Folks,

So, let’s start talking about what you’d like to see in my Latari expansion. To get the discussion going, I’d like to capture folks ideas on strengths, weaknesses, and things you think will be fun.

Feel free to share your idea for a card or two- all efforts will be credited where possible

I've thought that the basic idea beyond the second group of unit releases was to give each faction a second unit of each basic type. So Latari got a second cav unit with the Ventala. Following through by adding a siege unit of a different type and another infantry unit would be the next logical step. I think in the way that Uthuk' Threshers and Obscenes are very different, you're generally looking at units that act in a factionally consistent way, but which perform a strategic role that is very different from the other unit of its type. Take the Ventala versus Leonx. Leonx damage more heavily, but are less defensive. Both are mobile.

Seige: I'm trying to figure out exactly where the gap is here. Scions are cheap, have good mobility, have a ranged attack, and can be built defensively, and their melee attack is still servicable for seige. I'd guess a 2 dice brutal unit, with similar levels of mobility and defense, but melee only.

Infantry: Some kind of utility support piece in the same way that Scouts are limited to six trays and can support the mainstay of an army without meaning to be the centerpiece for it.

That feels vaguer than I'd like but I simply don't sit down and dream about Runewars Miniatures the way I did 4 months ago.

I think you’re right. A couple of alternate basic units (even if they use the same plastic) would be helpful and greatly increase army building options. I appreciate that 4 months ago, the game was different, but this is normal for games that haven’t been cancelled as well. There’s an ebb and flow of interest between expansions. Part of the difference here is that we’re trying to keep players from jumping ship (or returning to the fold) while there’s only a few new players coming into the game. There’s also so many games coming out these days that it’s hard for any non-licensed game to make it for an extended period of time.

As you said, that’s where the local group is so important. I think any game can be fun if you have a group of 4-8 players that attend regularly.

To carry on what @Vergilius said, I think the next step for Latari is a new seige unit, and something else, probably infantry.

I've noticed there is a trend in how runewars units were made. There are 2 different units in each class, a combat unit, and a technical unit. Of course, it doesn't hold true all the time, but enough to call it a pattern.

Example: Thresher (Combat), Obscene (Technical), death knights (combat), wraiths (technical), Leonx (Combat), Ventala (Technical)

The Combat units focus on raw damage output, whereas the technicals provide support to other units, and provide damage in odd ways, often combo oriented ways.

I believe the Scion is a Technical seige unit, so we need a Combat siege. No idea what it would be, although a pegasus would fit nicely.

Infantry gets a bit more tricky. Deepwoods and Darnati are both very technical, but what does a combat latari infantry unit look like? What do they do? I'd be inclined to see a small formation, but powerful unit.

For other thoughts on what would be fun for Latari, I have a few ideas.

- Ashrian Spiritspeaker! She is my favorite descent character, and her abilities are just asking to be translated to runewars (a stun dealing healer? Yes please!)

- Either a forest Gaurdian who acts like an overgrown terrain piece, or a card for scions that gives them this ability.

- A unique card for scions, which allows them to use a Skill to recast runes with facedown natural runes.

- An upgrade that does natural runes 'thorn' damage.

Those are off the top of my head, but I'm sure I'll think of more.

I love cards like the Ashrian Spiritspeaker you described above with multiple uses- it creates a ton of unit building options...

Combat Latari look like Ventala Infantry.

Satyr or beastmen.

Latari have pegasus/pegasi (hey let's start a pegasus plural debate ) which they call yeron, could be a Latari-specific species so that would be cool

I've been searching for a pegasus mini that would work for awhile now. Oddly, it is not a common mini. There are storm riders from warhammer, a reaper mini that looks promising, but costs too much, and a few others that may or may not scale well. If anyone knows of a better one, please share.

The Yeron riders would be great as the latari assault seige units. This would cut costs for mini purchasing as opposed to it being cav.

9 minutes ago, Jukey said:

I've been searching for a pegasus mini that would work for awhile now. Oddly, it is not a common mini. There are storm riders from warhammer, a reaper mini that looks promising, but costs too much, and a few others that may or may not scale well. If anyone knows of a better one, please share.

The Yeron riders would be great as the latari assault seige units. This would cut costs for mini purchasing as opposed to it being cav.

They're a good flying and mounted unit (for considering balance) so you'd need to think of their advantage for their army/ how their rivals might take them down.

Examples: they're good for overcoming obstructions that might hinder ground troops, sight- overview of battlefield, anything else flight benefits. Rivals would need another flying unit or something suitably ranged to counter them if flying.

10 minutes ago, Watercolour Dragon said:

Examples   : they're good for overcoming obstructions that might hinder ground troops, sight- overview of battlefield, anything else flight benefits. Rivals would need another flying unit or something suitably ranged to counter them if flying.     

I'd make them have the wraiths ability to pass thru units and terrain, but wouldn't have them 'flying' so much because that gets messy mechanically speaking. Something as simple as card text saying 'protected 1 or 2 against melee attacks' would suffice to make the unit feel airborne.

They should also be able to draw line of sight over terrain and units, but other units can do the same to them.

An interesting mechanic would be they gain lethal or impact equal to the range they charge, to simulate the swooping attack.

For "flying units" I like the protected vs melee, and I like the wraith like ability to move over units. I think most flyers shouldn't be able to hover, so I'd make the entire left dial movement.

Maybe add in if move blue, may change strait to to bank. If move green may change strait to turn.

It would give flyers a very different feel.

Green moves, blue moves, and red moves, and then on the right side, charge, melee attack, skill, rally, shift, move another 2, and armor up (dodge).

Blue could be short moves, green medium and red long.

You could let them hover a bit but remove their Protected status...

1 hour ago, sarumanthewhite said:

You could let them hover a bit but remove their Protected status...

The thought occurred to me to make them protected 1 against melee if their dial is unrevealed. Simulates hovering?

Working on a proto-Yeron now, I'll post it when I'm done.

So here is what I've got off the top of my head.

I dont own the genesys sourcebook, a bit fuzzy on lore, so I don't have a surge effect for it yet.

Yeron Rider

2A/4hp 18 points Seige
Impact=Move
Protected 1
Protected +1 vs melee if dial is unrevealed.
Precise 1
Range: limit: 1-3, W
Melee: RRB
Surge: ???
Keyword: Flying; This unit may ignore terrain and units when moving.
This unit ignores terrain and other units when drawing LoS, other units ignore terrain and units when drawing LoS to this unit if it is unengaged.

Text: This Unit may modify blue marches with Wheel, and green marches with Turn

Dial

Left Right
L -i4-Melee-----R R -Hit--------------------R
L -i------------------ R -Turn-----------------B
L -i3-March 1--B R -Armor up-----------B
L -i4-March 2--B R -Charge -------------W
L -i5-March 3--G R -Ranged------------W
L -i7-March 4--G R -Skill-----------------G
L -i3-Rally-------G R -Reform------------W
L -i6-Shift-------G R -March 2------------G

The dial is a bit of a guess, I see them being fast, and reasonably deadly. The white ranged die is because they should be able to deal precision damage (Mstrike capable).

Hp and melee-wise they can kill small units easily, but will struggle against larger formations.

Speaking of formations,

Size Slots

1 ----Unique 18

1x2 --Unique, Training 30

3x1 --Unique, Equipment, Training 46

2x2 --Unique, Equipment, Heraldry, Training 57

Unique upgrade, Exhaust this card to modify your march as a charge. 3 points.

This again, is purely hypothetical unit building. Let me know what you think.

On 6/3/2019 at 6:15 AM, Jukey said:

I dont own the genesys sourcebook, a bit fuzzy on lore, so I don't have a surge effect for it yet.

It's quite useful for fans of the Terrinoth games and has plenty of potential ideas for RWM units and even for the really ambitious perhaps new factions/armies to add to the four in the game thus far.

Can recommend it (and it's sometimes not too pricey to get the digital copy although I like having the hardback to browse through)

Have hou guys considerrd Wealdcallers for Latari infantry? The Wealdcallers are elves that can sing to plants and cause them to grow in particular ways. In times of war, they fight with brambles and thorns that they sing from the earth. Maybe they could have an upgrade that lets them attack with overgrown terrain or something. On second thought, sounds like another technical unit.

You can read about Wealdcallers on page 129 of Realms of Terrinoth.

In my experience, there's no such thing as a latari unit that isn't technical. In the hefty pile of upgrades I put together awhile ago, I had a thorncaster, which does basically as you described @Budgernaut . It would be an easy thing to incorporate.

Front rank Sorceress

Thorn-caster - 3/1hp 4 pts

Skill: Choose target unit at range 1-natural of overgrown terrain. roll a Blue die, treat all hits as threat=natural, Surge=Panic

Overgrow1

The idea is classic latari. Chip and incapacitate, while relying on positioning and avoiding direct fighting.