Army of Four

The Marro Warriors wait to blast their enemies away.

Wave: None

Master set: Master set 1; Rise of the Valkyrie

Home World: Marr

Fights For: Utgar

Hit Zones: Everything but guns

ATTRIBUTES

Marro

Unique Squad

Warriors

Wild

Medium 4

STATISTICS

1 Life

Move-6

Range-6

Attack-2

Defense-3

50 Points

SPECIAL POWERS

Water Clone

Instead of attacking with all of the Marro Warriors, one at a time, roll the 20-sided die for each Marro Warrior in play. If you roll a 15 or higher, place a previously destroyed Marro Warrior on a same-level space adjacent to that Marro Warrior. Any Marro Warrior on a water space needs a 10 or higher to Water Clone. You may only Water Clone after you move.

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

For only fifty points, the Marro Warriors can be a great deal. I, myself have not had A LOT of experience with them, but from what I hear, they are highly esteemed in the HeroScape world. At first glance, they may seem like a cheap strike force. They move fast and strike far. That combo is usually quite good in strike forces. They also can rise again, after your enemy ha blasted them away. One interesting idea I once had was using them as a backup defense. Send three of them out, use them for all their worth, and then, when the three are dead, leave them there. The other one will be situated in a patch of water, close to your must-have area. If the enemy approaches, they start spawning. Of course, Q9 and Q10 could fire away at them until they’re all dead, bur against the less multiple take-out figures, they can be a thorn in the side of any who oppose them.

A Marro Warrior relates his plans to the Hivelord.

His motives: obscure. His methods: more so.

Home World: Earth?

Fights For: Who knows what.

Hit Zones: Everything the enemy can see.

ATTRIBUTES

Human

Unique Hero

Talker, Comedian, Goofball

Unpredictable

Medium 5

STATISTICS

5 Lives

Move-7

Range-5

Attack-3

Defense-2

SPECIAL POWERS

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

If this figure is adjacent to an engaged friendly figure, that figure will take no leaving engagement attacks. That figure also receives an extra attack die.

Stride

This figure may move up or down a single level at a time as if he was not doing so. This figure must move up and down more than one level at a time  normally.  This figure has a move of five when Stride is used.

Distraction

When this figure attacks a non-adjacent figure or is attacked by a non-adjacent figure, roll the twenty-sided die. If you roll a fifteen or higher, ignore all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.

Avoid

If this figure is attacked and only one wound would be dealt to it, ignore that wound. Avoid does not apply to counterstrike or leaving engagement attacks.

Now, sometimes it may seem like there aren’t enough figures in HeroScape. Maybe you have this brilliant idea on what you would love to play. But you can’t, right? Wrong. You can create professional-looking cards, with not too much effort.

First, you need to know what figure you want to use and the stats/special powers. I advise just writing this down on scratch paper. (ex. move, range, name, species, height…)

Then you estimate the points. (Just what you think it may be.) I did create this to help with this step. (Note that it is still being worked on.)

However, that’s not the end of it. You then must (and I can’t stress that enough) playtest. Playtesting is pitting it in 1-on-1 or 2-on-2 games, many times in a row. (At least 5-10) Then you take note of the results, adjust the cost, and continue testing. Once you’re done, there’s still some work to do if you want it to look official.

Here are some official looking card blanks that you can download. (As jpegs) You can open them using Adobe Photoshop. From there, just use text boxes and a proper font (I use Arial)/size, and add in the stats/name/powers/personality/height…. Now, you’re almost done. Then you take a picture of the figure, with a contrasting background. Put that on your computer, use Photoshop to delete the background, and put it into your file of the card. (In Adobe Photoshop, put it on a new layer.) For the hitzone: Just use a paintbrush and color over it, and paste that in too. Neaten it up, maybe use a semi-transparent brush for fog, and you’re done!

A completed card may look like this:

http://s1000.photobucket.com/albums/af130/Fen_Hydra/Hsc%20Customs/?action=view&current=IronGolemJuggernaut.jpg

(Created by myself)

This is meant to help create customs if you have Adobe Photoshop, and some knowledge of computers.

~Fen_Hydra

A very realistic depiction of Brett Favre. (supressed laughing in background)

Home World: Earth

Fights For: Who knows what.

Hit Zones: Everything the enemy can see.

ATTRIBUTES

Human

Unique Hero

Football player, Thinker, Philosopher, and genius

Logical

Medium 5

STATISTICS

5 Lives

Move-6

Range-1

Attack-3

Defense-4

SPECIAL POWERS

Talk the Enemy out of it

When Brett Favre is attacked with an attack from an adjacent figure, he may talk the attacker out of it. Literally or not. If not literally, then roll the 20-sided die. On a roll of 13 or higher, Ignore all damage that would be inflicted by the attack.

Tactics

Whenever a squad figure you control is destroyed, roll the 20-sided die. If you roll a 16 or higher, place the figure back on the board, adjacent to the figure that destroyed it, and attacking that figure. The squad figure remains in play as if it were never destroyed until it is destroyed again. Process repeats.

Scatten, with his many varied tools used for many purposes.

Home World: Earth

Fights For: A reason. What it may be, I know not.

Hit Zones: Everything the enemy wants to attempt to attack except for guns and various other related items That are not a part of him.

ATTRIBUTES

Human

Incredible (a.k.a. Unique) Hero

Football player, Leader, Uh… Winner 🙂

Unbeatable

Medium 5

STATISTICS

6 Lives

Move-5

Range-1

Attack-3

Defense-6

SPECIAL POWERS

Intercept

If an object from a ranged special/normal attack would go past Schatten in its course towards its target, before the defending figure rolls defense die, roll the 20-sided die. If you roll an 11 or higher, 1) Ignore all damage from the attack against the attacked figure and 2) Redirect the attack at a figure of your choice within five spaces. All caracteristics of the attack remain. The target is the only thing different except for the range.

Lie in Wait

If Schatten attacks an adjacent figure or defends against an attack from an adjacent figure while he is next to either an obstacle or a cliff higher than he is, add three to his attack and defense for the rest of the turn.  You may not sue your hands, any other body part, previously destroyed figures, dice, an orange, or any other item that does not belong on the board to create an obstacle.

A very realistic depiction

Home World: Earth

Fights For: The love of fighting

Hit Zones: Everything but scythe

ATTRIBUTES

Human(possibly)

(Thankfully) Unique Hero

Warlord, Tyrant, General, and Linebacker(A darn good one too)

Despotic

Medium 5

STATISTICS

7 Lives

Move-5

Range-1

Attack-4

Defense-7

SPECIAL POWERS

Clap-of-Dawn Special Attack

Range 1. Attack 6.  When a figure is wounded with Clap of Dawn roll the 20-die.  If you roll 8 or higher lay the wounded figure on its back and remove all order markers.  While on its back a figure may not roll any defense, receive any order markers or be moved over.  On each of the figures following turns roll the 20-die.  If you roll a 16 or higher, you may stand the figure back up and play as normal.  You can not Clap of Dawn a figure already on its back.

Leveling Blow

If Sorrowsworn Reaper attacks a figure that he was 3 spaces away from at the beginning of his turn, add 6 dice to his attack.

NOTES FROM THE AUTHOR

RUN AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There are two types of ‘Scape. Competitive and casual. The majority of people will play casually, but there are some who play competitively.

When playing casual ‘Scape, you generally don’t have many squads, and if you do, more of just your favorites. You might just be playing a 300-400 point game because you’re bored.

And then you have competitive ‘Scape.

When playing competitively, you are playing to win. You’re army is focused, and probably has 3-4x of a common squad. Raelin and Major Q9 are also probably in it. Not to mention at least one squad of Deathreavers (aka Rats).

For example, you might have:

Raelin (80/80)

Marro Stingers x6 (360/440)

Brave Arrow (50/490)

Isamu (10/500)

You have your common squads (stingers), Raelin to protect them, Brave Arrow to fill up the rest of the points, and Isamu because he’s one of the best figures (for his points) in the game.

When playing competitively though, you’re most likely not to be at your house. Of course, you would want to test your army out at home before going to… *drumroll*

A tournament!

Tournaments for HeroScape are often self-organized events (as in at someone’s house) where they let people know, set rules, and prizes/entry fees. In a tournament, you’re likely to see not too much variety for armies, as there aren’t a whole lot of competitive armies. For example, this thread shows the power rankings of HeroScape units. Reading through, you’ll find that there are only 3 A+ rated units, and 11 A units. But then there are 28 A- units, and 25 B+ units. Also, there just aren’t many competitive units that are easily available. (Would you like to buy a $20 Zelrig or a $30+ Laglor?)

Now, I’m not writing this article to complain about the lack of variety. The next part will suggest good ideas to use if you are in a tournament or are playing competitively.

1) RAELIN!!!

She’s extremely cheap, highly rated, and requires almost no Order Markers (OMs) on her. She provides an easy defense bonus to your squads, and helps prevent a disastrous Z-Bomb (Zelrig using his burst attack on some common squads).

2) Rats

They need only one or two OMs on them for the whole game, and they drive your opponent crazy after they engage their ranged or melee units and tie them down so your own troops are safe. Not to mention that they’re only 10 points per figure. Their Scatter and Disengage make them extremely mobile, so you’re opponent will have some trouble stopping them. They can also grab glyphs, and if killed, more can just scatter back on.

3) Common squads

There really isn’t much of an excuse to why you shouldn’t take 3-5x of common squads to a tournament. The multiple attacks is worth more that I could tell you. A hero versus that many points worth of squads (except rats) will lose 99% of the time. However, your army shouldn’t be entirely squads. Zelrig can destroy a full 24-hex start zone, so Raelin and Q9 can be helpful in preventing such a full start zone. Also, some squads bond with heroes. In that case, you would want some heroes to bond, because then it could be like you have a 5-man squad, which would be extremely overwhelming to any opponent. The best army in terms of attacks, although not the best, is one consisting of Kato and 3 squads each of Ashigaru Yari and Harquebus. Then you get 8 attacks per OM, but it is balanced out with low attack and defense values. (With that army, watch out for Zelrig!)

4) Don’t just go with what you like

You will need to make sure to include, if you want to win, not just units you love. Of course, by all means, make an army based on your favorite unit, but make sure to add in support and various other necessities (ex. Rats, Raelin…) to make it competitive. For example, the Marrden Hounds (B) aren’t the best, but you can still field them and not lose horribly, as long as you remember to add support. For example, you might want Raelin, to make them even tougher, 2x of the 4th Massachusetts Line to provide some range, and then Hounds (and Isamu or Marcu if you have some left over points). However, it’s fine to just go with your favorites if you aren’t aiming to win.

And finally, the most important thing: Have fun!

~Fen_Hydra