Interesting take. I'm not sure I agree, but always glad to hear feedback.skc wrote: ↑Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:51 amThis has come out following my 1st Playtest, (Dark Elves vs Marian Rome), and with my FB conversation with Rod. Thought maybe also place here for discussion.
Re. Deadly.
The +2 points penalty to just get +1 on combat seems a bit steep? (yet 'Ranged' only needs +1 to get +2 on even non shooting types.)
An earlier version had Deadly be a little cheaper, but our assessment was that 1 pt was way too cheap for that benefit. Note that the +1 on combat applies if beaten, if tied, if it wins, against foot, and against mounted. In general, a Light Foot with Deadly is much more effective than Light Foot with Ranged, for example. Situationally, of course -- sometimes a Light Foot with Ranged standing half-in difficult terrain is almost like having an Archer. But on the other hand, if you are fighting anything but Knights, a Light Foot with Deadly doesn't have to hide in difficult terrain against Mounted at all. Further, consider the costs for Hearten, Prowess, etc. -- if the cost for Deadly is moved, all the others need to move as well.
Or even worse -- take a Knight with Deadly, and slaughter almost all foot, and be much more resistant to the normal weaknesses (getting overlapped and doubled, or getting shattered by JavCav).
-1 to enemy and +1 to friends? Definite No. That's a crippling combination. Change Lt Foot v. Lt Foot from +3:+3 to +4:+2? No.
We'll wait for more feedback, but at this point the 2pt cost for Deadly is fairly solid, and we're happy with the +1 to all close combat mechanism.
Consider the command point cost for the actions, and that it has to be across two turns (you cannot go Up and come Down on the same turn). Command point cost is a serious burden on Up, and Up becomes less and less useful as the game goes on and casualties accrue -- I've seen players lose a game by going Up and late in the game and then finding that the temporary "units lost" points for units in Up has broken their army.