nerdelemental

I'd endorse the Indy, Detroit, Chicago triangle. I'm in the Detroit pile, but Toledo (on the way from Indy to Detroit, kinda) has a solid group, then up to us outside of Detroit, all ~4 hours from Indy, then to Chicago, ~5 hours from Detroit, and back to the UK from there. Chicago's crew is legendary, and the Detroit area just has the coolest guys to be found anywhere.

Here's another glimpse into my head since people seem to enjoy that even more than I do (frankly, some times I wonder what's led to some of these thoughts....) To add more to the explanation, above, though it's probably obvious at this point (I'm wordy): If we planned to show that each possession was going to end with a death, but some kind of twist, we were afraid the gimmick would get really aesthetically fatiguing. If we put the three big ones back to back with their revealed "but this is how they get out of it" quickly given, we hoped it would be more clear that we were not trying to mislead anyone emotionally or intellectually: that we presented it in such rapid succession as if to say "This isn't the gimmick! No tricks!". So there'd be some lingering tension and excitement, but quickly abated. Personally, the Rasputina arc was by far my favorite but it seems to have caused the most anxiety in our readers judging by forum and personal message reactions. Bitches be trippin. heh. Among other things, but yes. Quite a lot of those concepts were in play for that stuff. However, I'm pretty well-read with dual majors in history and lit, with a lot of personal research into various religions and mythologies, so they all tend to play out as I poke around. The name "Cherufe" for example (go ahead - google that if you haven't already. Wikipedia it for more. We'll wait). In early writing I was leaning toward Norse mythological references and some fire giant stuff, particularly a female version that shows up in some off-the-beaten-path legends. But "Helga" didn't seem to strike the same kind of resonance I was looking for. (her name was not Helga, but you get the idea) So, as we move forward, we should start a flow-chart of all the characters that Nerdelemental has ripped up. The problem is, I've generated way too many sub-story arcs and there's not nearly enough room to convey each of them, so, it's almost like we, at Wyrd, should come up with a better way to deliver stories to everyone without having them wait a year for the book. 'Cause, you know, we've not heard that before. here's a quick list to get started: Justice, Judge, Joss, Rasputina, Perdita, Sonnia, Seamus, Hoffman, Hamelin...

Clousseau is correct. Only the Black Joker has a stipulation that it cannot be cheated.

Well, this is all correct so far, but even with a Black Joker, most models with Obey also have Use Soulstone so they'd be able to add a card randomly by burning one and still might get it to go. Just offering additional tactical info....

I don't enjoy coming into a good discussion like this to throw my two cents around. It has to sound like I'm just being defensive even though I appreciate heart-felt criticism toward something that clearly means a lot to those that committed to reading the fluff and delving deep enough into it. However, I can share some of the thoughts that went into crafting the story the way it ended up, maybe do the DVD "Making Of" kind of spotlight: Here's what I intended from the onset: Tyrants cannot be game models with stats. They'd have like stupid triple digit stat lines and abilities that look dumb. They cannot die. They're immortal-like creatures. They're not gods like we think of ancient mythological deities, but they'd like to be promoted to that level. They're kind of trapped in a physical world reminding them of their quasi-mortality they're trying to leave behind. They want to ascend. "Ascention" has not been fully spelled out and I don't intend to do that in canonized writing, but here's a very broad general notion: If one ascends it beleives it would move into the aether (or some plane of the aether) where it would gorge on the residual spirit energy there. Similar to soulstones, they're more brief, less potent, but there are countless billions of these things and if a being knew how to harness them, it might learn how to store them like a battery instead of consume them like a log on fire (Our game Masters use soulstones like logs on fire - consume and deplete) - which would make them akin to our notions of a mythological god. Phenomenal cosmic power, itty-bitty living space. Bottom line - they cannot be "killed". Add story element: in order to move around on Malifaux and acquire the key pieces to the various puzzles that might allow them to win the race against other Tyrants, they need physical bodies which are hard for them to come by. Other than the extremely tenacious and overly aggressive December, none of them can do it well or for long on their own (he made his own body in book 1, the Wendigo incarnation). Otherwise, they need a vessel - a physical dude - to take over and puppet around. But this dude has to be somewhat aligned in the same sort of power display - like spokes on a bike wheel, 'magic' manifests itself in a person as a kind of affinity to one thing or another, rarely "I can do just about anything with my magic". Our masters are more like X-men than D&D wizards. So, we see Hamelin consumed by Plague (the guy not the disease), We see December try to take over Rasputina, we see Seamus crazily try to summon the Grave Spirit (to let it consume him?! time will tell....), we see Cherufe taking Sonia... now, there's hints in Book 3 about Pandora's Box being more than even she thought it was, the Viktoria Masamune has something of a mind of its own (but it's an Earth artifact! No fair, Wyrd, you're messing it up!), and there's all sorts of speculation about Lord Chompy and whatever the hell he is. This 'consume a dude' thing is pretty much a reversal of the Master Avatar - they have to take a step backward in order to get their affairs in order. So, that leaves the story, wrapping up sort of in Book 3 to make way for the next big story arc. Tyrants are getting busy, getting ready to ascend and destroy the planet (which is a bad thing because that's where everyone keeps their stuff). They take over people which is a bad thing (because that's where everyone keeps their brains), and they cannot be killed. however, Seamus and Sonnia, interestingly, the two very quickly chosen by aggressive Tyrants, and Rasputina, ironically chosen by a powerful and ambitious Tyrant, too, each figure out the trick: at the moment of 'possession' if they - the person - is killed, the Tyrant's power will dissipate. Puff away into fragments like the inundated aetheric energy now around them. Sonnia and Seamus know it, Rasputina defiantly just killed herself to not allow anyone to control her. So, I could, and even planned at one point, have dragged that climactic killing of major character out over several books. It would have given me a lot more space to develop specific storylines, and may have been a better read because this one, though thick, covers a lot of territory. However, Nathan and I decided that it would seem like a gimmick, too: We killed Rasputina! Psych! December, at the last second realized he'd not only have to pull himself together, but find another powerful chick to suppress and used his last bit of energy to pack her soul-stuff back into her body and then peetered out. Seamus had his own trick up his sleeve that he's been banking on since Book 1 - the cursed Gorgon's Tear and Molly who knew how to use it. He'd get possessed and at the last second get popped in the head by a magical bullet forged by Samael which would [he hoped correctly] trigger the Gorgon's Tear and keep him alive. He wasn't counting on it being a conduit for yet a different Tyrant to mess with his head, however, and now the Tear in in his skull.... Sonnia....well, she planned to die to stop Cherufe. And would have if her sword stayed stuck in her gut. It's magical, too. And seems strangely to have been made to work against Cherufe. He wants/wanted it desperately. Even more than his own plans to ascend. When Sam pulled it out of her, Cherufe was ready, and completely consumed Sonnia. Cherufe should have been dissipated when Sonnia got killed on the sword. But there's a reason he was the only Tyrant put in a magical cage and launched into orbit by ancient Neverborn that considered him the most powerful of all the Tyrants. So, hoping to not sound defensive, but explanatory: We gave you each of their defiant stop of the Tyrant ascention arcs in one go: 2 of the 3 masters are back alive, but Seamus will be a totally different character to write about (and Rasputina's insanity should abate a bit, too), but Hamelin is fully dead and consumed by the Tyrant forever, and "Sonnia is alive" might not be exactly what you speculate, either. Her flying away and burning hell out of everything as she went was not Sonnia. Whee!

as a suggestion: since Keltheos admitted that we are [have been] looking at this specific thing, you should probably shift gears to speaking your mind from "I wish it would change" to "I'd think this specific change would make it balanced". We clearly listen and hear you and want to get it right the first time. Well, the second time, but you get the idea. Other than these last several posts, are there more thoughts on ideas needing consideration?

I don't typically laugh, even when a poster might be off. It's fun to see what easter eggs are getting picked up and what kind of speculation is afoot. Carry on.

I love how Nathan and Eric forgive me when I spell Nephilim wrong every time I write it. And Masamune, too.

Because haters got'ta hate.

This post might be the very best explanation about what's going on. I think Arcanists, more than the other factions, require you to figure out what works best for you. I think they've got all the tools to truly go toe to toe with any other faction and even "best master" v. "best master" - but this exemplifies how different people gravitate to different tools to support how they like to play. Locally, Writer, you have a Ramos player that plays much more like [i think] unrocky does. But in my LGS, Maverickman plays very differently. They're both good and competitive, but seriously - it's like two different Ramos' I'm facing. With Mav, he'll pack a couple of Gunsmiths, Steamborg, and/or Joss and I know he means to kill me and anything I brought. However, when we were first starting, he'd lose to me much more than he'd win even if I was bouncing between crews and he was staying focused on Ramos. We have a long gaming history, so I knew he was equal to me as a player. Then, when it clicked, it was noticable. He'd suddenly force me to throttle up if I wanted to keep up and nothing changed other than some perception. And he does not run a bug summoning engine. He's about shelling out pain with Electrical Fire, then he blows up Ice Gamin, then comes in and cleans up with something heavy. I can see it coming. Even if I'm running Lilith I'm on edge that he'll shell out more damage than me. Unrocky would rather a big swarm than Steamborg. Awesome! I couldn't imagine why given my experience with and against the big 'borg, but that's what the Arcanists are probably about. Figuring out what works for you and how they work.

hmmm....quirky. Right up the road from you (RIW), we don't have that kind of feeling at all. Kaeris, Rasputina, Ramos, are all SOLID (beside Collette's awesomeness). Gunsmiths are nigh on the edge of broken, and once you add Kaeris to either Ramos or Rasputina it starts to seem on the edge of dumb, too. I'd love to sit down for two or three weeks and just coach and build slowly. Part of your curb-stomping may be that you were trying to figure out the other side of the table while also figuring your crew out, too? There was a time when we were inundated with "Zoraida is the weakest master in the game" if you can believe it. Some times it just takes time. As far as the other side of the table, several of us have shelved the Steamborg because his shenanigans can get pretty over the top pretty quickly. Post your full collection of figs. I'm interested in seeing what you had to work with and will happily offer suggestions about what you were missing that could have helped you feel less out-classed.

I don't think I contradicted that. And I don't wear a Marshal Badge, either, so keep that in mind. Just trying to help. In fact, I don't disagree with what you were told in any of the twelve topics you've started, all seeming to cover the exact same issue. They are both erased from the card. I agree. They cancel each other, as I said, trying to read your mind a bit for a full understanding of the question with examples vaguely given. Fast cancels Slow (and vice versa). If, then, whenever, the model gets a new Fast, it now becomes Fast. Right? What am I not understanding 'bout this question? Does it get this new Fast Ap, right then, right now? is that the question? What does the wording on Slow say? Mine says: This model forfeits 1 general AP during its current or next activation, whichever comes first. (I just don't understand the question, here, I guess - sorry!)

essentially: any new instance of an ability modifier will replace the same named original, not stacking. So, if my model is fast, and somethings smacks an additional Fast on it, the original Fast just gets replaced. In your first post, your model activates, fulfils its Slow, and can activate normally on its next activation (I'm assuming the model does not have Slow as a permanent ability, but rather the Slow is the effect of something). If, after its activation, it gets another Slow, it'll have that new Slow to contend with. If the model did have Slow as part of its permanent line-up of abilities, and something slapped an extra Slow on it, it will not become uber-Slow, the new one will simply replace the old one. Fast does counter-act a Slow (and vice-versa), giving you a net result of a normal AP dude (+1 AP from Fast, -1 AP from Slow), but, like Slow, a model cannot 'store' Fasts for a net gain of 3 Fasts and 1 Slow still equals Fast. All that convoluted explanation make sense? It's all intended to streamline the game, make this more intuitive and logical rather than become some crazy balancing thing. Just a simplification of what was really intended from the game's original inception. Once upon a time there were just not a thousand and one effects to take every nuance into consideration like we must now. The meat and potatoes should all still taste about the same as it always has!

Yeah, that guy's a jerk! I hate spending time with him. Nerdelemental. What a tool.

lies!

Yeah, but you still didn't put the date. Lord. Every Tuesday from 6-midnight. Yeesh. Amateurs. And, no: even with the Calendar you need the date and time. In the title. And the post. Amateurs.

Needz Mor Bleeding Cowboys! It doesn't make much sense without Bleeding Cowboys font. edit: (forgot the smiley) :vb_tongue

Sheesh. No doubt. Haters. Oh, and put the meeting time in the title, doof.

"Yes" to almost all of your suppositions! Remember that you can choose to target 2 of your own models and opt to tie both so the transposition is automatic, too. So, you could run a Terror Tot up against a big enemy model, then activate Lilith, (0) Companion a Mature, Transposition the Mature and the Terror Tot, then unleash hell with the Mature now against the big enemy with all of his AP intact. Typically, though, it runs like you're guessing: you target some enemy model and a friendly usually right next to Lilith (and usually a Mature, too - you still do the 0 Companion on the Mature). Transpose your small model and target enemy model, both have to resist - if either succeed the spell fizzles - but you can opt to tie your side of the equation.

From worthless to figured out in less than 24 hours. Good work Wyrd forumites.

Takes about 2 hours to warm up...

I may actually make it out, too. I'll have to look into that...

I love Keltheos. And Weird Sketch. And Ratty. The guy that writes the core storyline, though, is a tool. ...what I hear...

lol! Should be an easy conversion. Needs a hat and then paint Ramos bleach white. (am I going to hell for that?)

um....right(?) "Invulnerable" is a reference to an opponent's inability to kill one. In a turn, you can shell out all the damage imaginable, and the Stitched won't go away until the end of the turn...but it'll go away then. Hence, "invulnerable for a turn." We don't have a Superman ability tacked onto the card somewhere called "Invulnerability", I agree. Assuming that's what you meant. Pretty sure this one's been clear for about a year. Good necromancy skillz, though!