got to play much with Cap. I forgot he has counter strike, so he is better than I was thinking when I made my first comment. But I still think that Hulk's insane stat block, along with his ability that ups his attack, make him at the very least in the top 3 in the Marvel master set.
@@prons_gaming5083 Appreciate all that insight. You're right that Hulk can charge up without getting near death, unlike Krug. My main point in that section was just to highlight my astonishment that Krug alone could narrowly beat Hulk in 1v1 with how much attack he can throw out, but you're right. Super Leap too is another seriously compelling argument for Hulk, and even Abom. My friends and I have a yearly tradition of a group game where we each get one Marvel hero. Hulk doesn't show in that, but Abom does, and you can really abuse Super Leap. I think Hulk at his Delta pricing is also a strong sell. I think he's 350, down from 370. He really does have outstanding stats. I'll run him a bit more in my own casual games and see if my opinion on him changes. And yeah, I'd definitely encourage you to play around with Cap. I love setting up pods with him. One play I like is getting him on height, having AE drop in and surrounding him, then they're firing out 4 attacks of 5 at 8 range, while having 3 defense being next to him. Shield Throw's great for a quasi-double attack, and Counter Strike's always handy. I may be overvaluing him myself, but he offers great support, good stats, and can handle himself when called to battle. Appreciate all your thoughts!
@@doggindays2631 I actually made an army sith some of the new units and used both cap and hulk the other day. Cap is definitely a lot more useful than I had remembered, especially with the tactician ability. It was a pleasure chatting with you. Nice to learn more about units you don't normally play with🤝
Love a good 3 hour DogginDays vid! Where are you getting "Delta rankings"? My understanding is there only exists ranking for classic points, in part because Delta's goal is to even out the playing field.
Thanks! Actually, I think you're right in that Delta doesn't have its own rankings. I mainly put those four different power rankings up to cover my bases in case there were a few Classic/VC//Classic/Delta rankings that changed for figures (I had Guilty in mind as a figure that fluctuated a bit with the Cowboys build with VC). But turns out there are only two sets of rankings, Classic and VC-Inclusive or however you'd call it. Will add a note clarifying that in the pinned comment, and will remove that during future installments. Appreciate it!
This is my second time writing this comment as autoplay began the next video before I posted it. My thoughts may be more scattered than the first time around but I will add my own thoughts of these units! As a disclaimer, I am a very casual player. I watch competitive play, but it doesn't interest me as much as the games I play with local friends and family. [4th Massachusetts Line] I know they are very good in competitive, but I find this unit extremely boring. In a more casual setting, there are other units that are so similar to them (10th Reg and Ashigaru Harquebus have same range and Wait Than Fire), however, Valiant Army Defense Bonus just restricts what armies they can be in and to be honest I just don't like that. The games I play normally are around 650 points and having to fill it with valiant characters just really isn't as exciting. I understand they're good if played into, they're just not made for me. [Anubian Wolves] Now this is a unit I can get behind. I love random chance. Live or die by the d20's fate. The prospect of getting a big roll that could completely change how a turn goes and potentially completely steal the game really makes the action more exhilarating. I know they're inconsistent, but they are cool. Heroscape does a really good job at adapting ideas and subverting expectations. With these wolves resembling werewolves, you would imagine them to have some moonlight power. I would almost say I imagine it would work in a way where they get a single turn that they become super strong as the moonlight hits them and they transform, but the design team adapted it to be turns throughout the game where they have the potential to tap into that power. I would make a change to them, but I will cover that more in Khosumet's section. Speaking of which, [Khosumet the Darklord] Oh Khosumet. One of the coolest medium sized hero sculpts, but one of the worst cards in the game. There is no variety when it comes to Khosumet. He is too weak for the point value he is priced at to stand in any army that is not running Anubians. I think he is a prime example of the early kinks that were not sanded out of Heroscape design in the beginning of the games life span. I am not a fan of cheerleader units whose goal is to stay out of combat and buff other units of the army. I find them boring to play and they don't follow the lore presented. A hero alongside a squad should be the scariest opponent, but Khosumet wants to stay as far away from the frontline as possible. Average attack and average defense with three life and 75 points just is not worth it, even with his ability to boost Unleashed Fury from the start zone. I think if his price was lowered by at least 20 if not more points would make him more viable in non-Anubian builds where he could potentially get some use with Relentless Assault. Otherwise, he needs direct bonding with Anubians (which is the change I mentioned above) and to stay the same price. Even with Badru bonding, he is not good enough to support his own value. A big shame in my opinion for such a cool and unique looking figurine. [Knights of Weston] For a game that features sci-fi, history, and fantasy, it's practically impossible to not include knights. However, there's no ability that's really associated with knights. Though they are a staple of fantasy, I love how Heroscape themed them more historically with their code of honor. They fit right at home in this world, and while I find them a little more on the boring side, that does not stop them from constantly hitting my board. The aesthetic is perfect for this game. They fit in perfectly with scenario play given their role as the heroes of the story. A Cowards Reward does act like a weaker version of Cyberclaw. Most people don't want to take a disengagement, but when you double the disengagement dice, the thought of it seems like an impossible feat to escape from. While figures with disengage can get away, others will stay locked in place battling with the knights until one side falls. [Krug] You already said it best. 'Is Krug' is all that is needed to describe him. Everyone who has played him knows that he is the GOAT and an absolute gem in the game. Sick design, easy to understand, wounded smash + double attack. [Marro Drones] I love how unique these guys are. They nailed the design of a swarm on their first try. Each drone can stand on its own given their stat spread. There biggest downside is how many you need to draft to make the most of them. 50 points doesn't sound like a lot until you start factoring how many squads you'll need to take on the full advantage of them. That is such a unique counter balance to them!! When half of your army is nothing but drones, you better hope your opponent doesn't have an AoE! Plus there lore really does add a lot of depth to the Marro collective that most other lesser Marro don't share, a complete reliance on the connection to the hive. When I think common squad, these are who come to mind. [Me-Burq-Sa] My friends favorite unit. Never underestimate the 50 point heroes. They do not have to do much in order to meet their value, and they often exceed it. Me-Burq-Sa is the golden example of this rule. Incredible stats with the ability to negate an opponents defense roll. He should almost always spread a couple of wound markers around the board before going down, and he can fit into virtually any army. Even disregarding the insane amount of bonding he can do, he doesn't require much maintenance to use alone. High movement, massive threat range, and the threat of forcing no defense to be rolled is enough. Side note about the Groks, really funny that he was one of two warlords they had in mind while designing that card and they made him practically unviable alongside them. Like, it's nice they can keep pace with him, but he will never want to engage an opponents figure to give the groks an attack boost. [Minions of Utgar] I'll probably say this everytime a kyrie appears, but I love the diverse appearance of that race. Each tribe is wildly different than the next (except maybe Jandar and Ullar but that sort of makes sense) and it makes me appreciate the culture of the Valhallan residents. Utgar giving us a devilish or fiendish unit while not being connected to hellish abilities is another great way to subvert some expectations. They went all in on the brutality Utgar's kyrie provide. Deadly Strike on a two attack unit is already insane, but their defense of six alongside it makes it all the more bonkers. I do think that the inclusions of Loviatak and Raelin AoA will make them even better. Another unique squad where their point value and the value of the heroes that bond with them means you'll have a low figure count, but the combination of all of them together is quite a deadly encounter. Perfect for Utgar's kyrie warriors. Also, I had never realized that Utgar's Orders is the only kyrie 'bonding' ability. Thanks for pointing that out! [Sir Denrick] If the Knights of Weston took a more historical approach to a knight, Sir Denrick combined it with fantasy! Knights aren't really known for having a special power or unique way of fighting compared to other historical humans, but many a tale has been told of the knight that slayed the dragon! Sir Denrick takes this idea and adapts it flawlessly with Giant Killer. It, however, does come at the drawback that most units that work well with specified terrain does. You have no control on if you will encounter a huge figure and I personally believe without one to battle Sir Denrick is overpriced. You did make a lot of good points on how we should all be looking at A Cowards Reward and his ability to bond with key squads. I really hope that helps show some people his more unique attributes when it comes to competitive! Would love to watch him be used more. [Swog Rider] I had Nerak for years before I got a base Swog Rider and I think that has warped my opinion over them. I've never used Arrow Gruts as a core to an army. If I run them, I normally run them alongside the other orc squads and champions, so Swog Riders have never been on the top of my mind. For a cheerleader unit, I actually like them. I know I ranted about cheerleaders back in Khosumet's section, but I think the Swogs are quite effective. Their inexpensive price and the hierarchy of orc champions having bigger and better mounts with their increased point value (except Ornak) does really help them feel like a lower warrior on the totem pole so to speak. I'm really glad that we also have Nerak with a large defensive aura and some ice/snow synergy. Given the swog's appearance, I would have been sad if they weren't buffed a glacial landscape.
Great points as always, and I really liked how you discussed the aesthetic/thematic importance of figures in this wave as part of Heroscape's "genre-mashup" premise. Appreciate the time you put into your comments!
CORRECTIONS/NOTES:
-1:33:31: I tried to cover this in my "Pros" on-screen text for the Marro Drones, but it didn't come out in the audio. Frenzying units have a theoretically unlimited number of consecutive possible figure activations in an order marker, if they chain their Frenzies. So nothing can beat that, and here I say the Drones may have "the highest figure possible consecutive figure activation in the game." That's true only if you take out Frenzying units, to my knowledge anyway.
-1:43:52: Not sure how I missed this, but a "B" rank appears over Me-Burq-Sa's card for a little bit midway through coverage of him. It goes away after awhile, but he's definitely A-ranked on this list. I think the "B" got accidentally copied from another part of the video and appeared on his card, I just never caught it.
-1:53:02: Minor point, but I misspeak here when talking about Me-Burq-Sa's Delta price adjustment. I say "he's 35 points," when I meant to say "he's up 35 points."
-2:21:45: I say here that Knight Irene costs "exactly the same" as Sir Denrick in classic points. Not true. She's in fact 110 in classic. Her Delta price at time of this video is 100 points, so I got the two confused during my writing phase.
- @skywhale8214 asked where I got the "Delta" rankings in the sections I did going over Heroscape.org Power Rankings, and that's when I realized there aren't any Delta-specific rankings. I put those up on screen in case there were a few units that might've changed ranks with Delta, but turns out those weren't needed. Will remove "Delta Rankings" in future videos, focusing only on Classic and VC-Inclusive Power Rankings going forward.
As always, if you see any notice any other factual mistakes I made in the video, feel free to call them out in the comments and I'll credit you here.
Nice to see your review of wave 2. I like how you don't just throw out d20 based units like so many other players do because they aren't consistent. I'm sure it won't be for awhile but I eagerly await your review of Swarm of the Marro
Your videos are so detailed and well thought out. You reference all the right material, and give great insight. Honestly some of the best heroscape material out there!! I’ve watched this twice now, once through the audio of my car during my commute lol. PLEASE MAKE MORE OF THIS WONDERFUL CONTENT
Its funny how i stumbled across you, watched all your previous videos, and then was greeted with this one shortly after. Love to see it!
Patiently waiting for the wave 3 review
Happy to see it!! Love your videos, hope your channel blows up!
Heck yeah, I've been looking forward to your return 😁
I’ve been eagerly waiting for your next video. Thank you Doggin!
I came across this channel 4 months ago and it felt strangely familiar. I felt like I knew Doggin Days. This week I found out that you’re Genuinely Synthetic. Wild. I watched all your beating Doom 3 with only pistol streams, Total War 2 streams, and Heroscape streams. Really weird going from the only streamer I watched consistently to one of my favorite RUclipsrs. I remember talking to you about doing more Heroscape content and you not reciprocating considering the medium. I finally understand that this is the final product.
That's amazing, and I certainly recognize you from my streaming days. Glad you found your way here! I briefly advertised my Twitch on this channel when I was starting out, but decoupled it after I realized I just don't have the time to consistently stream anymore and am putting my efforts elsewhere. That old Twitch is still up, and I may go back to it someday. And yes, I remember all those streams! I believe it was Quake 4 pistol only (which, sans mandatory vehicle sections, is actually possible even on hardest diff!). We gave DOOM 3 a go with pistol only, but I don't think it's possible. Either way, thrilled you're here and welcome to the channel!
Yes, Quake, I misremembered. I miss the old stuff, but am delighted if dropping it brought this.
Is it too late to call a new DogginDays video a Christmas miracle?
I'm not sure about the assertion of giving MBS many different options for targets. If he has multiple targets, that means he is also within their threat range. He's so flimsy, that generally I would think it would be more advantageous to, if at all possible, only give him 1 target, so if he takes it out, he can't be attacked back.
Very much enjoyed your review!
That's a great point. His flimsiness really makes him a fun challenge to use. You know he can do incredible things, but overextend too much with him, and he's toast. I'm gonna test out both approaches and see how your strategy works. He's one of my lesser-played units in this Wave, so I'm sure I've got more to learn.
You would ideally be advancing your Roman Legionnaires or Deathchasers to run interference for him after taking your turn with him, making his survivability better.
@@waynekautzer913 that's true. You will be safe to give him multiple targets, if you know your squads will be able to tie up the threats.
Yesssss I've been waiting for this for a while now ❤❤
so happy to see another one of these videos come out, they’ve quickly become some of my favorite heroscape content. thank you!
I was literally thinking today, Doggin Days hasn’t posted in a while.
Great analysis. I always feel like the 4th mass have 1 too much of everything. 1 too much move, 1 too much range, 1 too many units, 1 too much defense. I feel like if the 4th mass dropped any of these they'd be a lot more balanced, and less oppressive.
Khosumet is only fun with incendiaborgs and taelord on a hill. Then you can unleash a true rain of fire.
Definitely. It's the opposite of how I feel about Taelord. I just wish they bumped one of his stats up somewhere for what he costs. For the 4th Mass, you're right. Maybe shave off 1 from Move (if we took off their defense, they'd start to feel like Ashigaru). Then that way they're harder to get onto height. Realistically though, Delta's just gonna price them up.
I've never tried that Vulcanmechs with Taelord and Khosumet build. Holy heck that sounds fun. Seems like it would be hard to set up, but fun.
Love the video! Thanks for all the effort!
I’ve been waiting for this video for EVER
It was so worth the wait, kudos
I'm so happy to see this.
I can't believe you posted this 5, now six hours without me seeing it.
I was asleep when you did.
I will watch this and re watch this like your other excellent videos.
Great analysis! I've been looking forward to it for a long while now!
12:10 I'd absolutely argue against that. Hulk and Thanos are my picks(Silver Surfer is on a similar level to Thanos though)
That's fair. Thanos is absolutely up there with Rejected By Death, and I do think Silver Surfer's stats make him top-tier in that set as well. Certainly don't think Hulk is bad. My issue with him is that despite amazing stats, he's extremely expensive, and can only attack once per turn, not counting his Stomp AoE Special. It also depends if we're talking Delta or Classic points, and if it's Marvel only or mixed Marvel/other units. Cap I really value for his Tactician power and base stats, plus Counter Strike and Shield Throw are great too. Would love to hear your argument for Hulk though, if your time allows.
@doggindays2631 The points are definitely a big handicap, but whenever I play, we usually use larger armies(500-900 points, depending on the time we have), so his points don't usually feel that bad to me. Also, the fact that he can move 10 spaces in 1 turn is very powerful. Movement/positioning is one of the most important things in heroscape. And if I'm not mistaken, he has some of the best survivability in the entire game, with 8 health and 6 defense. His offense is top tier as well, with 6 base attack, with the potential of 11 with his ability((I forget the name of it. The one similar to Krug's wounded smash) or 12 attack with high ground). I think the thing that makes his ability superior to Krug's, though; is that he doesn't need to be at 1 health to be at maximum power. I rarely use his stomp special attack, as I use super jump a lot, and I've always preferred to use one high damage attack over several low damage ones. But in recent years I've learned the game a lot better, so I'll be making more use of his special attack in the future. I've never been a super competitive player, and Hulk was my favorite superhero when I was a kid. So I always chose him when we would play. I never got to play much with Cap. I forgot he has counter strike, so he is better than I was thinking when I made my first comment. But I still think that Hulk's insane stat block, along with his ability that ups his attack, make him at the very least in the top 3 in the Marvel master set.
@@prons_gaming5083 Appreciate all that insight. You're right that Hulk can charge up without getting near death, unlike Krug. My main point in that section was just to highlight my astonishment that Krug alone could narrowly beat Hulk in 1v1 with how much attack he can throw out, but you're right. Super Leap too is another seriously compelling argument for Hulk, and even Abom. My friends and I have a yearly tradition of a group game where we each get one Marvel hero. Hulk doesn't show in that, but Abom does, and you can really abuse Super Leap. I think Hulk at his Delta pricing is also a strong sell. I think he's 350, down from 370. He really does have outstanding stats. I'll run him a bit more in my own casual games and see if my opinion on him changes.
And yeah, I'd definitely encourage you to play around with Cap. I love setting up pods with him. One play I like is getting him on height, having AE drop in and surrounding him, then they're firing out 4 attacks of 5 at 8 range, while having 3 defense being next to him. Shield Throw's great for a quasi-double attack, and Counter Strike's always handy. I may be overvaluing him myself, but he offers great support, good stats, and can handle himself when called to battle. Appreciate all your thoughts!
@@doggindays2631 I actually made an army sith some of the new units and used both cap and hulk the other day. Cap is definitely a lot more useful than I had remembered, especially with the tactician ability. It was a pleasure chatting with you. Nice to learn more about units you don't normally play with🤝
Looks like I've got something to watch at work today. Been waiting for this one!
Love a good 3 hour DogginDays vid! Where are you getting "Delta rankings"? My understanding is there only exists ranking for classic points, in part because Delta's goal is to even out the playing field.
Thanks! Actually, I think you're right in that Delta doesn't have its own rankings. I mainly put those four different power rankings up to cover my bases in case there were a few Classic/VC//Classic/Delta rankings that changed for figures (I had Guilty in mind as a figure that fluctuated a bit with the Cowboys build with VC). But turns out there are only two sets of rankings, Classic and VC-Inclusive or however you'd call it. Will add a note clarifying that in the pinned comment, and will remove that during future installments. Appreciate it!
This is my second time writing this comment as autoplay began the next video before I posted it. My thoughts may be more scattered than the first time around but I will add my own thoughts of these units! As a disclaimer, I am a very casual player. I watch competitive play, but it doesn't interest me as much as the games I play with local friends and family.
[4th Massachusetts Line] I know they are very good in competitive, but I find this unit extremely boring. In a more casual setting, there are other units that are so similar to them (10th Reg and Ashigaru Harquebus have same range and Wait Than Fire), however, Valiant Army Defense Bonus just restricts what armies they can be in and to be honest I just don't like that. The games I play normally are around 650 points and having to fill it with valiant characters just really isn't as exciting. I understand they're good if played into, they're just not made for me.
[Anubian Wolves] Now this is a unit I can get behind. I love random chance. Live or die by the d20's fate. The prospect of getting a big roll that could completely change how a turn goes and potentially completely steal the game really makes the action more exhilarating. I know they're inconsistent, but they are cool. Heroscape does a really good job at adapting ideas and subverting expectations. With these wolves resembling werewolves, you would imagine them to have some moonlight power. I would almost say I imagine it would work in a way where they get a single turn that they become super strong as the moonlight hits them and they transform, but the design team adapted it to be turns throughout the game where they have the potential to tap into that power. I would make a change to them, but I will cover that more in Khosumet's section. Speaking of which,
[Khosumet the Darklord] Oh Khosumet. One of the coolest medium sized hero sculpts, but one of the worst cards in the game. There is no variety when it comes to Khosumet. He is too weak for the point value he is priced at to stand in any army that is not running Anubians. I think he is a prime example of the early kinks that were not sanded out of Heroscape design in the beginning of the games life span. I am not a fan of cheerleader units whose goal is to stay out of combat and buff other units of the army. I find them boring to play and they don't follow the lore presented. A hero alongside a squad should be the scariest opponent, but Khosumet wants to stay as far away from the frontline as possible. Average attack and average defense with three life and 75 points just is not worth it, even with his ability to boost Unleashed Fury from the start zone. I think if his price was lowered by at least 20 if not more points would make him more viable in non-Anubian builds where he could potentially get some use with Relentless Assault. Otherwise, he needs direct bonding with Anubians (which is the change I mentioned above) and to stay the same price. Even with Badru bonding, he is not good enough to support his own value. A big shame in my opinion for such a cool and unique looking figurine.
[Knights of Weston] For a game that features sci-fi, history, and fantasy, it's practically impossible to not include knights. However, there's no ability that's really associated with knights. Though they are a staple of fantasy, I love how Heroscape themed them more historically with their code of honor. They fit right at home in this world, and while I find them a little more on the boring side, that does not stop them from constantly hitting my board. The aesthetic is perfect for this game. They fit in perfectly with scenario play given their role as the heroes of the story. A Cowards Reward does act like a weaker version of Cyberclaw. Most people don't want to take a disengagement, but when you double the disengagement dice, the thought of it seems like an impossible feat to escape from. While figures with disengage can get away, others will stay locked in place battling with the knights until one side falls.
[Krug] You already said it best. 'Is Krug' is all that is needed to describe him. Everyone who has played him knows that he is the GOAT and an absolute gem in the game. Sick design, easy to understand, wounded smash + double attack.
[Marro Drones] I love how unique these guys are. They nailed the design of a swarm on their first try. Each drone can stand on its own given their stat spread. There biggest downside is how many you need to draft to make the most of them. 50 points doesn't sound like a lot until you start factoring how many squads you'll need to take on the full advantage of them. That is such a unique counter balance to them!! When half of your army is nothing but drones, you better hope your opponent doesn't have an AoE! Plus there lore really does add a lot of depth to the Marro collective that most other lesser Marro don't share, a complete reliance on the connection to the hive. When I think common squad, these are who come to mind.
[Me-Burq-Sa] My friends favorite unit. Never underestimate the 50 point heroes. They do not have to do much in order to meet their value, and they often exceed it. Me-Burq-Sa is the golden example of this rule. Incredible stats with the ability to negate an opponents defense roll. He should almost always spread a couple of wound markers around the board before going down, and he can fit into virtually any army. Even disregarding the insane amount of bonding he can do, he doesn't require much maintenance to use alone. High movement, massive threat range, and the threat of forcing no defense to be rolled is enough. Side note about the Groks, really funny that he was one of two warlords they had in mind while designing that card and they made him practically unviable alongside them. Like, it's nice they can keep pace with him, but he will never want to engage an opponents figure to give the groks an attack boost.
[Minions of Utgar] I'll probably say this everytime a kyrie appears, but I love the diverse appearance of that race. Each tribe is wildly different than the next (except maybe Jandar and Ullar but that sort of makes sense) and it makes me appreciate the culture of the Valhallan residents. Utgar giving us a devilish or fiendish unit while not being connected to hellish abilities is another great way to subvert some expectations. They went all in on the brutality Utgar's kyrie provide. Deadly Strike on a two attack unit is already insane, but their defense of six alongside it makes it all the more bonkers. I do think that the inclusions of Loviatak and Raelin AoA will make them even better. Another unique squad where their point value and the value of the heroes that bond with them means you'll have a low figure count, but the combination of all of them together is quite a deadly encounter. Perfect for Utgar's kyrie warriors. Also, I had never realized that Utgar's Orders is the only kyrie 'bonding' ability. Thanks for pointing that out!
[Sir Denrick] If the Knights of Weston took a more historical approach to a knight, Sir Denrick combined it with fantasy! Knights aren't really known for having a special power or unique way of fighting compared to other historical humans, but many a tale has been told of the knight that slayed the dragon! Sir Denrick takes this idea and adapts it flawlessly with Giant Killer. It, however, does come at the drawback that most units that work well with specified terrain does. You have no control on if you will encounter a huge figure and I personally believe without one to battle Sir Denrick is overpriced. You did make a lot of good points on how we should all be looking at A Cowards Reward and his ability to bond with key squads. I really hope that helps show some people his more unique attributes when it comes to competitive! Would love to watch him be used more.
[Swog Rider] I had Nerak for years before I got a base Swog Rider and I think that has warped my opinion over them. I've never used Arrow Gruts as a core to an army. If I run them, I normally run them alongside the other orc squads and champions, so Swog Riders have never been on the top of my mind. For a cheerleader unit, I actually like them. I know I ranted about cheerleaders back in Khosumet's section, but I think the Swogs are quite effective. Their inexpensive price and the hierarchy of orc champions having bigger and better mounts with their increased point value (except Ornak) does really help them feel like a lower warrior on the totem pole so to speak. I'm really glad that we also have Nerak with a large defensive aura and some ice/snow synergy. Given the swog's appearance, I would have been sad if they weren't buffed a glacial landscape.
Great points as always, and I really liked how you discussed the aesthetic/thematic importance of figures in this wave as part of Heroscape's "genre-mashup" premise. Appreciate the time you put into your comments!
FINALLY haha