Post ideas for new army abilities

[Quelmotz]

The elves of ravenwood's ability seems to be almost the same as precision though.

[RushAss]

Similar in concept.  Here's the difference:

Spirit Guidance let's you change 1 "to hit" die roll to a 2.  Note that this does not guarantee damage as you still need to make the damage roll.  Now if you're facing an enemy unit that has really high defensive skill or your opponent plays a defensive card, that 2 still may not hit.

Precision is essentially an impact hit, so you only have to roll for the damage regardless of any cards your opponent plays. 

So precision is a bit more dependable.  Both count as playing command cards.

[Chad_YMG]

I think in terms of play the two are worlds apart.

Spirit Guidance essentially trades a hit that fails to deal damage into a point of damage.  It's especially powerful on Ravenwood Archers -- let's say you're shooting at an Orc and you really need to punch through.  Once they're in short range you need 4s to hit, which means you'll almost always get 2+ hits.  (Even at medium range you'll average two hits.)  When you go for damage you need 2s because of their heavy armor so you'll almost always have a hit that fails to deal damage.  This means that in most rounds you can use your archers to convert command actions into targeted damage.

Spirit Guidance is also reactive, which is really powerful.  If the Orc player wants to use Hardened, for example, he has to lead with it -- he can't wait because by the time you use Spirit Guidance it's too late.  That lets you try to trump his card, say with Force.  (OK, he can play around that by waiting until you've rolled to hit, but that's pretty lame.)

Precision scores you an extra hit which means you want to use it in situations where your damage roll is really good.  Charging Knights, most units vs. the Umenzi, etc.  It rates less than most offensive abilities but it can let you turn a good fight into a better one.  It's also not reactive -- you have to lead with it -- which makes it vulnerable to trumps like Mettle or Hardened.

[RushAss]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was always my understanding the Spirit Guidance only applied on the "to hit" roll.  From what you're saying, it seems to me that you can also use it on the damage roll.  Is that correct?

[Quelmotz]

So does faith armor prevent the damage or a hit?

[ajax98]

So does faith armor prevent the damage or a hit?

Faith armor is activated for Damage. It will absorb 1 point of damage. Then it is "used up" and the FA marker removed/erased.

[ajax98]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was always my understanding the Spirit Guidance only applied on the "to hit" roll.  From what you're saying, it seems to me that you can also use it on the damage roll.  Is that correct?

Rules v.2.4. p33:
Rolling to Hit
When a unit attacks, roll dice equal to its attack dice. Each die roll less than or equal to the attacker’s offensive skill minus the defender’s defensive skill will hit.

Rolling to Damage
Each die that hits is rolled again to see if the hit is hard enough to do damage. Each die roll less then or equal to the attacker’s power minus the defender’s
toughness will do one damage.

Spirit Guidance - " to change the result of one of that unit's Attack Dice to a "2". This counts as playing a Command Card."

The only differentiation for "Rolling to Hit" and "Rolling to Damage" is the sequence and the results of comparing different combat values of the units.

To do so you use a unit's "attack dice." Which is not clearly defined other than the dice used to roll, the number of which is given on the unit card are "equal to its attack dice".

After the first roll to hit, then the unit's attack dice may be a new quantity - but they seem to be still attack dice.

One way to read this is that the WHOLE Resolution, both  "Rolling to Hit" and "Rolling to Damage" of the Combat Roll constitutes using attack dice.

This is supported by the phrase "Each die that hits is rolled again", thus implying that the attack dice are still used. It could be written as Each Attack Die that hits is rolled again.

If that is so then Spirit Guidance may be used for changing an Attack Die in either sequence, to Hit or to Damage.

Illuminating to me also.

[RushAss]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was always my understanding the Spirit Guidance only applied on the "to hit" roll.  From what you're saying, it seems to me that you can also use it on the damage roll.  Is that correct?

Ajax's explanation is pretty clear, but could I get a confirmation from Chad on this?

[Chad_YMG]

Yes.  This is actually an area of the rules which I had not realized was unclear.

There is an "attack dice" stat (the first offensive stat) that tells you how many dice you get to roll.  Then there are "attack dice" which are any dice you are rolling to hit or to damage.  Spirit Guidance can turn a damage roll into a 2 -- and that's normally what you wait for.

[RushAss]

Wow, my opinion of that ability just went up a notch.  Thanks Chad, and thanks to Ajax for the excellent explanation!

[boltana]

Wow.  That sheds new light on the Ravenwood Elves.  I always thought it only applied to the "to hit" attack dice.  Looks like I might have to give them another look.

[gull2112]

Awesome "new" army ability! Hopefully this gets cleared up in the rules rewrite.

[Quelmotz]

P.S. I've changed the barbarians' abilities to make it clearer.

Here's a new idea.

Loyalty. You may spend one command action to empower a unit with loyalty. During an attack, you may erase the mark to increase the result of a die by 2. You may also erase the mark during a rout check to pass it, but the unit takes 1 point of damage. (This simulates some cowards running off even though the majority remains there)