Empire

[Q_x]

Imperial stuff (last batch for today):
Formation: All ally creatures in same battle will gain 0/+1
Long range: This unit attack first. You may freely spread the damage across many creatures
Siege machine: +3/0 when dealing damage to anything but a creature

[snowdrop]

Imperial stuff (last batch for today):
Formation: All ally creatures in same battle will gain 0/+1

You gave me an idea there. What about using Formation as a keyword but letting it refer to other abilities or new ones and also make it require a specific number of creatures to create the formation?

For example:

Code: Select all

Defensive Formation 3 - When three creatures with Defensive Formation from the same faction defend against the same attacker they all get 0/+1. 

Flank Formation 4 - When four creatures with Flank Formation from the same faction move this turn they do not mark.

I think this is a good idea even if it happens to be my own. It allows us to actually use something that reminds of formations, and the number of creatures required in them and what they do exactly would usually be very faction specific. For example there would be more goblins required in most of their formations since they'll be cheap in Banner, while it might just suffice with 2-3 heavy creatures of Empire to form one.

Siege machine: +3/0 when dealing damage to anything but a creature

Most creatures won't have the ability to deal damage to anything else but a creature. Actually, nothing will.. hrm... or? Mainly because nothing else has a DEF... or now that I think of it some Quests will.

[Q_x]

As for Formations - looks like you've generated good set of leadership abilities
Non-creature damage: yes, quests were on my mind, trivial ones, like sieges
We've been playing with buildings while ago. Also, I think we will soon have some events (spells, fortifications) that might need to be damaged one way or another.

[aspidites]

As for formations, it seems redundant to have the specific number in the name of the formation, unless the user guide specifically dictates the syntax. In other words, either:

Code: Select all

Defensive Formation: When three units ....

or

Code: Select all

Defensive Formation 3: Units gain ...

Not both.

[snowdrop]

Agree.

Syntax will be one and the same, always and on purpose. Defensive Formation x will, if used at all, be a keyworded ability, as will all y Formation x-abilities be.

Whole intention with using keyworded abilities is for players to quickly understand and identify what a creature can do without having to read plenty of text all the time and to save card text estate. While there will be a reminder text printed next to the keyworded ability in the set where the ability is introduced, the idea is to not print reminder texts on cards with the keyworded ability that is included in future expansions (else there would be no need for keywords in the first place if we keep including all the text all the time).

In the rules text it would say something like "When x units...." given x is a variable. That said, nothing hinders us from stating the real value of x in the reminder text on the individual cards that has the keyworded ability and also the reminder text.

The specific number is a part of the name of the keyworded ability, or rather it isn't a part of the name but a part of the syntax, that clarifies how many creatures are needed for that ability (the formation one) to activate. The number makes more sense when there is no reminder text, else, with the reminder text, it is indeed redundant.

Sum of it all is that we will have to have some cards with the redundant text, mainly to nail down and learn the players what the syntax means. That's the whole purpose with the reminder text. However, in future usage the redundancy won't be there.