Fan Faction: Fishmen Army

[Quelmotz]

I know some of you forumers want to "expand" battleground's land, create naval battles, more amphibious units, etc. So I decided to come up with this "fishmen" army! Note that these are NOT merfolk, but rather vicious predators. They should have the head of a fish, a body of a human, a fish's back fin, fish's tail, and webbed/clawed feet.

Fishmen Army - Battleground: Fantasy Warfare

Faction Ability
Pack Hunter - You may spend one command action to empower a unit with pack hunter. Mark the unit's checkbox with pack hunter. The unit gains (+1) +0/+0 and C+1. If the unit is pinching, it gains a further (+1) +0/+0 and C+1 in addition to the normal pinching bonuses. The mark is removed when the unit routs or leaves the "health phase" it is in (i.e. green, yellow, red). All units have the checkbox unless otherwise stated.

Swimming - All Fishmen Army units do not get any penalties, instead gaining +1 MC while travelling through water.

Core units

Fishmen Swarm: Offense: (6) 5/4 Defense: 3/1 Range: - Courage: 11 MC: 3.5" Health: 3-4-3
Equipment: Sword, dagger, shield.
These warriors, though untrained, can overwhelm enemies with their numbers.

Fishmen Spearmen: Offense: (7*) 5*/4* Defense: 3/1 Range: - Courage: 11 MC: 3.5" Health: 3-4-3
(-1) -0/-0 when charging.
(+0) +1/+0 vs cavalry/large units.
(+0) +0/+2 while holding vs charging cavalry/large units.
Equipment: Spear, shield.

Archerfishmen: Offense: (7*) 5*/4 Defense: 2/1 Range: 10.5" Courage: 11 MC: 3.5" Health: 3-3-2
May not be given pack hunter.
(-3) -1/-0 when engaged.
Equipment: A few pails of water.
Never underestimate the power of water balls spat from the mouth of these archerfishmen.

Barraca Swordsmen: Offense: (7) 5/5 Defense: 2/2 Range: - Courage: 12 MC: 3.5" Health: 4-3-3
Equipment: Two teethswords.
These savage warriors can rip anyone apart with their razor sharp swords and teeth.

Barraca Halberdiers: Offense: (8*) 5*/5* Defense: 2/2 Range: - Courage: 12 MC: 3.5" Health: 4-3-3
(-1) -0/-0 when charging.
(+0) +1/+0 vs cavalry/large units.
(+0) +0/+2 while holding vs charging cavalry/large units.
Equipment: Teeth halberd.
These halberdiers pull enemies in with their curved halberds, and proceed to make mincemeat of them with their teeth.

Fishling Swarm: Offense: (6) 4/3 Defense: 2/1 Range: - Courage: 10 MC: 5” Health: 3-3-3
Equipment: Various hand weapons
Small but numerous.

Standard Units

Pirahnamen Swarm: Offense: (9) 5/5 Defense: 2/1 Range: - Courage: 11 MC: 5” Health: 4-2-2
Fearsome to enemy units not in the green.
Permanently on close and may not be given a standing order modifier. Will always treat the nearest enemy unit that is clearly visible and not in the green as the nearest enemy. If there is no enemy not in the green, figure out the nearest enemy as usual. If an enemy unit that is clearly visible is not in the green, sharkmen get C+2.
Equipment: Nothing
Though not as large as the sharkmen, these pirahnamen are more numerous.

Stingraymen: Offense: (6) 5/5 Defense: 2/2 Range: - Courage: 12 MC: 3.5” Health: 4-3-3
May not be given pack hunter.
Poison. If a unit takes one point of damage from stingraymen’s attack, put a poison marker on it. During the damage resolution phase, roll a die. If the result is a 1 or 2, the unit removes the marker and takes no damage. If the result is a 3, no damage is done but the marker stays. If the result is 4, 5 or 6, the unit takes one point of damage and the marker stays.

Giant Crabs: Offense: (4) 5/6 Defense: 1/ 4 Range: - Courage: 12 MC: 3.5” Health: 5-3-3
Large.
Equipment: Nothing
The claws of these crabs are deadly.

Electric Eelmen: Offense: (5*) 6*/5* Defense: 2/1 Range: 7” Courage: 12 MC: 3.5” Health: 2-2-2
(-1) –3/-1 when engaged.
Equipment: Nothing.
These electric eelmen can fire bolts of electricity from their heads.

Elite Units

Sharkmen: Offense: (5) 6/7 Defense: 2/3 Range: - Courage: 12 MC: 3.5" Health: 4-4-3
Large.
Fearsome.
Terrifying to enemy units not in the green.
Permanently on close and may not be given a standing order modifier. Will always treat the nearest enemy unit that is clearly visible and not in the green as the nearest enemy. If there is no enemy not in the green, figure out the nearest enemy as usual. If an enemy unit that is clearly visible is not in the green, sharkmen get C+2.
Equipment: Nothing.
These sharks seek blood, blood and more blood!

Oceania Mages: Offense: (3) 4/4 Defense: 2/1 Range: - Courage: 13 MC: 3.5” Health: 2-2-2
If oceanic mages is unengaged during the combat phase, it may cast a spell.
Spells:
Deep Sea Vent Eruption. Offense: (4) 5/6 Range: Battlefield. Any unit that lost one health to deep sea vent eruption must take a courage check.
Water Blast. Offense: (5) 5/5 Range: 10.5”
Tidal Floods. All enemy units within a 7” range of Oceania Mages’ front center point are attacked by a (5) 5/4 attack.

Feel free to post any ideas or suggestions 

[Niko White]

I'm not sure why some of your units have the attack numbers they have, especially dice numbers.  I think you'd be well served to come up with what "races" your faction consists of, and give them basic stats (ie, light armor and a one handed weapon, so a Hawk man-at-arms would be (5) 5/5  1/1  C12  M 3.5")

Then remember the standard modifiers for armaments:

Spears= +1 die, spear modifiers
Two weapons = +2 dice
Two handed weapons = +1 strength
Shield = +1 defense skill
Medium Armor = +1 toughness
Heavy Armor = +2 toughness, often -1 MC

Doing this should help you make sure you have the right dice and things going on

I also think your army ability is going to be annoyingly swingy; the +1 courage is almost never going to matter because you lose it if you get knocked down a health level, which makes it seem like a weaker Rune of Uruz.

[Kevin]

Let's hope they can breathe air or you could get through an entire campaign in one evening.   

[RushAss]

As soon as I saw this, I instantly thought Kua Toa from AD&D

[Quelmotz]

I'm not sure why some of your units have the attack numbers they have, especially dice numbers.  I think you'd be well served to come up with what "races" your faction consists of, and give them basic stats (ie, light armor and a one handed weapon, so a Hawk man-at-arms would be (5) 5/5  1/1  C12  M 3.5")

Then remember the standard modifiers for armaments:

Spears= +1 die, spear modifiers
Two weapons = +2 dice
Two handed weapons = +1 strength
Shield = +1 defense skill
Medium Armor = +1 toughness
Heavy Armor = +2 toughness, often -1 MC

Doing this should help you make sure you have the right dice and things going on

I also think your army ability is going to be annoyingly swingy; the +1 courage is almost never going to matter because you lose it if you get knocked down a health level, which makes it seem like a weaker Rune of Uruz.

Why don't you post this in a thread I made in "General Battleground:Fantasy Warfare Discussion? 

The high dice numbers is because they're...fish, so they're small and many can fit into a card. Their lower power is also because they're weaker compared to humans.

You can see that the "Barraca" (barracuda) troops are basically Hawk Swordsmen with dual weapons, but being fish, they're more dodgy, so remain 2/2.

I'll admit this, I ran out of creativity while thinking of the faction ability. Any suggestions?

As soon as I saw this, I instantly thought Kua Toa from AD&D

Rush, didn't you say you were going to comment more? 

[Niko White]

I forgot   Feel free to crosspost it.

As for faction abilities: they are the hardest thing ever.  Maybe while marked the unit gets C +1 for each friendly unit within 2.5", and A (+1) +0/+0 for each friendly unit engaged with the same enemy?  That has the swarmy feel and is cool because it never wears off, but you'd have to test it a lot to see if it is too swingy or too weak, which are my big concerns.  Giving the bonus in two's-company helps, but I worry it doesn't come up much; bonuses just in a pinch are really lame because if you pinch them you win 99% of the time anyway.

[Quelmotz]

I forgot   Feel free to crosspost it.

As for faction abilities: they are the hardest thing ever.  Maybe while marked the unit gets C +1 for each friendly unit within 2.5", and A (+1) +0/+0 for each friendly unit engaged with the same enemy?  That has the swarmy feel and is cool because it never wears off, but you'd have to test it a lot to see if it is too swingy or too weak, which are my big concerns.  Giving the bonus in two's-company helps, but I worry it doesn't come up much; bonuses just in a pinch are really lame because if you pinch them you win 99% of the time anyway.

True. I share the same opinions. Faction abilities ARE soooo hard to make. I think I'll go with your idea. Most of the time they'll get C+2, but if there are archers behind then they get a huge C+3. I've a feeling some people are going to use a lot of fishlings as backup to get more courage. 

[Niko White]

I forgot   Feel free to crosspost it.

As for faction abilities: they are the hardest thing ever.  Maybe while marked the unit gets C +1 for each friendly unit within 2.5", and A (+1) +0/+0 for each friendly unit engaged with the same enemy?  That has the swarmy feel and is cool because it never wears off, but you'd have to test it a lot to see if it is too swingy or too weak, which are my big concerns.  Giving the bonus in two's-company helps, but I worry it doesn't come up much; bonuses just in a pinch are really lame because if you pinch them you win 99% of the time anyway.

True. I share the same opinions. Faction abilities ARE soooo hard to make. I think I'll go with your idea. Most of the time they'll get C+2, but if there are archers behind then they get a huge C+3. I've a feeling some people are going to use a lot of fishlings as backup to get more courage. 

Exactly, that seems kinda cool, and it is neat it gives you a bit of a bonus if someone tries to cheat on line units and give two's-companies (as I love to do myself.)

[Quelmotz]

I forgot   Feel free to crosspost it.

As for faction abilities: they are the hardest thing ever.  Maybe while marked the unit gets C +1 for each friendly unit within 2.5", and A (+1) +0/+0 for each friendly unit engaged with the same enemy?  That has the swarmy feel and is cool because it never wears off, but you'd have to test it a lot to see if it is too swingy or too weak, which are my big concerns.  Giving the bonus in two's-company helps, but I worry it doesn't come up much; bonuses just in a pinch are really lame because if you pinch them you win 99% of the time anyway.

True. I share the same opinions. Faction abilities ARE soooo hard to make. I think I'll go with your idea. Most of the time they'll get C+2, but if there are archers behind then they get a huge C+3. I've a feeling some people are going to use a lot of fishlings as backup to get more courage. 

Exactly, that seems kinda cool, and it is neat it gives you a bit of a bonus if someone tries to cheat on line units and give two's-companies (as I love to do myself.)

Pirahnas are (10) 5/5 when two's company-ing! 

I actually like that idea myself. Too bad I didn't think of it myself  so I can steal the credit.
*searches around unsuccessfully for a evil laugh emote* 

If you have extra time (and the magic formula), can you determine the point costs for some of these units? Though I think only Chad has the formula...

[RushAss]

Flavorwise, I like the Giant Crabs and Electric Eelmen the best.  I like the dynamic of a powerful short ranged attack.  Bzzzap!  The Sharkmen are also really cool.  But I have no idea how you would fit all of that text on to the back of the card 

The barraca units seem a bit off to me.  Since their weapons are so nasty I visualize them has having less attack dice than you have listed, but high offensive power.  Something like (6) 5/6 for the Swords.  The way you currently have it seems to indicate that the weapons themselves are not that vicious but they swing them often.

[gornhorror]

Yeah, I also thought of the Kua Toa when I first started reading about this new proposed faction. Somebody should make a new terrain pack with Ocean or Lake in it for underwater battles.  The possibilities are endless. 

[gull2112]

As cool as it all is, land armies fighting sea armies will be very unbalanced depending who is out of their element. So basically what you need is a whole set of armies for underwater. This could be done, of course, but it is equvalent to a whole nother game, as if you show up with your fishsters and I show up with my orcs we don't have a really balanced battle.

[Quelmotz]

As cool as it all is, land armies fighting sea armies will be very unbalanced depending who is out of their element. So basically what you need is a whole set of armies for underwater. This could be done, of course, but it is equvalent to a whole nother game, as if you show up with your fishsters and I show up with my orcs we don't have a really balanced battle.

You've got to exploit the watery terrain, since I made it so that the fishmen (not "fishsters", sounds like gangsters lol) only get +1 MC and no penalties while travelling through water.

Flavorwise, I like the Giant Crabs and Electric Eelmen the best.  I like the dynamic of a powerful short ranged attack.  Bzzzap!  The Sharkmen are also really cool.  But I have no idea how you would fit all of that text on to the back of the card 

The barraca units seem a bit off to me.  Since their weapons are so nasty I visualize them has having less attack dice than you have listed, but high offensive power.  Something like (6) 5/6 for the Swords.  The way you currently have it seems to indicate that the weapons themselves are not that vicious but they swing them often.

True. But then if I gave them +1 to power or skill, they'll be rather similar to HE or Tyrant Spearmen or swordsmen.

Let's try again.

Barraca Swordsmen: A: (6) 5/6  D: 2/2  R: - C: 12  MC: 3.5"
Barraca Spearmen: A: (7) 5/6 D: 2/2  R: - C: 12  MC: 3.5" - Spearmen stuff

I know maybe the sharkmen are slightly too complicated.

[gull2112]

Ahh. See, I pictured them flopping around on dry land with their gills fanning. 

[lazyj]

The bonuses that only pertain to a certain kind of terrain are really hard to factor into the cost. Like the Ravenwood Elves with no penalty for moving through the woods. Sometimes that means nothing, sometimes it's so powerful it's almost game breaking, and other times it's a minor little thing.

I guess if you include for flavor but not for balance...

It's an interesting concept though. Definitely a faction genre that hasn't been explored!