Hey everyone,

This week I looked at Ko-Tun and power tokens. I was pretty ambivalent about them for quite a while, but I was pleasantly surprised after giving them more thought. I think they'll add quite a bit of list-building variety to the game and maybe make some figures more playable (at least in casual settings). Enjoy!

https://www.twintroopers.com/skirmish/2017/9/19/ko-tun-feralo-and-powerful-power-tokens

2 hours ago, dietz057 said:

Hey everyone,

This week I looked at Ko-Tun and power tokens. I was pretty ambivalent about them for quite a while, but I was pleasantly surprised after giving them more thought. I think they'll add quite a bit of list-building variety to the game and maybe make some figures more playable (at least in casual settings). Enjoy!

https://www.twintroopers.com/skirmish/2017/9/19/ko-tun-feralo-and-powerful-power-tokens

I wasn't sure when I first heard about this new mechanic, but your article makes me think it could be a good addition to this game without straining the design space too much. I like the idea of making the Imps great again .

Imps were always great! *goes and sulks in the corner*

Great article (as always) @dietz057, I was very excited about this mechanic upon announcement, but the closer it gets the more I already loved it. It really balances the power in a way that have less impact than a green dice (which gives acc, and consistently 2 results) and as you said it have a great bit of decision.

Just to add about the decision power of these tokens, you have to consider which unit you're attacking too and their pool of defense dice. You can discard a surge rather than a dmg token against a white die defender since you have the evades to worry about (some times a surge is better spent than 1 dmg), if you're attacking a black die and have pierce as a surge, if you don't have,....... it's these little decisions that I think will made these tokens a great addition to the game. Sabs that can activate the same surge multiple times could have some interesting situations of decision.

EDIT: just need to see more evade tokens for my Jyn

Power tokens are going to change the Skirmish game significantly, and that is a *very good* thing!

What I want to see (and test) is a Skirmish Upgrade (not an attachment) allowing 3-figure Trooper deployments start the game with one DMG or BLOCK token. I think that'll help make those 3-figure Trooper deployments worth playing again. The language I'd want to use is "when you place a figure from this deployment group in play, it gains 1 DMG or BLOCK token". That way Reinforcements come into play ready to rock.

I'd still want to do something extra for Snowtroopers & Rebel Troopers. Pierce 2 isn't really that great when you're not going to roll a whole lot of damage. Blue-Green maxes out at 4 DMG w/o any surges to Pierce with; Blue-Yellow... *barfing noises*; Blue-Yellow-Green for elite Rebel Troopers has 38% vs black, 31% vs white to do at least 4 DMG at 4 Accuracy (and gets way, way worse at further distances). The Snowtroopers' Heal doesn't truly keep Troopers alive with the way that Hunters (and now Heavy Weapons & Force Users) can hit. Aim is just a completely wasted ability.

I've been experimenting with an Skirmish Upgrade ability that allows Troopers to interrupt for an attack when a hostile figure enters line-of-sight. Works great w/ Snowtroopers and Rebel Troopers, but is a bit OP for other 3-figure Trooper deployments.

15 minutes ago, cnemmick said:

ability that allows Troopers to interrupt for an attack when a hostile figure enters line-of-sight.

Doesn't it cause the game to progress very slowly? Once per round?

Just now, a1bert said:

I don't think that would be practical - it would cause the game to progress very slowly because figures need to be physically moved one space at a time and be confirmed by the opponent for each space moved.

That's a fair critique. My current solution is to limit the interrupting attack to once per round per deployment group, but even then, it could slow things way down.